Reprinted from Green Man Review.
I’m a bit surprised that we received this disc to review at all! After all, it’s a mail-order-only disc that you only can order it from them. And if you can’t read Spanish, you should at least be able to guess that it’s acoustic, and live. Much of it is also en español and shows off the band’s commitment to the Mexican folk music of their past. They began life as a sort of Mexican punk-folk band, and have grown to become as much a herald of American music as The Band. This means that their commitment to releasing these Mexican CDs every once in a while takes on special significance.
The current album begins with “Canto a Veracruz,” all acoustic guitars, tiples, bajo sexto, and group vocals. And that’s basically the template for the whole album. There’s a virtuosity to their playing that goes beyond the standard jam band. And there’s a structure to every track because these are songs, not simply riffs to hang their virtuosity on.
“Two Janes” (from Kiko) appears in an unplugged rendition. Sweetly sung, well played, with intermittent percussion…just enough to keep the song moving. More percussion introduces “Maricella” (from Colossal Head) in a very Latin version, sax and piano; if this doesn’t get your feet moving, maybe there’s something wrong with you. “Saint Behind the Glass” is another track from Kiko but here it sounds like a folk song…and leads beautifully into “la Guacamaya” which features more strings than you can imagine!
Add “La Pistola Y El Corazon,” “Volver, Volver” and the classic “Guantanamera” and mix in a couple more obscure tracks and you have a true collector’s item. Los Lobos haven’t made a bad record yet, and by creating this sample of their acoustic live show…they’ve only added to their mystique…and their reputation.
(Los Lobos Records, 2005)
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