Viva Los Straitjackets

Los Straitjackets | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Upstart / Umgd
• ASIN: B000003NPN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,510 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #35 in Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists > Surf Guitar

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The history of rockin' instrumentals crammed into 38 minutes, February 9, 2002

By 

Alan Hutchins (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

Everyone's favorite masked instrumentalists seem to have hit their peak (so far) with this 1996 release, their second. The fourteen song selection hits upon nearly every style in the encylopedia of rockin' instrumentals: you've got surf (Pacifica, Wrong Planet), a spy "movie" theme (Espionage), a western "movie" theme (Lonely Apache), tributes to the Ventures and Shadows (cleverly titled Venturing Out and Lurking in the Shadows), southern fried R & B influenced excursions (Swampfire, Brains and Eggs), Middle-Eastern and Oriental detours (Casbah, Tsunami), some exotic sounding minor key darkness (Nightmare in Monte Cristo) and some just plain no-brainer,three-chord bashing (Cavalcade, Outta Gear, Lawnmower). All are written by the various band members with producer Ben Vaughn getting one co-writing credit. The performances are great, the sound contemporary while nodding to tradition, and the atmosphere is contagiously upbeat.

This round-the-world-with-no-vocals trip is quite satisfying and keeps you riveted with the variety and depth of the material. Their debut disc approaches this one in terms of variety and quality, and their live set from 2001 is a barnburning summary of their first three discs with lots of choice covers thrown in, but anyone seeking to start a Los Straitjackets library is encouraged to begin here with their most complete, well-rounded set to date. Viva indeed!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wrassle Up a Instru Masterpiece!, January 13, 2000

By 

le_chimp (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

Pardon my french, but this CD spanks the baby's rump. From water-drenched reverb classics like "Pacifica" to sick rockabilly numbers like "Outta Gear," the Straits are the only soundtrack to tex-mex eatin', shootin' the curl, sloggin' thru a swamp, or body-slammin' folks.

Also, if you haven't seen them on Conan [one of his faves] or in the sweaty-masked flesh, do not miss their hi-lariously rockin' live shows.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surf Music 201, Required Listening, November 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Viva Los Straitjackets (Audio CD)

When you think of 'surf music,' do you think of just one tone or set of chord changes? @pui. If you think it can't be fast, slow, frenetic, laid back, perky, maudlin, western, eastern, spacey, or just plain fun to listen to, then you NEED to buy this CD and round out your education. This disk is the ultimate Surf Sampler, and EVERY song on it has a different texture, clean sound, and construction more solid than the school you went to.