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Los Lobos: How Did the Wolf Survive?
by Mark
Guerrero
Los Lobos have been
the most successful Chicano rock band of all time.
They’ve managed to achieve a level of success and
maintain it continuously for over 15 years. Aside from
their commercial success, they seem to consistently be a
favorite of the most respected rock critics. They are
equally adept on their rock & roll instruments as their
traditional Mexican acoustic gear, and sing and play
authentically in English and Spanish. They have a unique
chemistry, which was helped by the fact they played
together for ten years before their major label debut.
David Hidalgo is the chief lead singer and the most
accomplished musician; playing guitar, violin,
accordion, lap steel guitar and a range of different
Mexican acoustic instruments, all with great ability.
He
also co-writes most of the groups songs with Louis
Perez, who I believe is the chief lyricist and the most
cerebral of the group. His main instrument in the band
is drums, but he’s a guitarist who got the drummer job
by default much like Paul McCartney, also originally a
guitar player, became the Beatles’ bass player. Cesar
Rosas provides a bluesy edge with his vocals and second
lead guitar, as well as writing a few songs for each
album. He also sings most of the Spanish language songs.
On electric bass and guitarrón is my old high school
friend, Conrad Lozano, who played with Tierra for a
short time in the early 70’s. All the aforementioned Lobos
attended my alma mater, Garfield High School in East Los
Angeles. In the early 80’s they added sax player Steve
Berlin, who defected from the Blasters.
David, Louie, Cesar
and Conrad all originally played rock & roll and r&b
like other Chicanos in East L.A. in the sixties. In 1973
they decided to learn to play traditional Mexican
styles. After eight years, hundreds of gigs and a
Mexican repertoire of 150 songs, they returned to their
rock & roll roots, inspired by the burgeoning punk scene
of the early 80’s. They opened for Dave Alvin and the
Blasters at the Whiskey with a combination of rock and
traditional Mexican music that blew away a stunned punk
crowd. They soon signed with Slash Records and the rest
is history. I knew David, Louie and Conrad long before
their notoriety. I saw Los Lobos play at various gigs,
including a house party for our mutual friend, the late
great artist Carlos Almaraz, in the early 80’s. I
remember them playing inside the house while most of the
people were outside talking, not realizing that in a
short time they would become a famous band. I got to
know Cesar in 1995 when I sang back up on a track of
their Grammy nominated children’s album, “Papa’s Dream.”
My father, Lalo Guerrero, narrated the record, wrote
lyrics to a couple of songs and sang lead on a few
tracks. The album was billed “Los Lobos with Lalo
Guerrero.” Later that year, Cesar and I backed up rock &
roll hall of famer Eric Burdon at Fantasy Springs Casino
in Indio, California.
To date Los Lobos
have the following albums to their credit: “Just Another
Band from East L.A.,” a collection of traditional
Mexican folk music independently recorded and released
in 1978. “And a Time to Dance” (1983), a seven song EP,
which had both rock & roll and traditional Mexican
music. The song “Anselma,” a norteño song, won a Grammy
award in the Best Mexican American Performance category.
“How Will the Wolf Survive” (1985), their first
full-fledged album on a major label, which included the
great song and record “Will the Wolf Survive.”
The song
made the charts and was covered by country music legend
Waylon Jennings. “By the Light of the Moon” (1987),
which included “One Night One Time in America.”
This
song, which was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock
Performance category, was also used in the Sean Penn-Robert Duvall movie, “Colors.” Also in 1987, Los Lobos
recorded seven of the tracks for the “La Bamba” motion
picture soundtrack, including the remake of Ritchie
Valens’ version of “La Bamba,” which sold two million
copies and reached #1 in 27 countries including the U.S.
It was also nominated for a Grammy in the Best Song of
the Year category. “La Pistola y el Corazón” (1988), a
return to Mexican folk music, which earned the group a
second Grammy in the Best Mexican-American Performance
category. “The Neighborhood” (1990), which
featured the
artwork of the aforementioned Carlos Almaraz on its
cover, is a collection of blues and country flavored
music. “Kiko” (1992), a real artistic leap for the
group. Here they started to experiment with different
sounds and textures and more sophisticated production.
My favorite cut on this album is “Kiko and the Lavender
Moon.” “Just Another Band from East L.A.” (1993), a
collection of the best from the previous albums. “Colossal Head” (1998), another step up in their musical
and recording evolution. It contains a song entitled,
“Mas y Mas,” which is dedicated to my dad, who they’ve
acknowledged as the father of Chicano music. "This
Time" (2000), a collection of mostly blues and rhythm &
blues oriented songs, with the exception of my two
favorite songs on the album, a cha cha entitled
"Corazón," and a cumbia called "Cumbia Raza." Also, a
four CD set has been released in (2000) entitled "Los
Lobos' "El Cancionero Mas y Mas" by Rhino/Warner
Archives. It traces the band from their first
self-financed album through their entire career to this
point. "Good Morning Aztlán (2002), a hard
driving record, produced by John Leckie (Radiohead, The
Verve), which also features a bilingual folk song, Cuban
salsa, and 70s inspired r&b. Their latest album,
released in May of 2004, is "The Ride," which features
guest appearances by the likes of Tom Waits, Elvis
Costello, Bobby Womack, East L.A.'s Little Willie G.,
Garth Hudson, Mavis Staples, Ruben Blades, Dave Alvin,
Richard Thompson, and others. For more details and updates of their
recording and "live" activities, visit their
website at www.loslobos.org.
Los Lobos have spread
the gospel of rock & roll and traditional Mexican music
all over the world. They’ve performed with
artists, such as;
U2, the Clash, the Eagles and the Grateful Dead. Their
songs have been utilized in many motion pictures, and
they’ve won respect in the music industry, and with the
public, as a group with talent and integrity. These are
the ingredients that have helped the wolf survive for
the last 30 years and will help them continue on.
Real
Audio Sound Byte
Real
Player Required- Download it here,
if needed
One
Time One Night
Los Lobos
1987
Contact me at:
info@markguerrero.com
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