Predictably, this debut album by a sort of Tex-Mex
Traveling Wilburys is a delight. Forty percent of
the Sir Douglas Quintet --
Doug Sahm and
Augie Meyers -- is represented, along with
Freddy Fender and accordionist
Flaco Jimenez. The album reflects the differing strains that each brings to the music, from the more pop/country approach of
Sahm and
Meyers to
Fender's bluesy singing and
Jimenez's Mexican playing. An all-star project that brings out the best in its members,
Texas Tornados is a landmark Tex-Mex album. (The track "Soy de San Luis" won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Mexican/American Performance.) ~ William Ruhlmann