Los Lobos
Del Este de Los Angeles
(Hollywood)
For those who have seen the band live, the crowd really gets
its groove on when David Hidalgo reaches for the accordion and the percussion picks up another
notch. They have been playing these tunes for nearly three decades now, since their wedding and
quinceañera salad days. The long-haired, mid-70s photos in the CD booklet are
living proof. Equally priceless is the fee-for-services agreement made with New Vista
Productions reprinted within. Los Lobos' end of the deal is to "provide musical talent
(equal to a virtually incalculable sum) arranging and performing." Let's just say the
Wolves kept their end of the bargain. Most striking to me was the youthful sound of their voices.
I barely recognize the twenty-something voices that today are richer, fuller storytellers with
nearly twenty years on the road behind them. From the familiar "Guantanamera" to the
son picking sounds made more famous recently by Buena Vista Social Club, Los Lobos were already
skilled musicians ready to start the wonderful fusion of the old school with the rock and roll
blaring on their radios. So crack a beer (you know the Wolves would) and kick back to the sound
that powered many a hot night in East Los Angeles and most likely still does.
Rating: 8
Hello Cleveland. Starting making space in the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame because once Los Lobos hit the mandatory 25-year recording threshold, they'll be a
first-ballot entry. Unearthed from the depths of a garage in East LA, are a dozen traditional
Mexican and Sud Americano folk tunes recorded at the time (1977) to generate interest from the
labels west of East LA.
This Time
(Hollywood)
Given the number of Los Lobos splinter groups pushing product in 1999, the novice listener
might be forgiven for wondering if the band itself is the supergroup side project. Unfortunately,
This Time, Los Lobos' follow-up to their 1996 opus Colossal Head, won't do much
to dispel the impression. Unlike Colossal Head, which was fierce, fun and, above all,
coherent, the new album sound patched together, tossed off and more than a little enervated. Not
to say there's nothing worth seeking out there - -the songwriting is lovely in places, the
playing dead-on as usual and the production (from longtime knob-twisters Froom and Blake) soars
more often than it sinks. But after a good dozen listens, what I hear is the sound of a band
that's functioning more as a brand than a creative outlet. I say let's get 'em a good marriage
counselor.
Rating: 6
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