Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Review: Gypsy Pistoleros - Para Siempre


Label: Bad Reputation

Released: January 15, 2008

For those not familiar with the Gypsy Pistoleros, they play sleazy, gritty glam with a touch of Latin flair (although not quite as prevalent as they sell it, it certainly amounts to a lot more than just some Spanish lyrics). Unlike the many bands from the hair metal heyday of the 80s that refuse to die a dignified death (let's face it, dignity wasn't exactly their thing anyway) and the many new bands that simply regurgitate material that, with a few exceptions, wasn't all that great the first time around, the Pistoleros are an exciting rock n roll band. Their energy, swagger and creativity is more reminiscent of the original wave of glam bands that dominated the British rock scene of the 1970s even if their sound has much in common with early Motley Crue as it does with Mott the Hoople. In a genre that seems like it should be long dead, the Gypsy Pistoleros have more than enough life to stay afloat in what is otherwise a fairly stagnant sea.

Para Siempre is essentially a re-release of the Pistoleros debut, issued last year on Evil Boy Records, remastered with two additional tracks. The remastering made a noticeable difference. The sound on Para Siempre is considerably richer and packs a solid punch even if the previous release was entirely acceptable. The track list was rearranged to include the additional songs and the flow is every bit as good. "Chicas Peligrosa" is more of the same fun that's to be expected from the band, but their cover of "Livin' La Vida Loca" (yeah, it's the Ricky Martin song, but something tells me their crazy life is a little bit different than his) is the big surprise. It takes the catchy pop song, gives it some teeth and stirs it into an actual rock song. If anything justifies buying this repackaging, this cover is it. For those who missed the original release, you luck out, because they improve upon an already very good record the second time around.

Rating: 8/10

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