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Rating: The very first recordings of a great group.
In the early '70s, Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles (now Los Lobos) recorded a series of tapes of Mexican folk music for a series of small films and documentaries curated by a director/journalist (their friend) named Luis Torres.
The tapes, in their original intent, were meant to give visibility to the group and serve as a boost to help the group's entry into new scenes and contracts in the music business. In 2000, Torres himself, together with the Wolves, went in search of the masters and once they were well-cleaned, the CD emerged.
The album contains motifs mainly of Mexican music ranging from the "ranchero" genre (a sort of Mexican country, the music of the Rancheros) to boleros, including a traditional Bolivian, favoring the "son jarocho" genre, which is a nice mix of Mariachi music originating from Veracruz and Mexican Son, jarocho precisely, distinguished by the predominance of syncopated rhythms, engaging and very percussive rhythms, giving musicians the possibility to create harmonic and rhythmic improvisations.
The typical instruments used are violin, marimbas, harp, percussion, and various traditional guitars and mandolins that provide us with a very ethnic sound, strongly melodic and rich in musicality and rhythm. In a very interesting album in my opinion, "Sabor a Mi" stands out, very atmospheric with a beautiful dialogue among percussion, guitar, and vocals. Also, "La Iguana", made fantastic by the very particular sound of the little guitar (requnito jarocho.. it should be called) typical of the Mexican sound. A splendid version of "Guantanamera" and another furious and exciting piece, "Flor de Huevo" with the pounding and acidic attack of a guitar rising amid shouts and screams of Mexican Rancheros racing in the vast semi-desert plains of north-western Mexico. "Cielito Lindo" played in two different ways, the traditional and huasteca styles (center-east).
A primitive, interesting, traditional album that highlights the Wolves' class both as an ensemble and as technically gifted musicians. An album that tastes of sun, sea, tequila, and lemons, ocean and dust, love, peoples, fiestas, and colorful flags.
If you like Mexico even just a little, its history, its unique and fascinating nature, and the rhythms of Latin folk music... well, this is an album that by giving it to yourself, you'll appreciate a lot. Que Viva Mexico!
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Someday (03:44)
Someday I will go home
Someday I will go home
And I'll find peace in the house
Of my heavenly father
I will fear, fear no more
I know down in my heart
I know it won't be long
And I shall see the face
Of my savior
I will fear, I will fear
I will fear, pain no more
Someday, I will go home
Someday, I will go home
And I shall take the hand
Of my savior
I will fear, I will fear
I will fear, pain no more
I, I will fear, I will fear
Pain no more
Driving home
Driving home
I'm driving home
02 Down on the Riverbed (04:07)
Down on the riverbed Down on the riverbed Down on the riverbed I asked my lover for her hand A red tailed hawk circled overhead A red tailed hawk circled overhead A red tailed hawk circled overhead The church on the hill is what she said A monster cloud like a big black hand A monster cloud like a big black hand A monster cloud like a big black hand As she drew houses in the sand Then I heard a train whistle blow Then I heard a train whistle blow Then I heard a train whistle blow And I knew it was time to go
04 The Neighborhood (04:09)
Brother finds trouble on the street
A piece of rock to make men weak
Trembling eyes at everyone he meets
Sister holds her baby in the bed
Dreams and wishes dancin' in her head
A love forever is what he said
That's what he said
Father leans back in his easy chair
A pint of whiskey, he just sits and stares
He don't know and he doesn't really care
Mother works at her nine to five
Hardly makes enough to keep alive
She bows her head with tears in her eyes
Thank you Lord for another day
Help my brother along his way
And please bring peace to the Neighborhood
Grant us all peace and serenity
They're just songs sung on a dirty street
Echoes of hope lie beneath their feet
Struggling hard to make ends meet
Thank you Lord for another day
Help my brother along his way
And please bring peace to the Neighborhood
Thank you Lord for another day
Help my brother along his way
And please bring peace to the Neighborhood
To the neighborhood, to the neighborhood, to the neighborhood
05 I Can't Understand (03:59)
I love you baby with all my might
God knows I tried to treat you right
I beg you baby, let me be your slave
But please don't send me to an early grave
[Chorus:]
Well I can't understand, why did you let me go?
Well I can't understand, why did you let me go?
I done all I could, I can't do no more
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do for you
If you want my life you can have that too
Please use my blood to make my grave
Let the world know I died your happy slave
[Chorus]
I thought you loved me, I changed my life
I wanted you to be my woman and wife
Now bloodshot tears have blinded my eyes
I'm too weak to live and too strong to die
[Chorus]
07 Bertha (05:21)
I had a hard run
Running from your window
I was all night running
I wonder if you care?
I had a run-in
Run around and run down
Run around a corner
Run smack into a tree
I had to move
Really had to move
That's why if you please
I am on my bended knees
Bertha don't you come around here anymore
Dressed myself in green
I went down to the sea
Try to see what's going down
Maybe read between the lines
Had a feeling I was falling
Turned around to see
Heard a voice calling
You was comin after me
I had to move
Really had to move
That's why if you please
I am on my bended knees
Bertha don't you come around here anymore
Ran into a rainstorm
Ducked into a bar door
It was all night pouring
But not a drop on me
Test me, test me
Why don't you arrest me?
Throw me in the jail house
Until the sun goes down
Till it go down
I had to move
Really had to move
That's why if you please
I am on my bended knees
Bertha don't you come around here anymore
08 Saint Behind the Glass (03:17)
Hammer and a nail
Hammer and a nail
Saint behind the glass
Holds a hammer and a nail
Baby in his arms
Baby in his arms
Saint behind the glass
Has a baby in his arms
Watches me sleep
Watches me sleep
Saint behind the glass
Watches me while I sleep
Coffee in the air
Coffee in the air
Saint behind the glass
Smells coffee in the air
Curtains blowing 'round
Curtains blowing 'round
Saint behind the glass
Sees the curtains blowing 'round
Night upon my head
Night upon my head
Saint behind the glass
Lays night upon my head
Mother don't cry
Mother don't cry
Saint behind the glass
Tells mother not to cry
10 Wicked Rain (03:39)
Rain, rain, rain, a wicked rain
Falling from the sky
Down, down, down, pouring down
Upon the night
Well there's just one chance in a million
That someday we'll make it out alive
Rain, rain, rain, an evil rain
Falling all the time
Sun, sun, sun
Sun don't ever want to shine
Well there'll be no light in the morning
Till some peace at last we find
Like travellers in the darkness
Can't see our way
Trying hard to make it through
Another day
Father, father, father
Why do you let your sons go astray
Brother, brother, brother
Why must we go on this way
There's a storm off in the distance
And it looks like it's here to stay
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
11 Kiko and the Lavender Moon (03:37)
Kiko and the lavender moon
Out playing, makes believe nobody can see
And then he waits
And then he fakes
And then he bends
And then he shakes
He plays and plays
Still playing till he
Goes off to sleep
Kiko and the lavender moon
Out dancing, making faces at a big black cat
And then he flies
Up to the wall
Stands on one foot
Doesn't even fall
Dance and dance
Still dancing till
He goes off to sleep
He always sleeps
Till the sun goes down
He never wakes, till no one's around
He never stops
Can't catch his breath
It's always there
Scares him to death
Kiko and the lavender moon
Out dreaming 'bout green shoes, haircuts and cake
And then he wishes
The world away
And then he kneels
As if to pray
He dreams and dreams
Kiko and the lavender moon.
12 When the Circus Comes (03:18)
Could have had a chance to get out of this wreck
The time that you came and the day that you left
Could have had a chance
Could have had a chance
Never thought I could make it this far
With a dent in my soul and a hole in my heart
Never thought I could
Never thought I could
[Chorus:]
But when the lights are turning 'round
And wheels are rolling on the ground
That day I'll burn this whole place down
When the circus comes to town
You left your name carved on a tree
You scratched mine out right in front of me
Didn't mean that much
Didn't mean that much
[Chorus]
I'll scratch your name out on that tree
I'll chase your heart right out of me
Doesn't mean that much
Doesn't mean that much
[Chorus]
13 Peace (06:23)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Peace to the world
I see a baby in a crib
Reaching up for Mama's arms
Love is rising in their hearts - oh yeah
There is a man standing on the street
Shouting loud above the crowd
Saying amen to everyone one around - oh yeah
I see a man who loved his land
Laying lifeless on the ground
He said the time is now
To bring peace to the world
Say yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Peace to the world
We build a wall of stone
As high as the trees are tall
Higher then the mountains
Stronger then us all - oh yeah
Some day that wall will crumble
Tumble and fall, the sun will shine
And bring peace to us all
Say yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Bring peace to us all
Bring peace to us all
We build a wall of stone
As high as the trees are tall
Higher then the mountains
Stronger then us all - oh yeah
Some day that wall will crumble
Tumble and fall, the sun will shine
And bring peace to us all
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Peace to us all
Peace to the world
18 Politician (04:38)
Hey hey now baby, get into my big black car
Hey now baby, get into my big black car
I wanna just show you what my politics are
I pull to the left, but I'm leaning to the right
I pull to the left, but I'm leaning to the right
Don't come around me baby when it comes to a fight
I pull to the left, but I'm leaning to the right
I pull to the left, but I'm leaning to the right
Don't come around me baby when it comes to a fight
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