Track Listing

1. Tamacu
2. Diablo Rojo
3. Vikingman
4. Satori
5. Ixtapa
6. Stairway To Heaven
7. Orion
8. Juan Loco
9. PPA

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #660 in Music
• Released on: 2006-10-03
• Number of discs: 1

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

More from Rodrigo y Gabriela

Live: Manchester and Dublin

Re-Foc

Billboard Magazine, October 2006
"One of the best guitar albums in ages; one of the best discs this year". - Billboard 2006

Customer Reviews

Buy this. Seriously. Buy this.
Its difficult to describe what Rodrigo y Gabriela can do with a pair of guitars, the best thing to do is to click on the crocodile's eye at http://www.rodgab.com to see for yourself.

Don't think that this is flowery, fluffy flamenco guitar music, its not. If you like rock, you'll love this. The opening two tracks ("Tamacun" and "Diablo Rojo") are the highlights in an album of standout tracks. Tremendous.


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RYG take acoustic guitar to the next level
Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero put out a fabulous album here. In this listener's opinion, this is one of the better approaches at an instrumental album involving the acoustic guitar in some time. For no more money than this CD cost, you also get a great bonus DVD. The CD arrived on time and I am pleased with the product, but that in itself is an understatement.

The Tracks: RYG features nine tracks that all have a great diversity in them. Often times with acoustic instrumental releases, I feel I'm getting "more of the same" but on this album, the pair stretch beyond your average Flamenco or Classical approach and incorporate some soft, darker tones that give it a more "rock" feel. Throw in two dynamic covers of classic songs by Metallica and Led Zeppelin and you are on your way to enjoying some innovative and unique guitar.

"Tamacun" is simple in style and fast in its execution, as it is more of the Spanish guitar sound. The following track "Diablo Rojo" is similar and it is hear that we get the top-hand percussion that adds flavor to the mix. "Vikingman" has a great groove to it before diving into a more free flowing, elegant performance. It's one of those songs that for this listener, conjures up the dance and celebrative scenes from Mexico.

Tracks four through seven pull into a stretch on the album that definitely showed me that this duo is dusting off the simple and nostalgic tones of yesteryear and giving it a whole new flavor. "Satori" still sticks with a folk like atmosphere, but the way these two are able to place so many darker, haunting type sounds into the chorus while still weaving in and out with fast, intricate fretwork is superb. "Xtapa" comes in at track five and features Roby Lakatos, whose violin solo is a nice touch that still leaves the music fresh, but the amps and electronics still collecting dust in the background. About halfway through the song it leaves its Flamenco style groove and drops down into some deep, brooding tones. The ethereal decent doesn't last long before rising up again to finish out with the duo slowly bringing us back to the crisp, sharp chorus.

Track six: I've never been big on musician's doing "cover songs" and when you first see that Rodrigo and Gabriela tackle Led Zeppelin's epic and sometimes even overplayed "Stairway to Heaven", I had my doubts. Those doubts were quickly laid to rest as their approach to this song is not a note for note copy but more of their own stylish and imaginative version that really gives the old, dire track a fresh, new look.

Track seven: Metallica's instrumental "Orion" which was featured on their "Master of Puppets" album in 1986, is also covered here. The song has a driving, infectious solo that is perfect for RYG to cover. Later in the song, it breaks down into a deep, surreal melody. This masterful piece is one of the best covers I have ever heard.

Bonus DVD: I found this to be a nice addition with the overall package of the product, considering that you are not really paying much more to get the bonus DVD compared to just purchasing the regular studio album. The interviews are informative and the live performance alone makes it worth it. I enjoyed watching the way they use the guitar for percussive sounds as well. This isn't something I had heard or seen much before, but the tutorials part of the DVD that covers methods of fingerstyle as well as hand percussion to be very valuable. Even though I have played guitar for several years, I still learned new things from this tutorial. Nine tracks in all, the CD is a beautiful and sharp recording that never disappoints.

-Eddie Lancekick-

I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes
I learned about this pair when my local radio station (KFOG) started playing Tamacun, and I found myself turning up the volume every time the song came on. Just love it.

So, the album has eight other songs, and - behold - they all stand up. Each one is interesting, passionate, energetic, and unique. In all, a great album, one I plan on listening to until the disc turns to dust.

Now, this ablum comes with a DVD that shows Rod & Gab playing, and even has a "tutorial," where they explain how they play Tamacun in excrutiating detail. It's fascinating, and after watching, I felt admiration at their mastery of their instruments, but that's not all that goes into the music. The songs are lyrical, even without lyrics, and I am in awe of their skill and art.

In short, this is a terrific album that defies definition.