Customer Reviews

Vida

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this CD along with Brothers of the Castle after hearing a couple del Castillo songs on an Austin alternative station when I was there on business recently. At first I liked their debut better, but the more I listened to Vida, the more it grew on me. It is a splendid follow-up to the blockbuster debut.
Vida comes on strong with the hard-driving Don Nicolas as the del Castillo brothers waste no time launching a relentless aural assault. You will be entranced as the disc plays through with the romantic title cut, the heart-stopping Suenos Madrigales, the sophisticated instrumental Para Mi Sobrina, the Gypsy King flavored Mi Gitana (My Gypsy), the enchanting Los Caballos, the 70s Santana-like Dame Un Momento, the fast-paced Yiddish March that features some great Mideast-inflected guitar work, the slow, plaintive Por Que? and then finishes as strongly as it began with Back From the Grave, a hard-played, fast-moving song of gratitude and redemption. There is not a single mediocre song here, every one is a gem. AND, if you allow your disc to remain in the player, you will see that the del Castillo brothers can play hard rock and blues with the best of them as the "secret song" suddenly appears after a lengthy pause.
This is a CD that should be in the collections of anyone who likes great guitar work, regardless of whether or not they understand Spanish. The del Castillo brothers almost literally blister the fretboards with their savage, Latin-tinged guitar attack. The voice of Alejandro Ruiz fits the material perfectly and the two-pronged percussion section gives the music a feeling of urgency. I haven't even watched the DVD yet, but what the brothers have given us on the first CD is more than enough to attain and to maintain a five-star rating regardless of how the CD/DVD disc turns out. Vida is one of the best CDs I've heard this year, make sure you get it soon.

Like many Amazon reviewers, I play a teensy bit of guitar. I know just enough to know how incredible these guys are. This is the best, most exciting acoustic playing I've heard since Al DiMeola cut "Race With Devil on Spanish Highway" on his Elegant Gypsy Suite LP. Watching the Del Castillo brothers shred on the DVD part of this set will assure that I don't get anywhere near my guitar for a long time. Since Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids, etc) filmed the performances, we get appallingly good, tight shots of the fretwork. People, it can't be done. I will henceforth concentrate on harmonica, and try to forget that Sugar Blue does about the same level of impossibility on that instrument.

The songs and playing come from a somewhat traditional Latin, Mexicano perspective, but the overall sound is more like Santana when Carlos goes acoustic. The "hidden track" on the CD most overtly shows that the Del Castillo brothers love their blues and rock almost as much as the Latin roots music.

This is an obvious buy for anyone who enjoys Latin music or great guitar work of any style, but it is more accurate to say that anyone who is not totally averse to this style should check it out. The quality of music here really transcends the genre.

Del Castillo is the most exciting band to come along in many years, and it would be a great injustice if they are unable to cross over into the mainstream marketplace. The basis for their music is a traditional Mexican sound, but they mix it with classical guitar and classic rock ala Aerosmith, in a totally unique way. Mark and Rick Del Castillo are the two fastest and most accurate guitarists on the planet, and they get the most amazing tones out of their instruments. And they do all of this on acoustic guitars! Simply amazing. Most of the lyrics are sung in Spanish, which is great for non-Spanish speakers as well as those fluent in the language. If you understand the lyrics, great--sing along! If not, there are translations on the band's website www.delcastillomusic.com; and anyway it will be just that much easier for you to sit back and be blown away by the awesome power of the music.

This is a great package, with every song on the CD being as strong as the next one, and a tremendous DVD showcasing the band live and in fun, short interview segments which let you know the players a bit. The DVD was filmed and put together by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids, El Mariachi, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, etc), who is one of Del Castillo's biggest fans (along with Quentin Tarantino, who has recently had the band play the premiere to Kill Bill 2).

If you play guitar, you will learn a lot about style, speed, rhythm, texture, and TALENT from this album. If you enjoy listening to guitar, there is no choice: you must hear this album. The Del Castillo brothers are my favorite guitar tandem in rock history, and no one can dispute their talent levels.

Vida (life) is definitely a life-affirming album, created by a band that truly loves and celebrates life, love, and each other. You can't help but feel better after listening to Del Castillo, even if you don't understand the words.

I'm familiar with lead singer David Alejandro Ruiz from his days with the late and highly under-appreciated Austin band Melting Picassos. It's great to hear his promise fullfilled in this recording. Don't let the fact that it is almost completely Spanish language keep you from listening - it's exciting music in any language and you can find the English lyrics on the Del Castillo webstite. Please note that the DVD referred to in several of the reviews is no longer packaged with this CD.

(...)

the only thing that i can add to the other reviews is the following: in the "guitar heroes" category, a player is usually technically perfect, but comes across as cold and sterile, or is emotive, but with moments of imperfection. the del castillo bros. are the first players i've ever heard that nail both the technical and emotional sides to perfection. amazing.

This is DC's second self-produced release, and the growth in them as a band and especially in Rick Del Castillo as a producer is evident. This Texas band is going to be burning up the charts soon. They will make flamenco fashionable soon!
The brothers Del Castillo are astounding together, and highly complimented by their band brothers Mike Zeoli, Albert Bestiro,
Alex Ruiz and Rick "The Rev" Holeman. They have gelled as a band with an unequaled intensity. The depth of passion and intensity of dedication to the music is vividly displayed on this disc. It comes fairly close to capturing what they are like in concert.
The level of musicianship here is something difficult to describe; it is best experienced for one's self. Do yourself that favour and give this tremendous band a listen.
Favourite cuts would have to be: Suenos Madrigales, Mi Gitana, Yiddish March... oh heck, the whole CD!
Warning though: do not put this disc in the car player without first engaging the cruise control. Misuse can result in speeding tickets!

I first saw Del Castillo on the DVD Extras of Kill Bill 2 , performing with Robert Rodriguez as Chingon. The outstanding guitar work of the Del Castillo brothers aside, Alex has a wonderful "whiskey" voice ( I guess "tequila" would be the more approprite word ) to complement the magnificently rich tapestry of sound that the group creates. Every member of this band is a virtuoso. The second disc is a DVD playable live performance - and it brought insights into how well knit the band is - and their spirituality.
Cant wait for them to perform in the East Coast.

Wow, where did these guys come from. They may be the greatest rock/flamenco guitarists ever. They do things on the classical guitar that most have probably never thought of. Since first hearing Del Castillo, I've done my best to tell everyone about this group. Rock on guys.This is a can't miss cd/dvd.

I think I don't exaggerate if I compare Del Castillo to Great Los Lobos!
This is fine electric and acoustic music, sometimes soft , sometimes hard.
Del Castillo brothers really can play guitar!
There is not very much information on booklet, but you can
copy more for example Del Castillo's page (www.delcastillomusic.com).

If you're a fan of Carlos Santana, Paco de Lucia, Al diMeola, Tomatito or any other flamenco-inspired music this CD is a must have. The DVD (2.0 and 5.1)included with VIDA is worth the purchase price. Unfortunately there are no samples here on Amazon, but you can go to the Del Castillo website and listen.