The Lonely Bull

The Doxy reissue of The Lonely Bull marks the very start of the A&M Records story, with the first album from the 1960s instrumental force known as the Tijuana Brass.

At this point there was no Tijuana Brass in the full band sense yet, just Herb Alpert working with a group of Los Angeles session players, while overdubbing his own trumpet to create that distinctive bullring sound. You can hear the idea taking shape in real time: the arrangements are leaner, the production less polished, and the overall feel leans more heavily into a Mexican mariachi atmosphere than the records that followed. There are square rhythms, mandolins, and a wistful, late-afternoon siesta mood running through the album.

The hit title track, The Lonely Bull, began life as a tune called Twinkle Star, and it still stands as a cleverly structured, exciting, and haunting piece of record-making. Its composer, Sol Lake, would go on to become a key member of Herb Alpert's circle of Tijuana Brass songwriters, contributing several more similarly ethnic-flavoured pieces.

Elsewhere, in step with the emerging bossa nova movement, Alpert delivers a strong, straightforward, and authentic version of Desafinado, even stretching out a little with some spare jazz-inspired licks. Crawfish is another highlight, neatly adapting the mariachi horn sound to a bossa beat.