Los Lobos, "The Neighborhood," 1990 1st Press US Vinyl, SEALED

$

42

Dr. John's Spin Factory is proud to offer another excellent album of music on vinyl in brand new--SEALED--condition.  Up for sale is Los Lobos' The Neighborhood.  First released in 1990 the current copy is a first pressing bought new by yours truly at Flipside Records in Kalamazoo Michigan. (Wherever you are, dear Scott, my Flipside music mentor, I miss your wise counsel!)  This album will come with an audiophile quality replacement sleeve and plastic slipcover to help preserve vinyl and cardboard over the years.  One note regarding the cardboard jacket, please note the last photo.  In that shot you will see that about 1.5" of shrink-wrap has let loose from the upper right corner of the jacket.  I think it safe to say, it's big deal.  And, that's the reason for rating the "sleeve" as Excellent and not Mint. (Note: I don't understand why Ebay wants sellers to rate sleeves and not jackets.)  
As for the music on this, Los Lobos' 7th studio album, here is AllMusic's Mark Deming with an informative review:

In 1987, Los Lobos released their ambitious and contemplative By the Light of the Moon and the surprise-hit soundtrack album La Bamba, while the following year they recorded a low-key set of Mexican folk songs, La Pistola y el Corazón. After making three such disparate albums, it was seemingly anyone's guess what path Los Lobos might follow next, and when they next emerged from the recording studio, 1990's The Neighborhood made it clear they had taken a number of enlightening side trips along the way. While building on the musical and lyrical maturity of By the Light of the Moon, The Neighborhood followed a number of different musical themes, with the musicians seeking (and finding) a common musical ground between the New Orleans R&B stomp of "Jenny's Got a Pony," the country-flavored fiddle of "Emily," the atmospheric late-night pulse of "Angel Dance," the blues-based swagger of "I Can't Understand," and the downbeat jazzy contemplation of "The Neighborhood." Anyone who had been listening already knew that Los Lobos were five singularly gifted musicians, but The Neighborhood found them challenging themselves with an ever-expanded musical palate, and as usual they rose to the occasion very well indeed, especially lead guitarist David Hidalgo, and producer Larry Hirsch gave the performances just the right amount of polish while providing the settings they deserved. And the songs, portraits of moments in lives both great and small, come together in the moving title track, in which Los Lobos return where they started their journey, their own back yard, where folks are still looking for a measure of hope and peace of mind. A genuine step forward for a great band, as well as the jumping-off point to their most experimental period.

The Neighborhood remains one of my top three Los Lobos albums.  As you might have guessed based on this sale, I'll continue to listen to my other well-played, first copy!

Good luck...  May music take your mind where minds have trouble going otherwise...Enjoy!  Dr. John