¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas? Review

Date Of Release: August 26, 1997

Molotov is a Mexican rock band that formed in Mexico City, Mexico in 1995. It revolutionized the Rock en Español scene with what could be said and what new topics could be approached. The Band's member's consist of:

• Ismael "Tito" Fuentes de Garay (Guitar, Bass, Vocals)
• Miguel Ángel "Micky" Huidobro Preciado (Bass, Guitar, Drums, Vocals)
• Juan Francisco "Paco" Ayala González (Bass, Guitars, Drums, Vocals)
• Randall "Randy" Ebright (Guitars, Drums, Vocals)

Molotov's lyrics are often based around politics, sex, and expletives with dark humor and social commentary. Their lyrics are also a mixture of Spanish and English and are almost always rapped and sung by all members of the band. One other unique aspect of Molotov are that band members change instruments and roles depending on what song they're playing. Molotov also incorporate elements of hip hop, funk, pop, disco, metal, and punk rock into their music.

My relationship with this band first started back when I was a kid, they were another favorite band of my dad that he then introduced to me. For obvious reasons though the only songs he would let me listen to from them were the ones that delt with serious topics. When I was a kid I had a mixtape disc that contained various random Latino songs, among them was the first song I ever heard from Molotov. That being Frijolero (Beaner) a song that was about racism towards Mexican immigrants. As well as the many hardships and horrors an immigrant faces when crossing the U.S/Mexico border.

Needless to say it's a song that's near and dear to my heart as both of my parents are immigrants, anyways I loved that song as a kid. My dad would later introduce me to another song, that being Gimme Tha Power which I'll talk about in a bit. ¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas? is an awesome, fun, and hilarious album that doesn't take itself seriously. Though when it does wish to speak about serious topics it does so in a smooth manner that doesn't kill it's vibe.

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Songs

Que No Te Haga Bobo Jacobo (Don't Let Jacobo Fool You)

What an amazing way to start off the album! If there were only one word to describe this song it's anger. The guitars and bass are a huge standout in this song, they work together to deliver this heavy and evil yet funky sounding beat. The guitars especially remind me of Rage Against The Machine with how insane they go with the bending of the string. The drums are awesome on this track as well.

Micky delivers very powerful verses that flow incredibly smooth, you can really hear the anger in his voice especially at the chorus with the line, "Don't let Jacobo make a fool out of you, don't let that bitch make you look stupid. Lyrically this song is about Molotov calling out a newscaster of Televisa (a popular news network in Mexico) by the name of Jacobo Zalbudovsky, for being biased, unreliable, and bribery. Overall an awesome opener and one of my favorites off the album.

Molotov Cocktail Party
This track is rapped entirely in English, Molotov Cocktail Party features Randy (the only American in the band) as lead vocals. The guitars take a step back from the previous track to deliver a more funky beat. Because of that the bass line is just sick and bouncy as all hell. Randy's rapping and line delivery is pretty solid. His lines can be very cheesy at times, though I think that's done on purpose. I also love how towards the end of the song the guitars play this Egyptian sounding guitar riff that sounds cool. The chorus is catchy but if I'm being honest I get kinda sick of it after hearing it a couple of times.

Voto Latino (Latino Vote)
This song features what I like to call "Spanglish" lyrics, which is just when one mixes Spanish and English words together to form a sentence. Due to the name of the song this song introduces instruments often used in Latino music like, güiros, bongo drums, and congo drums. The bass line is forefront and catchy on this song. The tempo is slower than the previous but very groovy and makes you wanna dance. Lyrically this song is about the repression and discrimination that Latino citizens face at the hands of their government and those willing to sell their homeland for profit.

Chinga Tu Madre (Go Fuck Your Mother)
This song opens with yet another groovy and juicy bass line which is followed up with electric guitars. The guitars on this track once again do the bending technique from the opening song that creates that iconic sound, again very reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine. The vocals on this track go a great job of hyping you up and making you want to shout along. This song is a story about a guy and how much he hates his mother-in-law. Eventually because of that his girlfriend leaves him, which he couldn't give less of a fuck about. The chorus is very kickass as well.

Gimme Tha Power
This was the other song I was introduced to by my dad. Unlike the songs that came before, this song takes a more mellow, serious but chill vibe. Electric guitars have been replaced in favor of acoustic guitars. Additionally a marimba is used for this song which adds a nice touch to the song, especially regarding the subject matter.

Lyrically this song is about corruption in the Mexican government, a song that sadly is still very much relevant to this day. This song also touches upon corruption in the police force, as well as the elites getting rich off of those in poverty. On a lighter note though this song is also about Mexican pride and standing united against the corruption. My favorite Chunk of the song goes as follows...

"If they try to paint us like we're lazy, you know we're not! Viva Mexico you bastards! Let them feel the Mexican power! let them feel everybody united as brothers. Because we're clearly more, we pull more evenly. There's no need to follow a group of dumbasses! Who drag us wherever it benefits them, and it's our sweat that sustains them. Maintains them eating hot bread. That bread is the bread of our people."

I apologize if that was a lot but it's a stanza that really speaks to me. Towards the end of the song there's even chanting, like if everybody was protesting. Overall a powerful song and one of my favorites off the album.

Matate Tete (Kill Yourself Tete)
Distorted guitars playing heavy riffs start this song off. It starts off pretty standard only to accelerate rapidly, along with the drums. This song is very dependent on the guitars and the bass. It also does a great job of making you nod your head to it's hypnotizing beat. The chorus is very catchy and makes you want to yell along. There's lots of variety in terms of vocals, there's yelling, borderline death metal growls, and whispered singing. Very fun song as well as the heaviest song off of the album.

Más Vale Cholo (Better To Be A Cholo)
This song is more of a story. The instruments play to better fit and emphasize the narrative. When they do play though every instrument has their time to shine. Vocals also vary, from moaning the lyrics out, to slurred speech. The story follows a cholo and his group of friends going to a party, doing stupid, ridiculous shit. Only to get into a gunfight with undercover cops and the mafia, yeah pretty crazy huh? Regardless this song always manages to get a chuckle out of me.

Use It Or Lose It
This song features Randy on vocals again. Use Its Or Loose it is another song that is rapped almost entirely in English, exception being a few Spanish words tossed here and there. This track is more on the slow side and has a chill vibe. The guitars on this song are using a synthesizer peddle that adds a unique sound to the song. Bass is once again simple for the most part, there's a few times where it does a few cool things here and there. Towards the end of the song, trumpets start playing. The marimba also makes a comeback to end the song on a sweet note.

Puto (Pussy)
The shortest song off the album, bring a little over 2 minutes. This song starts off with beatboxing but done so in a obviously horrible way, it doesn't last long as the instruments quickly take over. The bass line on here is weird at times but great. I love how in the second half of the song it gets heavier out of nowhere, the fun vibe from the beginning is almost entirely thrown out the window. It's apparent they had fun recording this song as laughter is sprinkled throughout the song. Lyrically this song is a critique on cowards specifically, conformist and those who don't take responsibility for their actions.

¿Por Qué No Te Haces Para Allá?.. Al Mas Alla (Why Don't You Stay Over There..Over There)

This track has a menacing sound to it. The electric guitars are gone for the most part, only coming out to play during the chorus and to play these awesome sound effects that sound like lasers. The bass and drums really shine on here. The line delivery is very good and flows nicely, it makes you want to nod your head. The chorus especially has a nice climax and sounds awesome with all the instruments in full force. Lyrically this song is about a guy not wanting to do anything with a woman who clearly gets around, as she consistently seeks his attention.

Cerdo (Pig)
Next on up is Cerdo. The bass line on this track is incredibly funky and groovy, this a type of bass line you'd hear in bands like Kool and the Gang, The Gap Band, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. Synthesizers, keyboards, triangles, and tambourines are other instruments that are used on this song. This song is a
funny story about a boy who eats ridiculous amounts of food and the disgusting ways he eats them. The song isn't shy about roasting the ever loving fuck out of him too.

Quitate Que Ma'sturbas (Perra Arrabalera)
(Go Away Cause You Masturbate (Ghetto Bitch)

The last song of the album. I once again apologize for bringing this up but this song just SCREAMS Rage Against The Machine. The guitars are very angry sounding on this song and play these ridiculously high pitched riffs at times that sound awesome. They also continue to perform the bending technique that creates those crazy sound effects. Even the bass on this song sounds evil. The drums really pop on this song and feel like they're rolling.
The line delivery is smooth and fast. The majority of song is yelled and rapped by every member of the band. Giving this song a nice sense of an ending. Lyrically this song is about the band members shit talking a prostitute, one they claim used to be hot before letting herself go. The lyrics on this song are disgusting to the point that it makes me laugh at how ridiculous it gets. All in all a pretty funny and good way to end the album off.

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Final Thoughts
In conclusion, ¿Dónde Jugarán Las Niñas? is a bat shit insane album that doesn't take itself seriously but when it does it delivers the message with a powerful punch. It's an album that take elements from Hip Hop, Funk, Latino music, Metal, and Punk rock and covers serious topics such as corruption in the government, law enforcement, and media but still has room to lighten the mood up with comedic songs and story telling. What a way to kick off their career.
If you don't mind politics, bad language, or obscene themes in your music as well as Spanish vocals than I recommend you to give this album a shot. There's a reason why Molotov is adored by millions of people out there.

If I had to rate it out of 10: 10/10

Songs I Liked:

• Que No Te Haga Bobo Jacobo (Don't Let Jacobo Fool You)
• Voto Latino (Latino Vote)
• Chinga Tu Madre (Go Fuck Your Mother)
• Gimme Tha Power
• Matate Tete (Kill Yourself Tete)
• Más Vale Cholo (Better To Be A Cholo)
• Use It Or Lose It
• Puto (Pussy)
• ¿Por Qué No Te Haces Para Alla?.. Al Mas Alla (Why Don't You Stay Over There.. Over There)
• Cerdo (Pig)
• Quitate Que Ma'sturbas (Perra Arrabalera)
  (Go Away Cause You Masturbate (Ghetto Bitch)

Songs I Disliked:

• None!

For those interested in checking it out here's a preview song: