Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Los Straitjackets - Los Straitjackets In Concert
 | This is a great live DVD from the masked marvels of instrumental rock - Los Straitjackets! Simply a must have! |
Picks: Outta Gear, State Fair, The Casbah, Calhoun Surf, Itchy Chicken, Can You Dig it, Kawanga, University Blvd., Time Bomb, Squad Car, My Heart Will Go On, Rockula, Isn't Love Grand, Tempest, Close To Champaign, Tailspin, Pacifica, Sing Sing Sing, Out Of Limits, Our Favorite Martian, Telstar
Track by Track Review
Opening Credits
Surf (Instrumental)
Surf (Instrumental)
Live, "Outta Gear" is an even bigger rooster-on-the-walk monster than in the studio, and this take is hotter than the one on Damas Y Caballeros. It's gritty, infectious and tongue in cheek delightful.
Surf (Instrumental)
After all these years, "State Fair" remains too fun. The dry surf chop rhythm and the warm melody line come together in a perfectly crafted Danny Amis lead number. The distortion on the lead adds edge. Superb!
Surf (Instrumental)
Gaminiam and his Orientals' "Come With Me To The Casbah" shimmies with exquisite charm and a squirmy harem riff that's sure to please. It is one of the coolest covers of this obscuro.
Surf (Instrumental)
The Overtones' "Calhoun Surf" rocks mightily as Danny's fluid melody and happy charm bounce with a grinning gate and excellent surf credentials. Infectious rhythm and great drums.
Surf (Instrumental)
With exceptional barnyard credentials and surf glissandos, "Itchy Chicken" rocks with chunky pickin'. The Gritty glissandos rip! It's fast, thrashy, and very fun. The trash slamming in the middle is beyond reproach.
Surf (Instrumental)
Sporting a very cool vibrato melody, this song is enjoyable and earthy, with a clean sound and friendly twang. You can just see the masked marvels as you listen to this! Smooth, and very nice indeed!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Kawanga" is a Tour de Surf in Los Straitjackets' impeccable style. They use several extracts from surf history - the "Wipe Out" drum break, touches of "Fun Fun Fun" and more . It's humorous, intriguing, and biting tuff. Great track.
Surf (Instrumental)
"University Blvd." is just slow a groove! It's a playful ode to the street of desire and a no worry life. A very melodic and pretty track with all the finesse it needs, and plenty of twang. Great for a stroll down the boulevard of life.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Time Bomb" lumbers through monster grind with thick fuzz. It is deliberately paced for maximum plunder. song is monstrous!
Surf (Instrumental)
Eddie and the Showmen's "Squad Car" just rips! It's magnificently driven by harsh twang power while retaining its surf credentials. Exceptional!
Surf (Instrumental)
This shimmering track is very pretty with its vibratory throb. The big tom toms are very cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Rockula" is a grode "Cave Man" sorta thing. Whammy intensified fifties B-movie rock thriller weirdness with crunch and twang. Big and relentless!
Surf (Instrumental)
"Isn't Love Grand" is a very melodic and bouncy number. Its warmth is contagious and friendly. This song is more than satisfying. Great tone and drums!
Surf (Instrumental)
This fifties riff rock instro has lots of grind, but not much melody. Fun in a live format, effectively crunchy and entertaining.
Surf (Instrumental)
A fine rock beat couples with classic Los Straitjackets styling for an easy but edgy ride. The intensity of the guitar and coolness of the drums are in contrast to the beauty of the melody. Very cool!
Surf (Instrumental)
Right from the double picked intro, "Tailspin" sucks you right in. It is very fast, fun, high energy, and mostly a riff slammed into your subconscious, emphasized with major low-E double picked rage during the bridge.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Pacifica" is a stunningly beautiful coastal song with crystalline imagery and an almost Polynesian twang. Immediate warmth of the sun and a sense of a slight breeze on the face characterize this stunningly fluid track.
Surf (Instrumental)
Luis Prima's "Sing Sing Sing" works out atop tribal drums with clear respect to its big band origins. The drums are very much a part of the feel of this song. Totally infectious.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a splendid cover of The Mar-Kets' classic "Out Of Limits" done with grit and reverence. Pure instro pleasure.
Surf (Instrumental)
This is a really nice arrangement of Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics' classic surf instro. Extremely precise and reverent, with the military precision and true grit. The feedback is a splendid adder!
Surf (Instrumental)
The Tornados' "Telstar" is successfully migrated from organ to guitars. A crowd pleaser.
Outro
Surf (Instrumental)