Customer Reviews

Rancho Los Angeles

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I seriously recommend this one. It sounds impossibly pure for how fast it is played. One thing about Rancho Los Angeles is it doesn't have a singer to cover up weak spots, it's all in the open and that makes this biscuit more tasty. Obviously, tracks like Trash Tornado and Runaway Bride have moments that you would focus on the engaging, breakneck rhythm section or the guitarist's spirit-conjuring interplay anyway, but on songs such as Three Legged Hog and In Through the Out Take, the band's groove speaks for itself. There's a similar melodic theme throughout, but once an intro waves goodbye, you're in MerleJagger country and it's anyone's guess where the hell that'll take you. My favorite number is Possom Trot, which invokes The James Gang, The Allman Brothers, Traffic and The Byrds all at once. Ending with the monumental show-your-cards Duck Hunter, these three guys made my brain reek of in-the-pocket country-rock for a week, and i still listen to it when i'm driving!

On paper, it might not make sense that an instrumental country band could make sounds engaging enough to hold listeners for an entire CD, but that's quite what "Rancho Los Angeles" offers. It's kind of a cross between Dick Dale's beach music and the country genre. On "Hillbilly No. 9" Mark Christian's guitar and banjo picking is so agile that the pace is dizzying. "Trash Tornado" has that needle-like electric lead that makes it seems like a wave across a Kansas wheatfield. "Ranch Party" smokes and rips its way to make three minutes sound like an extended country hoe-down. "Granny Takes a Trip" has old-style electric leads on a break-neck pace with Mark Christian's mandolin and Brandon Goldstein's drums pounding. "Three-Legged Hog" combines a Beverly Hillbillies feeling with some blistering lead guitar. Whatever one may think about the Merle Jagger genre, it is not boring. Beach country! Enjoy!

A brilliant, souped up mix of hot rod roots rock. Fire up your chopped top '51 Merc and hit the road with this baby! The musical equivalent of a 40 foot strip of burnin' rubber on a two lane blacktop..

Merle Jagger is a toe tappin' good time!! Watch out Los Angeles! Merle will lasso you in and take you for the ride of your life.