Former
Gabinete Caligari leader
Jaime Urrutia was one of the key figures of the Madrid rock scene of the 1980s. A solo artist since 1999,
En Joy is his third album after
Patente de Corso and
El Muchacho Eléctrico, and his first ever live record. A happy and relaxed
Urrutia takes the opportunity to revisit his entire career among friends at Madrid's Joy Eslava theater. The result is largely predictable but entirely pleasing for fans of either
Urrutia or Spanish rock, as indicated by the obviously enthused audience. The ample 19-song track list accommodates most of
Urrutia's hits, both solo and with
Gabinete Caligari, and includes several duets with some of his most prominent colleagues. Indeed, the A-list guests cover at least three generations of Spanish rock, and include
Iván Ferreiro,
Loquillo,
Ariel Rot, Enrique Bunbury,
Dani Martín, Eva Amaral,
Pereza, and
Jorge Drexler. Most versions are fairly respectful of the originals, with the possible exception of
Drexler's acoustic arrangement of "Pitusa." The album also introduces a new song in the bonus track "Tratando," with overdubbed vocals by
Andrés Calamaro added to the original track captured live with the rest of the set. ~ Mariano Prunes