Rating: NNNN
In honour of their 30th anniversary, Los Lobos decided to use their new album, The Ride, to pay tribute to some of the artists who helped sustain them over the past three decades. But rather than the typical guest singer shtick, where celebrities with specific market appeal are brought in to drop some vocals on a completed track, Los Lobos have impressively crafted each song to play to the unique strengths of collaborators like Tom Waits, Mavis Staples, Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Ruben Blades and Dave Alvin while remaining true to the well-established Los Lobos sound. There are a couple of miscues – namely the quirky workout with Waits on Kitate – but most of it clicks, particularly the Bobby Womack collabo that seamlessly moves from Wicked Rain into the Across 110th Street theme. They really need to do a whole album together.
