Published on Dec 28, 1998
By The Light Of The Moon was Los Lobos’ second LP, following
on the heels of their critically acclaimed debut
How Will The Wolf Survive? However, critics at the time gave
this 1987 album mixed reviews stating that Los Lobos fell into the
dreaded “sophomore slump.” I am here to tell you that I disagree
and that this is one fine collection of songs. Sure, it has its
weaknesses which I will go into later, but it has many strengths
and if you are into roots-oriented rock, then this album is well
worth your time.
Los Lobos has two distinct songwriting teams: lead
singer/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Perez write the
socially concious ballads on the album, and the other lead
singer/guitarist Cesar Rosas writes the fun rockers. This sort of
ying/yang is set up right from the start of the album which opens
up with the countryish “One Time, One Night” followed by the rocker
“Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes.” Compared with the first album,
By The Light Of The Moon is more ballad-oriented, but yet
the rockers that are here have got a grittier feel to them.
The fact that there are more ballads is part of the problem with
this album. I am not saying I don’t like ballads, but I do not
think that Hidalgo and Perez were up to writing this many. They
seem to be trying too hard to match the success of their song “Will
The Wolf Survive?” Sometimes they connect, but other times they do
not.
On the first side of
By The Light Of The Moon, “One Time, One Night” has its
moments but lacks the urgency of their better songs. The same can
be said for “Is This All There Is”. Producer T-Bone Burnett seemed
to force Hidalgo and Perez to write a rocker and their only one on
this album, “All I Wanted To Do Was Dance” seems half-hearted.
Rosas fares much better on side one with “Shakin’ Shakin’ Shakes”.
This song, co-written with Burnett rocks like a combination of
fellow 80’s Los Angeles bands, The Blasters and X. Rosas handles
the vocals on his one ballad, the traditional Mexican song “Prenda
Del Alma” with the tenderness it requires.
Now if you’ve read this far, you must be thinking that I am
agreeing with the other critics. True, side one is a bit
underwhelming, but side two more than makes up for it. We start
this side in a blaze of glory with “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” which
mixes Tex Mex with a Motown groove and the combination works
brilliantly. This is followed by “The Hardest Time”, a touching
ballad about a woman whose husband has left her and their baby. I
like the George Harrison-esque riff on this song. “My Baby’s Gone”
is an energetic rocker that would not be out of place on a Stevie
Ray Vaughan disc. I would hesitate to say Rosas plays guitar as
well as Vaughan, but his playing here is loose and he is obviously
having a lot of fun.
The next song “River Of Fools” is a revelation. This is a
poetic, heartfelt, acoustic mumber that I think is one of their
best songs. “The Mess We’re In,” on the other hand, is the only
false step on side two, as it is a little too preachy for my
tastes. The album ends with “Tears Of God,” a gospel-tinged tune
not unlike Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It
does not quite have the showstopping ending of that song, but it is
still an effective way to close the album.
It is so important to start an album on the right track. Many
albums have faltered toward the end and people do not seem to mind,
but
By The Light Of The Moon makes the mistake of faltering at
the beginning, so the perception is that this album is a failure.
That is really a shame because
By The Light Of The Moon has too many wonderful moments to
pass up.