With a name like Rabbits and Carrots, you’d think that Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd put their differences aside and cut a record together. Instead, what you have here is some funky groove music by a group of amazing and eclectic Latin musicians ahead of their time. It’s James Brown funk with Latin soul!
This Mexican group was led by Salvadore "Rabito" Aguero and included his brothers and several other musicians who were family members with the same last name. Rabbits & Carrots had a horn section and an organ, creating a rock band with a big band sound. Together they made music that blended many of the popular music styles in America during the 60s. You got funk, soul, jazz, and psychedelic. But what makes this band standout is not only their ability to do a great job of copying these styles but being able to add a nice twist onto everything they play. There are Latin rhythms all over the place and their ability to improvise and jam the hell out of the songs they play makes this music sound slightly different from what you would imagine. A good example of that would be the slow "Romeo Y Julieta," which sounds like it’s more a score for some B movie flick than a slow jam, making it one of the most interesting instrumental songs on the album. Being that this album was originally released in 1969, there are a few covers. Standout and familiar covers include Sly and the Family Stones "Everyday People," Eric Burdon’s "Spill the Wine," and James Brown’s "Sex Machine," which is an interesting listen, being that it’s in Spanish.
With all of the reissues coming out, and there are a lot coming out lately, I’d highly recommend picking this one up. It’s a fun listen and if you’re in a band or a musician, there’s a lot of good riffs and interplay between the musicians. They’re not the best band but they are entertaining. |