Junior Wells
Live Around the World: The Best of Junior Wells
Legacy
www.legacyrecordings.com
Flashy, animated, and eccentric, the late, great Junior Wells generated as much notoriety for his expressive singing as for his skills as a blues harp player. Live Around the World documents the sound of a consummate bluesman in his twilight years — old and frayed around the edges, but still full of piss and vinegar.
From a moody “Sweet Sixteen” to a lascivious “Help Me,” Wells vamps and groans like a lecherous tent revival preacher, the Hoodoo man mesmerizing the crowd with ease. Simply put, Junior had his mojo working.
▪ Rating (out of 5): 4
Los Straitjackets
¡Damas y Caballeros!
Cavalcade Records/Yep Roc Records
www.straitjackets.com
A few indisputable truths exist in this sad, beautiful, and maddening world. One is that sappy, overproduced love songs, such as “My Heart Will Go On,” will always generate ironic covers from smart-aleck bands. A second truth? Mexican wrestling masks look really cool.
Los Straitjackets manage to connect those seemingly unrelated truths on ¡Damas y Caballeros!, a rollicking and often hilarious live album that features plenty of over-the-top stage banter (in Spanish, of course), Link Wray homages, and even a twisted cover of “Love Theme from Titanic.”
Don't let the masks fool you — the 'Jackets churn out tight instrumentals marked by deft, economic guitar interplay. Besides, “Squad Car” and “Rawhide” never get old. Long live the kitsch.
▪ Rating (out of 5): 3
