The conceit of the LOS SUPER SEVEN projects—which joined members of Los Lobos with the likes of Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, and Rick Treviño—was an all-inclusive vision of Latin music that included in its lineup Anglos Joe Ely and Doug Sahm. Ethnic music has been homogenized longer than milk has, so credit the evolving LS7 bunch for staying true to their Tex-Mex roots. That is, until now. HEARD IT ON THE X (Telarc), ostensibly a tribute to the Mexican border stations that used to blanket the U.S., is an English-language Texas grab bag. Lobos ringleaders David Hidalgo and César Rosas are gone; instead we get Delbert McClinton revisiting Sunny and the Sunliners, John Hiatt rocking out on Sahm’s “I’m Not That Kat Anymore,” Lyle Lovett channeling Bob Wills, and so on. As you might expect, it’s schizoid as all hell, but occasionally it locks right on signal.
