JOE KING CARRASCO
Dia de los Muertos (Rio’s Royal Texicalli)
In some ways, it’s really cool that Joe King Carrasco, like the
Ramones, created a sound and stuck to it. Yet on his latest, Dia de los
Muertos, he’s taken a 90-degree turn toward reggae, and it’s not until the
samba-like crowd-pleaser “Tocam�” or the lovely finale “Bring Me the
Head of Alfredo Garcia” that Carrasco’s trademark Tex-Mex sound surfaces. On
the other hand, lyrics like “Ay, ay, ay, ay, Chihuahua, Chihuahua” from
“Chihuahua” or “Ay, ay, ay, vi va vi va va va voom” from “Vi Va Vi Va Va Va
Voom” are either the most inane contents for a song or rate with “Surfin’ Bird”
and “Tutti Frutti” for pure genius. It’s either a celebration of innocence or
complete abandonment of standards. Come to think of it, neither of those are
particularly bad options. – Margaret
Moser
BARBARA TAFT
Raw Material (Rainbow Artists Guild)
This material, though raw as an exposed nerve in places,
suffers
under its own weight. There’s an earnestness coupled with the idealism of
another time, and the combination misses the mark as often as not. It could be
the mark is too grandiose, because the subtler moments work best here and bode
well for future releases. – Doug Jenks
SUSAN COLTON
Fragile Intuition (Twenty-Four Paws)
You’ve heard all the sentiments Colton expresses in these
acoustic pop tunes before – lyrically, they’re pretty much standard-issue love
songs – but she sings them convincingly, and the spare arrangements (featuring
two terrific fiddlers, Lisa Schneider and George Strait sideman Gene Elders)
save the disc from saccharine overdose. – Lee Moore
“Bonus Tracks” reviews all local and Texas-based releases commercially
available. Send to: “Bonus Tracks,” TheAustin Chronicle, PO Box
49066, Austin, TX 78765.
This article appears in May 19 • 1995 and May 19 • 1995 (Cover).