Amoeba Music

Los Prisioneros formed in 1982 in San Miguel, Chile. This DVD covers the span of their career (before their reformation) from their early, ska-inflected, electro-punk pop songs to their lush, synthdance mega-hits that they made at the dawn of the '90s. Also included is an interview with singer Jorge Gonzalez and a few extra features that connect the contents with his narrative commentary.

The DVD begins with the band miming their song "Sexo" (with Jorge playing a broom instead of guitar) at his mom's house. The nattily dressed trio ham it up for the camcorder in what must've seemed like a goof to the inexperienced but talented band. For some reason they leave of the video for "La Voz de los '80" (one of their best) which they later performed on Sabados Gigantes which, at the time was still based in Chile (as well as pluralized) and helped catapault them to stardom.

With their next album, Pateando Piedras, they moved further into synthpop territory with surprising sophistication and a more anthemic sound. For some reason, the DVD leaves off the video for the Depeche Mode-esque (and amazing) "Muevan Las Industrias" but keeps "El Baile de los Que Sobran," -an amazing song but for which the video is just live footage with a stadium full of fans. With the band's growing fame came a media ban imposed by Pinochet's dictatorship which was a frequent target of the influential band's leftist lyrics and political actions.

From La Cultura de la Basura we get the throwback electro-ska-punk "Maldita Sudaca" in which they earnestly sing about Latino unity whilst simultaneously decrying ignorance of South America's diversity and culture- all in a three minute pop tune. They also include the rather light "We Are Sudamerican Rockers" which was the first video to be played on MTV Latino.

After the departure of guitarist Claudio Narea (the rocker in the band) Corazones found the band, now a duo, moving into more romantic, personal territory. With that shift came enormous fame. If you live in L.A., you've heard "Tren al Sur" whether you know it or not. That song's video, along with "Estrechez de Corazon" are glossy artifacts of the early '90s and provide the bookends in this imperfect (for its omissions) but eye-opening look at the meteoric rise of Chile's best band (with apologies to the very good Prissa).