The Lonely Bull – HERB ALPERT*****

The Lonely Bull/El Lobo/Tijuana Sauerkraut/Desafinado/Mexico/Never On Sunday/Struttin’ With Maria/Let It Be Me/Acapulco 1922/Limbo Rock/Crawfish/A Quiet Tear

The Lonely Bull was not only The Tijuana Brass’ musical debut, but also the first album released on A & M Records. The rousing title track was a US top ten single. This was the first in a long series of massive hit albums for easy listening Alpert during the 1960s. (US:10)

“I can remember when Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass were all the rage. The music was beautiful, performed by wonderfully skilled musicians having a lot of fun doing what they do. This music is not for everyone, as most younger people will probably not appreciate the musical craftsmanship.”

“The name of the album and band would lead you to suppose that this has a Latin flavour to it. It does but it is other things as well. Tijuana Sauerkraut for example, definitely has the Hispanic feel and influence but that is overlaid on a German style oomph-pah style: It can't be pinned down except to say that it is fun. Never On A Sunday has a Greek background and a bouzouki can be heard; that does not stop the tune from being in the TJB style. Again, it is fun. Other pieces are less easy to describe but they all demonstrate a dedication to instrumental excellence.”

"The horns, percussion and guitar all shine to make the melody very special, with the backup chorus adding to the greatness of the title track."

"The melody on Desafinado charms you so much that you'll want to jump up, grab your sweetheart and dance."

"Stunning rendition of Let It Be Me the tempo slowed down considerably to allow the horns and percussion to make this classic love ballad more romantic than ever."

“Any one of that era, will listen from start to finish, and remember, when music really was music. Herb Alpert has a style he made all of his own."

“Though its liner notes claim it to be a replica of Tijuana music, it is actually a watered-down version, sanitized for a conservative, mainstream pop audience who might find the genuine thing a bit too daunting."