The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets

Los Straitjackets | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• ASIN: B001UE26Z2
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,582 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The Further Adventures Of Los Straitjackets continues their conquest as the champion luchadores of instrumental Rock. With the heroic efforts of Eddie Angel, Daddy-O Grande, Pedro Del Mar and Teen Beat, the world renowned kings of Chopsville release one of their most remarkable albums to date. Features 13 tracks of future vintage sounds straight from planet Straitjacket. Each CD package includes exclusive trading cards featuring the secret identities of Los Straitjackets along with information on their superhuman characteristics. Comic book panels detailing the adventures of LS provide clues to how the heroes acquired their now legendary powers. With well over a decade of experience under their utility belts, the instrumental rockers 14th album finds the band in classic form. Do not succumb to the evil temptations of mediocrity and check out Los Straitjackets' amazing journey to save the world one riff at a time!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They're baaack! They're masked, and they've still got it!, May 8, 2009

By 

Alan Hutchins (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

The most recent readily-available, all-instrumental Los Straitjackets disc until now was Supersonic Guitars in 3-D , released in 2003. Oh sure, there was a 2005 internet-and-shows only disc called "Los Straitjackets Play Favorites", which featured cover songs of a mostly-instrumental variety, not to mention side projects like Daddy-O Grande in Mexico and Eddie Angel Plays Link Wray as well as Los Straitjackets' vocals-heavy dance craze and south-of-the-border excursions called Twist Party!!! and Rock En Español, Vol. 1. Nonetheless, it's been a while since we've gotten a "regular" disc from everybody's favorite masked instrumentalists.

"Further Adventures" provides just what you would expect from the modern heirs to the Ventures: a menu of 13 originals that hit on many guitar instrumental traditions while attempting to tread the line between retro homage and modern tuneage. There are clear nods to past guitar instrumental Maestros such as Link Wray ("Teen Beast", a reference to the stage name of their "new" drummer, Teen Beat, is clearly a mind-meld of the Link Wray songs "Ace of Spades" and "Fatback"), The Ventures ("Blowout" sounds like any number of mid-60's Ventures songs featuring the Fuzz-Rite pedal), and Duane Eddy ("Mercury" features the low-strings-and-tremolo sound of some of his later 60's adult contemporary material). There are a few decidedly-surf-sounding songs, such as "Catalina" and "Challenger 64" (an update of the song "Challenger" that was on Attack of the New Killer Surf Guitars), but there is too much variety here to peg this as strictly a surf disc.

In all, this is a brief, but well-done 2009 model of the nearly-extinct breed known as guitar instrumental rock. Many of these songs sound like they will be welcome additions to the fabulous Los Straitjackets live shows---keep an eye out for them; they are not to be missed in person, and "Further Adventures" sums up to a worthy addition to the Los Straitjackets catalog.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome Return, May 13, 2009

By 

Stanley Runk "Runkdapunk" (Camp North Pines) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

Los Sraitjackets are back, and they have nothing to say......and that's a good thing! I'll admit they lost me a tad after the last two albums which featured vocalists. Make no mistake, I enjoyed these albums, but I tought the guys were venturing(no pun intended) into new territories, leaving their instrumental sound behind. Well, that was a silly worry coz they have returned with a slab of instrumental rock like we've come to know from them. If you're already familiar with the band, it's the style we've heard on their first four albums-dashes of surf and 60s style rock with a nod to Link Wray and Davie Allan on a few tracks. Great stuff, but the album is just too damn short! Then again all of their albums certainly weren't epic length, but this one I believe clocks in at just shy of a half an hour.
The packaging is a snazzy digipak with a comic book theme, showcasing the band members in mini comic type scenarios. Plus, there are four trading cards of each band member and their stats. Cute and fun.
What can I say? If you're a fan, it's a must. If you're new, it's as good of an intro to the band as any of the first four albums.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A straight shot of instrumental guitar rock, July 6, 2009

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

It's been awhile since the masked men of guitar rock cut a straight-up album of instrumentals, and this one is a gem. You can hear links with many great instrumental guitar acts of the past, including the Shadows, Davie Allen & The Arrows, the Ventures, and Link Wray, but also Northwest grunge masters the Wailers, post-punk practitioners the Raybeats, and Americana greats the Sadies. Someone should pit Los Straitjackets against the Sadies in a cage match at a classic car show - everyone would win. The group's new songs have memorable melodies, pulsating tribal rhythms, and plenty of awesome guitar (both lead and rhythm) to slice through your brain like a fuzzy reverb knife. Anyone who loves the `60s surf `n' drag sound will dig these tunes, and if you squint just right you can imagine this as the soundtrack of a long lost AIP biker flick. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]