By the Light of the Moon

Editors’ Notes With 1987’s contemplative By the Light of the Moon, Los Lobos master the union between roots-driven rock and dusty Americana steeped in Chicano flair. The East L.A. musicians boast their love for the motherland from the get-go, as heard on the slow ballad “Prenda del Alma,” a charming ranchera that pays homage to Mexican folklore. They go the wayward cowboy route on the twangy “One Time One Night,” and on the closing “Tears of God,” they channel the Chicano rock essence of Ritchie Valens.