Customer Reviews

Ride This: The Covers

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

 

 

Promised as a follow-up to Los Lobos' last CD, "The Ride", this collection of songs returns the favor of the songwriter-artists who collaborated on that prior release. These guys have continued to satisfy over the years with straight-ahead rock n'roll as well as experimental departures, but this CD reminds us that they're also a killer cover band. and as a another reviewer noted, in a way it's a little more satisfying than "The Ride", in that there are no "guest stars" to distract from the music. All seven tracks of this EP are really fine, though my personal favorites are Bobby Womack's "More than I Can Stand" and Elvis Costello's "Uncomplicated". They do justice as well to "Jockey Full of Bourbon", one of my favorite Tom Waits songs, as well as a lovely version of Ruben Blades' "Patria". Though David Hidalgo's vocals on "Shoot Out the Lights" don't have the urgency of Richard Thompson's original, the guitar work is nearly on a par with Thompson's. The live version of Dave Alvin's "Marie, Marie" is competent, if a bit prefunctory. Overall, though, this is an excellent selection of songs, and a perfect companion to "The Ride".

As a Los Lobos fan who loves their more experimental/atmospheric stuff like Colossal Head and This Time, this ep strikes me as more immediately satisfying than its accompanying full-length, The Ride. The Waits, Costello, Thompson covers all hew pretty close to the standard rock format yet incorporate -- very subtly -- the sonic textures and quirks the band learned from working with Froom and Blake for most of the '90s. While The Ride has grown on me since it came out, I still find the guests largely distracting, especially on the more straight-ahead r&b stuff, which for me is the least compelling aspect of Los Lobos' music. On Ride This, you get pure, undiluted Los Lobos, clearly enjoying themselves as they play some of their favorite tunes while adding their peculiar sonic personality to them. If "Rita" is your favorite track on The Ride (as it is mine), then you'll certainly love Ride This. And even if you're more swayed by Cesar's r&b material, he turns in two excellent performances here, which will certainly reel you in. And then there's Ruben Blades' "Patria," which truly is worth the price of the ep itself -- it's incredibly beautiful and strangley ambient (but not in an electronic way), while "Shoot Out the Lights" sounds truly massive. I can't wait to hear what the band does next, as they've clearly found the perfect production style here to capture their singular sound. So, basically, disregard the lousy review below and pick up this ep right away!

One of the wolves great strengths is their ability to cover a tune and make it their own. Their usurpation of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl," "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" remain the definitive renditions of each of these tracks. Unfortunately, none of them made it onto this EP. There's no reason for this to be an EP. LL has generated so much incredible heat, that even on the heals of THE RIDE CD, in which they relegated themselves (unwisely) to back-up band status, a full CD of cover tunes from their career, live or studio, would have been just amazing.
In any case, from the opening Waits number, through the live rendition of "Marie", the band is on fire. It reaches an emotional high point with Richard Thompson's "Shoot Out the Lights," again making this song their own, and nearly eclipsing the scorching versions RT has effected. Costello's "Uncomplicated" is so finely turned that I really had forgotten that the Liverpool troll had written it. Womack's "More Than I Can Stand" stands on a par with the very fine tracks that were the highlights of THE RIDE. This is a greater CD than THE RIDE. Less is more and that's a shame, as a little more would have been a whole lot of great music.

Los Lobos has to take the award for versatility, if there is such a thing in pop music. This disc proves that they are not only great songwriters with serious chops, but amazing interpreters of other people's songs. My fave on here, hands down, is "Uncomplicated." What a great version of the Costello song, with a pounding drumbeat and some intense guitarwork. There is nothing bad on this disc, although the version of "Marie Marie" is a bit by-the-numbers.

However, the success of this EP begs the question: why only an EP? Why not a full disc of covers, including some of the Neil Young stuff they play, and whatever else they are into at the moment? I think fans would enjoy it. In the meantime, here is one more argument for Los Lobos being among the best touring bands in the USA.

"The Ride" is a 2004 mini CD collection of Los Lobos covers. Most tracks sound like they were Lobos originals, and the recordings are up to the band's usual standards; great production and great playing.

My clear favourite is Richard Thompson's "Shoot Out the Lights", which is given a dramatic hard-rock treatment. Also the rhythmic "Jockey Full of Bourbon" written by Tom Waits is a highlight. Though the rest of the album is good too, I won't compare it to what is on their regular albums.

All in all, a nice little listen. 7 good songs, 7 slightly different styles of songs. Hard to see why a few others are down on this one!

Well it seems Los Lobos have gotten it in gear with this album. They have taken control of the wheel and run through some fine self produced tunes. Undoubtedly the chemistry working with Robert Carranzas production near their turf in Rowland Heights made for some dynamite sessions. Shoot out the lights is my favorite with Black Sabbath Ironman influences. One of the great things about artist who aren't afraid to cover other peoples songs is that it tends to water the tree to grow more branches. I have heard Richard Thompson before but not like that. Now I may search out his record with Shootout the lights. The Tom Waits cover is good. The arrangement sounds like the song with the refrain I smoked two joints before I smoked two joints, then I smoked two more. I wonder what would have happened had they produced their records since La Bamba and collaborated with more of their fine friends on songs? They have come along way since their conjunto shows at Barnsdall Park and this effort has renewed my interest in future releases. Check out David Hidalgos work in Eric Claptons Crossroads DVD and see whose songs they may run over next 'Barreling Down the Boulevard'!

I LOVE THIS BAND! so the thought of a CD covering other artists songs sounded great. But the selections are odd and far worse than most of what these guys can do. I love their last album, "Good Morning Aztlan" as well as a lot of their stuff that has pushed the envelope of what to expect from "just another band from east LA"....Kiko and Colossal Head.......but this collection seems like a bunch of throw aways at the end of the tape. The R&B material is like from bad Tower of Power cover band. I wish Mitchell Froom had been there to tell thwm the truth during production.
Bought it as soon as I saw it,..... selling it to the used store the next day.