How Will the Wolf Survive
Los Lobos's ability to wade through disparate musical styles isn't the stuff ofElvisand theBeatles, but Los Lobos did it on theirdebutalbum. And, unlike much of the material Los Lobos cut their teeth on as a Los Angeles Top 40 cover band, there is nothing lowest-common-denominator about the band's original music. "Don't Worry Baby" is a blues rocker gritty enough forJohn Lee Hooker; rockabilly meets country, courtesy of David Hidalgo's lap steel, on "Our Last Night"; Cesar Rosas pays homage to the band's Mexican roots on the mariachi-style "Corrido #1"; and "Will the Wolf Survive?" is an infectious jangle rocker that became an early MTV hit. Seamless. File under American Music.--Bill Crandall