STILL HOWLIN'

Wolf blitzers: Legends Los Lobos push forward artistically and remain a vital force (Alan Sculley, Cincinnati City Beat)

After 25 years of recording together, Los Lobos can be counted as one of the few bands that seems as creatively restless and musically inspired as when they formed. Saxophonist/keyboard player Steve Berlin says the continued vitality of the band, which formed in East Los Angeles in 1974, is no illusion.

"I think we're still looking for the stuff that rocks us," Berlin says, commenting on the continued vitality of the band, whose first record, Del Este De Los Angeles, was released in 1978. "By no means do we feel like we've arrived anywhere. I think that's probably part of it. I think another part of it might be that we still feel like we're still struggling to be heard in many respects, fighting I guess what would be called a good fight for decency in music, soulfulness and all the stuff that sort of seems to have gone away from modern music.

"I guess when you feel like you're in a war, more or less, or you at least when you feel like you have an agenda, it makes a lot of other stuff easier to deal with and you fight a little harder. That and the fact that I think we've always been incredibly wide open to anything, any idea musically, within the band. It helps us stay together and stay focused just because everything is always a possibility."

The high level of creativity among the five members of Los Lobos -- guitarist/singer David Hidalgo, guitarist/singer Cesar Rosas, drummer/guitarist Louie Perez, bassist Conrad Lozano and Berlin (who joined in 1984) -- has been plenty apparent in the group's releases over the past decade. Building on a foundation of Rock, Blues, Soul and the Mexican music that reflects the original four's heritage, the albums How Will the Wolf Survive (1984), Kiko (1992), Colossal Head (1996) and The Time (1999) have combined consistently strong songwriting with adventurous arrangements and unusual sonic flourishes.

Those albums offer convincing evidence that Los Lobos has been arguably the world's premier Roots Rock band for well over than a decade.

They had their 15 minutes at the time How Will the Wolf Survive was released, but they're consistently excellent. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 18, 2003 2:32 PM