Product description Los Lobos: David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Steve Berlin, Conrad Lozano, Louis Perez. Additional personnel: Mitchell Froom (keyboards); Alex Acuna (drums, percussion); Pete Thomas, Aaron Ballesteros (drums); Victor Bisetti (percussion). Producers: Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake, Los Lobos. Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California. This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players. Los Lobos: David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Steve Berlin, Conrad Lozano, Louis Perez. Additional personnel: Mitchell Froom (keyboards); Alex Acuna (drums, percussion); Pete Thomas, Aaron Ballesteros (drums); Victor Bisetti (percussion). Producers: Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake, Los Lobos. Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California. All tracks have been digitally remastered using Gain 2 technology. Given all the extracurricular projects members of Los Lobos pursued during the three years separating Colossal Head and its followup, it's not surprising that they've decided to show off what they've learned on This Time, resulting in a record that vacillates between songcraft and sonic sculptures. It could be said that Kiko and Colassal Head were like this as well, but the difference is that This Time has the structure of a straight-ahead rock & roll record, clocking in at 38 minutes with 11 short tracks. While that conciseness is welcome, it also points out the flaws in the post-Latin Playboys Los Lobos -- Cesar Rosas' fine rockers are obscured by a layer of studio gauze, and David Hidalgo's songs can seem like excuses to run wild in the studio. If the production was truly evocative or innovative, that wouldn't be a problem, but This Time is another in a long line of murky, self-conscious productions from Froom, Blake, and Hidalgo, where creating sound is more important than making music. This is especially frustrating, since This Time has elements of a very good record -- it's paced well and boasts strong moments from both Hidalgo ("This Time," "T .com Most bands who've soldiered on for as long as Los Lobos find that middle-age brings a laissez-faire bargain between fame and nostalgia that makes it all too easy to coast into the sunset comfortably seated on their laurels. What's so compelling about Lobos in the 1990s and beyond is their steadfast refusal to succumb to any such temptation. This Time marks the third chapter in their collaboration with producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake that yielded the outstanding and surprising Kiko and Colossal Head. It's easily their most adventuresome, category-confounding outing yet. Time often bravely veers into the strange, liberating ethos espoused by Blake, Froom, and Lobos mainstays David Hidalgo and Louis Perez on their deliciously skewed side-project, Latin Playboys. The title track seems to slyly segue in from nowhere, "Oh Yeah" lopes into a dreamy jazz subtly punctuated by Blake's studio percussion, and "Some Say Some Do" manages a dark new techno-twist on the blues. The gritty riffing on "Viking" and "High Places" prove that the band's love affair with Hendrix is no passing fancy. Even the Latin stylings of "Cumbia Raza," the sexy "Corazon," and the playful "La Playa" get a good studio tweaking. Those who expected Los Lobos to churn out endless permutations of "La Bamba" may be disappointed at this stereotype-resistant exploration. But those who relish true adventure and master musicianship are going to very happy indeed. Que corran para siempre --Jerry McCulley
T**S
Los Lobos, but not at their best
In "This Time" Los Lobos build on the bluesy sound they developed in "Monster Head" and that David Hidalgo continued in his side-project "Houndog." The overpowering bass thump and harsh, clanging guitars are back, but this time with a bit more melody. "This Time" is mostly blues with a few Latino flavored tracks mixed in, none of it very exciting. If you liked "Monster Head" you'll probably like this too, so give it a shot; but if you remember the fabulous sounds of Los Lobos from "How Will The Wolf Survive" and "By The Light Of The Moon" you may find their newest release a disappointment, as I did.
M**C
One of my favorite Los Lobos albums
Great music.Everyone should own a copy. I will buy it again once I wear this one out
D**C
Great
Item is promised. Quick delivery kip
T**3
Don't think twice…just get this album.
It is impossible to rank Los Lobos albums against themselves so again it gets five stars for it diversity and because it's that damn good. If you have any of their albums then you should have them all.
G**N
Los Lobos musicians musicians
more good stuff from the greatest band in America. Variety is the spice of life. Los Lobos are the spice of life and this cd proves it.
J**N
One of their best.
IMO this is one of Los Lobos best albums,everytime Viking plays I can't sit still. Alot of great tunes on this outing.
K**G
Better Than I First Thought
My love for the music of Los Lobos goes all the way back to their EP "...And A Time To Dance" and continues to the present day. That love proclaimed, I am one of those fans who was somewhat dismayed by some of the band's projects that trod experimentally in musical territory far from the "traditional" sound I had become comfortable with. I wasn't craving sameness, but I do like some continuity.So I sort of suffered through four albums beginning with The Neighborhood until Good Morning Aztlan and The Ride brought back the old familiar vibes. A series of albums like Kiko, Colossal Head, the Neighborhood, and This Time sat on the shelf unplayed and unloved until I decided to give them all another shot. And after listening to This Time several times through, I realized that it is a lot better than I originally thought.I still lean toward the more traditional sound as Cumbia Raza and Corazon are definite favorites, but I also like some of the grittier offerings such as Oh Yeah, Viking, Some Say Some Do, and Turn Around.The worst thing about This Time is that it is too short. The attractive booklet that accompanies it makes up for that somewhat, but for the money the fans deserve more music.If you like Los Lobos' adventurous projects and for some reason have not heard this, then you should pick this up. If you are still a hardcore devotee of the band's more traditional sound, try hearing this with an open mind. You may find you like it more this time.
J**N
only slightly disappointing
I recently relistened to the superb Lobos retrospective "Just Another Band From East LA" and, listening to "This Time" after that, I saw how stodgy this record, and most of their material since "Kiko," is, compared to the rush of early stuff like "Let's Say Goodnight" or "How Will the Wolf Survive." Maybe it's the denser production, maybe it's the weightier lyrics, but whatever the case, these guys need to loosen up a little. Play fast, loose and loud!I feel that the loose-loud is the advantage of "Colossal Head" over this record -- this one is more experimental-informed, while CH drew its groove mainly from the blues. As a result, several tracks on here feel like chances to screw around in the studio, while others could use a little room to breathe from the stranglehold Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom have put on their sound.That said, there are some killer tunes on here... "This Time" is the best Hidalgo vocal ever recorded, and "Viking" and "Turn Around" (two of his other tunes) have a good hard groove but could do with some less weighty production. Rosas is a bit short-shrifted on this record (especially in terms of straight-ahead rock), but "Oh Yeah" (this record's production triumph) and "Cumbia Raza" are both strong. Furthermore, "Why We Wish" and "La Playa" are also fairly good songs that are played well and are only slightly wounded by the production.On the whole, I think the "tiredness" of this record is imposed -- the strength of the tunes show that the guys are not low on ideas or energy, but the production slows them down. I'm sure these songs would sound wonderful in a live environment. I just hope that the Wolves can learn to loosen up a bit.PS: I've heard that Los Lobos are going to release another new record soon... best of luck to them on that effort!
H**E
Rockmusik mit leichten Avantgarde, Blues und TexMex Einschlägen
Die MFSL SACD gefällt durch ihren druckvollen und direkten Sound, der nichts unterschlägt. Besser alsdie Original CD auf jeden Fall. Die einzelnen Instrumenten lassen sich gut orten, ohne zu verwischen.Dennoch handelt es sich um keine audiophile Aufnahme, das gibt das Ursprungsmaterial nicht her.Die Musik ist eine Melange aus verschiedenen Stilen, durchaus unterhaltsam und keineswegs öde.Grossartig. Booklet mit Textabdruck vorhanden. Gut. Zu Empfehlen.
A**T
Empfehlenswerter Verkäufer.
CD in gutem Zustand.
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