By The Light Of The Moon Hot Springs National Park AR

By The Light Of The Moon

Los Lobos

Slash Records, 1987

REVIEW BY: George Agnos

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/28/1998

By The Light Of The Moon was Los Lobos' second LP, followingon the heels of their critically acclaimed debut How Will The Wolf Survive? However, critics at the time gavethis 1987 album mixed reviews stating that Los Lobos fell into thedreaded "sophomore slump." I am here to tell you that I disagreeand that this is one fine collection of songs. Sure, it has itsweaknesses which I will go into later, but it has many strengthsand if you are into roots-oriented rock, then this album is wellworth your time.

Los Lobos has two distinct songwriting teams: leadsinger/guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Perez write thesocially concious ballads on the album, and the other leadsinger/guitarist Cesar Rosas writes the fun rockers. This sort ofying/yang is set up right from the start of the album which opensup 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 yetthe rockers that are here have got a grittier feel to them.

The fact that there are more ballads is part of the problem withthis album. I am not saying I don't like ballads, but I do notthink that Hidalgo and Perez were up to writing this many. Theyseem to be trying too hard to match the success of their song "WillThe Wolf Survive?" Sometimes they connect, but other times they donot.

On the first side of By The Light Of The Moon, "One Time, One Night" has itsmoments but lacks the urgency of their better songs. The same canbe said for "Is This All There Is". Producer T-Bone Burnett seemedto force Hidalgo and Perez to write a rocker and their only one onthis 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 offellow 80's Los Angeles bands, The Blasters and X. Rosas handlesthe vocals on his one ballad, the traditional Mexican song "PrendaDel Alma" with the tenderness it requires.