So why is Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Baile De Los Locos on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
If you couldn’t tell from the four Voodoo Glow Skulls albums I’ve covered on the best 1,000 albums ever project already, I’m a massive fan of this high octane ska punk band from southern California’s Inland Empire.
And now that we’re into the “top third” of albums on this massive and crazy project, an album like Baile De Los Locos reminds me that we’re getting into the really really good albums produced by some of my most favorite bands and artists*.
* And for you VGS superfans out there, I’ll let you figure out which Voodoo Glow Skulls albums haven’t yet been covered and might be coming up as we get into the Top 300 best albums ever.
Baile De Los Locos is one of the more aggressive VGS efforts, and that’s saying a lot for this band. There are a bunch of standout tracks, but I’d say “Bulletproof” is my overall favorite.
The song opens with a soundbite pulled from Dolemite, so you know these dudes are in no way messing around.
Man move over and let me pass ‘fore they have be to pullin’ these Hush Puppies out your motherfuckin’ ass.
I’ve heard Voodoo Glow Skulls described as “barrio ska core,” and they lean into their hardcore punk side on this track. What elevates “Bulletproof,” as with all of VGS’ music, is their superior musicianship and ability to thrive in switching into different modes — ska, frantically paced hardcore punk, gloriously melodic punk – within the same song.
“The Kids Will Have To Pay” has one of the fastest paced and aggressive ska punk riffs you will ever hear in your life. It’s then so jarring – wonderfully jarring – that when we hit the melodic chorus, you’re compelled to sing along.
We admit we’re ignorant
But do you think we give a sHIT
If they want to see us play
All the kids will have to pay
The album opens with the Spanish language title track (as are a handful of others on the album), “Baile De Los Locos,” which is as manic and finely controlled and crushing as any of the band’s very best songs.
Voodoo Glow Skulls has a tradition on many of their albums to include a cover song as the closing track. On Baile De Los Locos, it’s “Feliz Navidad,” which is done up as a spectacular ska punk number that transitions from delightful ska on the choruses (with some punk backbone, of course) to flat out manic punk rock on the chorus.
And appropriate it is too that we’re in the holiday season as of this writing.
Happy holidays and new year, y’all, wherever and whenever you’re reading this.
Some stats & info about Voodoo Glow Skulls – Baile De Los Locos
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Punk Rock, Ska Punk, Third Wave Ska Revival, Rock Music, High Octane, SoCal Bands
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was Baile De Los Locos released? 1997
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #316 out of 1,000
Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Baile De Los Locos on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Voodoo Glow Skulls’ Baile De Los Locos that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
I heard you think you’re bulletproof.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.