Los Flippers: Pronto Viviremos Un Mundo Mucho Mejor

Borrowing from British psych and, to a lesser extent, US soul and funk, the Colombian 1960s-70s band Los Flippers were already well known in its native country by the time it released Pronto Viviremos un Mundo Mucho Mejor in 1973 on vocalist and guitarist Arturo Astudillo’s own label — a piece of independence that surely cost sales. The musicians are capable not only of the surface sound, guitar plus Wah Wah pedal and falsetto vocals, but also pieces of embroidery that you might never notice the absence of if they were not there, and yet having them around makes the whole tapestry of the songs richer. Things like the tiny echoing series of notes by the guitar around 2:15 mark in “¿Qué Sabes del Amor?”, and the way the guitar makes a pillow of itself under the drums in “Oye” before the two instruments swap places best illustrate why this is well worth the re-release.