ホーンセクションを中心とする大所帯スカ・バンド。パーカッショニストのASA-CHANG/朝倉弘一(1993年に脱退)がリーダーだった頃のメジャーデビュー盤。歌謡曲のメロディーとスカ・ビートの合体による猥雑でエキゾチックな音。シングル曲「MONSTER ROCK」の他、「仔象の行進」(ヘンリー・マンシーニ「Baby Elephant Walk」のカヴァー。ホンダ自動車CM曲)、「TIN TIN DEO」(チャノ・ポソ/ギル・フラー作のアフロ=キューバンジャズの曲のカヴァー)、「にがい涙」(筒美京平作曲のザ・スリー・ディグリーズのディスコ歌謡のカヴァー)「HIT THE ROAD JACK」(パーシー・メイフィールド作のレイ・チャールズのヒット曲のカヴァー)収録
This is a very fine production from a band I stumbled across by accident. They are much more technically proficient than the majority of ska bands one hears (who, lets face it, are often more enthusiastic than skillful wrt their instruments.) The songs are well composed and produced. They don't have the 'garage-y' sound often associated with Ska (that's both good and bad,) which will endear Ska Para to some and not to others. There's a good mix of uptempo, slow strummin' and cocktail lounge-ish tunes (I could actually do without the latter, but they will appeal to some, and are at least well performed.) None of the tracks are bad and some are positively brilliant (e.g. "Vampire" and the "Hit the Road Jack" cover.) Of note - my import copy is exclusively printed in Japanese, so you may want to grab the English track titles from somewhere if you don't speak the language.
In sum, this is a creative and very well executed CD, how I would love to hear TSPO tackle some of the classic 60's ska songs like "eastern standard time"!