Music Banter - Rodrigo y Gabriela

Rodrigo y Gabriela are both very talented guitar players and some of my all time favorites. The way they mix and match rhythm and lead blows my mind every time I listen to them. Being a rhythm guitar player of 4 years, I still find it difficult to play either parts. Gabriela strikes the guitar in ways a selected few can thing of and perfect. Rodrigo, on the other hand, can play fast or slow, softly or furiously. For heavens sake, he plays riffs that would normally be finger picked with a pick.
The self titled album released 2006 was a surprise winner. The two didn't think they'd get much out of it but they were wrong. The 9 songs are all breath taking from start to finish, straight through the album.

Tamacun: The first song on the album really shows a lot about how they play. It mixes it all. From the slapping on Gabriela's guitar to the fast pick Rodrigo plays, to their thrash metal roots. You hear it all. The two guitars are in perfect sync, both throwing amazing sounds at you.

Diablo Rojo: This song really is about Gabriela. The whole song she slapping like crazy. The song shows how they can change speed, and timing quickly and expertly. I'm not going to lie the song is very redundant with a different riff every here and there.

Vikingman: Vikingman is a song about a man they met in while recording. This guy was a crazy homeless man who encouraged Rodrigo y Gabriela while they played in the streets. This song shows all this. It starts off slower and then picks up pace. Rodrigo gets crazy mid-way through though the song reminding me of things like Metallica (one of they're favorite bands.)

Satori: Is one of my favorite songs on the album. It's a darker song, with many slow parts followed by fast, intense parts. Around the 2:45 mark, Gabriela slaps the guitar while Rodrigo get ready for the very metal oriented ending. The ending is why it's my favorite. Dark chords mixed with a dark rhythm part makes it so appealing.

Ixtapa: This song is very similar to the other songs on the album. Light rhythm with a light lead that slowly transforms into a darker sound. The song breaks down to nothing early on, and then it turns very dark and slow on both guitars. It eventually picks up pace like the beginning.

Stairway to Heaven: I have no idea how they can make an 8 minute song into 4 and 1/2 minutes, but they do it. The start of the song Rodrigo is playing alone and doing a wonderful job of it. He transforms the famous intro in something more. When Gabriela comes in the song really starts to become the song we all know. And soon enough Rodrigo is back to playing at the fast pace you usually only see on an electric. This is my favorite cover of the song to the point that I've listened to it more than the original.

Orion: This is a cover of Metalica's Orion. It has the same basic tune as Metallica's version, but like Stair way to Heaven it is something more. And that something is something I can't figure out through listening or watching. This is my second Favorite tune on the album because it shows where the duo started out doing. Their thrash metal roots show their fullest here.

Juan Loco: This such a balanced song musically I don't understand why it is not in the conversation for their best song. Like the name says, it's crazy. The song starts off with a nice mellow way to play, all Rodrigo's notes are palm muted, and then it just bursts into this chaotic mess of notes and slaps, but it all seems to work.

PPA: The first P in PPA stands for pinche, which means F***ing ******* in Mexico. The song was made for "all those in the music business who think they have a clue, but they don't." The song mixes fast paced picking while Gabriela slaps in immense speeds. All together the song is well put together but one of the weaker songs out of the 9.

Overall this is one of my favorite albums that I own. It is a DVD, CD combo so it's worth the 11 dollars. I highly recommend it and all their live stuff as well as their newest Studio album 11:11.

Overall Score: 9/10