Los Lobos. Started in the early 70's, out of East Los Angeles. Five of the original six members are still with the band. Their music is called Chicano Rock, though I'd consider it more roots rock. Breath of fresh air when their album came out in 1984 after several years of new wave sounds. Career continues to this day. Released 22 albums thus far, won Grammy Awards, and nominated for a (well-deserved) spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Number one hit with their cover of Ritchie Valens' bitchin' hit, "La Bamba." Had the good fortune to have good tunes in great movies--La Bamba, Desperado, and Bull Durham.
Released in 1984 on their LP How Will the Wolf Survive? (and how clever was it to use the word "how" to differentiate between album and song?) which is one of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time. Song title came from a National Geographic documentary about wolves struggling to survive--though "Will the Wolf Survive?" is ostensibly about a Latino male trying to make a living in America, it's also a metaphor for the band's struggles to be successful in America as well. It's got jangly guitars, rat-a-tat drumming, heartfelt vocals, and a compelling story. What more could you ask for?
Side note: Hadn't heard the song in years--it was just as good as I'd remembered it (which isn't always the case).
Liner notes: "Battered drums and old guitars/Singing songs of passion...."
Hopefully we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week...
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
No comments:
Post a Comment