Heard It on the X
This supergroup with ever-changing personnel (no longer limited to seven) is less a band than a bilingual concept and boundary-crossing vision. The third and most rambunctious release under the Los Super Seven banner takes its title from theZZ Topanthem celebrating the Mexican border radio of the 1950s and '60s. With the title track sung by Tejano mainstayRuben Ramos, the transgenerational duet on "Cupid" byFreddy FenderandRick Trevino, and the alcohol-fueled mariachi of "The El Burro Song" performed by theMavericks'Raul Malo(a ringer of Cuban descent), the Hispanic imprint on the project remains much in evidence. From the northern side of the musical border,Lyle LovettrevivesBob Wills's "My Window Faces the South,"Rodney CrowellrenewsBuddy Holly's "Learning the Game," andJoe Elycovers Holly acolyteBobby Fuller's "Let Her Dance."Perhaps the album's dominant influence is that of the lateDoug Sahm, whoseSir Douglas Quintetwas a Tex-Mex trailblazer. Sahm's spirit is channeled here through two songs he wrote--"I'm Not that Kat (Anymore)," sung byJohn Hiatt, and the jazzy "The Song of Everything," performed by Raul Malo--and another one he recorded, "Talk to Me," given a soulful reading byDelbert McClinton. However wide the musical range, the results rarely fall short of super.--Don McLeese