Track Listing

1. The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)
2. El Lobo (The Wolf)
3. Tijuana Sauerkraut
4. Desafinado
5. Mexico
6. Never On Sunday
7. Struttin’ With Maria
8. Let It Be Me
9. Acapulco 1922
10. Limbo Rock
11. Crawfish
12. A Quiet Tear (Lagrima Quieta)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4351 in Music
• Released on: 2005-02-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Album Description
The album that started the Herb Alpert phenomenon!

Originally released in 1962, The Lonely Bull was not only Herb Alpert’s musical debut, but the first album released on A&M Records. "After experiencing my first bullfight in Tijuana, Mexico," Alpert recalls, "I was inspired to find a way to musically express what I felt while watching the wild responses of the crowd, and hearing the brass musicians introducing each new event with rousing fanfare."

The excitement translated, and The Lonely Bull was a stunning success. The title track hit the Billboard Top 10, as did the LP, which peaked at #10 and remained on the album chart for three years. The disc also includes the perennial stadium favorite "Never On Sunday," and the intricate, bossa nova-inflected "Desafinado." The cover, featuring Alpert toasting with a tequila glass, began a run of memorable TJB covers—including the groundbreaking and unforgettable one featuring a barely covered model immortalized on the Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

Each album in the Herb Alpert Signature Series features meticulously remastered sound, deluxe packaging, detailed liner notes, and an intro by Herb Alpert containing personal recollections and anecdotes.

Customer Reviews

A High Point
It starts out with the roar of a crowd and then we hear the opening strains of "La Virgin de la Macarena". This is followed immediately, without pause, by the title piece, "The Lonely Bull". It captures your imagination from the beginning and then never lets go throughout the entire album. This is the stuff that made Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass famous in the 60s and 70s.

This is a CD release of an old album. The recording quality has held up and it is as enjoyable today as it was when it was first released. That being said, it sounds like a recording from the 60s. The mixes are not the fancy stuff of the modern studio. It seems the old masters have just been digitized and recorded in a digital format. That doesn't bother me. This is what they sounded like back then: at least it's the way they sounded on my old turntable.

The name of the album and, indeed, the name of the band would lead you to suppose that this album has a Latin flavor 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.

You won't be disappointed.

TOO LONG GONE & GLAD IT IS BACK
In 1962, I was four years old. I wasn't so much into music until after I was 5 or 6. However, after I had heard Herb Alpert & the TJB do "Taste Of Honey", I was completely hooked. Was able to have some 45s bought for me, but my friends had the albums. I may have started with "Whipped Cream and Other Delights", but I did backtrack to Lonely Bull.

I remember having only Mono albums, as our equipment was mono...very few stereo records for what was a pretty cheap stereo that my parents had. I had even worse until I was a teenager, so I got Mono records. I did not hear these albums in stereo at all until another friend from Vegas played me some of his TJB previous CD issues. These few came and went so fast, I never was able to obtain them, and have lived off "Definite Hits" since its release. After the first play of LONELY BULL in beautifully remastered stereo, my wait is over and my favorite intrumental group of all time is BACK with a vengence.

I do agree to an extent with other reviewers where the mono mix and stereo mix versions could have been incorporated. However, not knowing if the public in this day and age will totally jump at having this fantastic music would generate that kind of issue now. This album and SOUTH OF THE BORDER give us a blast from the past, and adding the brand-new LOST TREASURES CD album by itself gives us a taste of what was left in the vaults. If these releases really kick sales-wise, I would think Shout! Factory may go back and combine the Mono and Stereo versions together in "Special Editions" or a box set.

LONELY BULL with SOUTH OF THE BORDER and LOST TREASURES offer a great introduction in this new century to some of the greatest instrumentals recorded in the latter part of the last century.
WHIPPED CREAM comes April 19 with bonus tracks, and more to follow. However, I don't see Volume 2 noted anywhere in the information included with the Booklet. Great liner notes and informational history provided, with comments from Herb, as well.

Crude stereo mix my only complaint
In the era of the Beatles and Beach Boys, my very first ever LP purchse was Going Places. I began backfilling so that The Lonely Bull was my second LP ever. The music on this album has stayed fresh for over forty years. My only complaint is the crude stereo mix which is especially distracting on The Lonely Bull Track. It's not enough of a deficiency to prevent rating this CD as a classic five-star.

I purchased this Shout reissue CD to replace the worn A&M that I purchased years ago. For whatever reason, the only A&M CD's I was ever able to find are the same reissue titles currently available from Shout. I hope their plan for the complete library does not go awry.