''How Will the Wolf Survive?'' is the first major label album of

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, ...

, released in 1984. In 1989, ''How Will the Wolf Survive?'' was ranked at number 30 on '' Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. It was ranked at number 461 on the magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and also placed on updates of the list in 2012 (at number 455) and 2020 (at number 431).

Background

Though they had performed together around Los Angeles for over a decade, Los Lobos had previously released only one full length album, the self-produced ''

Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles ''Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles (Just another band from East L.A.)'' is the debut album by The American band Los Lobos, at the time known as Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles. It was self-released by the band in early 1978 and features mostly ...

'', in 1977. In 1983, they released an extended play entitled '' ...And a Time to Dance'', which was well received by critics but only sold about 50,000 copies. However, the sales of the EP earned the band enough money to purchase a

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

van, enabling them to tour throughout the United States for the first time. Los Lobos began composing ''How Will the Wolf Survive?'' at the home of drummer Louie Pérez's brother-in-law, a time in which several songs, including "A Matter of Time", were written. Pérez explained, "We'd sit down with a guitar, a tape recorder and a jar of Taster's Choice, and we were coffee achievers all afternoon." The album's title and the song " Will the Wolf Survive?" were inspired by a ''

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

'' article entitled "Where Can the Wolf Survive", which the band members related to their own struggle to gain success in the United States while maintaining their Mexican roots. Pérez recalled, "It was like our group, our story: What is this beast, this animal that the record companies can't figure out? Will we be given the opportunity to make it or not?"

Music

On ''How Will the Wolf Survive?'', Los Lobos experimented with various genres, including styles reflective of the group's traditional Mexican roots. "I Got Loaded" features influences of R&B, while "A Matter of Time" blends country and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

sensibilities. Both "A Matter of Time" and "Will the Wolf Survive?" discuss the lives of immigrants in the United States. "A Matter of Time" is about a Mexican crossing the border in search of a better life.

Chart performance

In the United States, ''How Will the Wolf Survive?'' spent 34 weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart, reaching its peak position of number 47 in early March 1985.

Critical reception

Critical reaction to the album was favorable.

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

of '' The Village Voice'' praised the group's originality: "Their debut LP makes it sound as if they invented the style. Who did the original of that one, you wonder, only to discover that you're listening to the original." Mark Deming's retrospective review for AllMusic gushed, "While rarely flashy, even a casual listen offers all the proof you might need that Los Lobos were a band of world-class musicians, with David Hidalgo's guitar work especially impressive throughout."

Track listing

#"Don't Worry Baby" (

Cesar Rosas Cesar J. Rosas (born September 26, 1954, in Hermosillo, Mexico) is a Mexican singer, songwriter and guitarist for Los Lobos. Rosas also participates in the Latin supergroup Los Super Seven. Perhaps the most recognizable member of Los Lobos, Ros ...

, Louie Pérez, T-Bone Burnett) – 2:43 #"A Matter of Time" ( David Hidalgo, Pérez) – 3:55 #"Corrido #1" (Rosas) – 2:42 #"Our Last Night" (Hidalgo, Pérez) – 3:08 #"The Breakdown" (Hidalgo, Pérez, Burnett) – 4:12 #"I Got Loaded" ( Camille Bob) – 3:20 #"Serenata Norteña" – 2:53 #"Evangeline" (Hidalgo, Pérez) – 2:43 #"I Got to Let You Know" (Rosas) – 2:35 #"Lil' King of Everything" (Hidalgo, Pérez) – 1:19 #" Will the Wolf Survive?" (Hidalgo, Pérez) – 3:41

Personnel

* Steve Berlin – saxophones, percussion * David Hidalgo – lead vocals, guitar, accordion, lap steel, percussion * Conrad Lozano – vocals, bass, guitarrón * Louie Pérez – vocals, drums, bajo quinto *

– lead vocals, guitar, bajo sexto, mandolin

Additional personnel

* Alex Acuña – percussion * T-Bone Burnett – acoustic guitar, organ

References

{{Authority control 1984 albums Los Lobos albums Albums produced by T Bone Burnett Slash Records albums