Search - Cesar Rosas :: Soul Disguise

Soul Disguise
Cesar Rosas
Soul Disguise
Genres: Blues, Pop, Rock, Latin Music
 
  •  Track Listings (12) - Disc #1

On this fine solo-album debut, it comes as no surprise to find veteran Los Lobos singer-songwriter-guitarist Cesar Rosas revisiting the R&B, soul, roots-rock, and norteño ingredients that made his East L.A. band's...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Cesar Rosas
Title: Soul Disguise
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Rykodisc
Original Release Date: 2/2/1999
Release Date: 2/2/1999
Genres: Blues, Pop, Rock, Latin Music
Styles: Electric Blues, Modern Blues, Roots Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 014431045929, 014431045967

Synopsis

Amazon.com
On this fine solo-album debut, it comes as no surprise to find veteran Los Lobos singer-songwriter-guitarist Cesar Rosas revisiting the R&B, soul, roots-rock, and norteño ingredients that made his East L.A. band's musical stew so compelling. What's revealing is Rosas's willingness to deconstruct his Grammy-winning band's sound back to its constituent components, making Soul Disguise play like a loving journey across borders both musical and national. Rosas largely eschews the slick production values of '90s-vintage Los Lobos for considerably more grit and funk. Here he tackles with playful abandon everything from traditional Tex-Mex (his own "Angelito" and a cover of "Adios Mi Vida," both with legend Flaco Jiminez adding his distinctive accordion flourishes) to a swampy version of Ike Turner's "You've Got to Lose." Rosas stubs his toe only once, on the '70s-ish acoustic utopian ballad "Better Way." Similar journeys have been made by everyone from Steve Miller and Ry Cooder to precliché ZZ Top; it's Rosas's excursions into Stax and New Orleans R&B territory (like the delicious "Struck" and the funky "Shack and Shambles"), along with his sharp border-music and blues-roots sense, that makes Soul Disguise so distinct and satisfying. --Jerry McCulley

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CD Reviews

Labor of Love, sabes?
01/21/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Soul Disguise came out, I flipped out in sheer delight! Great tunes covering many musical styles! Having a party? Put it on and watch the house start rockin! Every song on the cd is great. Even Cesar Rosas' Soul Disguise concert in Seattle was awesome! I gotta tell you the man plays his heart out. It was great to hear the cd's songs played out loud, rockin' and raunchy. Obviously, the crowd also got off on the musica norteña part of the show. A real jammer, he also mixed it up on a medley featuring Don't Worry Baby and Pipeline! Cesar's coolness was confirmed when he greeted me and others afterwards and signed our cds. His solo effort solidifies him as one of the best singer/songwriter/guitarists of our time. I will see him with his band or with his "carnales" anytime, anywhere. He's keeping real music alive, ese."
Great roots music CD
William H. Maruca | Wexford, PA USA | 12/20/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rosas steps out in front on this CD with great songwriting, hot guitar work and powerful singing. Very much like the early Lobos sound. I pulled this out to play the other day and had forgotten how good it was. Was curious to read the other reviews. If you like the bluesy, rootsy side of Los Lobos, check it out. There's some tex-mex and norteno too, and a nod in the direction of New Orleans, but mostly R&B in the style of "Don't Worry Baby." Lyrically the CD doesn't stray far from the "she done me wrong" blues tradition - I think David Hidalgo may be the stronger lyricist of the two, but it's got plenty of grit."
The great Los Lobos album Los Lobos never made...
William H. Maruca | 04/16/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Fans of Los Lobos' rhythm and blues and rock tracks (Don't Worry Baby, Rosalie) will love this album from start to finish. Rosas' best work since Los Lobos' "How Will The Wolf Survive". Has a unfinished, loose quality to it that listeners will find they either love or hate."