TRINI's "The Whole Enchilada"

Original Released on LP Reprise R-6337 
(1969)

If you’re a Trini Lopez fan, and you don’t own this album, then you truly have not swallowed the whole enchilada! Seriously, how about an album that teams Trini’s 'nonpareil' performing talent with the legendary songwriting / producing duo of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart... imagine the possibilities! Well, few did in the late-’60s, as this was one of Trini’s few albums not to chart, but nowadays collectors hyperventilate over such offbeat pairings, so we’re serving this one up hot ’n’ fresh. So many times, an album's sales figures have little to do with the quality of the music. That's exactly the case here: This 1969 album was Trini's first on Reprise not to reach the charts, but it's one of the best things he ever did. Working with Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, he cut some of the most exciting and invigorating songs in his career. While some of his later Reprise stuff moved him squarely into the easy-listening market, this disc features a vibrant, fun energy, and Trini is at his best on the tracks. Notice how he playfully throws in some Spanish on "Come a Little Bit Closer," or the shout-out to Sinatra on the wonderful, should-have-been-a-single "My Baby Loves Sad Songs." There's also a gorgeous, bilingual version of Donovan's "Lalena," and a convincing, gritty take of "Sunshine of Your Love." Trini only did one more album for Reprise after this (the soundtrack to his TV special), but he went out on a high note.