[.ca] Latin Playboys

rare to be worthy of my 5 stars and it is.:
David Hildago's masterpiece. This is not just a simple 4 track recording. It incorporates Hildago's 4 track cassette demos left over from the KIKO sessions and adds sounds to them. Where one starts and the other begins is the mystery. That is just a matter of fact, the interest comes from these gems being recognized as worth messing with. Who cares how they recorded it and what fi it is, it is just such and inspired stroke of casual genius that it will sound good in any era. There was little chance that recreating this on a follow up would hold this new standard, and DOSE does not come close. It sounds like what this album would have been without the inspiration and genius.

Yawwn,where's los lobos when ya need em:
I dont understand why anyone would say this is such a "masterpiece" of an album, I would say it is not much of an album at all, theres really only one great song on this collection of sleepy drowsy songs, and some are hardly songs at all just a jumble of sound effects, If i wanted to hear sound effects id buy an ocean sounds CD or something, I think David Hidalgo and his buddies were hanging out enjoying a little too much of the "Green" when they recorded this, there just isnt any bite on this album , its like listening to some kind of Depressing lo fi jazz album, sans the music, Cesar Rosas where are you? David Hidalgo needs you? hes depressed without you and the rest of the Lobos Gang, Dont buy this album unless you need something to put you to sleep.

Not Just Another Side Project From East L.A.:
After working with Los Lobos on their albums, "The Neighborhood" and "Kiko," the team of producer Mitchell Froom and engineer Tchad Blake joined David Hidalgo and Louie Perez to craft this amazing album. The music is a melting pot of roots music and border radio, recorded with Froom's trademark studio experimentation. An array of sound textures adorn the tracks, from fuzzed-out guitar and junkyard percussion to sampled snippets of Perez' grandmother laughing and Indian wedding music. The sessions were captured on a simple four-track, and the album displays a warmth and richness that is a true lo-fi accomplishment. Fans of Tom Waits' later work ("Rain Dogs" and "Bone Machine"), Mitchell Froom's other productions (like his solo release "Dopamine" and Suzanne Vega's "99.9F"), and of course Los Lobos' recent stuff will no doubt find the Latin Playboys quite rewarding. It is a sonic wonder that grows deeper with each listen. "Manifold de Amour" and "Forever Night Shade Mary" were included on the soundtrack to Robert Rodriguez' "Desperado" the following year. Froom went on to produce Los Lobos' "Colossal Head," and Hidalgo joined Cesar Rosas in Los Super Seven before the Playboys returned with their adventurous, and cleverly-titled, follow-up release, "Dose."

LOBOS SIDE PROJECT SCORES BIG:
This side project by the guys from LOS LOBOS is a masterpiece. Close in style to such wonders as the 'big wolves' KIKO and COLOSSAL HEAD, it borders on magical in it's brilliance. If you like either of those offerings you will probably enjoy this effort. Experimental and somewhat low key, their roots shine through nonetheless. Head music, that will, at the same time, get your feet moving. Nearly undescribable (at least to me) in it's originality, LATIN PLAYBOYS is a must for any LOS LOBOS fan. Thanks, and may your kindness be repaid threefold. Tom

Don`t Play This:
A side project to Los Lobos, this uninteresting effort is somewhat experimental but equally dull, repetitive and forgettable. There are some latin vibes and atmospheres here, yet most aren`t too gripping or innovative and only make for a bland, unengaging and tepid listen. This record brings nothing new, it just seems a rehash of mexican movie scores. A couple of moments would sound nice in some "Desperado" or "From Dusk Till Dawn" scenes, but as a whole this offering isn`t convincing or appealing. A failed experience and a good one to avoid.

• Viva la Raza
• Ten Believers
• Chinese Surprise
• Mira
• Manifold de Amour
• New Zandu
• Rudy's Party
• If
• Same Brown Earth
• Lagoon
• Gone
• Crayon Sun
• Pink Steps
• Forever Night Shade Mary