Los Straitjackets - A¡Viva!

Too cool for words

This was the second album by "America's instrumental rock & roll combo". They play rock instrumentals in a style that's reminiscent of the late '50s and early '60s. All the songs here are group originals. Many of the tunes on this album are done in emulation of a particular style of instrumental. You can often tell what style in being emulated by the song titles. Like "Pacifica" (surf music), "Espionage" (spy movie music), "Lurking in the Shadows" (The Shadows) and "Venturing Out" (The Ventures). This is a really fun album that fans of instrumental rock should enjoy. March 17, 2006

Jackpot

There really isn't anything new for me to add to all these reviews, but I'd like to add one more positive rating. If you're familiar with Los Straitjackets, and their first album in particular, you'll find Viva! to be a more than worthy companion to that album. A very good selection of rock instrumentals, not one of them skippable. Like The Ventures, Los Straitjackets are on the books as a surf rock band, but they play around with so many different styles, that to simply call them a surf band isn't entirely accurate. If you happen to be new to this group, understand that along with some catchy surf tunes, you'll get songs that'll make you feel as though you're in your own spy flick or western. Making Viva! your first Straitjackets album is anything but a gamble. May 13, 2005

The history of rockin' instrumentals crammed into 38 minutes

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! February 9, 2002

More Wacky Neuvo Surf.

It's time to make an important statement: Surf is art.

That said, Los Straitjackets is a group of artists.

The cuts on Viva Los Straitjackets range from the laid back calm of early Surfari's work, to the raging sci-fi frenzy of "Man or Astro Man?," on cuts like "Hornet's Nest."

Another important fact: Surf is fun.

Please make note of the insanely funny cover of Celine Dion's horrifying "My Heart Will Go On." Los Straitjackets not only makes this wretched, filthy song tollerable, they proceed to mock it, using the same twisted synthesyzer sounds used by the Ventures on their equally regrettable "Telstar."

All hail the new carriers of the Surf torch. March 27, 2001

Surf Music 201, Required Listening

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. November 1, 2000

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