Los Lobos
This morning I heard the issue of Bob Dole’s age discussed once again on the news. A reporter asked if Dole can connect with voters under 30. The answer, of course, is clear. The man’s plumb out of touch. He’s played the game of politics for so many years that the actual requirements of politics have long since slipped from his grasp.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Age can be a cruel thing, especially for rockers. Frequently defined as the domain of youth, rock music has witnessed many a once-spirited disciple refuse to bow out gracefully and instead earn pathetic ignominy. It’s like watching grandparents romping in the sandbox while hoping that no one notices their sagging flesh. The Rolling Stones, the Who, and Rod Stewart have become shameless money-making repositories for nostalgia. Iggy Pop has a new, ultimately ineffectual record that will inspire acclaim because of something he did 25 years ago. Each wrinkle etched deep in his face apparently holds a youthful memory for one of his fans. Some writers have called elder rockers geezers. It’s not a nice label, and its application is unfairly indiscriminate. Los Lobos have been together for more than two decades, but geezers they ain’t. In fact, their new record, Colossal Head, proves definitively that they possess more spark and ideas than most whippersnappers half their age.
What strengthens the band’s major stylistic shifts here is the fact that they’re contiguous with their past. The change bears a notable similarity to Tom Waits’s reinvention on Swordfishtrombones. To this day Waits writes with the same poignant, oddball perspective of his earliest work, but musically and stylistically he continues to push the envelope. Both Waits and Los Lobos have found salvation in grittiness. While Los Lobos have never been a slick band, the new record revels in a joyous cacophony that serves as a tactile crust wrapping the continued tenderness of their songwriting. “Life Is Good” is set amid a drunken party atmosphere, but as police sirens blare in the distance one can sense the measured fatality in Hidalgo singing “I’ve been happy because my life is good / I keep laughing ’cause I know I should / I get all happy because my life is good, so good.” Matching the rough-hewn qualities of their music, the lyrics intimate life’s lack of order.
