Customer Reviews

Tin Can Trust

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Is it out of the question to suggest this is the greatest American Rock N Roll band of all time? Not as far fetched as you may think. If the criteria is longevity, consistency, and superior quality, is there another band that can lay claim? For my money this is their best work since the ambitious and highly original "Kiko" in the 90's. This is topical, powerful material, the title track and "Burn It Down" are somber laments about today's times, where people simply can't make ends meet. These downtrodden stories are complemented by great music, played by a band at the peak of it's collective powers. The Hidalgo-Perez songwriting team is as good as it gets, telling compelling stories without being preachy. The music itself is spot on throughout, with the only misstep being the collobaration with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, the hippie pathos of "All My Bridges Burning" is out of line with the tenor of the rest of the songs. There's still some fun to had, Cesar Rojas Spanish language gems rock full bore, as does the instrumental "Do The Murray" The cover of the Dead's "West L.A. Fadeaway sounds like Garcia and company without the sloppiness. Los Lobos, America's greatest rock band of ALL TIME!! This disc just might cement that legacy.

I came late to Los Lobos's previous album "The town and the city" but I was absolutely amazed at how wonderful it was - a true modern rock classic. Four years later and this record carries on with a similar layered production, fabulous guitar playing and amazing vocals - although the lyrics aren't quite as focused and conceptual. Again the influences are apparent - rock, blues, country, Mexican - but like all great bands they have evolved their own unique sound that is pure 'Los Lobos'.

We get off to a great start with "Burn it down" with Susan Tedeschi on back-up vocals, closely followed by the loping blues-groove of "On Main Street". Both these tracks - along with the title track, the rocking instrumental "Do the Murray" and the closing track "27 Spanishes" - have wonderful guitars from David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas. The band also covers the Grateful Dead's "West L.A. Fadeaway" and 'Dead writer' Robert Hunter shares the writing credits with Cesar Rosas on "All My Bridges Burning". And if you get tired of fabulous bluesy guitars and David Hidalgo's soulful voice then check out the Tex Mex polka of "Mujer Ingrata" and the cumbia swing of `Yo Canto'.

I can't recommend this record highly enough, this is a band who have been playing together for 35 years and are at the very top of their game, effortlessly turning out music of great quality that appeals both to the head and the heart. Although I don't think this is quite as good as "The town and the city" it's not far behind and I would love to see them touring Britain soon.

I'm a diehard Los Lobos fan, who will basically buy whatever they release. I thought "The Town and the City" was a great recording, on par with "Kiko" and the very best of their earlier work. This one is a notch lower. The Cesar Rosas tunes sound like retreads, however spirited, and come on--you know the well is running dry when you encounter "Burn It Down" and "All My Bridges Burning" on the same disc. And if you want to cover a Grateful Dead song, there are dozens of stronger candidates (including "Bertha," which they already released as a live cut in one of the box sets). That said, I'm never going to turn up my nose at David Hidalgo's singing, the blistering twin-guitar attack, and songs as good as "Tin Can Trust" and "Jupiter Or The Moon." And I'll buy the next one the day it comes out.

Los Lobos is one of those bands that just keeps on putting out amazing tunes but never seems to garner the following that work of this quality should.

I can't imagine why. These guys are great.

I know that Tin Can Trust is a CD that I'll listen to constantly. The musicianship is seamless, the lyrics are deep, and raw emotion pulsates just beneath the surface.

My favorite songs are Burn It Down, with its catchy and insistent bass back beat, Jupiter or the Moon, a haunting and wistful love song, and 27 Spanishes, a wry and plaintive history of the new world in eight short verses. But every number takes you away.

Highly recommended.

Having had a chance to spin this record about 5 times now, my initial reaction holds: It's good, although I have to agree with many who comment that "All my bridges burning" is the weakest track.

I'm a big fan of all things Grateful Dead and the amazing Garcia/Hunter songs, the vast majority of which have more than stood the test of time, but "All my bridges" is below mediocre.

The rest of the album has a good mix of what Los Lobos have done best for about three decades now: Blues and garage rock influenced rock and roll, different styles of Mexican music, with a hint of psychedelics now and then.

As another reviewer mentioned, they can whip up some killer twin guitar jams, and the recording quality is outstanding.

Hope to catch them live again before too long, as they always put on a great show.

I love Los Lobos and I have pretty much everything they've released - from the covers EP to the box set and everything else -- and I was looking forward to this release. After their last really great release, The Town and the City, I felt that Los Lobos was finally getting tight again and getting back to their roots. Apparently not.

As usual, this release straddles several genres. However, there just seems to be an overarching lack of energy or dynamism to Tin Can Trust. Los Lobos can blow me away at times, but, sadly, this isn't going to do it. Sure, I'll buy it. But it probably won't get much play time after a few listens. I did enjoy the cover of the Grateful Dead's West L.A. Fadeaway and the interplay between Rosas and Hidalgo is fun to listen to. But it doesn't leap out of the speakers, and none of the other songs do, either.

It's not a bad release, but at 47 minutes, it seems Los Lobos hasn't done much songwritng over the past four years since The Town and the City.

Personally, I loved the Live Fillmore CDs and the one-off "Vol. 1" release of various live tracks. I'd love it if Los Lobos would mine the archives and release a complete show, warts and all. They opened for The Grateful Dead a few years before Jerry died, and the Dead recorded everything, so I'm sure those Lobos opening sets are recorded. I'd love some live Los Lobos! I've seen them live many, many times and they've never disappointed. (Because Los Lobos is honoring the boycott of Arizona over Senate Bill 1070, they've canceled shows in Phoenix and Tucson, where I am, so I guess I'll hit the road to see them in California somewhere, or perhaps New Mexico if they hit Albuquerque or Las Cruces. Thanks to the guys for honoring the boycott!)

If there was ever a band that finds how to reach a musical listener it is Los Lobos. This studio effort has a little of everything. Story songs, love songs, some borrowed sound of Jimi Hendricks, and even a little jazz to boot. 27 Spanishes is a terrrific story song tht weaves how a prince casts a magical spell on an attacking army. Title song has a humble poetry that if you use the words on your sweetheart he or she will melt in their socks. Check out what Hidalgo and Perez have to say about mafia in West L.A. Fadeaway... it will put a smile on your face and the guitar interludes are still of high quality... so good in fact you would swear at one point at the beginning of one bridges in one of their tunes the guitar almost sounds like a piano...very original thought process from seasoned professional musicians.

I love this new music from Los Lobos. "Tin Can Trust" is a subtle song about valuing things that money can't buy. These are things like love and trust. David Hidalgo's vocals are so good throughout this disc. Louie Perez is a talented drummer who provides the beat on the song "Burn It Down" and all the songs on the album. These men just play so well together. I love the instrumental track "Do The Murray". This song rocks and has great electric guitar playing from Cesar Rosas. "Yo Canto" is one of the pure Spanish tracks on this disc. This song is about a celebration of music. This song gets me moving. "Mujer Ingrata" is the another pure Spanish song. This is a song about a woman who likes to please people. The accordion playing gives this song a very fun tone. David sounds like the epitome of what it means to be cool on the song "On Main Street". I love this song. "All My Bridges Burning" is a song about letting go of the past to move on in life. Cesar Rosas gives excellent guitar riffs on this track. "West LA Fadeway" is a seven minute song with a gritty tone. These guys play in perfect unison on this track. Conrad Lozano is such a good bass guitar player. He gives the song "Jupiter And The Moon" a rich deep sound with his instrument. I am so happy Los Lobos are back making music. This is an excellent new album.

Comparing this album to their others (I have 'em all), I'd say that Tin Can Trust has the best collection of guitar sounds and textures since The Neighborhood (1990). Even IF the songwriting has slipped a bit from their glory days of the late 1980s (and that's debatable), we're still treated to their unique and imaginative use of simple words and musical figures. They make it all add up to more than "the sum of its parts." Each tune seems to represent a different side of the band, from their textured alt-rock sounds, to roots-y blues, hippie-jam-rock, and trad. Conjunto. You might wish for more than the occasional use of Steve Berlin's sax, but you get plenty of David Hildalgo's amazing guitar playing, with Cesar Rosas and Louie Perez contributing great parts as well. The guarded optimism of Perez's lyrics are still there, too. There are very few acts still around who can add such textural variations to basic roots-y sounds and still have it come out with an unforced, natural ease. They are journeymen and masters of their craft.

More great music from one of my favorite bands. This album has examples of all the qualities that make Los Lobos so exceptional: Great songwriting, stellar musicianship and soulful vocals covering a variety of musical styles and influences. It gets better with each listen. There is one clunker, though. "All My Bridges Burning" is a rare Cesar Rosas miss. But the rest of the album is Los Lobos doing what they do best--making amazing music.