Rock and Roll, and &c. According to the Rolling Stone, when factoring in the Wal-Mart-only sales, The Eagles are back on top. Yeah buddy, you’re number one.
I’ve long maintained to anyone who would bother to listen or even consider arguing the point, that the Eagles, if they were released fresh, like a new band, these days, they would be lumped in the genre “New Country” or “Hot Country” or whatever that sticky Nashville mess is called. For that matter, there’s my personal favorite of The Grateful Dead, and they would also have to be that country sound – although – in my mind, I tend to lump both as American Music rather than straight-up country, or rock, or whatever.
I was taking a day off, and I was shopping at Wal-Mart. Ugly to admit, but let’s face facts, it was close, cheap, and I didn’t buy anything that might be lead-based. I tend to read labels and look for stuff that’s made in the USA, like the “no trans fat/no cholesterol” Tortilla chips from Del Rio’s “Julio” bakery. Really good chips. Exceptional chips, even better, considering they come from a bag. But it’s not available in most grocery stores, just Wal-Mart, south of I-10. The chips smell like tortillas hot off the comal. Which is weird, coming from a bag.
I was cruising along in the south side super-store, with a bag of chips and a fishing lure, on sale, too, when I stopped in the music section. I listened while a sales person did the pitch on an iPod, then I looked at the iPod/Apple prices. Same as the Apple store, maybe a few cents, literally, cheaper.
I started to look through the CD bins. Partially due to a cultural imperative, partly due to my own academic curiosity, and partly due to my own humor, I’ve been looking for a Los Tigres del Norte CD.
I took French at the University – what was I thinking?
I found that one, steeply discounted to Eleven dollars. 20 songs, 12 bucks with sales tax, or right around 59 cents per song.
The jewel box has minimal artwork, must be a compilation CD. But, at least the booklet has all the lyrics. For my white ass, that does no good, all in Spanish. At least, though, I could pretend to sing along.
I haven’t heard any of the music yet, none has cycled up yet. So it’s hard to write about something I haven’t heard, made more challenging by Ravi Shankir, banging on his sitar or whatever that is. Certainly not mainstream here, that’s for sure.
Los Tigres del Norte captivated me, not with their music so much as with their back story. I’d say the music is good but what do I know?
