Los Lobos
The Ride - Hollywood 2004 Comments:I was gladly surprised with Los Lobos` previous album "Good Morning Azlan" because I thought it indicated a return to the style of their great albums from the 1980's up till "Kiko" in 1992. The two albums before "Good Morning Azlan" had been big disappointments; so I had hoped that this new album would be a step further in the right direction. In some ways this is not quite like an ordinary Los Lobos album. The facts that many different guest-musicians are featured (even as singers) and that 4 songs are re-recordings make the album something different.
It's not a bad album; far from it. The playing/production is impeccable as usual, but maybe there are too few really great melodies. They play a lot of various musical styles: traditional inpired Latin music, blues, funk, country, rock and even mainstream pop; all of it has the typical Los Lobos stamp; they always do things in their own special style.
I like them best when David Hildago's wonderful voice is up in front singing the wonderful melodies that he and Louie Peres are capable of writing. My favourites here are the beautiful country styled "Somewhere in Time" and the folkish "Wreck of the Carlos Rey". The latter is a duet by Hidalgo and Richard Thompson; and their voices blend perfectly together.
Elvis Costello takes over the lead vocals on "Matter of Time", and this works pretty good. The closing track; the melodic blues song "Chains of Love" is also great.
"Rita"; and actually most of the rest album is solid. There are only two tracks I don't like; the re-recording of "Is This All There Is" and "Charmed".
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