Wolf Tracks: Best of Los Lobos

Los Lobos | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 14, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 1983
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B000CCD0F8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,815 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Let's Say Goodnight

2. Anselma

3. Don't Worry Baby

4. Matter of Time

5. Corrido #1

6. Evangeline

7. Will the Wolf Survive?

8. One Time One Night

9. Shakin' Shakin' Shakes

10. Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)

11. Come On, Let's Go

12. La Bamba

13. Volver, Volver (Live, 1987)

14. La Pistola Y El Corazon

15. Jenny's Got A Pony

16. That Train Don't Stop Here

17. Kiko and the Lavender Moon

18. Oh Yeah

19. Good Morning Aztlan

Editorial Reviews

This triple-Grammy winning group of consummate musicians and songwriters out of East L.A. began their career interpreting Mexican folk music and went on to be a globally renowned purvayor of a diverse and adventurous repertoire of roots-flavored masterpieces. Drawing from rock, country, blues, folk, R&B, Americana, and traditional Spanish and Latin American idioms, Los Lobos continually pushed the boundaries of their sound, while remaining magnificently gritty and graceful throughout.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Collection????, April 7, 2007

By 

Anthony S. Prowse "Blues Cowboy" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf Tracks: Best of Los Lobos (Audio CD)

Where does one start with the Los Lobos catalogue? There have been three Los Lobos "Best Of's" (a 4 disc set, a 2 disc set and this single disc) and, although they all give a fair overview of the band, I would suggest that if you are hard-core Los Lobos fan you probably own most of this material already. Los Lobos have been releasing albums now for 30 years and have gone through a number of stylistic changes in this time. They started off as a traditional Mexican music band and have moved through country, blues, atmospheric groove, rock, rock and roll, R&B and pop. What has distinguished them throughout has been superb musicianship, songwriting, lyrics and vocals and an unbending desire to release albums that satisfied the band before a record company. All this has led to many vastly different albums some of which may alienate the casual listener. For example, compare "Will The Wolf Survive" with "KIKO", "La Pistola y el Corazon" with "Colossal Head" or "Papa's Dream" (a superb children's album) with "The Town and the City" and you will see the diversity of the band. This all leads to the difficulty in compiling a definitive "best of" collection for the casual listener. One may love the traditional Mexican stuff but not the hard-core, groove based material or visa versa. Wolf Tracks does a reasonable job of condensing the Los Lobos catalogue into a one disc overview and, as such, is a pretty good place to start. If you like all the music here then I urge you to go get as many albums as you can. However if you like the more accessible material, start with "Will the Wolf Survive" and "By the Light of the Moon" then move forward with care. If you like the rock material, you can't get any better than "The Town and the City" and the previous album, "The Ride". If you like the groove based material, go for "KIKO" and move on from there, including the Latin Playboys albums. Los Lobos have been releasing some of the best American/Mexican roots music available for nye on 30 years and the journey, from start to now, has been exhilirating, if frustrating at times. "Wolf Tracks" is as good a place to start as anywhere and if you do decide to go the journey you will be richly rewarded with some of the finest roots music of the last 30 years.

34 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can't argue with the song selection...., February 27, 2006

By 

o dubhthaigh (north rustico, pei, canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wolf Tracks: Best of Los Lobos (Audio CD)

... but, essentially this is the third retread of the same canon - Live at The Fillmore, Acoustic en vivos, and now this. It's a slightly better compilation than the other two, but, the wolves have a bit of Costello-itis: retread the same stuff ad nauseum. It doesn't sound particularly remastered.
I, for one, wish they would release some of the really amazing sets I have heard from them (The Fillmore doesn't make the cut). For example, their set at the Philadelphia Folk Festival some years back was maybe the best 45 minutes of live music I have ever heard, and closed with an incendiary take on Neil Young's "Cowgirl In the Sand," over the protestations of the numb-skull mc of that festival. I'm sure you would find it interesting hearing an audience boo a moron who was intruding off the stage - it just leant an extra edge to the whole set. Best part was they wound it up with a segue into "Cinnamon Girl" that exceeded their alotted time considerably. It's great to see control freaks swallow their tongues and reenforces the delicious subversiveness that rock can foster.
None of that is on offer here. Still, if you have not purchased either of the last two live discs, then skip them and buy this, and hope that if LL can't figure out what to do next, perhaps they'll mine their live catalogue for some remarkable shows.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Trackin'..., April 27, 2010

By 

BEERBONG BERZERKER (The Rocky Mountains) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wolf Tracks: The Best Of Los Lobos (MP3 Download)

Isn't this the spirit of what America should be? Understanding, tolerance and melding, not building fences, work cards and vigilante militias. Isn't that what America was supposed to be to begin with? Los Lobos have always embodied that ideal musically. Tejano, Norteno, folk music (both American and Mexican), Blues, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country etc. etc.
This "Best Of" is a pretty good grouping, but, as many people have said, it's hard to really compile a best of by a band that so prolifically releases quality music like Los Lobos. I've never heard a "filler" track by this band on any album. It shows that they take a lot of pride and musicianship in what they release. I suppose that "Wolf Tracks" should be considered an "Intro", rather than "Best Of". It's a good place for anyone interested to start. A lot of good music, and only a taste really. The new track, "Border Town Girl" is really a great, high energy, blues/boogie, worth buying the album for alone, one of my favorite Los Lobos songs ever.
I suspect if you're interested in the band at all, you'll love pretty much everything they've done, and so, wont regret spending the dollars for this. Buy it, download it, burn it for your friends. Enjoy.