Customer Reviews

The Ride

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was really blown away when I first listened to it, and even though my enthusiasm has been tempered a little after a few listens, this is still a great CD. Judging by the tone of some of the reviews below, LL is suffering from that problem truly genius artists have - once you release a few ground-breaking records, if you stay at that level people will say you're lazy and complacent. I personally think it's OK that they have brought some more outstanding music into the world, even if it isn't light years ahead of their past efforts. Every track is solid and a good listen. For me Dave Alvin's baritone bossonova on "Somwhere in Time" and the moody reverb on "Wreck of the Carlos Rey" really stand out.

The Ride is one of those albums that you cannot just listen to once to appreciate. Each time I listen to it, I like it more and more. "Rita" is a gem, a great accoustic classic accented with some very subtle pedal steel. Remakes of Someday (beautiful vocals by Marla Staples), Wicked Rain and Is This all There Is, are superb. This band can play and write songs with the very best of them. One of the great, yet woefully underappreciated bands of our time.

I must confess that I've been having one hell of a time trying to figure out which cd by these guys I should review. I own them all, and I find them all wonderful. I might be enjoying a distinct advantage over most people who don't own everything by Los Lobos, and I realize I'm also a bit biased because I love their material so much. To truly appreciate what these five guys do, have done, and are capable of, you'd simply have to be familiar with the band's entire catalog. Nobody is this diverse, and I'll stick my neck out here and make a brazenly heartfelt statement for the record.....Los Lobos is the most talented and engaging band in America.
They are also, at the same time, the most sadly underappreciated band of note that I can think of. You mention Los Lobos to most people and you'll either receive a blank stare in return, or get a response to the effect of, "oh yeah.....those guys who did "La Bamba" way back when....are they still around?" Makes my blood boil sometimes.....
But I digress. For those of us who are "in the know" concerning this fine band, we can take some solace in our enjoyment of one of the best kept secrets in music today. Based purely upon musical diversity, these guys are hella talented. Everything from traditional Mexican folk, blues, jazz, soul, rock, r&b, zydeco, middle eastern, to gospel is covered within The Wolves body of recorded music. These brilliant musicians have the heart, soul, and conviction to deliver all of the above with utmost style and unflinching adherence to what they ably achieve as a band, having performed together for the past thirty-plus years. It's obvious that David, Cesar, Conrad, Louie, and Steve have much respect for eachother on many levels, accomplishing what they have, and they still seem to love working together.... truly top-class professionals!
The reason I chose "The Ride", I suppose, is that it's basically their most recent release, and the one I've probably listened to the most over the past year. The boys saw fit to honor their respected musical contemporaries and influences alike with "The Ride", resulting in yet another totally unique piece to add to their catalog. I'll venture a guess that Los Lobos enjoyed making this record more than any other they've done. The talents and vocals of Ruben Blades, Bobby Womack, Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Tom Waits, and Mexico's Cafe Tacuba all feature prominently throughout "The Ride", and, in and of itself, lend this particular cd even more varied styles and sounds than we are accustomed to with a "typical" Los Lobos release. What's more, the band clearly had lots of fun with this experience and it comes through vibrantly in the end results.
Personal highlights on this disc, for me anyway, include the gospel-tinged beauty "Matter Of Time", which showcases fine vocal harmonizing by Elvis Costello and David Hidalgo. Richard Thompson figures in with "The Wreck Of The Carlos Rey", which for some reason reminds me of something from Fleetwood Mac's old "Bare Trees" album. It's catchy, bouncy and bluesy all at the same time......rather hard to describe. The drumming on this track is insanely good, really driving the entire thing. The track, "Is This All There Is?" is one of two Los Lobos compositions reworked from earlier records. This one had orginally appeared on 1987's "By The Light Of The Moon", and while I like the original a bit better(it's catchy as hell!), this new version features Little Willy G belting out a soulful reading of a new arrangement of the song. 1992's "Kiko" gets represented by Bobby Womack basically going crazy in a good way on "Wicked Rain", paired up with his own "Across 110th Street". These two songs really got a great treatment, as they blended very very well into a new arrangement. The original "Wicked Rain" was a great blues rocker, to be sure, but Womack's influence gives the song new life with a sensational blend of r&b and jazz. Guaranteed to get your toe tapping when cranked up!
As I said, a good time was obviously had between all musicians, and I'm sure Los Lobos will always treasure the experience of making this record with such great company. My personal favorite moments, however, come in the four tracks on "The Ride" in which the five Wolves did their own thing, sans guest appearances. Cesar Rosas' down and dirty blues, "Charmed", just plain rocks out. Man these guys are tight! Steve Berlin's sax intertwines with wicked blues guitar and piano, and Cesar's voice is just incredible for this type of song. Wow! I've got it blasting as I'm writing this, so forgive me for my pedestrian attempts at trying to convey this song's power through words.
"Rita", the final song I'll mention, is for me, quite literally the title track to "The Ride". It is a gentle, somewhat brooding cut, with perhaps the best lap steel playing I've ever heard. The reason I consider this the title track is simply due to the imagery the music, and especially the steel guitar, seem to emulate, in likeness to the beautiful sleeve photograph of the guys walking in procession with their instruments in tow through the arid landscape of what I'm assuming is a Southern California desert. Hidalgo's vocals are emotive as ever here, and the song conveys a warmth and open air feel to it that's just stunning!
It would be hard for me to singularly recommend any one Los Lobos cd for one's first purchase. They are so diverse, coupled with my glaringly obvious appreciation of everything they do, that my only suggestion would be to sample what you can, album by album. See what strikes you first and try it out. These little snippets of songs that we have at our disposal, courtesy of Amazon, are a good start. I'm not certain "The Ride" would be the best album to start with to become familiar with these guys, but for those Lobos fans out there who haven't heard this yet.....go get er!
"The Ride" is a blast of an album from a truly original American band!

Frustrated by my friends. "Los Lobos? That 'La Bamba' cover band? That's, like Latin rock, right?" Um, right. The kind of Latin rock that ranges from Mexican folk to earthy Americana to gritty blues to tape-looped Alternative. The kind that attracts T Bone Burnett to produce a band's first three major-label albums. The kind that features some of the most intelligent combinations of music and word craft, ruminating on everything from love, to socio-economic issues, to community and ethnicity, to the Gospel and existential questions. The kind that features one of the most sought-after session guitarists (Hidalgo) and one of the strongest and most distinctive voices this side of Jay Farrar and Johnny Cash (Rosas). The kind that reinvents itself under Mitchell Froom to produce one of the most sonically creative, well balanced and wholly satisfying albums in modern rock (Kiko). Yes, and U2 is, like, Irish rock.

With the all-star lineup of contributors, The Ride may just garner the most attention for the band since "La Bamba." It's long overdue and well deserved, and not just on the basis of their history or the new collaborations. The Ride showcases a band that only 30 years of seasoning can produce. It stands alongside their best work. It doesn't peak as high as some of their previous work, but it maintains an indefatigable excellence throughout. Highlights include the meshing of the band's "Wicked Rain" with Womack's "Across 110th Street," Tom Waits and Quetzal's Martha Gonzales on the bizarre "Kitate," and Mavis Staples on "Someday."

Pick up The Ride for the guests; then track down the band's back catalog for yourself. (Tim Porter)

Although I love these guys, I'm going to try and be objective here...Here it is: Only two-thirds of this record are utterly and completely worthy and wonderful. There`s some stuff to hear only once and then move on -and then there's the 2/3's of the material you'll want to hear forever. Here's some reasons why: The hot, sexy "La Venganza" that leads off the album; another simply classic Hidalgo gem in "Rita"; the John Lee Hooker/Hendrix swelling meltdown of "Charmed"; the achingly bittersweet "Somewhere in Time," and finally, the 8-minute epic East L.A. barrio meets gritty Harlem soul fest in "Wicked Rain-->Across 110th Street." Fall in love with those and then notice the ones I missed. Enjoy.

You get your monies worth with these fella's! Great stuff!!!!

Is it possible Cesar, Conrad, David, Louie and Steve keep getting better? Or is it just our growing appreciation for 30 years of sharing their music with us? Perhaps a little of both. How many other groups have been intact for three straight decades? No breakups or reunion tours or artistic lulls. Remarkable. Think of the artists who have done that and remained relevant. It's a short list.

"The Ride" again demonstrates how consistently great Los Lobos is. The album is an eclectic mix of song styles performed by a cadre of like-minded and equally talented collaborators. The playing is instinctually symbiotic like only 30 years together can provide. You must see them live for a better understanding of the joy. These are masters crafting beautiful art for our pleasure. A worthy addition to their already legendary catalogue. Buy the album and share the joy.

Los Lobos is an American treasure. Appreciate them, I do.

For almost 15 years I've truly believed Los Lobos is the greatest Mexican rock band in history. What was I thinking? I now realize they're one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands ever, nationality notwithstanding.

How do I know? I took The Ride. Not too many bands can successfully retool an earlier song. Los Lobos, as always, presents honesty in the freshest way imaginable. The duets are brilliant, showcasing the social and economic issues of the SoCal Mexican community as genuinely universal themes.

Elvis Costello's vocals on "Matter of Time" will tear your heart out. Tom Waits's "Kitate" will keep me engaged for a long time. Dave Alvin's bluesy licks on "Somewhere in Time" cut to the core of your soul. Speaking of soul, add legends Mavis Staples and Bobby Womack to the mix, and this is one sizzling musical fajita.

It's only May, but I bet this will be in my Top 10 of the Year. Anyone wanna bet on a Grammy nomination, too?

The Ride is an excellent follow up to the masterful Good Morning Atzlan. Los Lobos have been absolutely on fire lately and The Ride is a great testament to that fact. Everything you could possibly want is here. This CD burns. You can feel it in your bones and in your soul. The production and sound of the thing are really, really good, very warm and rich sounding, somewhere between the adventurous Kiko and the previously mentioned GMA.

There are some fantastic new songs (La Venganza de Los Pelados & Rita are personal favorites) as well as some fun and interesting remakes of already familiar LL material. Throw in some guest artists that understand what these guys are all about and you have my new favorite CD.

I found this album while looking for something else, and bought a pair of Lobos albums after it: "La Pistola y El Corazón" and "Kiko." I really like this one.

"La Venganza de los Pelados" is a good song with awesome lyrics, the music kind of makes it eerie in a sense. Since the song is talking about the uprising of the 'lower people' (like poor people or 'street urchins'), it kind of brings a cheezy horror flick image of all these street bums marching like zombies, lol! Anyways...the only thing I don't like about the song is it seems to never end! I can pick 2 or 3 places in which it could be concluded, but it seems like just when you think the track is over it starts up again. It kind of makes the riff they're playing a little too catchy, almost annoying cuz it stays in your head. But a great song nonetheless.

"Rita" is a melancholy song with a good beat. Though it's kinda sad, it's got a tempo that's managable so it's not just depressing. Interesting words too.

"Is This All There Is?" is a little too jazzy for me, like the reviewer before me said it reminds me of a song that would be played in bar with plump white guys drinkin' beer. I like it, but it borders too cheezy for my tastes.

I like "Charmed" a lot, it's one of my favorites. It's kinda one of those songs that makes you feel like you wanna nod your head & say "Yeah, man." It's got that down-home feel, kinda gritty & blue collar, if that makes any sense at all.

I like the drum work style in "Somewhere In Time," and the guitar is awesome (it's a Mexican style guitar I think). It's just a nice background song, or perhaps a 'driving in the desert' song? This whole album would be good while driving in the desert, there's something about it that makes me think of one. NO, IT'S NOT THE COVER! Lol.

If I'm not mistaken, "Kitate" is the one where there's no singing, it's just music & talking/messing around. It's pretty funny, it's one of the highlights of the CD for me!

All in all, I think this is a great album that has a very high listenability. Go for it, no matter what the haters say. :)