Latest releases reviewed

LOS LOBOS Live at the Fillmore Hollywood Records/Warner Music Vision ***

Just Another Band from East LA went one of this Tex-Mex act's early album titles. Los Lobos have been around for more than 30 years, and this hot-as-coals anniversary DVD is testament not only to the band's staying power but to their popularity as a live act. Sweaty, loud and precise, the band's zydeco/rock sound of yore has been replaced with a more regular rock'n'roots style that sits well in front of a partisan audience. Performing at an old stomping ground only adds to the sense of occasion, and not for a second does the beat drop; tracks such as I Got Loaded, Shakin' Shakin' Shakes, Mas y Mas, Chains of Love, and Luz de Mi Vida come out of the set with all riffs blazing. Older fans might miss the rather more acoustic Chicano rhythms, but there's no denying the fire power of the band in its present state. Extras include a revealing behind-the-scenes documentary, Imported from ELA. www.loslobos.org

Tony Clayton-Lea

VARIOUS Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme Palm Pictures ****

A film where the power of words is never taken for granted, Freestyle is director Kevin Fitzgerald's intuitive look at what happens when an MC grabs the mic and starts to improvise on the spot. Because it's live, freestyling is not something that can be fixed in the editing suite, and legendary freestylers such as Supernatural, Juice and Craig G are much heralded for their ability to make it up as they go from one battle to the next. Through interviews with veteran rhymers and new guns as well as footage of some classic MC battles (Notorious BIG tearing up an opponent in the days when he was just a name on the streets of New York, for instance), Fitzgerald digs deep to come up with links and explanations. More than anything else, watching the likes of Black Thought, Lord Finesse and The Last Poets spitting lyrics for their supper is what makes Freestyle a cut above other hip-hop flicks. www.palmpictures.com

Jim Carroll