01-Elvez-Say It Loud! I'm Brown And I'm Proud!
02-Elvez-Misery Tren
03-Elvez-The Arm Of Obregon
04-Elvez-Power To The People
05-Elvez-Cecar Chavez '96
06-Elvez-Frida's Life Of Pain
07-Elvez-Soy Un Pocho
08-Elvez-El Groover
09-Elvez-Malinche
10-Elvez-Taking Care Of Buissness
11-Elvez-Mexican-American Trilogy
12-Elvez-Whip
13-Elvez-J.C. Si Lowrider Superstar
14-Elvez-(Rock & Roll Suicide) If I Can Dream
Continuing in a tradition of brilliant album titles, El Vez diversifies even more on his third full-length studio album and gets more political. The song titles say it all: "Say it Loud! I'm Brown and I'm Proud," "Mexican-American Trilogy," and "J.C. Si Lowrider Superstar." The last song somehow segues Bowie's "Rock & Roll Suicide" into Presley's late 1960s cheese-pop hit, "If I Can Dream." El Vez is certainly one of the most unique talents to emerge in the 1990s. (Kembrew McLeod /AllMusic.com)
Just because the King kicked on the crapper back in '77 doesn't mean you can't experience the gaudy pageantry of an Elvis Presley show today.
The chance to marvel at the mad spectacle of El Vez (The Mexican Elvis) comes when Robert Lopez - former guitarist/vocalist for San Diego punks The Zeros, one-time member of Catholic Discipline and Elvis Presley impersonator since 1988 - brings his Latino-via-Memphis "Rock & Revolution" tour on the road. Witnessing El Vez (and his many costume changes) in concert is always a unique experience.
As the raucous sounds of the Memphis Mariachis blares from the PA, the lovely Elvettes (Priscillita, Lisa Maria, Que Linda Thompson and Gladysita) slink on stage and begin swaying in time to the music. Winking and glowing under the lights (one of El Vez's favorite outfits is a white jumpsuit covered in red, white and green rhinestones with a sequined Virgin Of Guadalupe on the back) as he bursts onto the boards, the outlandishly-dressed man who would be King begins singing what sounds like The Big E's "Now Or Never" - only with anti-gang lyrics and an infectiously-danceable beat grafted to the melodies of "Maggie May," "Losing My Religion" and "The Godfather Theme."
Strutting across the stage, the small, brightly-plumed figure grabs Gladysita and the two execute a brief tango and exaggerated dip before El Vez twitches back to center-stage in time to belt out an old favorite, "En el Barrio." Artfully fusing Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" with the Beatles' "I've Got A Feeling" and vivid, pro-Latino lyrics; the deft bastardization of the King's "In The Ghetto" appeared on Lopez's first album as El Vez not long after the diminutive impostor outraged thousands of die-hard Elvis fans during a 1988 Elvis Tribute Week performance at Bad Bob's nightclub in Memphis.
The notoriety garnered from his Graceland appearance resulted in reams of positive articles in a variety of nationwide newspapers, as well as guest shots on NBC's 2 HIP 4 TV and the series, Hunter. The full-length El Vez albums that followed (_El Vez Is Alive, Graciasland and Fun en Espanol) displayed quirky flashes of true musical genius as El Vez reworked songs such as: "Viva Las Vegas" into "Viva La Raza"; "Suspicious Minds" into "Immigration Time"; "Blue Suede Shoes" into "Huaraches Azules" (which includes bits of Jimi Hendrix's 'Wind Cries Mary' and "That's Alright, Mama" into "Esta Bien Mamacita". In a world filled with bad Elvis Presley imitators, Robert Lopez and his alter ego, El Vez, have long been cited as one of the most unique and original practitioners of the fine art of Elvis. And now, returning to record stores as well as to the stage, El Vez's latest offering, G.I. Ay Ay Blues, is the Chicano-King's most diverse and exciting call for revolution and Latino-pride ever. Whether you latch onto "Say It Loud, I'm Brown And I'm Proud," "Taking Care Of Business," "The Arm Of Obregon," "Frida's Life Of Pain," "Malinche," "Soy un Pocho," "Whip," "J.C. Si Lowrider Superstar," "Cesar Chavez '96" or the future El Vez show-stopper, "Mexican American Trilogy" - the songs on G.I. Ay Ay Blues are sure to fill you with a bandana-wearin' revolutionary spirit even as you're whipping up a couple of fried peanut butter and banana samwiches (uhm 'thank you' thank you very much) and washing 'em down with a quart of Nehi Orange. (Al Muzer/westnet.com)
Die CD sieht insgesamt noch super aus. Das Booklet und der Silberling sind einwandfrei. Das Case hat ganz vereinzelte Gebrauchspuren. Läuft alles super. Falls ihr die Songs im mp3-Format braucht, und keine Möglichkeit habt, die CD selbst zu rippen, lasst es mich wissen. Ich kann euch die mp3-Files per Download zur Verfügung stellen. Das gilt übrigens für alle CDs, die ich hier anbiete.