While their animal namesake is often the protagonist of classic fairy tales, Los Lobos’ style could not be further from that of the Big Bad Wolf. After a three-year hiatus, the Grammy winning band returns with a new album, Los Lobos Goes Disney. It is a Latin remake of lovable Disney Classics that fans will not hear on the radio, but may be able to share with their children.

Seemingly uncharacteristic of the band, this is not the first time that Los Lobos has worked with Disney, and not the first time that the band has put out a children’s album.

Los Lobos Goes Disney is not a horrific album. The Latin twist and Tejano inspired instrumentation give the songs a fresh sound. “The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” is a naturally upbeat song, but is further enhanced by the mariachi influences and wide percussion section.

While some songs benefit from the Latin stylings of Los Lobos, others lose their original flavor. One such example is, “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” from the film “The Haunted Mansion.” The song attempts to use the same ghostly special effects and piano synthesizing, but ends up sounding hokey. The original version was not necessarily scary, but it was creepy enough to spook young children. Unfortunately, Los Lobos’ adaptation sounds hollow and fake.

Surprisingly, the band’s instrumental version of “When You Wish Upon A Star/It’s A Small World” is a sweet Spanish melody that highlights the charming nature of the original, but also inserts a complimentary modern ethnic harmony.

Los Lobos is no stranger to remakes. One of their most famous hits, “La Bamba,” is based off of a 1958 recreation of a traditional Mexican folk song. Twenty years later, Los Lobos’ version of “La Bamba” is still heard and recognized. And while many Disney songs have stood the test of time, it is not likely that the Los Lobos versions will. There are plenty of other remakes for Disney afficionados to gorge on.

The band’s established reputation and 36 plus year career has allowed them the luxury to explore projects that they may not have had time to pursue in the past. Los Lobos Goes Disney may very well be one of those projects.

Steve Berlin, the band’s saxophone and flute player, stated that “We’re all really happy with it. The kids record doesn’t sound like a kids record. It just sounds like Los Lobos playing funky old songs, so I imagine over time we’ll probably be integrating some of those songs into our set.”

Los Lobos Goes Disney stays true to the band’s unique mixture of genres, but when stripped down to the bones–it’s Disney music. Most Lobos fans don’t want to jam out to “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.”

In most cases, Los Lobos appropriately balanced classic with Latino infusion, but the album does not speak to their fan base as previous albums have. The wolf will survive this compilation album, but the album itself will likely be forgotten and overshadowed by the next Disney remake C.D. by another Disney alum.

2 1/2 stars out of 5