Track Listing
- Rose on the Water
- Blues Pilgramage
- Texas Tango
- Love Ain't Got Nowhere to Go
- Ride Baby Ride
- Black Cat Boogie
- 1969
- Ridin' High
- Thinking Of You
- Buenos Aires Blues
- Big Bossman
- 2:53
- Blood Shot
EB Rating - 4.5
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The Vargas Blues Band, led by guitarist Javier Vargas, delivers up some fine Latino Blues from Spain.
"Texas Tango" is their fourth of seven releases, of which I have heard five. All of the band's CD feature varying degress of excellent blues and blues-rock
music combined with pop, rock, ballads and Latino flavored offerings. But this CD gets my vote as the best cadidate for an electric blues/blues-rock fan trying this band
for the first time. I feel it has the strongest complement of blues music.
The production/recording quality of this CD is top notch. There is perfect balance between guitar, vocals and backing
instruments, which includes bass, drums and keyboards. Even on songs which I was not particularly fond of, I took notice of the quality of the recording. The guitar leads
range from delicate instrumental melodies, through emotional slow blues, all the way to aggressive blues-rock and straight rock breaks. Javier and the band handle all these
styles equally well. True to this trend, vocals are solid and a good match for the band's many moods.
The majority of songs on this disc are well written orginals. Of the 13 songs in the set about half of them fall into the blues/blues-rock category.
"Blues Pilgramage", one of my favorites on this disc, is medium paced blues with an infectous
groove. "Love Ain't Got Nowhere To Go", and "Blood Shot" are the two slow blues tunes of the set, and all three of these songs feature some very nicely done lead breaks.
When playing these straight blues numbers, Javier mixes elements of power and style in a way that gives his playing a classy strength that avoids excess.
"Black Cat Boogie", on which Jarvier tries his hand at a little slide guitar, has a feel similar to "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the MG's.
"Texas Tango" and "2:53" are Texas blues. The title cut grows on me a little more each time I hear it.
Most of the rest of the songs make up the ballad & rock portion of the disc.
If judged on musicianship and production/recording quality alone this CD deserves a 5.0 rating. I lowered the rating to a 4.5 because
a good bit of it is not blues. But the non-blues songs for the most part are also very good, and outside of a strict blues environment
this CD will get high marks from many listeners. Personally, I look forward to the day the Vargas Blues Band cuts an all blues/blues-rock CD.
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