Chris Isaak - Baja Sessions

Distributed by
Warner Home Video

Cert: E

Running time: 58 minutes

Year: 1996

Cat.no: 7599-38457-3

Released: 7th April 1997

Sound: Dolby Stereo

Presented in fullscreen

Price: £12.99

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Director:

Jonathan K. Bendis

Producer:

Kyra Shelgren

Performers:

• Chris Isaak (vocals, guitar)
  
• Kenney Dale Johnson (drums, vocals)
  
• Rowland Salley (bass, vocals)
  
• Hershel Yatovitz (lead guitar)

On 23rd September 1996, Chris Isaak released his album, Baja Sessions, but its genesis began during the last 3 days in June of that year when Chris Isaak and his band were unexpectedly stranded during the middle of their Mexican tour, where they took the opportunity to record a collection of old and new songs, filmed on location in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

The video is a spontaneous account of a surfing and souvenir safari that Chris took south of the border along with his band.

In his own words...
"If you drive down the California coast, and just keep goin' and goin', you'll find yourself in a place called Baja - more cactus than people, more time than worries, and surrounded by the ocean and the sea. It's a great place to slow down and play your guitar and the perfect setting for romance. I hope these songs bring a little of Baja to you wherever you are."

Chris Isaak came to the fore in the UK in late 1990 when his track, Wicked Game became his best known song to date by featuring in the David Lynch film, Wild At Heart and reached No.10 in the UK pop charts. By this time he had already had three albums out, one of which, his self-titled Chris Isaak carried the track, Blue Hotel, which also gained considerable airplay in the UK and rode into the Top 20 shortly after "Wicked Game". His career as a singer-songwriter also includes memorable tunes such as San Francisco Days, Dancin', and Lie To Me. Chris has also made his mark on Hollywood with cameo appearances in Jonathan Demme's Silence of the Lambs as a SWAT team leader, and Married To The Mob, as well as more sizeable roles in David Lynch's Twin Peaks : Fire Walk With Me, Bernado Bertolucci's Little Buddha, and Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!

This video features the following songs :

• Think of Tomorrow
• Pretty Girls Don't Cry
• Back On Your Side
• Only The Lonely
• I Wonder
• Yellow Birdy
• Dancin'
• Return To Me
• Sweet Leilani
• Waiting For My Lucky Day
• Two Hearts
• Wrong To Love You

Picture quality is good, the visuals capturing the essence of the locations, and the stereo sound is a knockout. Of course the people who are mostly going to buy this are those who are already big fans of Chris Isaak, but the film is equally accessible to those who perhaps only know him for his major hits.

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1997.