There are many ways to measure the impact of a band,
but for those with two decades or more in the game and a fan base
that’s much deeper than it is wide, there’s one measure that’s
almost become a gold standard for gauging lasting musical value —
when Rhino issues a career-spanning collection of your music.
Next up on Rhino’s list is Los Lobos, a.k.a. East
LA’s house band. For 30 years, Los Lobos has melded Mexican
traditionals with American roots-rock like no one since their
musical idol Ritchie Valens, and has never been content to stop
there, drawing from country, blues, r&b, folk and Tex-Mex
influences as the mood struck them.
In a rare accomplishment for a “best-of” collection,
this album neatly, succinctly and effectively traces the band’s
broad artistic arc, from their Spanish-language-only debut through
their roots-rock love affair, into the La Bamba years and then on
to the vivid experimentalism found on the remarkable Kiko –
Colossal Head – This Time trilogy. Throughout you’re
treated to the welcome contrast between David Hidalgo’s sweet, rich
tenor (he stood in nicely for Valens on the La Bamba
soundtrack cuts) and Cesar Rosas’ more rumbly roadhouse style, the
two vocalist/guitarist/songwriters teaming with Conrad Lozano
(bass), Steve Berlin (sax) and Louie Perez (drums &
songwriting) to form one of the most steadfast and musically
multifarious units of their time.
“Let’s Say Goodnight” makes for a perfect opener,
south-of-the-border accordion leading off the melody and soloing
between “let’s-go-to-the-hop” verses in a stylistic mash-up that
works deliriously well. The highlights that follow include the
spot-on “girl-done-me-wrong” swing of “Evangeline,” the gritty
barroom stomp of “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes,” the Spanish-language
sing-along of live cut “Volver, Volver,” the beefy Tex-Mex
highlight reel of “Good Morning Aztlan,” and the mescaline Elvis
burrito that is “That Train Don’t Stop Here.”
Still, the Lobos’ amazing range doesn’t get much
clearer than the brilliant juxtaposition of the acoustic,
Spanish-language new traditional “La Pistola Y El Corazon” and the
electric, gospel-tinged rock and roll of “Jenny’s Got A Pony”
(complete with accordion accents). The fact that it all hangs
together like a rich gumbo is nothing less than the miraculous
essence of this band.
Capping things off, Rhino’s typically informative
liner notes (by Chris Morris of The Hollywood Reporter)
provide an effective summation of the Lobos’ journey. While Wolf
Tracks can’t hope to capture the entire story of a group this
musically inquisitive and long-lived — you need to buy the albums
for that — this is a package that’s well worthy of Los Lobos, and
the perfect pickup for the casual fan or curious bystander, who
will likely be blown away by the sheer musical diversity to be
found here.
