Customer Reviews

Colossal Head

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was in college in 1996 when this album came out. I purchased it and it became a staple on my college radio show for the next couple years. The band is incredible and the Mitchell Froom/Tchad Blake production added strange character to this eclectic group of songs. Standouts for me are the slow wah guitar driven "Little Japan" and the exuberant "Life is Good", which sounds like listening to a party from the apartment next door. I love the driving "Everybody Loves a Train" with its locomotive rhythm and roaring saxophone. "Mas Y Mas" is a barnburner of the highest order and you don't need to understand the lyrics to have a good time. Colossal Head may not stand up to Kiko as Los Lobos's best, but I still give it five stars for its adventurous spirit. So many albums that came out in 96 were stale, pallid, and forgettable and this was a fresh, lively shot in the arm.

Anyone who is a TRUE music lover, will either know, or would want to know, about the true Los Lobos. They are so very, VERY much more than most people recognize. They are true artists in every sense, and have a dignity (musically, and personally) that few bands have, or could even understand.

Their entire body of work is very worthwhile, and this record ranks near, or at the top, along with KIKO.

I haven't kept up with Los Lobos since back in the beginning, when I owned a cassette of "How Will the Wolf Survive." Some time ago I decided to rectify that situation and picked up "Colossal Head." Judging from the reviews on this page, "Kiko" is the disc I really should have picked up. Whether they like "Colossal Head" or not, everyone seems to agree that "Kiko" is better. It must be a really spectacular recording, because I thought CH is excellent. The songwriting is mostly outstanding and there are lots of surprises and interesting choices in the production and mixing. Good work.

Los Lobos has long been a favorite among their peers. The band is eclectic to say the least. They combine rock with blues, tex-mex into a sound that is all Los Lobos. Colossal Head was released in 1996 and was the follow-up to the very successful Kiko. Colossal Head is one of my favorites in that the band rocks on this CD like no other. Their unique blend of influences gives this CD a rock fusion which works on every track. If you missed this CD the first time around and looking to spice up the collection - give Colossal Head a spin - you will not be disappointed.

Colossal Head is Los Lobos' "Look how far we can go and still sound great" declaration. "Revolution" is permeated by the tar bubbles of bass and drums and David Hidalgo's effortless vocal style...great stuff. "Maricela" is enough to make the dullest person get up and dance, with it's latin piano and accordian intermingling perfectly in the songs sparse texture. "Can't stop the Rain" is a butt-shaker that really comes alive in headphones. Experimentation is everywhere here, loosening the snare to an ingenious rattle in "Little Japan" and looping the drums in a live-sounding "Life is Good". "Colossal Head" is as gentle as "This Bird's Got to Fly " is bombastic, blaring through with unapolagetic saxaphones that compliment a mean, delay-ridden vocal. "Buddy Ebson Loves the Night Time" closes the album like a meditation, as a lilting lead guitar slinks lazily over a looped bass drum. The music is under-produced, allowing for a difficult to achieve, live sound. A must have for music lovers of all kinds.

This follow up to Kiko (one of Rock's greatest albums) essentially finds the band recording a superior collection of songs by playing their hearts out and singing their hearts out and then MESSING it all up with "experimental" production techniques that rob the songs of their quality and leave the listener frustrated. The experimentation of the Latin Playboys CDs rubs off on this CD and the music suffers for it. If you, like me, collect *all* Los Lobos CDs, then you should indeed have this one in your collection, but you'll be shaking your head when you listen to it. These songs are much better enjoyed live than in their studio versions which is sorta backwards from the norm. This is not a terrible album but it could have been a better album. The hard part of creating the album, the song writing and laying down the performances, were seemingly effortlessly reached by the band, but then one big mistake with production and fans are left with something that could have been much better. The band eventually (thank God) moved away from these silly production techniques and produced later albums that delivered on all points once again proving that they were the best (and most sensible) band in the USA. Soul Disguise

The first seven tracks are a kick everytime I hear them. By a funny coincidence I had picked up a War collection about six weeks before I heard Colossal Head, and it was perfect preparation. I read some reviews that knock this record for the presence of some blues. Go figure. That's a big part of the Lobos' musical background and they are very good at playing and singing it. There's also an all-time great tune "Maricela" and some very tasty soul numbers in "Can't Stand the Rain" and "Little Japan". The sound is even stranger than it was on Kiko.

This release seems to me to be the logical follow up to the
amazing KIKO, and I believe that it is easily it's equal. Much
in the way I put KIKO on to go to sleep by, COLOSSAL HEAD is my
usual choice to wake up to. Both releases have moved from being
great music into the realm of magical, musical journeys into the
incredible. This starts us out with REVOLUTION, a song that gives
hint to the trip they will be taking us on. It moves on to the
hard rocking MAS Y MAS and it's excellent guitar work. The Latin
flavor comes through strong on MARICELA, a beautifully crafted
wonder. On to EVERYBODY LOVES A TRAIN, truly original,mixing
sung vocials with the spoken word. Very up beat tempo. A bluesy
number comes along with CAN'T STOP THE RAIN, the light and airy
LIFE IS GOOD, and bass driven LITTLE JAPAN, where layer upon
layer of sound pass through and intermingle with eachother. A
very heart felt offering. MANNY'S BONES, and COLOSSAL HEAD are
fun rockers with interesting lyrics. They end this thing with
some music reminiscient of old time Chicago blues on the final
track. Wonderful stuff. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Thanks and have fun,
Tom

COLOSSAL HEAD is an album that is just awesome!!! It blows me away. LOS LOBOS are a band that should be known for more than LA BAMBA their music is deeper and better than that and they are one of the most critically acclaimed bands in music today. REVOLUTION kicks off this album, and it is jazzy and groovy and a great song to listen to. MAS Y MAS is a Spanish rocker that has a unique sound to it that is hard for me to describe what else might sound like it, which is a good thing. There is to much music out there today that sounds alike. MARICELA in my opinion just might be the best song off the album and that is saying alot. It is a slow Latin number, this is just a beautiful song. EVERYBODY LOVES A TRAIN is a rockin' acoustic jam that has a cool feel to it. CANT STOP THE RAIN has a funky, soulful sound to it that once again shows the depth of the band. Every song on this album is a good song, and I am hard pressed to find any low points here. There is no filler, no throw away tracks, just 11 songs that kick. I highly recommend that fans of real music go out and gets this album and catch the band live if you can. PEACE ESE

"Colossal Head" has taken me a couple of listenings to really appreciate; it's heavy on the bass, the aggressive percussion, and the fuzzy guitars, and has some odd bits of noise thrown in. The sound is fatter than I'm used to hearing from Los Lobos, more aggressive and edgy, and for those who are hoping for the traditional Mexican stuff they do so well, it's not on here. "Maricela" is as close as they get, but even it has droning fuzz-toned guitar and heavy-bottomed bass over the accordion.

I wasn't sure I liked "Colossal Head" after the first listening, probably because it confounded all my expectations about what a Los Lobos CD "should" be like. But sometimes it's good to have your expectations stood on their head; once I got over my initial reaction I have found "Colossal Head" to be highly addictive. Play it loud.