Customer Reviews

Heard It on the X

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I saw Los Super Seven had a new album-I ordered it sight (and sound) unseen. The first two albums were SO great there was no question- just buy it. I tore it open, threw it in the CD player in my car and was shocked to hear what others have mentioned-no sign of anyone from Los Lobos, very little Spanish language music, and alot of rock and roll...albeit superb rock and roll.
Don't be deterred by this-change is always good, and this change is wonderful. To say that this album doesn't belong under the banner of Los Super Seven misses the point: simply put-everyone who has been in LS7 grew up on this music, and therefore it is legitimately part of the series- and in fact an essential part of the series.
Border Radio (and I was thrilled by every word of the wonderful history written in this package) exemplified what LS7 is all about-cross musical and cultural pollination. This collection of updated and heartfelt updates does for Border Radio what the other albums did for Mexican and Cuban styles; brings it together and expands the vision by combining the original artists with those who grew up influenced by their innovations.
This is a GREAT record...the musicianship is superb, production and mixing wonderful, modern while never forgetting the ethos of the border radio music; hot, raw and smokin'.
Liste- I never thought I would love a ZZ Top song either (being an ethinc music snob) but that is not the point, the point is to experience and expand understanding and knowledge about an essential piece of uniquely American music- and on that count alone- this album fits in the series like a glove. Beyond that- this is a wonderful record- the ultimate back yard rockin' party record.
Expanding our musical horizons goes both ways- pushing the boundries and envelope of music and creating something new, and discovering something new that has been right in our own backyard for decades. Take the chance and let go- you'll wish you grew up on the X too...

I have Los Super Seven's first two CDs and they kill. Wonderful original music; a cross-cultural blend of latin-american, carribean, and brazilian herbs and spices. But as indicated by another reviewer don't expect that with LSS 3. This is more traditional border music represented individually by blues, tex-mex, and country swing. It may not be original but who cares! This is great music. With each playing the songs get better and my toes tap harder.

Great music for a party or a prelude to good lovin'.

Buy it!

The music in this c.d. is crisp, finger snapping, toe tapping, and I hope you buy it. I just got it in the mail and I have been listening to it every day, night, and at work!
I had never heard of the " X" radio stations. I had heard of many of the musicians but had not personally listened to their music. This music opened up another culture to me. And I want more.
This music is saucy, sexy, jazzy, and with a good dose of blues. This c.d. will make you feel as if you are listening to the music at a plaza in a border town. It made me start salivating for a libation of the tequila kind. Yes, it can be labeled "Texican " but it's that and so much more. This music is what laid the foundation for groups like Z.Z.Top.
The amount of talent on this c.d. is mind blowing. It had to be great. If you don't know all of them you will get to know them. The music is that good.
After having more than one boy friend who was an alcoholic I found it refreshing to hear a man ( Raul Malo) sing about his girl friend being SO hung over she can't get up.
The El Burro Song is sung with heart and grace, as only Raul can do. The sonic fusion of Calexico, Mariachi Relampago, and Raul's smooth, virile-fueled voice is pure musical alchemy! This is the first song on the c.d. and after hearing this song, you too will be hooked. The next song is " Cupido" which brings the collaboration of Freddie Fender and Rick Trevino. It's a dynamite combination and I hope they do more music together. " Cupido dame la mano" - Cupid help me, lend me a hand.
It's tastefully done and this song will have you heading for the fridge for some kind of libation. I know it made me.
Every single song is great. Song #5 - "My Window Faces the South" sung by Lyle Lovett, reminded me of sitting on the Moon Walk in New Orleans watching the boats go by. The melody is pure " Southern" bliss. His voice is perfect for this song. The two were born to be together.
You will also enjoy song #9 - Ojos Traidores sung by Rick Trevino. He's sad, he's mad, he's hurt and you hear it in his voice. All I could think was, "Boy, she's a mean girl that dark eyed woman." Rick Trevino sings with a lot of soul and you feel his pain.
When you read the credits of all the major talent involved you should note the assistance that was given by the legendary talents of Flaco Jimenez, Arturo "Sauce" Gonzalez, Charlie Sexton, Jacob Valenzuela, Max Baca, on and on. There is no way this c.d. was going to be a dud. It's filled with much illustrious talent. Kudos to the producers who did a great job on this c.d. It was a great under taking and the end product is for your enjoyment.
I have no negative feedback on any of the songs. The music blew me away. I even loved the artwork on the cover. The only things that vexed me were the pictures of all the singers who contributed. They don't indicate who is who. And another thing missing, that miffed me, was the absence of the lyrics. They were nowhere to be found. Come on now, you have great music you must have great words. And you do -- you just don't have them written anywhere for you to read them.
This c.d. stands alone and should be purchased and enjoyed. Trust me, you will fall in love with the music. Some of the lyrics are racy considering the music was written in the 30s and 40s but a lot of it is timeless - ageless, what ever you want to call it. Don't deprive yourself, buy this c.d. and let your mind take you to a place where you can enjoy this great music.

I did not come to this CD with any pre-conceived notions. I had not heard of Los Super Seven and have not heard the prior CD's. The only song I had heard perviously was the ZZ Top tune that gives the recording its title. I heard snipets of the music in a review on the radio and thought it sounded hot. The full CD lives up to the promise of the snipets. It is really a collection of different styles and music -- latin styles I have heard but cannot name, a sort of country swing, rock, blues. It is music that was played on border radio partly because there was no outlet for it on the main stream stations. "Song of Everything" is my favorite. "Heard It On the X" is also good. Owing to the mix, this CD is a little like listening to a good cross cultural radio or music television station in the southwest. Appreciate it for what it is -- a tribute to the boarder radio of the 50's and 60's -- and this is a very enjoyable CD.

Just three observations:
1) Delbert McClinton has become the American Van Morrison
2) Given the music that this album pays tribute to, it could have used a little more spit and a little less polish. That is to say that the proceedings are a bit too tasteful in an NPR kind of way.
3) Observation #2 won't matter that much if you play this CD loud enough, and with the right beer. (I recommend Bohemia.)

I agree one should listen to each Los Super Seven as a separate project. I truly enjoy this cd and listen to it fairly often. I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and vividly remember sitting on the porch with a transister radio stuck to my ear listening to music I had never even imagined existed. (at least till my mom dragged me into the house and made me go to bed/or usually took the radio away cause I would listen under the covers)
Border radio was a seminal influence on my musical upbringing and I believe many others of my generation. As the late 60's progressed we were listening to a wide range of genres of music. Check our album collection and you'd find Buddy Holley, Hank Williams, Beatles, Stones, Muddy Waters, Santana, Bob Wills, Ravi Shankar, Miles, Zappa, Coltrane, and plenty of others that never made it big but were great in a variety of styles. We didn't care what type of music as long as it was good.

I'd like to share a review of this cd I stole from iTunes (don't worry, I give credit at the bottom):

Los Super Seven isn't a band, per se-- it's a collective, organized by manager Dan Goodman, who comes up with a concept for each of the group's albums and assembles a band to fit. For their third album, Goodman turned to music journalist/record producer Rick Clark, whose giveaway CD's for the Oxford American journal ar3 highly regarded in certain quarters. Inspired by ZZ Top's classic boogie rock tribute to border radio, "Heard It on the X," Clark came up with a sharp idea: a salute to the heyday of AM radio on the Texas/Mexico border, when rock & roll, blues, country, jazz, Western swing, and mariachi mixed freely. Clark and Goodman drew up a list of songs and musicians to play them, recruited two different core bands- indie rockers Calexico and a group featuring Charlie Sexton, who also served as the third producer on this album (along with Clark and Goodman), with drummer Hunt Sales- and then brought in a bunch of Texas-identified singers. Some-like Raul Malo, Joe Ely, Rick Trevino, Ruben Ramos and Freddy Fender- were Los Super Seven veterans, while others- John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett, Rodney Crowell and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown- were new to the game. That list of musicians signals that Heard It on the X is not nearly as Latin-centric as its predecessor, Canto, which theoretically means it may play to a wider audience, but in 2005, with all this roots music and versions of songs that are 30-40 years old, it's unlikely that this will get much play outside of roots fanatics and those who long for the heyday of Musician magazine. That said, Heard It on the X is executed about as well as it could be. The song selection is expert, touching on lesser known tunes by such Texas giants as Doug Sahm and Buddy Holly and standards by Blind Lemon Jefferson, ZZ Top and Bob Wills, adding a few cult favorites and a new tune or two along the way. While this certainly reads like an eclectic listen on paper, in practice it flows easily, thanks to both the house bands, the professional (albeit a bit too clean) production, and the fact that the borders separating these genres are virtually nonexistent these days. There's no real cross-pollination within the grooves themselves (having Ramos sing the title track doesn't quite qualify, since it till comes across as bloozy boogie rock), the styles merely rub shoulders with each other, and since all the musicians already travel in these circles, there are no real surprises (well, apart from Hiatt's mannered vocal on "I'm Not That Kat (Anymore)," but on second thought, that's not much of a surpise, either). But surprises are overrated, particularly with so many similar albums shooting too high and missing the mark. Here, the songs are excellent, performed by the right musicians, and the result is a highly enjoyable record for anybody into any of the featured artists or songwriters. If this doesn't pack the thrill or sense of discovery that the original recordings have, mark that down to the ultimate triumph of border radio - its influence has been so strong and so far-reaching that listeners take its innovations for granted, so an album as nonchalantly diverse as this seems like a welcome everday occurrence.

Album Review provided by All Music Guide /2008 All Media Guide LLC

In this day and age of lip syncing and homogonized, packed for the masses music it is pretty refreshing to listen to this disc. Great musicians and great songs makes for one terrific disc. I could go on and on, but believe me, this is the best disc so far this year. Guaranteed you'll NEVER hear music this good on the radio!

If you have the first Los Super 7 CD you will realize that there can't be
anything better today nor in the future. I classified that album as one
of the best of the past 45 years. The next CD "Canto" was alright but
this third one was a deception somehow because it isn't a genuine LS7
gathering. Of course I understand that it's more an educational record
on how the border radio stations were like in those days and the music
you could listen to. I love blues and country and if it had been done
by Los Super Seven I would probably classify this better but first of
all there are only very few recordings by the original S7 and secondly
I just don't like most of the selected songs. The first song "El Burro
Song" is great but ridiculous at the same time. This great typical
jarocho sound song sung in English??? It's like if a nice blues song
were recorded in Hungarian! Who could figure that out? The LS7 spirit
can only be found on song 2 and 9 both interpreted by Rick Treviño.
The rest can be forgotten at least on a Los Super Seven record!

Before even considering the quality of the music, let me say that I felt cheated by this CD. To sell this CD as the third from Los Super 7 is, to say the least, questionable. The first and second Los Super 7 CD's gave us a blend of Latino and Americana music, played with pioneering spirit. This third Los Super 7 CD just gives you Texas Americana. It is not particularly spirited or pioneering. Some songs are nice, but not more than that. Nowhere do the artists go beyond their normal scope. Furthermore, nowhere in the booklet the Los Lobos members, that to me formed the core of Los Super 7,are mentioned. Why aren't they here? Had I known beforehand I would not have bought this CD. The name Los Super 7 is misused for commercial reasons and the many fine musicians on this CD are not taken beyond there usual borders, which to me is the real betrayal.