Soul Food Taqueria
Soul Food Taqueria | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 8, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2002–03 | |||
Studio | Function 8 (San Francisco) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 53:43 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Tommy Guerrero chronology | ||||
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Singles from Soul Food Taqueria | ||||
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Soul Food Taqueria is the third
The album was recorded during 2002 and 2003 in sessions at the Function 8 record label's studio in
Soul Food Taqueria consists mostly of
The album did not receive significant promotion, and no
Recording and production
Recording for Soul Food Taqueria took place at the recording studio of the San Francisco-based independent label Function 8 from 2002 to 2003.[1] Mostly handled by Tommy Guerrero, production for the album also featured audio mixing contributions from producer/engineers Gadget and Monte Vallier.[1] Prior to these sessions, Gadget and Guerrero had previously worked together on independent label projects and collaborations, including their collaborational studio effort, Hoy Yen Ass'n (2000) for Function 8.[2] Most of the instrumentation for the album was employed by Guerrero, while session drummer Chuck Treece and keyboardist Greg Galbreath also contributed to Soul Food Taqueria.[1] All of the album's material was written and arranged by Tommy Guerrero.[3]
The album is primarily
Musical style
Music writers note that the album was inspired by the
The album's music mixes 1970s
Guerrero's guitar work for the album encompasses styles such as blues and
Songs
The minute-long intro track, entitled "Lectric Chile Goat", is a blues-based guitar instrumental performed alone by Tommy Guerrero.
Accompanied by delicate
The moody "It Gets Heavy" features Guerrero and Gresham Taylor singing, and is reminiscent of trip hop artist
Title and packaging
The album's front and back cover artwork, which depict a
Music journalists have noted the title and artwork as reflective of the album's musical influences. A columnist for the
Marketing and sales
The album featured release in three different countries; the United States on April 8, 2003, and the United Kingdom on April 14 of that same year on
According to website sources such as
Critical reception
Soul Food Taqueria was well received by music critics. Exclaim! editor Noel Dix observed an improvement in production and complexity of instrumentation by Guerrero from his earlier work, and stated, "This record pours so much heart and emotion into it that you’re bound to feel its warmth and splendor while it’s bumping in your walkman as you trek the city streets."[15] Noting that A Little Bit of Somethin' was criticized as a "lifeless piece of pop-trip-hop", Brian Ho of Dusted praised Guerrero's artistic growth and found "everything" to be "an improvement over its predecessor", writing that the album "is filled to the brim with body and life in a way that few albums can claim".[7] XLR8R critic Liz Cordingley called the album a "nice case of dubby, electric guitar-driven downtempo", and called its music "dusty lo-fi soul that is seductively languid".[20] Joe Warminsky of the Washington City Paper praised Guerrero's minimalist approach to the album's chill-out sound, as the chill-out music genre mostly features implementation of a slicker production. He also compared the lo-fi grooves of Soul Food Taqueria to "Shuggie Otis with Baja roots".[34] Carmen Johnson of Prefix Mag called it a "stellar follow-up to 2000's A Little Bit of Somethin'", and commended Guerrero for producing "his own organic, subterranean blend of bohemian blues, hip-hop and salsa that's creative and adventurous". Johnson called it "the perfect soundtrack for the lazy days that hearken back to the end of summer."[4]
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Luke McManus of RTÉ compared its songs to "those jazzy Beastie Boys tracks", and described the sound as "undemanding and smooth".[19] However, McManus criticized the album's mood and wrote, "Soporific, over polite and too damn quiet, Soul Food Taqueira veers dangerously close to snooze territory."[19] Bryan Carroll of AllMusic criticized the predominance of "mood pieces", and stated, "on the whole Soul Food Taqueria fails to stick to the ribs because it simply lacks the proper spice".[3] Other critics cited Guerrero's simple, inventive style and sound for the album as one of its better qualities.[4][7][8] Bill Campbell of Ink 19 called the album an "exemplary album ... 100% soul". He also commended Guerrero's musicality, "he constructs heartfelt music with a complexity few can pull off successfully", as well as his guitar playing, as Campbell wrote "his guitar work is subtle and works the spaces between the beats marvelously".[5]
Canadian radio station
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tommy Guerrero
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro Lectric Chile Goat" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 0:56 |
2. | "Abierto" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 3:59 |
3. | "Organism" (feat. Gresham Taylor) | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 4:08 |
4. | "Thank You MK" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 3:51 |
5. | "Tatanka" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 4:10 |
6. | "Interlude Train of Thought" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 1:20 |
7. | "It Gets Heavy" (feat. Gresham Taylor) | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier*, Gadget* | 3:23 |
8. | "Thin Brown Layer" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 4:40 |
9. | "Interlude So Many Years Ago" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 0:45 |
10. | "Terra Unfirma" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 4:05 |
11. | "Gettin' It Together" (feat. Lyrics Born) | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier*, Gadget* | 3:23 |
12. | "Another Brother Gone" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 2:28 |
13. | "Broken Blood" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier*, Gadget* | 3:48 |
14. | "Interlude And the Day Goes By" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 1:28 |
15. | "Lost Unfound" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 3:32 |
16. | "The Color of Life" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 3:58 |
17. | "Falling Awake" | Tommy Guerrero, Monte Vallier* | 3:57 |
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
18. | "Rusty Gears, Lonely Years" | Tommy Guerrero, John Herndon* | 3:57 |
19. | "Birds Over Head" | Tommy Guerrero, John Herndon* | 5:20 |
20. | "Sea Sick" | Tommy Guerrero, John Herndon* | 6:14 |
21. | "It Gets Heavy" (Original version) | Tommy Guerrero, John Herndon* | 3:28 |
*Co-producer
Personnel
Credits adapted from album sleeve liner notes.[1]
# | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
Soul Food Taqueria |
All tracks written and produced by Tommy Guerrero | |
1 | "Lectric Chile Goat (Intro)" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
2 | "Abierto" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
3 | "Organism" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
4 | "Thank You MK" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
5 | "Tatanka" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
6 | "Train of Thought (Interlude)" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
7 | "It Gets Heavy" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier and Gadget |
8 | "Thin Brown Layer" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
9 | "So Many Years Ago (Interlude)" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
10 | "Terra Unfirma" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
11 | "Gettin' It Together" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier and Gadget |
12 | "Another Brother Gone" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
13 | "Broken Blood" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier and Gadget |
14 | "And the Day Goes By (Interlude)" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
15 | "Lost Unfound" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
16 | "The Color of Life" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
17 | "Falling Awake" |
Mixed by Monte Vallier |
Release history
Country | Date[3][26][27] | Label | Format |
---|---|---|---|
United States | April 8, 2003 | Mo' Wax Records | stereo CD
|
United Kingdom | April 14, 2003 | LP
| |
Japan | April 26, 2003 | Flavour of Sound Ltd. | stereo CD |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Guerrero (2003), p. 2.
- ^ Tommy Guerrero & Gadget Discography. Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Carroll, Bryan. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Johnson, Carmen. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. Prefix Mag. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d Ink 19: Soul Food Taqueria. Ink 19. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d dk presents: Buried Treasure - Soul Food Taqueria Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine. WordPress. Retrieved on 2009-01-25.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ho, Brian. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. Dusted Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d Tommy Guerrero - Discography Archived 2009-07-13 at the Wayback Machine. TommyGuerrero.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ Editor's Review: Tommy Guerrero – Soul Food Taqueria (MoWax). BBC. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ Brain Washed: Music in Review. Brain Washed. Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
- ^ Philadelphia City Paper: Tommy Guerrero's Blktop Project Archived 2008-10-02 at the Wayback Machine. Philadelphia City Paper. Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
- ^ Yahoo! Music: Soul Food Taqueria[permanent dead link]. Yahoo! Inc. Retrieved on 2009-01-27.
- College Music Journal: p. 9.
- Remix Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b c d Dix, Noel. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. Exclaim!. Retrieved on 2008-12-30.
- ^ allmusic: Gresham. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Columnist. Review: Soul Food Taqueria Archived 2008-06-06 at the Wayback Machine. Kevchino. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ Yahoo! Education: abierto - Spanish-English Translation and Pronunciation Archived 2008-12-25 at the Wayback Machine. Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b c d e f McManus, Luke. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. RTÉ. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b Cordingley, Liz. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. XLR8R. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b Midheaven Mailorder - Tommy Guerrero. Midheaven Mailorder. Retrieved on 2009-01-27.
- ^ Insound: Tommy Guerrero: Soul Food Taqueria Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine. Insound. Retrieved on 2009-01-24.
- ^ artloversnewyork.com - Steve Powers studio visit Archived 2009-04-24 at the Wayback Machine. Nancy Smith. Retrieved on 2009-01-24.
- ^ Santa Fe Reporter; Jun 17, 2003. Article preview: J Spot; Cleaning Up the Desk. HighBeam Research, Inc. Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
- ^ a b sfbg.com: Sonic Reducer - Give Us a Taste. SF Bay Guardian. Retrieved on 2009-01-23.
- ^ a b Amazon.co.uk: Music - Soul Food Taqueria. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b Tommy Guerrero Soul Food Taqueria CD Japan. CD Universe. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ a b Tommy Guerrero - Soul Food Taqueria (CD Japan). Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-12-28.
- ^ iTunes Store: Soul Food Taqueria. Apple Inc. Retrieved on 2008-12-30.
- ^ Billboard Music Charts - Search Results: Soul Food Taqueria. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ KALX Top 35 for week ending 5/19/03 Archived 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine. Masthead. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ a b CKUA: Best of 2003 Chart Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. CKUA. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ Tommy Guerrero - Gettin' It Together (12"). Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ Warminsky, Joe. Review: Soul Food Taqueria. Washington City Paper. Retrieved on 2009-10-25.
- ^ Uptown Magazine: Every Top 10 tells a story. Uptown Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
- ^ Rolling Stone: Deutsche Ausgabe - Popular Music Best-Of-Lists Archived 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine. Thomas Schulze. Retrieved on 2008-12-29.
Bibliography
- Tommy Guerrero (2003). Soul Food Taqueria. CD liner notes. Mo Wax Labels Ltd.
External links
- Soul Food Taqueria at Discogs (list of releases)
- "Beyond Board" by SF Weekly