Rock En Español, Vol. 1

With the Beatles creating an inflection point for rock ‘n’ roll, a torrent of UK and US music dominated the global charts in the early ’60s. But their self-contained form also seeded do-it-yourself scenes all over the world. Even within the U.S., garage bands and regional radio gave rise to local heroes and hits that grew organically into national entities. As these hits gained international acclaim, many were rewritten and re-recorded, riding out the local-to-national curve again and again in other countries.

On this all-covers release, the Nashville-based instrumentalists Los Straitjackets, already beholden to Mexico for the full-face wrestling masks that hide their identities, explore UK and US hits of the late ’50s and early ’60s as they were interpreted south of the border. Together with guest vocalists Big Sandy and Little Willie G (of the ’60s Los Angeles East Side legends Thee Midniters), and vocalist/producer Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos), they re-imagine rock and soul standards en español with an East Side groove.

Although the vocalists dominate this album, they don’t always match the fervor of the original hits. The Spanish translations stand out to ears trained by the English originals, but songs of explosive rebelliousness and first-blush teenage abandon, such as The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night” and Larry Williams’ “Bony Maronie,” are rendered here more tamely and with heavier bass and beat. Others, like Thee Midniters signature instrumental “Whittier Boulevard,” find a deep, soulful groove, and a loose rendition of The Coasters’ “Poison Ivy” brings to mind the party atmosphere of The Premiers.

The ballads are sensational, including Little Willie G’s emotional reading of Arthur Alexander’s “Anna,” and superb translations of Jackie Wilson’s “Lonely Teardrops,” Marty Robbins’ “Devil Woman,” and Barbara Lynn’s “You’ll Lose a Good Thing.” It’s the ballads that really push this disc beyond novelty, with lyrics that convert fluidly from English to Spanish, and emotion that resonates in any language. Just the ticket for a summertime cruise in your ‘62 Impala. 3-3/4 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]