Freddy Fender Albums (13)
'Freddy Fender Live'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 10
Label Platinum Disc
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Eddie Con los Shades: Rock 'N Roll'
Release Date 10/7/2003
Tracks 12
Label Arhoolie
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
From George Jones' and Conway Twitty's early rockabilly sides to Jerry Jeff Walker's psychedelic folk-rock experiments with Circus Maximus, more than a few country acts have rock & roll skeletons in their closets, and Freddy Fender was no exception -- the main difference being that Fender was a teenage Texas rocker living in a Hispanic community along the Mexican border, and cut his earliest records en Espanol. Recording under his given name, Baldemar Huerta, Fender earned the nickname El Bebop Kid for his frantic early singles, and in 1961, hoping to make a few extra bucks on the side, Fender and his band cut an album called Rock 'n Roll under the alias Eddie con los Shades. Drawing as much from R&B as the rockabilly sounds that were still making the rounds in Texas at the time, Eddie con los Shades: Rock 'n Roll sounds a bit prescient of the garage rock sounds that would be all the rage three or four years down the line, though with less grit and a decided Latin undertow. Fender doesn't get much of a chance to show off the luxuriously weepy vocal style that would make him a Nashville star in the mid-'70s, but as a rocker he sounds solid and light on his feet, and if his guitar work isn't always virtuoso stuff, there's a minimalist Carl Perkins-style attack in his sharp, meaty solos that sounds both tough and lithe. Not quite the great lost Fender album, Eddie con los Shades: Rock 'n Roll still proves he was serious about his rock & roll, and served it up with style and passion. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the early '60s, before a stretch in prison put his career on pause and he found success as a country artist after regaining his freedom, Freddy Fender was a Spanish-singing rock & roll sensation throughout Texas and Mexico, and the Interpreta el Rock album captures the sound of Fender (still trading sometimes as Baldemar Huerta) ripping it up on a dozen originals and covers. Since Arhoolie's 2003 reissue of the album doesn't include any songwriting credits, sometimes it's a bit hard to tell which is which -- "Vamos a Bailar" sure sounds like Ray Charles's "What'd I Say," and "Bailando el Rock & Roll" is a dead ringer for "Rip It Up" by Little Richard, but since the lyrics don't exactly match up, who can say for sure? ("Si Si Rider" and "Corina-Corina" are, as you would imagine, a lot easier to suss out.) Whatever the proper songwriting credits may be, this set -- originally released with this track listing and artwork by the border label Ideal in the early '60 -- sounds stronger and more confident than the concurrently reissued Eddie con los Shades album; Fender's guitar work is still flinty and minimal, but has gained some welcome muscle and precision along the way, and the passionate warmth of his vocals fits the more blues-based surroundings of these songs with surprising ease. (His bandmembers, sadly uncredited, also sound significantly stronger here than on the earlier sides.) Beyond fans of the great Fender and the minor tributaries of Latin music, Interpreta el Rock should fascinate anyone who digs late-'50s/early-'60s rock & roll at its stripped-down and honest best; it moves with an easy and confident swing that makes this much more than a novelty release. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'La Musica de Baldemar Huerta'
Release Date 2/12/2002
Tracks 12
Label Narada
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
La Musica de Baldemar Huerta is comprised mostly of Mexican and South American songs that Fender heard while growing up in Texas, sung in Spanish, though there are English-language remakes of his hits "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Secret Love." While this is too unassuming to count as a major career milepost, it's refreshingly basic in production and sincere in execution. The arrangements are low-key and acoustic-oriented, and though some sweeping strings are employed, they're pretty graceful and tasteful. It's optimum background music for romantic candlelit dinners in the Southwest; in the better sense of that description, it's romantic, but not unduly schmaltzy. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Freddy Fender's volume of Live at Gilley's captures a 1986 performance by the singer at the legendary Texas club. Fender isn't in exceptional form, but he acquits himself well, turning in an enjoyable, albeit unremarkable, performance. The typical hits are here, of course ("Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," "Before the Next Teardrop Falls"), but there are also a couple of nice twists (such as a cover of "Whiskey River") that'll keep hardcore fans interested. Not a necessary addition to a Fender library, but for dedicated fans, it's still enjoyable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Christmas Time in the Valley'
Release Date 6/1/1995
Tracks 10
Label Universal Special Products
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
First issued in 1977 under the title Merry Christmas -- Feliz Navidad, Christmas Time in the Valley offers a distinctly Tex-Mex take on the music of the holiday season -- Fender's interpretations of "Pretty Paper," "Blue Christmas" and lesser-known favorites are all original and engaging. ~ Marvin Jolly, All Music Guide
