Abre (album)

Abre (English: Open) is the eight solo studio album and tenth overall by Argentine singer Fito Páez, released on July 27, 1999, through Warner Music Argentina.^[1] It was produced by Phil Ramone.

Abre
Studio album by Fito Páez
Released	July 27, 1999 (1999-07-27)
Recorded	1999
Studio	Circo Beat Studios, Buenos Aires
Genre	Latin rock
Length	71:56
Label	Warner Music Argentina
Producer	Phil Ramone
Fito Páez chronology
Enemigos Íntimos (1996) Abre (1999) Rey Sol (2000)
Singles from Abre
"Al Lado del Camino" Released: 1999

At the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Best Rock Album while the song "Al Lado del Camino" was nominated for Song of the Year and won Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, Frank Filipetti also received a nomination for Best Engineered Album for his work as engineer and mixer in the album.^[2] Additionally, the album was nominated for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, being Páez first Grammy Award nomination, and only until his win for La Conquista del Espacio in 2021 in the same category.^[3] Abre was also nominated for Album of the Year at the Premios Gardel in 2000 while Phil Ramone was nominated for Producer of the Year for his work in the album.^[4]

The album was certified platinum in Argentina in 2000 after selling over 40,000 copies.^[5]

Background

The album was recorded at Circo Beat Studios and was the first solo album by Páez since Circo Beat, released in 1994, prior to Abre, Páez worked in Enemigos Íntimos, a collaborative album with Spanish musician Joaquín Sabina. Abre was premiered at Teatro Maipo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Páez performed the songs from the album alongside musicians such as Guillermo Vadalá, Nicolás Ibarburu, Gonzalo Aloras, Claudio Cardone, Emmanuel Cauvet, Carlos Huerta, Juan Larrinaga and Adrián Elizarde.^[6] To promote the album, Páez embarked on a tour through Argentina that started on August 21, 1999, in Rosario, Santa Fe, his hometown, and included a concert at Teatro Gran Rex in Buenos Aires.^[7][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]

Iván Adaime from AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars calling it a "sophisticated and lushly arranged pop album", he also highlighted the title track as one of the memorable moments from the album, he finished the review writing that "apart from El Amor Después del Amor and Tercer Mundo, Abre is the best album recorded by Páez in the '90s".^[9]

Track listing

All tracks were written by Fito Páez and produced by Phil Ramone.

Abre track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Abre (Open)"	6:42
2.	"Al Lado del Camino (By the Side of the Road)"	5:26
3.	"Dos en la Ciudad (Two in the City)"	5:42
4.	"Es Sólo Cuestión de Actitud (It's Just a Matter of Attitude)"	4:48
5.	"La Casa Desaparecida (The Vanished House)"	11:28
6.	"Tu Sonrisa Inolvidable (Your Unforgettable Smile)"	5:20
7.	"Desierto (Wilderness)"	7:19
8.	"Torre de Cristal (Crystal Tower)"	4:04
9.	"Havana"	5:47
10.	"Ahi Voy (There I Go)"	5:53
11.	"La Despedida (The Farewell)"	4:57
12.	"La Buena Estrella (The Good Star)"	4:26
Total length:		71:56

Credits

Musicians

• Fito Páez – composition, arrangements, vocals, piano, keyboards
• Claudio Cardone – arrangements (track 3), keyboards
• Rob Mounsey – arrangements (tracks 3, 9)
• Rob Mathes – arrangements (tracks 4, 5, 10)
• Guillermo Vidalá – arrangements (track 5), bass, guitar, keyboards
• Lucho González – arrangements (track 6), guitar
• Anita Alvarez de Toledo – backing vocals (tracks 1, 8)
• Néstor Marconi – bandoneon (track 5)
• Shawn Pelton – drums, loop
• Gabriel Carambula – guitar
• Ulises Butrón – guitar
• Ube Reyes – percussion (track 6)

Technical

• Phil Ramone – producer
• Frank Filipetti – engineer, mixing
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Brian Garten – assistant engineer
• Marcelo Infante – assistant engineer
• Mariano Rodríguez – assistant engineer
• Alejandro Ros – design
• Eduardo Martí – photography

References

1. "Abre". Apple Music. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
2. Ross, Karl. "Anthony, Shakira, Paez Lead 1st Latin Grammy Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
3. "Fito Páez". The Recording Academy. 22 April 2021. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
4. "El sonido de los candidatos". La Nación (in Spanish). March 9, 2000. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
5. "Discos de oro y platino". Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers (in Spanish). Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
6. "Fito Páez mostró su disco Abre". Clarín (in Spanish). July 28, 1999. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
7. Franco, Adriana (July 28, 1999). "Fito, pocas palabras y muchas canciones". La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
8. "Fito Páez Abre el Gran Rex". La Nación (in Spanish). November 12, 1999. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
9. Adaime, Iván. "Abre – Fito Páez". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2022.