Hola amigos. I know it's been a long time since I last rapped at ya, but I've had some shit on my mind that I needed to share with you. There's an ever growing majority opinion amongst the learned and non-learned alike, that the self titled debut by Los Dug Dug's is their quintessential album, but right now as I listen to Cambia, Cambia, I just ain't feeling it.
Wait, let me take a few steps back...
I try to be an open minded and generally tolerant dude, but the inescapable fact remains that, when it comes to music at least, I'm a very small, shallow man who loves and hates things for all the wrong reasons. I go through phases in musical taste... and though those phases do generally reflect my moods and tastes, more often than not, they're more of a reflection of my desire to rebel against people I consider to be know-nothing fuck wits. Are you registering yet? Ok, try this: remember that kid in high school that claimed Led Zeppelin was the only music worth a shit? Yeah, most of us were that kid. But then remember later in college, where he was still claiming the same thing? And years down the road when he, a perpetually unemployed adult, was drunkenly ripping on you for liking only the pussy shit, while he stood by his convictions? Well... wait, actually in this attempt to paint this caricature in a negative light, I accidentally made him really fucking radical. Way better than most of us actually.
OK, fresh start number two. Did you ever go through the phase of rejecting the agreed-upon-as-awesome classic rock stuff, cause you wanted to get away from all those people and go exploring in mystery music land? And after exploring in that land for a period of time, did you decide that hipsters are asshats (they are) and that Kraftwerk is overrated (they aren't)? Well then, where did you jump to next? And after that, what next? Eventually you get to the point where you've hung out with all sorts of different people who listen to all sorts of different music, and you come to the conclusion that they all suck pretty equally (people and music, that is). Which is to say that... you know, you get bored and want to discover some shit that none of these people listen to. That's why you gotta dig deep and find cult 60's mexican psychadellic acts that kicked off their career playing as the house band at some shithole strip club.
Wait, let me take a few steps back...
I try to be an open minded and generally tolerant dude, but the inescapable fact remains that, when it comes to music at least, I'm a very small, shallow man who loves and hates things for all the wrong reasons. I go through phases in musical taste... and though those phases do generally reflect my moods and tastes, more often than not, they're more of a reflection of my desire to rebel against people I consider to be know-nothing fuck wits. Are you registering yet? Ok, try this: remember that kid in high school that claimed Led Zeppelin was the only music worth a shit? Yeah, most of us were that kid. But then remember later in college, where he was still claiming the same thing? And years down the road when he, a perpetually unemployed adult, was drunkenly ripping on you for liking only the pussy shit, while he stood by his convictions? Well... wait, actually in this attempt to paint this caricature in a negative light, I accidentally made him really fucking radical. Way better than most of us actually.
OK, fresh start number two. Did you ever go through the phase of rejecting the agreed-upon-as-awesome classic rock stuff, cause you wanted to get away from all those people and go exploring in mystery music land? And after exploring in that land for a period of time, did you decide that hipsters are asshats (they are) and that Kraftwerk is overrated (they aren't)? Well then, where did you jump to next? And after that, what next? Eventually you get to the point where you've hung out with all sorts of different people who listen to all sorts of different music, and you come to the conclusion that they all suck pretty equally (people and music, that is). Which is to say that... you know, you get bored and want to discover some shit that none of these people listen to. That's why you gotta dig deep and find cult 60's mexican psychadellic acts that kicked off their career playing as the house band at some shithole strip club.
Enter Los Dug Dug's:
So, this shit started off back in 1960 when a couple Mexican high school students got together and started fucking around on guitars and whatnot, calling themselves Xippos Rock. By 1966 it was a well established band, rechristened Los Dug Dug's (allegedly as an homage to the classic Nickelodeon tv series), and touring all over Mexico and into the states. In their effort to affront our sacred borders and take all our jobs, they were able to dip their greedy little paws into the batch of Beatle-y, psychadellic, LSD pop rock that was going on in America, hijacking some of that flavour back to Mexico. The Mexicans were happy to have it, and there was much rejoicing (in other words, Los Dug Dug's were the first band to make this style big down there).So yeah, that's the back story. The rest of that stuff can be found on wikipedia.mex or something. As for my own two cents: I think this music is neat!!!!!!!!
Seriously, even though I'm sort of describing this as some fucked up shit from Dimension X that only Neutrinos are allowed to listen to, for all the build up, this is just straight forward 60s/70s psychedellic pop rock. It's very much in the vein of the Beatles, Zombies, Os Mutantes. And, in my humble opinion, this album could be played smack dab in a marathon of those three artists and not suffer a bit by comparison.
Seriously, even though I'm sort of describing this as some fucked up shit from Dimension X that only Neutrinos are allowed to listen to, for all the build up, this is just straight forward 60s/70s psychedellic pop rock. It's very much in the vein of the Beatles, Zombies, Os Mutantes. And, in my humble opinion, this album could be played smack dab in a marathon of those three artists and not suffer a bit by comparison.
So, here it is: Cambia, Cambia. What makes this one so good? Stacked against some of their other albums, this one's more focused on straight forward, excellently crafted pop songs. Since I'm a sucker for that bullshit, Cambia, Cambia is currently my favorite Dug Dug's record. There's less guitar/drum/whatever solos or general jam-band wankery at play, so it appeals to my stuck up, afraid of pushing the boundaries, young professional self. However, if you want an excuse to get all sweaty and dance around with some freaks on acid, I'd totally recommend their self titled one... or maybe Smog. Fuck it though, they're all fantastic, and this is really a band you should be listening to if you're a fan of any of the following: The Alman Brothers, The Zombies, Jethro Tull, The Beatles, The Mammas and the Pappas, Badfinger, Os Mutantes, or anything else within 1 degree of separation to any of those artists (ie: music with guitars and singing and stuff).
Sidenote: at one point, Armando Nava was talking about a 30th Anniversary tour with special guests Grand Funk. Um... awesome? I don't know what ever came of this, or if all the required players are like... not dead or whatever, but if it were to happen, the sun would probably explode due to radical.
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