Album Description: The sleeve photo of a crocodile's eye with a faint image of Rodrigo and Gabriela superimposed, suits the artists' desire for something which didn't shout "Mexican guitarists" or "Couples." "It reminded us of Tamacun, the famous Mexican eccentric who is in Ixtapa where we lived for a while".
Tamacun -"Tamacun's message is to teach kids to respect nature." He handles crocodiles, and tourists come to photograph him.
Diablo Rojo - Inspired by a wild rollercoaster called 'Red Devil' at a theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three rides in a row, each.
Viking Man - Another Danish inspired piece. The Viking Man was a homeless guy who encouraged Rod & Gab to tough it out on the streets, busking in minus zero conditions at Christmastime. John Leckie adds radio static.
Satori - Experiencing self doubt shortly after arriving in Ireland, Rodrigo y Gabriela were at a low ebb. No money, poor English and a deep sense of uncertainty. Only an unshakeable faith in perseverance kept them going. Satori describes the Zen - like moment of enlightenment they felt when they came through the storm.
Ixtapa - "Ixtapa is a very beautiful, very Mexican town." Roby Lakatos' wildly soaring violin solo is a perfect counterpoint to the melodic and percussive guitars.
Stairway to Heaven - "Ixtapa was our very own Stairway to Heaven!" Rod & Gab's take was initially inspired by Stanley Jordan's interpretation of the Led Zep warhorse. Growing from snippets in their live show, their unique version is at once both respectful and innovative.
Orion - This epic reworking of the Metallica song is the second time Rodrigo y Gabriela have covered Messrs Hetfield, Ulrich & Co: "A tribute to the style of music we love, it's what kept us playing the guitar through all those Spinal Tap years"
Juan Loco - The first attempt at recording this album in Mexico in Summer 2005 resulted in three weeks of sunbathing, beer drinking and power cuts. Enter Mr John Leckie, legendary producer of Radiohead, The Stone Roses and Muse, to name but a few; to midwife Rod & Gab's musical vision into what you hear today. 'Juan Loco' ('Mad John') is their Mexican nickname for Mr Leckie.
PPA - "The first P of PPA stands for Pinche, a Mexican term meaning f**king asshole. This is for all the people in the music business who think they know what's going on but actually don't have a clue".
Amazon.com: How did two Mexican-born heavy-metal enthusiasts end up at the top of the Irish charts? The story begins back in their homeland, where Rodrigo Sanchez (lead guitar) and Gabriela Quintero (rhythm and guitar-top hand percussion) met as teenagers. Following years of fruitless struggle, they settled in Dublin, working as street entertainers, eventually wandering as far afield as Denmark and Spain. But over time, their virtuoso duo-guitar instrumentals garnered them a following, which in turn led to indoor engagements where they no longer had to freeze their hands off. And no wonder -- their eruptive mixture of Central and South American folkways, with its propulsive rock rhythms, plus grooves reminiscent of The Gipsy Kings' crowd-pleasing Catalan rumbas, is incredibly infectious. Yes, their frisky yet spot-on covers of "Stairway To Heaven" and "Orion" may goad some listeners into purchasing the album, but believe it or not, the original tunes are even more mesmerizing. "Ixapa," in which the pair are joined by noted Hungarian Roma (Gypsy) fiddler Roby Lakatos, has a wicked, pan-European swing, while the impossibly fleet "Juan Loco" should delight all comers -- once they catch their collective breaths! Produced by John Leckie (Radiohead, The Stone Roses, Muse), the USA release includes a DVD containing interviews, live performances and other extras. --Christina Roden
Mind Blowing!!!!! This is one of the best albumes of the Decade! Original and full of heart. Be ready to leap off your sit and allow your being to rejoice with sheer Bliss!
A must have!!!
Fast paced and stunning I first heard this pair on Mountain Stage. Their CD very clearly states that they do not play flaminco music, but that is the best way that I, a person uneducated in their genre of music, can describe it. It is a breathtaking, fast-paced music with amazing rhythm and single note guitar playing. I was captured from start to finish by this album. The duo came from Mexico but lives in Dublin. Their music draws inspiration from Mexico, England, Denmark as well as groups like Metallica and Led Zeplin. This is an amazing CD that you would do well to have in your collection.
Super Spectacular! When you look up 'music' in the dictionary, Rodrigo y Gabriela are there! This CD is fantastic! If you can listen to more than 2 minutes without having to move, tap, stomp, dance, snap, nod, or something, than you must be a zombie! Gabriela's "guitar drumming" is amazing! I swear she must have sold her soul to the Devil for such raw, stunning and unbelievable talent!! I highly recommend this CD/DVD!
Gipsy Kings meet Metallica This cd and Rodrigo y Gabriel are a breath of fresh air for music lovers, period! It doesn't matter what style of music you prefer, if you enjoy good guitar music with an innovating style of playing, then you need to check this out! These maestros definitely know their stuff...and they take acoustic guitar playing to the next level, by incorporating metal guitar riffs and bits and pieces from just about everywhere-from jazz, rock, classical guitar, and flamenco, into their repertoire. Even if you don't like acoustic or classical guitar, don't prejudice your mind before checking them out. There's quite nobody like them that I can recall. And you won't find them on mainstream radio either. Rodrigo y Gabriel don't sing, and don't want to be "categorized," into any classification so with that in mind, please take the "plunge," into, what I would call, a breath of fresh air and an inspiration to all of us guitar fans!
Great sounds! Very talented ex-mex pats conquering the acoustic world. Just an all around great album that compares to none. And please be sure not to describe this music as flamenco, ok? No waaayyyy! Enjoy..
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
