Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

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scotto
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Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by scotto »

First: Why aren’t these guys a bigger deal around here?

Los Lobos’ chops, creativity, and dedication rival that of many of our favorites. Plus they rock balls. Yet they rarely make the best band, top album, or favorite guitar player lists. Like that old jean jacket in the back of your closet, does their well-worn comfort and lack of flash keep them just under the radar?

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The band started with friends and fellow music geeks David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez hanging out, playing guitars, and listening to records while students at LA’s Garfield High. Joined by classmates Cesar Rosas and Conrad Lozano in 1973, they jokingly named themselves Los Lobos del Este, after a popular Tejano band, Los Lobos del Norte. Mixing current hits with traditional Mexican tunes, Los Lobos became a fixture at parties and dances in their East LA barrio. The band was also soaking up the gritty sounds of LA’s rock clubs and began opening for fellow LA rockers (and future label-mates) X and The Blasters. Soon the conjuntos and norteños handed down from grandparents were mixing with the high-octane, roots-oriented rock and roll of the late ‘70s.

Los Lobos first hit nationally in 1983 with ...And a Time to Dance, a scorching EP on Slash Records. (In 1978 the band had self-released Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles and before that contributed three tracks to Si Se Puede!, a charity album for United Farm Workers of America, in 1976.) Mixing Tejano classics, a Richie Valens cover, and rocking originals, Los Lobos’ sound was a bracing combination of old and new, matching other tradition-mining fare—cowpunk, Celtic rock, soulful ska, rockabilly revivalists—currently populating the post-punk record bins. Produced by T-Bone Burnett and The Blasters’ (and future Los Lobos) sax player Steve Berlin, the record is an instant party.



Despite widespread critical acclaim and a Grammy for the song “Anselma,” (Best Mexican-American Performance), sales were lackluster, but generated plenty of buzz and just enough cash for a US tour. The time off also prompted creative growth.

Their follow-up, How Will the Wolf Survive, dialed back the sweaty immediacy of its predecessor, but delivered solid tunes and a new maturity. Again produced by Burnett, the album covers lots of musical real estate, from buzzy rockers and loping R&B to heartfelt meditations on immigration, assimilation, and family. A new lyrical confidence also emerged, giving voice to the band’s search to clarify its creative and cultural focus. This creative tension—How do we maintain our Mexican-American identity without being only about our Mexican-American identity?—is reflected in the album’s title. Their expanded palette of rootsy Americana brought more critical acclaim and a slight uptick in sales. (For what it’s worth, How Will the Wolf Survive is number 30 in Rolling Stone’s 100 best albums of the 1980s.)



The next few years saw the band writing, rehearsing, and touring constantly. In 1987, Los Lobos released their third collaboration with T-Bone Burnett, By the Light of the Moon. Picking up where the previous album left off, By the Light of the Moon offered a bit more blues and rock with a lone traditional tune. Though slightly less well received than previous efforts, By the Light of the Moon is a solid album and cemented Los Lobos as critical favorites; their other 1987 release delivered commercial success. The band contributed six Richie Valens covers to the La Bamba soundtrack, with their version of the title tune topping the charts. Along with their cameo in the film and a popular video, Los Lobos were finally selling records, winning awards, headlining shows—and appearing on MTV.

Facing potential pop stardom, Los Lobos did what any self-respecting artist would do: They released an all-Spanish, all-acoustic album of (mostly) covers of traditional Mexican music.

La Pistola y El Corazón is a short, bracing, beautiful left-turn of an album. Though it won critical praise and a Grammy (Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance), La Pistola y El Corazón was more respected than popular. Self-produced and recorded in four days, the album’s immediacy and its passionate embrace of music from their childhoods, family gatherings, and neighborhood parties was a shock on the heels of their MTV successes. For the band it was a calculated reset and one not lost in the press. One reviewer even compared this to Neil Young’s popularity kiss-off when he followed the best-selling Harvest with the unfocused Journey Through the Past. And like Neil Young, Los Lobos have played by their own rules—for better or worse—ever since.



The years that followed saw Los Lobos grow more creative and experimental. In 1990 they released The Neighborhood, their most complex work to date. This was followed by Kiko in 1992. I’ll say up front that these are two of my favorite albums. The Neighborhood offers some of Los Lobos’ most stirring performances. The album is also notable for its lineup of all-English originals (a first) and guest artists John Hiatt and Levon Helm (listen below). The title tune closes the album with a powerful summation of the band’s enduring sense of community and cultural identity, reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s insightful compositions on What’s Going On.



Unbridled creativity is not everyone’s cup of tea. And like Tom Waits’ Howlin’-Wolf-meets-Kurt-Weill-in-David-Lynch’s-basement trilogy from the ‘80s (Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, Frank’s Wild Years) or Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in the decade to come, Los Lobos’ Kiko was called brilliant by some, indulgent by others. Some hear Mitchell Froom’s spacey production, their expansive compositions, and the overall introspective tone of the album and long for the straightforward rock of “Come On Let’s Go.” Which is like wishing the Beatles had stuck to Chuck Berry covers. I love the raw simplicity of earlier efforts, but writing off Kiko as unfocused or tentative dismisses some sturdy rockers, outstanding lyricism, and heartfelt storytelling. (Coming soon in a nifty remastered version with vinyl--finally! ...supposedly--to follow.)



Despite critical raves, Kiko was not a huge seller. The rest of the decade saw the band contributing to tribute and benefit albums, doing soundtrack work, touring with major stars (Dylan and the Grateful Dead among them), recording a best-selling children’s album (Papa’s Dream), releasing a multidisc retrospective, winning another Grammy, and pursuing side projects. They didn’t release another proper album until Colossal Head in 1996, which, for the first time in the band’s career, garnered scant critical attention. Following more lukewarm reviews for This Time in 1999, Los Lobos was dropped by longtime label, Warner Bros. (who promptly issued a snazzy four-disc anthology through subsidiary Rhino).

When the dust settled, Los Lobos entered the new millennium with a healthy change of scenery. Having weathered growing pains and personal tragedies, Good Morning Aztlán (2002), their debut on new label Mammoth, signaled a return to form. Produced by veteran John Leckie, the sound recalled a matured version of their work with T-Bone Burnett, with a lean Latino blues base and the strongest collection of Hidalgo-Pérez tunes in years. Aztlán is the lost, romanticized homeland of Hispanic America—long revered, but never discovered. Its place in the title seems a half-meditative, half-mocking take on the band’s coming to terms with its Mexican-American identity: elusive, ethereal, possibly mythical, but no less inspiring. Good Morning Aztlán is one of Los Lobos’ best.



They followed this with The Ride and Ride This (The Covers EP), collections of reinterpreted originals, traditional tunes, and cover songs with notable guest artists (somewhat hot and cold, as with most projects of this type, but when they work, they’re special); Live at the Fillmore, a concert recording and DVD; an acoustic collection of previous originals (Acoustic en Vivo, 2005); and several tribute albums (notably a tribute to Doug Sahm and Dylan’s “Billy 1” on the I’m Not There soundtrack). A recent highlight was 2006’s The Town and the City, a swirling, lyrical narrative incorporating familiar Los Lobos themes: childhood and community, cultural traditions, and rocking blues, all wrapped in an alternately straight-ahead and off-kilter production that recalls elements of both Kiko and their no-frills first EP. The Town and the City scored big with the critics and further established Los Lobos as a band that follows its own muse.

Their most recent album, Tin Can Trust (2010) is another mature, fully realized effort in the vein of Good Morning Aztlán. Combining old-school rockers, gritty blues, Spanish canciones, exceptional storytelling, and a Grateful Dead cover, the album is vintage Los Lobos. As evidenced by "Yo Canto" below, the continue to create a perfect balance of rock and roll and Latino tradition.



Los Lobos has remained intact, dedicated, and relevant for 40 years. But along with their musical scholarship, instrumental ability, cultural focus, and solid commitment to their own esthetic, they have maintained their humor and avoided self importance. When the band was touring in the early ‘80s, I was fortunate to interview Cesar Rosas prior to a gig in Kansas City. I asked, besides obvious cultural differences, what else set them apart from so many other roots rockers playing the clubs at the time.

He paused a second, chuckled, and answered, “We’re fat.”
Last edited by scotto on Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by beantownbubba »

Bravo! Scotto rides again.

Didn't know about that first ep, will have to check it out.

I don't know all the albums (mostly those between Kiko and The Town and the City) but you're dead on perfect on the ones I know.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Flea »

Their releases from Wolf to La Pistola are as fine a run as anyone has put together.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Flea »

Why this song didn't become a hit has always escaped me.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Jonicont »

Great stuff Scotto. Been listening since Wolf Survive. Right up there with DBT for me. Check them out if you don't know them. Been to see them with the NYC 3DD crew. These motherfuckers ROCK live


scotto wrote:“We’re fat.”


:lol: :lol:
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Iowan »

They're one of those bands I've always read about and seen held up as some of the greats, but I've just never encountered their music, even accidentally. They've been on "the list" for about 10 years, and this seems like as good of a kick in the ass as any to start listening.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Gang Green »

One of my favorites in the 80's along with Husker Du and the Replacements. Loved that first EP. Had play catch-up when I started listening to music again after 2004. They have to be considered one of the best American bands ever. Hopefully, one day they will get their due. The English writer Nick Hornby the self proclaimed music junky ranks Kiko among his all time favorites.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by blessedcurse »

Nicely done Scotto!!

Been a fan since I first saw the video for "Don't Worry Baby"back in high school. Something about that video caught my attention.

I happen to think that Colossal Head and This Time are very good records also.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Smitty »

Love Los Lobos - first song I ever heard was "Road to Gila Bend", and I backtracked from there.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by jr29 »

David Hidalgo is a beast of a guitar player.
I agree with Flea, "One Time One Night" is a song that everyone should know.
"Little John Of God", "Evangeline", "Will The Wolf Survive", "Neighborhood"....lots of great stuff.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Kudzu Guillotine »

I was all into the stuff that made up the Great Roots Rock Credibility Scare of the Late 80's (or however Steve Earle refers to it), which Slash Records and Los Lobos were a huge part of. I remember buying Will the Wolf Survive? on vinyl at least three times and every copy skipped. In fact, I still don't own a copy but I do have a few of their records, though not nearly enough. I love their version of "Bertha" from the Deadicated album.

Here they are at MerleFest in North Wilkesboro this past spring doing "Bertha" with Derek Trucks and Sam Bush:


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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by StevieRay »

scotto wrote:First: Why aren’t these guys a bigger deal around here?


I had Tin Can Trust on my best of 2010 list. I think BTB did too if I recall. Absolutely phenomenal band that sorta gets taken for granted (IMHO).

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Smitty »

StevieRay wrote:
scotto wrote:First: Why aren’t these guys a bigger deal around here?


I had Tin Can Trust on my best of 2010 list. I think BTB did too if I recall. Absolutely phenomenal band that sorta gets taken for granted (IMHO).


It made mine, too.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by StevieRay »

Los Lobos gets huge respect in my book for weathering the '80's without falling victim to "big drum syndrome." Huge thanks to Scotto for a nice writeup!

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by beantownbubba »

StevieRay wrote:
scotto wrote:First: Why aren’t these guys a bigger deal around here?


I had Tin Can Trust on my best of 2010 list. I think BTB did too if I recall. Absolutely phenomenal band that sorta gets taken for granted (IMHO).


Good memory, stevie!
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by beantownbubba »

Kudzu Guillotine wrote: I love their version of "Bertha" from the Deadicated album.

Here they are at MerleFest in North Wilkesboro this past spring doing "Bertha" with Derek Trucks and Sam Bush:



Nice work on that track, KG!

As I recall, their "Bertha" was one of only 2 or 3 worthwhile tracks on Deadicated but the only track i specifically remember is "Bertha."
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by LBRod »

Great band. They bring it live. The Gramblers opened for them last time they played the Fillmore.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Really nice write up Scotto. Los Lobos are truly one of the great bands of Rock & Roll. I discovered them in college when a friend brought over two LP's to my house, How Will The Wolf Survive? & Guadalcanal Diary Walking In The Shadow of the Big Man. I remember that night vividly, his girlfriend, my girlfriend and I sat drinking Michelob, smoking joints and playing those two records over and over and over again. About three weeks later the four of us drove to St. Louis to see Los Lobos live and that sealed the deal. They've been one of my favorites ever since. Although How Will The Wolf Survive? was my intro to them my favorite album is Kiko by a wide margin (although almost every record is damned good). That one sits in my top 25 for sure. I think of them a lot like I think of The Band, their music is made up many styles and traditions but yet remains distinctly their own. Ignore their impressive body of work at your own peril.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Kudzu Guillotine »

I've also heard them compared to the Grateful Dead, not so much for how much they sound like them but more from an American roots music standpoint. In this case, "American" is meant in the broader sense of North America (insert smiley face here).

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

A few of Rolling Stone reviews from back in the day:

Image

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/album ... e-19850117

Image

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/album ... o-19961217

(why Kiko was reviewed four years after it's release I have no idea but the review from the release date is "subscribers only" so I couldn't post a link.)

Image

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/album ... d-19980202
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Flea »

That's the same review of Kiko as appeared after its release, just dated differently. It's pretty cool to be a RS subscriber - you get access to the online catalog of ALL previous issues, including original pictures and ads.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by mhc »

Love Los Lobos. Saw them twice in Indy and David Higadgo was one of my favorite guitar players. He also plays on Tom Waits newest album Bad As Me too. Secondly he sat in with Tom when he played on Letterman and Fallon back in July.
Jerry Garcia loved these guys too.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Jonicont »

Hey--how cool is this. Los Lobos linked this thread on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/LosLobosMusic?ref=stream
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Zip City »

that's fucking aweseome
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by beantownbubba »

Jonicont wrote:Hey--how cool is this. Los Lobos linked this thread on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/LosLobosMusic?ref=stream


:D :D :D Big win for Scotto and not bad for the rest of us.
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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by scotto »

beantownbubba wrote:
Jonicont wrote:Hey--how cool is this. Los Lobos linked this thread on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/LosLobosMusic?ref=stream


:D :D :D Big win for Scotto and not bad for the rest of us.

Wish I'd known: I would have been more unabashedly gushing.

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Re: Artist of the Week, 10/22/2012: Los Lobos

Post by Kudzu Guillotine »

The sort of title track to Kiko, released 30 years ago today.


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