Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass is about as authentic Mexican as Taco Bell. (Can't you tell I've been waiting a long time to use that line in a review?)

But, during an experiment in trying to overdub trumpets, Alpert created a song, "The Lonely Bull," that resonated with people - eventually hitting number six on the Billboard singles chart.

Where there's smoke, one figures, there's got to be fire - so Alpert rushed into the studio to record an album of similar-sounding instrumental numbers. Loosely tied together by a pseudo-Hispanic theme, the end result is nowhere near as exciting as the title track - and, if Alpert had meant to pour gas on the aforementioned fire, he instead doused it with the Hoover Dam.

There's no denying the title track is a fun number to listen to, even 62 years after it was initially released. In less then two and a half minutes, Alpert and members of the Wrecking Crew do create a sonic landscape that makes one feel as if they're walking into a stadium, just as the matador is about to make their grand entrance. It's still not truly Mexican, but it's pretty good.

The problem is, the creation of this aural vibe was fairly organic. The remaining 11 songs seem to be forced into the same pattern - and, with that, the magic goes kaput. Tracks like "El Lobo (The Wolf)," "Tijuana Sauerkraut" (really?!?) and "Struttin' With Maria" fall completely flat, offering neither excitement nor any innovation on the theme.

About the only moment on The Lonely Bull that comes close to capturing the spontaneity of the title track is "Acapulco" - a song that doesn't try to fit into the style of the rest of the album, and thus sounds fresh and exciting. Had there been more moments such as this, then this disc would be still be very listenable today. Instead, we're treated to half-baked covers of tracks like "Never On Sunday," "Let It Be Me" and "Limbo Rock" (though the last track holds out some hope).

Most labels would have looked at the finished product this album was, as well as the lackluster impression it made on the charts at first - it took nearly four years for it to peak at number 10 on the Billboard album charts, and that was riding the coattails of Whipped Cream And Other Delights - and relegated the band to the cut-out bins. Fortunately, Alpert was co-owner of the label, so he wasn't going anywhere.

As it is, The Lonely Bull is noteworthy for a whopping two songs - but two songs do not an album make. The remainder is a collection of half-baked ideas that sounded dated when they were released, and showed no true indication of the popularity that Alpert and the backing collective of musicians would reach in just a few short years. Instead of "Ole," this one leaves the listener yelling, "No mas!" Pass on this turkey.

Rating: D

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