Rock En Español, Vol. 1

Los Straitjackets | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yep Roc
• ASIN: B000N3SSJO
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,370 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Between their name, stage introductions spoken in a uniquely twisted form of Spanglish, bizarre lucha libre attire, and ongoing association with Latino rockabilly revivalist Big Sandy, Spanish has always been a major facet of Los Straitjackets' shtick. So it's little surprise that the Nashville-based garage/surf/twang/trash rockers decided to head south of the border for an all-covers album. You don't need to hablar español to shimmy, shimmy, shake along with the quartet. Guest vocals from Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos (who also produced the disc), Little Willie G. of East L.A.'s vintage Thee Midniters, and Big Sandy bring a soulful strut to these punchy stompers. True to form, liberties are taken with the song titles: "Hang on Sloopy" is now "Hey Lupe," "Bony Maronie" comes out as "Popotitos," and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" inexplicably appears as "El Microscopico Bikini." But that's all part of the fun as the masked men and singers swing through hot-tamale versions of signature hits from the Kinks, the Troggs, the Coasters, and others. Although the Fab Four aren't here as songwriters, their spirit energizes rocking renderings of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," "Slow Down," and "Anna," all early Beatles staples. The Straitjackets haven't entirely abandoned the instrumentals from their own early years, as the scorching "Whittier Blvd." attests. Slow dancers will swoon to ballads such as "Dejenme Llorar" and Barbara Lynn's sublime "You'll Lose a Good Thing." Liner notes tell us that Spanish covers of many of these tunes managed to become moderate hits in the '60s and '70s, but it's safe to say these fresh versions will spice up any carnival. Let the fiesta begin! --Hal Horowitz

Product Description

1. All Day And All Night 2. Dejenme Llorar 3. Anna 4. Dizzy Miss Lizzie 5. Gimme Little Sign 6. Poison Ivy 7. Slow Down 8. Hang On Sloopy 9. Lonely Teardrops 10. Bony Maronie 11. Devil Woman 12. Wild Thing 13. You'll Los A Good Thing 14. Bonus Track 1

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early rock and soul hits with an East Side style, April 24, 2007

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock En Español, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

With the Beatles creating an inflection point for rock 'n' roll, a torrent of UK and US music dominated the global charts in the early '60s. But their self-contained form also seeded do-it-yourself scenes all over the world. Even within the U.S., garage bands and regional radio gave rise to local heroes and hits that grew organically into national entities. As these hits gained international acclaim, many were rewritten and re-recorded, riding out the local-to-national curve again and again in other countries.

On this all-covers release, the Nashville-based instrumentalists Los Straitjackets, already beholden to Mexico for the full-face wrestling masks that hide their identities, explore UK and US hits of the late '50s and early '60s as they were interpreted south of the border. Together with guest vocalists Big Sandy and Little Willie G (of the '60s Los Angeles East Side legends Thee Midniters), and vocalist/producer Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos), they re-imagine rock and soul standards en español with an East Side groove.

Although the vocalists dominate this album, they don't always match the fervor of the original hits. The Spanish translations stand out to ears trained by the English originals, but songs of explosive rebelliousness and first-blush teenage abandon, such as The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night" and Larry Williams' "Bony Maronie," are rendered here more tamely and with heavier bass and beat. Others, like Thee Midniters signature instrumental "Whittier Boulevard," find a deep, soulful groove, and a loose rendition of The Coasters' "Poison Ivy" brings to mind the party atmosphere of The Premiers.

The ballads are sensational, including Little Willie G's emotional reading of Arthur Alexander's "Anna," and superb translations of Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops," Marty Robbins' "Devil Woman," and Barbara Lynn's "You'll Lose a Good Thing." It's the ballads that really push this disc beyond novelty, with lyrics that convert fluidly from English to Spanish, and emotion that resonates in any language. Just the ticket for a summertime cruise in your '62 Impala. 3-3/4 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mucho Fun!, May 25, 2007

By 

Scott Kinnison (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rock En Español, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

Great song selections, rock solid playing and vocals from some terrific performers... what more could you ask for? I have no idea why one person gave this release a single star. This is a fun album. Los Straitjackets & Big Sandy also put on a heck of a live show by themselves, but when they tour together... watch out! You won't stop dancing for about a month. This disc is highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS DIFFERENT, August 5, 2007

By 

COMPUTERJAZZMAN "computerjazzman" (Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rock En Español, Vol. 1 (Audio CD)

THIS CD, AS WELL AS THE OTHER RELATIVELY NEW LOS STRAIGHTJACKET CD "TWIST PARTY", ARE THEIR MOST DIFFERENT OUTPUTS OF MUSIC SINCE THEIR COLLABORATION WITH EDDIE "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER ON THE CD "ROCK AND ROLL CITY". WHILE IT IS DIFFERENT AND NOT WHAT YOU WOULD USUALLY EXPECT FROM A L.S. CD, IT IS GREAT. A COMPILATION OF 1960'S POP SONGS SUNG IN SPANISH WITH EXCELLENT BACKUP, IT IS DONE RIGHT AND THE MORE YOU HEAR IT, THE MORE YOU WILL ENJOY IT. I LIKE ANY CD BY LOS STRAIGHTJACKETS, AND THEY ARE EVEN BETTER TO SEE LIVE THAN TO HEAR ON A DISC.