Customer Reviews

The Velvet Touch Of Los Straitjackets

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The wait is over! While this didn't top their debut album, I enjoyed it more than VIVA! Danny Amis & Eddie Angel must be 2 of the most thrilling guitarists on the planet, and to have 2 such talents performing side-by-side blows away most other bands out there. And I rank Jimmy Lester as THE most exciting drummer I've ever seen! Cool tunes this time out include "Rockula", "Hornet's Nest", "Sing, Sing, Sing" (not quite up to Chicago's version, but who is?) and "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme from Titanic)"--the only thing related to that film I like at all. Plus the album opener is the 3rd version of "Kawanga", which is a huge improvement over the 45-- though I still favor the original from EDDIE ANGEL'S GUITAR PARTY.

For anyone who STILL can't get enough of this amazing band, check out INSTRUMENTAL FIRE ("Spanish Fly"), HALLOWEEN HOOTENANNY ("The Munster Theme"), ROCK DON'T RUN VOL.3 ("Branded") and DIAMOND CUTS TRIPLE PLAY ("Take Me Out To The Ball Game") for songs that don't appear elsewhere. Also look for anything by THE PLANET ROCKERS, which features Eddie Angel playing the coolest rockabilly this side of Carl Perkins!

I just turned 50 years old but I'm not stuck in a "classic rock" mode - I love searching out new bands and I'm glad I discovered Los Straitjackets. This is one of the most fun CDs I've purchased in a long time. Great surf music yet their not afraid to experiment - their version of "My Heart Will Go On" is a classic. And I never thought I'd hear a surf guitar cover of Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing", but it's a killer! And how about that Tijuana Brass inspired track, just without the Brass! All in all, a great CD.

This album is FANTASTIC! LSJ haven't made a bad one yet, and this for me is the pinnacle. Their debut and "Viva" are great albums too, but there's just something about their version of "My Heart Will Go On" (the only good thing to come out of that cash-cow movie) that makes me play it over and over...."Close To Champaign" is a nice, laid-back tune with some great drumming by Jimmy Lester; use "Rockula" for your next Hallowe'en party; "Hornet's Nest" has some unbelieveable guitar work by Eddie and Danny; and "All That Glitters" would be a hilarious runway song for the Miss America Pageant if Gary Glitter were hosting it! "The Velvet Touch..." is just a *spectacular* album, from one of the classiest, mesmerizing, and tightest surf bands in - dare I say it? - the world! VIVA LOS STRAITJACKETS!

I've been listening to Los Straitjackets for the last several years, and haven't been this captivated by a band since the Beatles played Ed Sullivan. The "surf guitar" label only begins to describe their music, which is filled with joyful energy, brilliant musicianship, and a thoughtful appreciation of the 20th century's favorite folk music, Rock and Roll. Viva Los Straitjackets!

While everything on this album is top-drawer surf music, the song that, deservedly, gives people whiplash when walking by your cubicle is their cover of "My Heart Will Go On," the theme from "Titanic." Not changed, not transformed, simply filtered through the surf music stylings of Los Straitjackets, it becomes truly a classic surf tune and one guaranteed to make casual listeners stop, trying to figure out where they know the song from.

The cover nicely encapsulates both the humor and artistry of Los Straitjackets, who manage to produce classic surf music without sounding like they're simply emulating Dick Dale or the Ventures and without straying into other forms in order to find a way to inject new life into the music.

A great album for surf music fans of all ages. Strongly recommended.

It's Los Straitjackets' cover of the horrible Celine Dion theme from The Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On." Without ever having seen the movie, and without intentionally listening to hideous "easy listening" radio, I've heard part of the song about 2000 times, so, yes, I know it. But the Straitjackets take it through the Ventures/surf rock funhouse, and without camping it up too much turn it into a wild ride of an instrumental, right from the Telstar opening, through the harp riffs and the Star Trek Theme haunting space vocals. Everything that was cool about the Ventures style of instrumentals is in here. The version from "The Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets" is better than the live version, but only because it allowed them to put on that veneer of perfection that went with The Ventures.

Oh yeah, the rest of the album rocks, too! Listen, ALL their stuff rocks.

By the way, Los Straitjackets and The Ventures are playing together on a cruise ship. I'm not sure what to make of that, but I wish I could be there.

This is one of the great albums that Los Straitjackets has had while the first album is better I would like to argue about there second ,even though it does have great songs like "Pacifica" and "Venturing Out" ,this last album is arguably the better album with great songs like "State Fair" and "Rockula" to name a few. Los Straitjackets also complimented other songs like "Sing, Sing, Sing" ,even "My Heart Will GO On" has a great beat. All together this latest release is another great hit by Los Straitjackets.

This was the 1999 album by America's instrumental rock & roll combo. It's a very good album of mostly original rock and roll instrumentals. The two cover songs are Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing" and Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". Both covers are very good, with "My Heart Will Go On" being a sort of "Titanic meets Telstar" version of the tune. The original tunes are also very good. The music is played in a sort of Ventures/surf music style, but more modern sounding. Some of the songs have other influences, too; like horror movie music, mariachi bands and Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2". This is a terrific album that fans of the Ventures style instrumental rock will enjoy.

I love what these masked men do. I have their previous two CDs and I think this is their best yet. The mix sounded clear and great to me; maybe music fan from East Coast got a bad copy of the CD, or maybe he's got too much wax in his ears. And there is nothing cheesy or too over the top for my taste. Just good, solid, straight-out, Ventures fueled instrumental surf guitar rock, Americans. The Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets is a big-time winner.

I can't see how anyone who already knew Los Straitjackets could end up unhappy with this. I'll admit there's some cheesiness, but what did you expect? Anyone take a look at their album covers? This music is fun and creative. They have a surf and rockabilly influence but dare to go beyond. I find it hard to choose between this album and Viva--both are great.