Paul Mauriat - El Condor Pasa

Melancholy Man

Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra
El Condor Pasa
Philips PHS 600-352
1971

I picked up this record knowing nothing about Mauriat. The cover image appealed to me along with the complicated gatefold construction of the jacket. Apparently the cover model is made up as a "condor". The look of the jacket and the overall design seems ahead of its' time.

After researching Mauriat I found that he released too many albums to count (see Mauriat's wikipedia page). The first sentence on this page suggests that he specialized in light music.

I don't know about any of his other albums, but this is very cool "light" music. Each song has a very interesting vibe to it. The music is light to be sure, but Mauriat creates interest with complex arrangements, unique tempo changes, use of unusual instruments and some well placed and subtle electronic effects. Even a cover of "Gentle On My Mind", a light song if there ever was one, seems heavier as the track is driven by a deep bass groove throughout.

The engineering is also excellent. I found a number of great tunes to choose an example from. Etude In The Form Of Rhythm & Blues and Lonely Days are worth a listen. This album or songs are not available on CD or by download.  You'll have to go looking for the vinyl.