Chavez Ravine [Digipak] - Ry Cooder > Reviews > A sad story from the funky Spanish swinging heart.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Catchy singalonga choruses .  .  .  even in Spanish .  .  . great story and funky musicianship .
Disadvantages:	Make sure you buy a copy with the translations and explanations .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is not so much a Ry Cooder album as an album put together by Ry Cooder. Of course, he and his band do write and perform some songs but these are interspersed with songs sung by decendants of the people who lived in Chavez Ravine and they all come together to tell the story of this part of L.A.
The songs tell the story of the peoples of Chavez Ravine and how this Hispanic community were evicted from their houses to make way for a new L.A.Dodgers baseball stadium.
1950's L.A. and Chavez Ravine is caught up in a world of corrupt developers and the McCarthy Red scares.......
Track 1 :- Poor Man's Shangri-La

RC's first tune opens with a simple electric arpeggio setting the scene. Loping verses at a steady beat in a simple arrangement and then the catchiest chorus breaks in.."Na na na na living in a Poor Man's shangri la " - we meet the characters in the story...swinging stuff

Track 2: Onda Callejera

Little Willie G. sings the first Spanish song. The swinging beat is still there and the simple arrangement. The tale of an "engineered" fight between 300 sailors and the Chavez Ravine boys. The vocal is sad. Innocent victims. A lovely melodic piano break. Just a hint of Mariachi.

Track 3: Don't call me Red

RC's second song and his vocal is gritty and mean. The opening verse makes way for a narrative over driving bass and insistant snare drumming. Mean guitar chord punching the message and the turmpet signals chaos. There's a "Red cloud over Chavez Ravine...." The McCarthy-men are coming.

Track 4: Corrido de Boxeo

Sung by Lalo Guerrero. Lalo knew the boxers Carlos and Favela Chavez. An accordion plays a waltz, take your partners and swing, the band will lead you round the floor. 1-2-3;1-2-3. For these boxers the Ravine is about to change.

Track 5: Muy Fifi

A driving catchy beat from the off - the boys are going down town on "the pull" - funky guitar cuts in - the danciest tune so far. This is a great example of how this band and the album plays. There are no flashy solos and each instrument plays its part in an wholesome arrangement that is greater than the individual parts. Dance the night away to this one.

Track 6: Los Chucos Suaves

Straight upfront smokey bar beat - the lyric again in Spanish. All about getting it on down to the beat and the swing is IN, man. You just gotta bop ! and this takes you into the sublimely catchy...

Track 7: Chinito chinito... with a slightly Chinese feel to the opening to signify that "Chinito chinito" is the clarying cry of the local Chinese laundryman. Ry Cooder's guitar riffs catch the beat and there's just the perfect match between dance and feel. One thing is for sure - if these tunes were played in your local bar you would be up there dancing away.

Track 8: 3 Cool Cats...yep, the good 'ole standard ...sing along now...threeee cooool caatts .....you know the groove........sung by Little Willie G. Who cuts a dash in the back cover shot of himself with Thee Midniters taken in 1964.

Track 9: I'm sure a sampled didgeridoo opens this track, nice and slow, with some Rolf-like clanking to the beat. El U.F.O. Cayo. A stranger descends like a U.F.O.........get out of Palo Verde. The end is coming. A narrative over a slow haunting progression. The dancing's got to stop. Living here is over. Can you believe it.

Track 10: It's just work for me.
A slow menacing repetitive beat. He's a Dozer-driving man - just got to do his job - it's just work for me. My favourite lyrics here - thinking of the LAPD - "We're gonna protect and serve you right away from here."

Track 11: In my town. ..... and the reflective remeniscences are back. The dancing is well and truly over and we're looking back. Slow tinkly piano and strummed guitar...."from my room I see old town..." sit on your bar-stool and sip your tequila....then........there's Hall of the Mountain King riff and we funk it up again.... irrepressible...

Track 12/13 : Ejercito Militar/Barrio Viejo.
Accordions/ guitars and waltz time. Heart-felt passionate songs of times past and what once was. People and places remembered. It was once so glorious.

Track 14: 3rd Base, Dodger Stadium.
Apparently, as the booklet explains, "Ravine old-timers" identify themselves by an imaginary line through the playing field of the Dodger Stadium. They pinpoint where their house was. Thus our singer tells us her comes from 3rd Base, Dodger Stadium. He sings of people sitting out chatting in the sun... in the streets now covered by the Stadium. A lovely slow melody and very sad song of a community driven out but still remembering where they came from and grew up.

Track 15:Soy Luz y Sombra.
.... and the album closes with the fading in of a simple guitar riff and The Cloud Forest Poem...an uplifting song of the strength and endurance of peoples ... " a family united".

This is an excellent example of 21st century music inter-mingled with some fine Spanish songs. The mix works superbly and you don't need to know Spanish to appreciate the album. The up-beat dancy numbers are punchy and will transport you to a place. The rock numbers are pure Ry Cooder - great musicianship and the coolest dude.
Buy it and enjoy.