Los Lobos - This Time

Better Than I First Thought

My love for the music of Los Lobos goes all the way back to their EP "...And A Time To Dance" and continues to the present day. That love proclaimed, I am one of those fans who was somewhat dismayed by some of the band's projects that trod experimentally in musical territory far from the "traditional" sound I had become comfortable with. I wasn't craving sameness, but I do like some continuity.
So I sort of suffered through four albums beginning with The Neighborhood until Good Morning Aztlan and The Ride brought back the old familiar vibes. A series of albums like Kiko, Colossal Head, the Neighborhood, and This Time sat on the shelf unplayed and unloved until I decided to give them all another shot. And after listening to This Time several times through, I realized that it is a lot better than I originally thought.
I still lean toward the more traditional sound as Cumbia Raza and Corazon are definite favorites, but I also like some of the grittier offerings such as Oh Yeah, Viking, Some Say Some Do, and Turn Around.
The worst thing about This Time is that it is too short. The attractive booklet that accompanies it makes up for that somewhat, but for the money the fans deserve more music.
If you like Los Lobos' adventurous projects and for some reason have not heard this, then you should pick this up. If you are still a hardcore devotee of the band's more traditional sound, try hearing this with an open mind. You may find you like it more this time. December 7, 2006

The Best?

Los Lobos, one of the most wonderful bands of all time, who sound different on every album, Have albums for all styles. This one is not for the ones who are contented with top-40 radio (not that ANY of LObos albums are!) It has a wonderful greasy grit, I would call it delicious dirtiness, which grows on every new hearing. On every other Lobos-album, I have favourites. On this one....? Viking? maybe. Impossible to say! An extremely strong album of commited........ ROCK!! With that inimitable Lobos-spice, of course! If you don't know this: I'm envious! you have a fabulous experience ahead of you!! August 11, 2006

finally refined

I'm honestly not all that much of a los lobos fan in general. i started with 'the neighborhood' on cassette back in the day cuz it was cheap. i thought it was catchy at first, but it had such dumb lyrics and aweful arrangements involving saxophones, banjos, and accordions, none of which i really find appealing in any music. I gave up on the band after that until i happened to hear that they had gone in a more experimental direction with 'this time' which i found in the local library. I was totally awed by the new sound. Suddenly this dull obnoxious band responsible for 'la bamba' had become a real rock band, and they were beginning to write well-structured songs with intelligent lyrics and a new energy that somehow these other reviewers deny. the transformation from stodgy typical folk band of old codgers to a real, dynamic, skilled band was so complete that my brother, blindly stealing my headphones for a moment, exclaimed "my god this sounds like punk rock!" So perhaps the main difficulty that people have with this album is that it is not in the mold of their previous work, which middle-aged listeners' ears had grown accustomed to. The very principles of music production have been increasingly refined over the years, and los lobos has finally caught up with the rest of the world, to make an album that will sound fresh and current for far longer than their old material. May 30, 2003

Wall of Noise

When the path of two talents interesect, the results can be either fruitful or disappointing. When Los Lobos teamed up with producers Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake for 1992's Kiko, the result was a new sound that mixed the Lobos naturalism with Froom/Blake's expressionistic production. Songs like "Saint Behind the Glass", "Kiko and the Lavender Moon", and "Wake up Dolores" began with solid songwriting from the Lobos and blossomed into dreamy, original soundscapes with the help of Froom/Blake.

"This Time" their paths have diverged. Not only is the songwriting weaker, but what solid material there is, such as "Oh Yeah", "Why We Wish" and "Viking", get buried beneath a wall of noise. Instead of the sound experiments arising organically from the material, they cover it in a cold wrapping. The repetitiousness reminds me more of Phillip Glass than of Sgt. Pepper.

If you're into the Froom/Blake/Los Lobos sound, choose "Kiko" or the less-consistent "Collossal Head". If you prefer your Lobos sound straight, choose "Will the Wolf Survive?" or the magnificent new comeback, "Good Morning Aztlan". November 8, 2002

the wolves strike again

if one reads ty7777's review below, one should beware. ty knows not of what he/she speaks.

this disc is another wonderful addition to the los lobos catalogue. although not immediately accessible, repeated listenings reveal it to be a true treasure. los lobos is a band that demands close attention to detail. buy it, listen to it, study it, love it.

for other los lobos albums in a similar vein, try 'colossal head' or the magestic 'kiko'. for more traditional albums from these boys, try 'wolf?', 'moon', or the wonderful new 'good morning aztlan.' for more mexican-american fare, purchase 'pistola'or 'just another band from east l.a.'

for a near-perfect overview of all facets lobos, immediately purchase 'el cancionero.' if somehow you are disappointed, seek medical attention immediately, for you have no heart. or soul, for that matter. June 5, 2002

More reviews at Amazon.com ...