by Darcy Burford
Daily Lobo
The musicians in the Toasters are the granddaddies of ska.
The band has been making music to skank to since 1981, and apparently members have no intention of slowing down.
The Toasters embarked on the international Ska Brawl Tour in September, which continues through early 2005. The band will be visiting many countries but will return to the United States in January. During the first leg of the trip, the Toasters played every day from Sept. 7 through Oct. 24.
To promote the tour, the Toasters released In Retrospect. The album is a compilation of the group's greatest hits hailing all the way back to 1987.
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As one might expect from a ska CD, this album is peppy and upbeat. Ska enthusiasts will enjoy it, but even if you're not the type to skank, you'll find it hard to resist tracks like "Mona," an appealing tune that will have listeners bobbing their heads. The singer really croons in this one.
Beats like "Weekend in L.A." put a hip-hop spin on ska and update what was originally a 1960s musical experiment. There's a lot more bass in this song than what is normally found in the genre. Compared to the Toasters' other songs and sound in general, "Weekend in L.A." overpowers the brass with bass, but still makes room for great horn solos.
"Thrill Me Up" is a fluffy love song that can definitely be considered pop. It's slower than the rest of the Toasters' rapid-fire tunes and has a mini-Spanish guitar solo that could make a girl swoon - if she were the type of girl who swoons for ska.
"Havana (This Gun for Hire)" is a nice change of pace from the rest of the album. It has a jazzy, reggae feel that really emphasizes the horns, especially the saxophone. "Shebeen" is an ode to the Champs with a musical quote from the famous "Tequila." Throughout the CD, the lead singer's voice is distinct, which adds to the band's marked sound.
The problem with In Retrospect is the same problem found on most ska albums. It's hard to get much musical variation out of the genre. Most songs are the same tempo, which is great for skanking but not good for a listener who craves range.
Other than the lack of diversity typical of most ska bands, the Toasters are truly innovators of the genre. If you're looking for a lively CD, In Retrospect will satisfy your palate.
In Retrospect
The Toasters
Grade:B
