{"id":39675,"date":"2006-03-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-03-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/wolf-tracks-the-best-of-los-lobos\/"},"modified":"2006-03-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-03-14T00:00:00","slug":"wolf-tracks-the-best-of-los-lobos","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/wolf-tracks-the-best-of-los-lobos\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolf Tracks: The Best Of Los Lobos"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

There are many ways to measure the impact of a band,
\nbut for those with two decades or more in the game and a fan base
\nthat’s much deeper than it is wide, there’s one measure that’s
\nalmost become a gold standard for gauging lasting musical value —
\nwhen Rhino issues a career-spanning collection of your music.<\/p>\n

Next up on Rhino’s list is Los Lobos, a.k.a. East
\nLA’s house band. For 30 years, Los Lobos has melded Mexican
\ntraditionals with American roots-rock like no one since their
\nmusical idol Ritchie Valens, and has never been content to stop
\nthere, drawing from country, blues, r&b, folk and Tex-Mex
\ninfluences as the mood struck them.<\/p>\n

In a rare accomplishment for a “best-of” collection,
\nthis album neatly, succinctly and effectively traces the band’s
\nbroad artistic arc, from their Spanish-language-only debut through
\ntheir roots-rock love affair, into the La Bamba years and then on
\nto the vivid experimentalism found on the remarkable Kiko<\/i> –
\nColossal Head<\/i> – This Time<\/i> trilogy. Throughout you’re
\ntreated to the welcome contrast between David Hidalgo’s sweet, rich
\ntenor (he stood in nicely for Valens on the La Bamba<\/i>
\nsoundtrack cuts) and Cesar Rosas’ more rumbly roadhouse style, the
\ntwo vocalist\/guitarist\/songwriters teaming with Conrad Lozano
\n(bass), Steve Berlin (sax) and Louie Perez (drums &
\nsongwriting) to form one of the most steadfast and musically
\nmultifarious units of their time.<\/p>\n

“Let’s Say Goodnight” makes for a perfect opener,
\nsouth-of-the-border accordion leading off the melody and soloing
\nbetween “let’s-go-to-the-hop” verses in a stylistic mash-up that
\nworks deliriously well. The highlights that follow include the
\nspot-on “girl-done-me-wrong” swing of “Evangeline,” the gritty
\nbarroom stomp of “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes,” the Spanish-language
\nsing-along of live cut “Volver, Volver,” the beefy Tex-Mex
\nhighlight reel of “Good Morning Aztlan,” and the mescaline Elvis
\nburrito that is “That Train Don’t Stop Here.”<\/p>\n

Still, the Lobos’ amazing range doesn’t get much
\nclearer than the brilliant juxtaposition of the acoustic,
\nSpanish-language new traditional “La Pistola Y El Corazon” and the
\nelectric, gospel-tinged rock and roll of “Jenny’s Got A Pony”
\n(complete with accordion accents). The fact that it all hangs
\ntogether like a rich gumbo is nothing less than the miraculous
\nessence of this band.<\/p>\n

Capping things off, Rhino’s typically informative
\nliner notes (by Chris Morris of The Hollywood Reporter<\/i>)
\nprovide an effective summation of the Lobos’ journey. While Wolf
\nTracks<\/i> can’t hope to capture the entire story of a group this
\nmusically inquisitive and long-lived — you need to buy the albums
\nfor that — this is a package that’s well worthy of Los Lobos, and
\nthe perfect pickup for the casual fan or curious bystander, who
\nwill likely be blown away by the sheer musical diversity to be
\nfound here.<\/p>\n

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