Kiko
Colossal Head
Will the Wolf Survive

Classic albums that have held up really well. They are in my top list of albums of all time. They are also very good live. I know there most recent albums have been spotty, but they really don't get much respect around here.

Kiko is an amazing record. Their early records are also wonderful. I saw them live back in 1983 (I think) in a tiny club and they were amazing. I dig their 2004 release quite a bit, actually.

I love Los Lobos...Colossal Head is in my top 10. and you are right ...great to see live. although i haven't caught them in about 4 or 5yrs...they were explosive and did a great mix of their catalog.

ps...Mas Y Mas is probably the most rockin song ever MHO.

Much love, mainly respect in my case. I actually only own Kiko, but have some of their earlier stuff on a tape my friend made me a while back. I think I need to get Collosal Head, and I've never seen 'em live, but I definitely dig 'em. Kiko is definitely one of the best albums I've ever heard, regardless of genre.

DOOOO IT!! This band rarely dissapoints.

Their version of JB Lenoir's "Voodoo Music" is just freakin' excellent. Great band.

I'm just glad people can overlook "LaBamba"

i believe they have some record for longest tenure of any band with the same lineup.

i dig some of their stuff, but all I own is the recent "Good Morning Aztlan"

Eh, minor infraction. If we can forgive Buddy Guy for resurrecting Mustang Sally...
Hmmm, bad example...

Yeah, that always seems like it was recorded by another band to me. Didn't even really think of it until this post.

These are my two favorite albums of all time that I basically never listen to anymore. I mean, I love them. I just don't put 'em on very often.

I do want to get How Will The Wolf Survive too. I'm really not that fond of anything they've done this decade. It's all gotten a little too bland for me since then. The Ride wasn't that memorable.

Like Linkin Park, who find the shit from Limp Bizkit rubbing off on them through no fault of their own, Los Lobos CDs have probably absorbed all sorts of blandness through osmosis in being stuck next to Los Lonely Boys discs in the bins. It's a theory I'm still working on, mind you.

Oh so true. An absolute piledriver of a song. The insistant sax part. The overdriven dual guitars. David Hildago, who normally is the most thoughtful and searching of Los Lobos' vocalist going completely over the top in spanglish. LOVE THE SONG!
I have been a fan of Los Lobos since How Will The Wolf Survive. The main reason I picked it up was The Blasters connection. Steve Berlin moved from The Blasters to Los Lobos and that was enough for me to pick it up. And it was enough to hook me.
With Kiko, they show that late in their career that they were willing and able to play with how they made music. Now I admire them to knowing and loving their roots in Mexican folk and early rock bur not staying bound to them. Truly, a most admirable band.
Cheers,
Janine

Jeez, that's right, the Blasters connection! God, they were awesome. Marie Marie is one of the best (and simplest) rockers ever.

Wow, suprised to see much love for Collosal Head. I'll have to pick it up. I've kinda lost touch w/ LL in recent years but Wolf and Kiko are long-time favorites. Song for song I can't think of many albums that can match Kiko. It's a gem through and through. They're one of the tightest bands I've ever seen live -- do some mean covers too (Dead, Traffic, etc.).

Wow, suprised to see much love for Collosal Head. I'll have to pick it up. I've kinda lost touch w/ LL in recent years but Wolf and Kiko are long-time favorites. Song for song I can't think of many albums that can match Kiko. It's a gem through and through. They're one of the tightest bands I've ever seen live -- do some mean covers too (Dead, Traffic, etc.).

I saw them in Indy in '99, I believe. They just didn't do it for me, despite the good things I'd heard. I was somewhat preoccupied since I was trying to work this girl I went to the show with, so that may have been the problem.

Funny to watch the Indy folks get P.O.'d when they wouldn't play La Bamba.

Maybe I should revisit (the band, not the city).

I was a big fan of these guys in the eighties, but somewhere down the line they got a little too jam-band-ish.

I know I said this the last time somebody started a Los Lobos thread, but it bears repeating. While I'd always liked the band, I hadn't followed their career in years when I heard a recent album a few years ago...it wasn't quite the Tex-Mex/rockabilly/R&B band I remembered from the Will The Wolf Survive era. I know any band that's been around that long is supposed to evolve in different directions, but even so, I am not really feeling the band's recent stuff. (Although I do like the spinoff projects like the Latin Playboys and Houndog...)

Yeah, great band. I'm going to be seeing them at Easter this year - can't wait.

But they actually did "La Bamba" well, I like the little Tex-Mex coda at the end.

one of the louders (and best) concerts i've ever seen was los lobos touring colossal head at the riv here in chicago

one of the members was playing a 6 ft tall saxaphone with valves the size of dinner plates

great show...

kiko is a masterpiece

At last year's New Orleans Jazz Fest, David Hidalgo sat in with Elvis Costello for Elvis' entire set. His axe and dobro work added a lot to the sound. He even sang a couple of tunes.

Kiko kicks major casco.

I like me some Lobos. The last album was just so-so in my book.

Sort of lost interest in their latest material, but LOVE everything they did up to C. Head. My first exposure to them was "Come On, Let's Go" from what I think is their first EP. I didn't realize at the time it was a Ritchie Valens song. This was years before "La Bamba". Damn, just thinking back to how much in love I was with "How Will The Wolf Survive". These guys are definitely jewels in American rock.

Speaking of the Blasters... got to see Dave Alvin solo one time and he performed a ton of Blasters songs. Can't have much more fun than that.

Always dug this album, especially Down On the Riverbed.

Saint Behind The Glass from Kiko ranks in my all time favorite tunes.

Do any of the Kiko supporters like the Latin Playboys stuff? There are some real gems on those albums, like "Forever Nightshade Mary."

Hell yes...much love for Los Lobos. I call them the best American band playing today. With 25 years or so as a group their chops are amazing.
Kiko topped my split decade album poll last year.
As for Latin Playboys...for sure. Big fan of that offshoot.
I remember the last episode of Northern Exposure (now back on the tube in HD) they used Forever Nightshade Mary for the final scene.

Sadly, no--in my case, anyway. I own the S/T and I bust it out every now and again. I'm often underwhelmed by it, but it has its moments. A friend sent me Dose and after a couple listens it was dleted from my iMac...it just didn't click with me.

I will repeat, though...Kiko is off the charts amazing.

They're really more sketches than songs, I guess, and Mitchell Froom's production gets tiresome after a while, but the first one is great at creating a certain kind of atmosphere. I imagine Calexico was going for the same sort of thing early on.

otm. Yes it kind of sucks that that's the defining Los Lobos song for non-fans, but it ain't a bad tune. It just got over-played one summer. Kiko kicks ass.

Especially since "Mustang Sally" wasn't a bad song to begin with, it was just done to death by blooze-rock bar bands.

Any chance someone could trout Kiko?

It's a shame these guys have been relegated to playing county fairs and free shows in the park, they belong at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.




















k

I've been meaning to spin Colossal Head. I recently listened to Just Another Band from LA, which I was surprised to find that I enjoyed this time around (though I didn't have a chance to listen to the whole thing).

What I really do like is David Hidalgo's Houndog project.

I like them. I used to cover Yellow Moon in a band and I enjoyed it.

That Houndog release can be had for about a buck. Well worth it.
Hidalgo is definitely my fave...such a sweet voice and what a writer.

Also check out the 3 Los Super Seven CD's. Though only certain songs feature members of Lobos, they are great listens.

...I really dug the "Kiko" disc ...

I saw them open for Dave Matthews Band on my honeymoon.