Zone of Our Own
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Texas Tornados’ second album is every bit as good as its Grammy-winning predecessor. Utilizing four distinct personalities with a shared stake in the musical culture of South Texas, the band achieves an uncommon democracy. Rather than simply leaving each member to his accepted specialty, the musicians lead the band in often-unexpected combinations. Instead of throwing “He Is a Tejano” to Flaco Jimenez or Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm nails the song himself with his dry-aged holler. Fender, meanwhile, steps up for the sock-hop slow dance of “Oh Holy One,” an early rock ‘n’ roll throwback that might normally go to Sahm. There's no tokenism here. The group approaches each style with equal enthusiasm, giving credence to the idea that South Texas can't be defined by a single musical style but must be credited for its amalgamation of early rock ‘n’ roll, Tejano, blues, and country. This blend comes together in the inimitable ticking rhythms of “Is Anybody Going to San Antone” and “Just Can’t Fake It,” patented and perfected by Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers.
