Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Los Straitjackets - Sing Along With Los Straitjackets
 | It's been way too long since the masked marauders of surf ished a new disc. Their impeccable musicianship and completely tight performances continue to define their sound with Nashville twang and surf charm. Two tracks on the CD, and two more on the bonus mini-disc are instros. The other 14 tracks are vocals enhanced with guest performances by some of twangdom's most familiar names, like Dave Alvin, Big Sandy, Mark Lindsey, Nick Lowe and more. While voices are a risky departure for the instro world's favorite sons, this turns out to be one stellar package, with lots of great tracks, from Los Bravos' "Black Is Black" and Roy Head's "Treat Her Right" to Ernie K. Doe's "La Suegra" ("Mother In Law") in Spanish much as recorded by Los Teentops. This is a darn cool disc! |
Picks: Shake That Rat, A Huevo, Our Favorite Martian, The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Nick Lowe is in the drivers seat with lead bass on "Shake That Rat." It's an interesting primal exercise in basic rock and roll. Gritty, unpretentious, and spunky.
Surf (Instrumental)
"A Huevo" is a primal twang bruiser in the big riff mold with fuzz rhythm offsetting the twang lead, with echoed cries of "A Huevo." This tune originally comes from Danny Amis' favorite Mexican band Lost Acapulco 4. Quite a fun track.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a really nice traditional presentation of Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics' classic surf instro. Extremely precise and reverent, with the military precision of Jimmy Lester's drums and Pete Curry's bass supporting Danny Amis and Eddie Angels' glorious surf guitars. Nice job lads.
The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt Surf (Instrumental)
Arranged with Nashville twang and crisply cut, "The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt" moves away from the understatement that was the original and the shallowness of the familiar Challengers cover into a more demanding and warm sound. This tune was one of just a handful of Shadows tunes that attempted to bridge the Atlantic into the surf idiom.