Search - Los Straitjackets :: The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets

They're baaack! They're masked, and they've still got it!

Alan Hutchins | Denver, CO | 05/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The most recent readily-available, all-instrumental Los Straitjackets disc until now was Supersonic Guitars in 3-D , released in 2003. Oh sure, there was a 2005 internet-and-shows only disc called "Los Straitjackets Play Favorites", which featured cover songs of a mostly-instrumental variety, not to mention side projects like Daddy-O Grande in Mexico and Eddie Angel Plays Link Wray as well as Los Straitjackets' vocals-heavy dance craze and south-of-the-border excursions called Twist Party!!! and Rock En Español, Vol. 1. Nonetheless, it's been a while since we've gotten a "regular" disc from everybody's favorite masked instrumentalists.



"Further Adventures" provides just what you would expect from the modern heirs to the Ventures: a menu of 13 originals that hit on many guitar instrumental traditions while attempting to tread the line between retro homage and modern tuneage. There are clear nods to past guitar instrumental Maestros such as Link Wray ("Teen Beast", a reference to the stage name of their "new" drummer, Teen Beat, is clearly a mind-meld of the Link Wray songs "Ace of Spades" and "Fatback"), The Ventures ("Blowout" sounds like any number of mid-60's Ventures songs featuring the Fuzz-Rite pedal), and Duane Eddy ("Mercury" features the low-strings-and-tremolo sound of some of his later 60's adult contemporary material). There are a few decidedly-surf-sounding songs, such as "Catalina" and "Challenger 64" (an update of the song "Challenger" that was on Attack of the New Killer Surf Guitars), but there is too much variety here to peg this as strictly a surf disc.



In all, this is a brief, but well-done 2009 model of the nearly-extinct breed known as guitar instrumental rock. Many of these songs sound like they will be welcome additions to the fabulous Los Straitjackets live shows---keep an eye out for them; they are not to be missed in person, and "Further Adventures" sums up to a worthy addition to the Los Straitjackets catalog.

"

A Welcome Return

Stanley Runk | Camp North Pines | 05/13/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Los Sraitjackets are back, and they have nothing to say......and that's a good thing! I'll admit they lost me a tad after the last two albums which featured vocalists. Make no mistake, I enjoyed these albums, but I tought the guys were venturing(no pun intended) into new territories, leaving their instrumental sound behind. Well, that was a silly worry coz they have returned with a slab of instrumental rock like we've come to know from them. If you're already familiar with the band, it's the style we've heard on their first four albums-dashes of surf and 60s style rock with a nod to Link Wray and Davie Allan on a few tracks. Great stuff, but the album is just too damn short! Then again all of their albums certainly weren't epic length, but this one I believe clocks in at just shy of a half an hour.

The packaging is a snazzy digipak with a comic book theme, showcasing the band members in mini comic type scenarios. Plus, there are four trading cards of each band member and their stats. Cute and fun.

What can I say? If you're a fan, it's a must. If you're new, it's as good of an intro to the band as any of the first four albums."

A straight shot of instrumental guitar rock

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/07/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's been awhile since the masked men of guitar rock cut a straight-up album of instrumentals, and this one is a gem. You can hear links with many great instrumental guitar acts of the past, including the Shadows, Davie Allen & The Arrows, the Ventures, and Link Wray, but also Northwest grunge masters the Wailers, post-punk practitioners the Raybeats, and Americana greats the Sadies. Someone should pit Los Straitjackets against the Sadies in a cage match at a classic car show - everyone would win. The group's new songs have memorable melodies, pulsating tribal rhythms, and plenty of awesome guitar (both lead and rhythm) to slice through your brain like a fuzzy reverb knife. Anyone who loves the `60s surf `n' drag sound will dig these tunes, and if you squint just right you can imagine this as the soundtrack of a long lost AIP biker flick. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]"