Recorded in live in Mexico in October of 2004,
Café Tacuba's Un Viaje (A Trip) serves as a delightful and woolly retrospective on where the band has been since it began recording in 1992, ushering in the
rock en español movement. Offered in various editions, the double-CD version contains 29 tracks that literally span
Café Tacuba's jaunty, groundbreaking career. Jumping forward and back across their catalog, Un Viaje includes no less that half of their self-titled debut, along with three or four tracks each from every subsequent release. Also delightful are the inclusions of live readings of covers from Avalancha de Éxitos (
Café Tacuba's tribute recording to those who influenced them): "Chilanga Banda," "Como de Extranda," "Ojalá Que Llueva Café," and "No Controles." It's true that a live
Café Tacuba offering will only likely appeal to die-hard fans of the band in the United States, Mexico, and Latin America. However,
Café Tacuba have been trying like the devil to win English-speaking American audiences for years with their innovative brand of uncompromising, utterly ingenious
rock & roll, to little success. So why not give one to the fans? If you dig these guys, this one will not disappoint -- crowd noise notwithstanding. If you don't, or haven't heard of them, you have no idea what you're missing. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
