Los Tigres del Norte

Romantic boleros aren't the first thing that come to mind when Los Tigres del Norte's name is mentioned. One of the edgiest, most gutsy groups in norteño/Tex-Mex music, Los Tigres are famous for their hard-hitting accounts of working-class Mexican-American life along the U.S./Mexico border. Arguably, Tigres are norteño's rebellious equivalent of the Clash, Rubén Blades, KRS-One, or Bob Dylan; for that matter, there are parallels between Los Tigres' cutting (although frequently humorous) lyrics and the outlaw country of Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, and Waylon Jennings. Whoever you compare them to, Los Tigres' lyrics can have plenty of bite. So why, you might ask, would Fonovisa call a Tigres collection 20 Boleros Romanticos when the word romantic is seldom used in connection with the group? Well, Los Tigres do, in fact, record some romantic ballads, which aren't the thing they're best known for but aren't something they completely avoid either. And truth be told, Los Tigres can handle boleros (Latin ballads) impressively well -- a fact that 20 Boleros Romanticos bears out more often than not. This two-disc collection (which offers a 20-track audio CD and a bonus DVD containing six videos) spotlights a side of Los Tigres del Norte that is often overlooked, and it does so with generally enjoyable (if slightly uneven) results. 20 Boleros Romanticos doesn't contain the group's most essential work; for novices, Herencia Musical: 20 Corridos Inolvidables would be a much better introduction to Los Tigres' Fonovisa output. But while 20 Boleros Romanticos isn't recommended to casual listeners, seasoned fans will be glad to have many of Los Tigres' softer, more romantic recordings in the same place -- and Fonovisa deserves credit for deciding to assemble this worthwhile, albeit unlikely, collection. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide