Early Recording Offers a Listen to Formative Los Lobos

**** LOS LOBOS

“Los Lobos Del Este De Los Angeles”

(Just Another Band From East L.A.)

Hollywood

Long before the roots-conscious rock of “Will the Wolf Survive,” before the “La Bamba” breakthrough and the mysterioso textures of “Kiko,” before the side projects Latin Playboys and Los Super Seven, Los Lobos spent its formative years developing an acoustic repertoire of traditional Mexican songs.

Recorded in 1977 and now issued for the first time on CD by the band’s current record label, this brief, sweet and remarkably focused Spanish-language session was originally sold as an LP at the band’s gigs around East Los Angeles. The program is clearly designed to soothe the immigrant soul and its lacerating nostalgia for a homeland left behind.

Displaying the same eclecticism that would define their mature compositional years, the young Lobos were voracious listeners, hungry for any Latin song format rootsy enough to tickle their fancy.

Enamored with the son jarocho from Veracruz, they replaced its original harp with mandolins, maintaining its elegant flavor. Rancheras weren’t a problem either. “El Pescado Nadador” and “La Feria de las Flores” are the most effortless-sounding moments in this collection.

Still, the musicians’ reverence for the Latin American songbook doesn’t get in the way of their playful sense of humor. Listening to raucous versions of “Cielito Lindo” and “Guantanamera,” you can almost see the mischievous grins with which they tackled these tourist favorites. And when it comes to bolero territory, Cesar Rosas’ silvery crooning is deep--and reverential.

Even at a time when they played backyard parties for a case of beer, Los Lobos--who play their 10th annual Greek Theatre concert next Saturday--had the gift of making the most tired staples of Latin music sound hip again.