Customer Reviews

Los Lobos - Live At The Fillmore

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a fan for 20 years (a rookie- compared to some) and have been craving something like this for a long time. As a veteran of too many Lobos concerts to count, I can say with confidence that Live at the Fillmore is the real deal. The sound and picture quality are both excellent but really, what makes this performance a winner is that the Lobos on-stage magic is captured faithfully. The band delivers the typical blue-collar, humble, virtuoso rocking good time that we have come to expect and crave. The guys are in their element- oblivious to cameras and the like. They just do their thing with inspired performances of (among others) "Hurry Tomorrow", "Tears of God", "That Train Don't Stop Here", "Good Morning Aztlan" and a rollicking finale of "Mas y Mas." There are bound to be a few naysayers that complain that for example, the extras are pretty limited. That may be true although what we do get is a very unique (though brief) look at a side of the boys we never see. But for a first effort, on the whole, a true Lobos fan will not be disappointed. The danger is that with this DVD, the boys may no longer be music's best kept secret. No matter. David, Cesar, Louie, Conrad and Steve will always remain true to who they are- just another band from East L.A.
Que disfruten!

My poor neighbors...

This DVD captures, quite simply, one of the greatest live performances I've ever seen. There is NO way to listen to this DVD at anything but maximum volume, and there is NO way to listen to this DVD sitting down!

Now I have been a fan of Los Lobos since their first album back in the mid-eighties, and I saw them once at the Irving Plaza ballroom in NYC.

Still I was NOT prepared for the power and wonder of this amazing concert, filmed earlier this year at San Fran's legendary Fillmore.

To say that these guys are master musicians is an understatement. Throw in the fact that the core group has been playing together for thirty years now -- a fact that this concert was intended to commemorate -- and you have a band that takes their music to dizzying and spectacular heights.

The Mexican/American rhythms on display here are irresistible, the melodies of the songs memorable, and the lyrics sensitive and intelligent.

Basically I was off the couch from the first number and try as I could to sit down and take it easy (I'm more than fifty years young, after all), I kept popping up again, dancing like a banshee and shaking the floorboards!

The songs here span the group's career, with some highlights for me being Maria Christina, Luz De Mi Vida, Kiko and the Lavendar Moon, Mexico Americano, I Got Loaded, Good Morning Aztlan, and Cumbia Raza. But it's all killer, no filler, let me assure you!

And just when you think things can't get any hotter -- during the band's blazing encore of their early hit Shakin' Shakin' Shakes -- out comes some dude named Robert Randolph, who gets the damnedest sounds out of a pedal steel I've ever heard, and cranks the whole shebang up yet another notch!

The sound and audio here are as excellent as the performances. I must add, however, that this is the LOUDEST DVD I've ever heard, and when I first played it, I was hearing some very unpleasant distortion. It turned out that the DVD was so loud, it was overloading the front end of my Sony PS2, which I use as a DVD player. So -- if you're hearing distortion, check the Audio settings under the Setup menu of your DVD player and make sure your DVD player volume is set to its lowest setting, or STANDARD.

I can't say enough about this DVD -- and I just saw John Fogerty play the Beacon the other week! Los Lobos Live at the Fillmore is a MUST-HAVE for any fan of roots rock, Mexican rock, blues rock, soul, melting pot music, whatever you want to call it.

It is also an excellent reminder of what TRULY makes America great -- the mix of cultures that came together to create such a potent and incendiary brew as this.

This DVD gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION, and is as good a reason as any to keep fighting the good fight in these appalling and disheartening Bushist times.

Los Lobos finally puts out a live DVD and it's first class. Thankfully, they included a PCM stereo track as well as the usual 5.1 Dolby Digital encocding. This ranks amongst the best concert DVDs I own. The 3 guitar lineup is outstanding.

Let's get right to the point: It's terrific. Great sound, good set list, and a ripping performance. Highlights include a torched version of "Done Gone Blue" --taking the song to crunching rock heights never hinted at in the studio version, and a raise-the-hair-on-the back-of-your-neck ball of fire version of "Mas Y Mas" with pedal steel virtuoso guest star Robert Randolph sitting in. I just kept wanting to make it louder and louder and LOUDER. I think my wife and kids thought I had totally lost it... Dig in my friends.

Released to celebrate Los Lobos' 30th anniversary, Live at the Fillmore comprises a mini-documentary and nearly two hours of music recorded at the legendary Fillmore ballroom in San Francisco. The band's captivating mix of rock, blues, swing, Memphis R&B, and traditional Mexican folk music fills the historic venue without overpowering the enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd. Former drummer Louie Pérez has returned to the guitar -- his original ax -- so Los Lobos now boasts a front line of three pickers: Pérez, Cesar Rosas, and the incomparable David Hidalgo. Multiple cameras capture their spirited interplay and reveal the guitarists' deep understanding of texture and dynamics. Wielding a Gibson Firebird or Les Paul, Hidalgo delivers hair-raising solos that conjure Eric Clapton with Cream or Peter Green with early Fleetwood Mac. The band's two new drummers alternate between kit and Latin percussion, creating grooves that borrow equally from Santana and the Allman Brothers. Infused with big guitar tones, this is party music of the highest order.

The Band: Los Lobos are David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, violin, accordion, percussion), Conrad Lozano (bass, vocals), Louie Perez (guitar, drums, vocals), Cesar Rojas (guitar, vocals) and Steve Berlin (sax, keyboards). They are augmented by drummer/ percussionists Ruben 'Cougar' Estrada and Victor Bisetti. Special guest - Robert Randolph (pedal steel).

The Venue: If those walls could talk ... San Francisco's Fillmore is perhaps the most fabled venue in rock music. An Italianate-style dance hall built 1912, the building became Bill Graham's Fillmore in the heyday of the Haight-Ashbury counter-culture. After some years under different names, the Fillmore tag was revived in 1994. The audience stands - shoulder to shoulder - but there are chandeliers and statues, giving the space something of a 'grand old dame' feel.

The Songs: Culled from two sold-out nights - Live At The Fillmore showcases the range of styles, drawing mainly on recent material, with half the songs coming from The Ride and its predecessor, Good Morning, Aztlán (2002). There are two songs from Kiko (1992), regarded by many as their finest album, two from Colossal Head (1996) and another couple from This Time (1999). Only three songs are from the 80s, and they're classics - 'Tears of God' (By The Light of the Moon 1987), 'I Got Loaded' (How Will the Wolf Survive, 1984) and 'Shakin' Shakin' Shakes' (By The Light of the Moon).

Highlights? It's almost a two-hour set - an embarrassment of riches. 'Maria Christina' (Good Morning, Aztlán) seamlessly blends reggae into the Los Lobos sound. 'Chains of Love' is a slow, bluesy number that shows off David Hidalgo's wonderful tenor. The spare, spacey 'Kiko and the Lavender Moon' (Kiko), with those weird carnival keyboard sounds from Steve Berlin, is a favourite. The highlight is the 10 minute jam on 'Mas y Mas' (Colossal Head), which closes the show. Built on a solid seven-note riff, with an infectious Spanglish vocal by Hidalgo, 'Mas y Mas' ('More and More') is the perfect closer - especially when you have steel guitar ace Robert Randolph along for the ride. Randolph, the charismatic young showman, perfectly complements the unassuming, avuncular Hidalgo. Trading licks with Los Lobos' main man, he even brings a hint of a smile to the old guy's lips.

Extras: Imported from East LA - 12 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.

Sound and vision: Both excellent. Can't fault the sound or the mix, and the camera work and editing are first-class.

Verdict: Five stars says it all. This was a long time coming, and worth the wait.

I first heard these musicians on late night radio in Ireland and I have never forgotten them. I compare them to the Band and the Allman Bros in terms of ability and diversity. I have seen them live a number of times and always think of them as the best kept secret in the music business. Thank G-d they have played in small clubs and theaters. One viewing of this dvd should more than adequately serve to show just how good these guys are. They change musical styles fluidly and with virtuoso ease. An example of their skill is the fabulous rendition of "Kiko and the Lavender Moon", the title track of one of rocks all time great albums. The eeriness of the song is captured perfectly. I had hoped that they would do their cover of "Down where the drunkards roll" but, you cant have everything. Top knotch!!

I have been a fan of Los Lobos for a number of years now because if you listen to any album after and including Kiko you will be treated to some of the best studio production that you will ever hear this side of the Atlantic. "This Time" and "Colossal Head" are great examples of how a little extra attention to detail can layer an album with a multitude of unique sounds. So, rightly, when I found out that this DVD was coming out I jumped at the opportunity to own it. Los Lobos is a great live band and this DVD adequately shows that. However, there are a few glitches here and there. The only major thing that I noticed is that the audio track on this DVD was mastered HOT!!! It WILL overdrive your system if you do not make adjustments accordingly. Has anyone else noticed this? Other than that the set list is good. It showcases newer material while also going back to the old-school traditional Mexican accordion-based polka (the highlights of the disc as far as I'm concerned) which they had been playing for years before their break through hit "La Bamba". As an aside; if, when someone mentions Los Lobos, "La Bamba" is the only thing you know, you've been missing out. If you're a Los Lobos fan it's definitely worth it to check it out.

Like others here, I am a veteran of LL shows dating back almost two decades. Unlike bands who falter over time, the Wolves continue to evolve. Their maturation as a band--and as artists-- has been and continues to be an awesome process to behold. This DVD captures the emotion, the joy, the professionalism, and the magic that make Los Lobos something truly special and truly American.

Like The Band that took a wide spectrum of sounds, styles and influences and made them their own (see Music From Big Pink), Los Lobos blend so many influences so effortlessly (at least to the listener, these guys are so freakin' talented, it's scary) and so soulful that there have no equals (note to moron music reviewers who invoke Los Lobos comparisons when talking/writing about Los Lonely Boys--the kids got some chops but they have a lot to learn/earn).

In my mind/eyes, America has no better all-round band than Los Lobos... they belong in the Smithsonian...

Peace, ese.

I'm a longtime fan of Los Lobos and this DVD definitely captures the spirit of their live performance. That said, other reviewers who are fans have apparently been so pleased that there is a Los Lobos DVD that they have overlooked or glossed over a couple of negatives: 1) the sound simply isn't that great. Really good concert DVDs take the sound directly off the mixer and use some separate microphone inputs for ambience and crowds sounds. The sound on this DVD lacks depth and dimensionality suggesting either an inferior mixer or some other approach to the recording. 2) the vocals are not always "spot on" in terms of being on key. The cost of the DVD is relatively low and in a sense, you are getting what you paid for. Dedicated fans will want to own the DV but Los Lobos' CDs are a better way to introduce people to the creative music and sounds of an eclectic and talented group.