Los Lobos
Good Morning Aztlan
Mammoth
I believe now – and I have believed for awhile – that Los Lobos is one of the finest rock and roll bands working today. They filled a void for me that was left by the demise of the original incarnation Little Feat. That has nothing to do with talking about this recording though, so that’s all I’ll say in this regard.
Los Lobos is an acquired taste for some and maybe even a bore to some others. To a casual listener, it might seem that so much of their work sounds alike, and in some ways and on some levels, it probably does. Los Lobos is a band that you have to really surrender yourself to to fully appreciate, but once you get it, it’s hard to shake. The feel of Los Lobos recordings changes a bit from release to release. They even explore some different more stripped-down stuff in their various side projects. Sometimes you’ll get more of a Latino feel rhythmically and lyrically. Sometimes it’s more balladry, and sometimes they just wanna rock. No matter how they do it, they do it well. The music, like the message, is sometimes simple, at other times majestic. You can almost always count on them to offer up a platter that has something for everyone. As in most prior releases, Good Morning Aztlan has a bit of everything. It’s also their most soulful offering to date. “Hearts Of Stone,” “Get To This,” and “What in the World” are new classics for this band, and the title track rocks just about as well as any of their work. This worthy offering from East LA’s finest band also includes a bonus CD with previously unreleased versions of “Can’t Stop the Rain” and “Manny’s Bones.”
Mammoth Records: http://www.mammoth.com • Los Lobos: http://www.loslobos.org
