1. Can't Stop
2. City of Angels
3. After Party
4. Don't Mess with the Dragon
5. La Gallina
6. Magnolia Soul
7. Here We Go
8. La Temperatura
9. Violeta
10. Creo
11. When I Close My Eyes
12. La Segunda Mano
Amazon.com
On their fourth full-length studio release, Ozomatli serve up a rhythmically seething musical mélange that serves as virtual mirror to the dizzying cultural contradictions at the heart of their Los Angeles hometown, wrapping it in a studio-polished veneer (largely courtesy of Santana/Ricky Martin producer KC Porter) that only underscores their intriguing reflections. They wear their civic pride as badge of honor on the gritty "City of Angels," a hip-hop-funk-fusion anthem that courses straight from the street to the stars. The joyous "La Temperatura," a tribute to the city's pro-immigrant marches of '06, picks up the local thread and weaves it into the band's longstanding social conscience, one they focus on Washington's inept response to Hurricane Katrina via the savory, N'Awlinz-meets-Norwalk swagger of "Magnolia Soul." The title track hints at a few conquered personal demons, while the sultry, Los Lobos-esque Spanish ballad "Violeta," the infectious 80s-ska-funk-meets-00s-punk-pop of "When I Close My Eyes," and the hip-hop-jarocho stew "La Segundo Mano" (featuring Queztal's Martha Gonzales on vocals) stand as vibrantly disparate testaments to the band's true range of pan-cultural musical fervor and accomplishments. --Jerry McCulley
Album Description
On the surface, nothing's changed. There's the same core line-up, the same oppositional politics, the same live shows that erupt into drum-line blessed community parties, and the same devotion to polyglot urban sound clashing. But here's what's new: after 12 years of collaborative song-writing, 12 years of constant touring everywhere from Denver to Tokyo to Sydney, 12 years of supporting anti-war mobilizations and global human rights movements, 12 years of pioneering Spanish-English mash-ups of hip hop, salsa, cumbia, dub, and Middle Eastern funk, and most importantly, 12 years of facing up to internal battles and personal struggles, they've emerged anew with their fourth full-length studio album, Don't Mess With The Dragon, the band's most cohesive, polished, and joyous record to date. Don't Mess With The Dragon was written and recorded with a firm commitment to collective creation. They began writing and experimenting with songs in informal sessions in the fall of 2005 at a local Los Angeles Latino art gallery, Tropico de Nopal. Then came recording sessions in the legendary Fantasy studios in Northern California, followed by sessions at a slew of prime LA recording houses. Much of the band's renewed sense of musical collaboration comes from their relationship with their label, venerable jazz and Latin stalwarts Concord Records. Don't Mess With The Dragon is Ozo's second full length, studio offering for Concord their longest stay with a single label.
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Don't Mess with the Dragon
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2007-04-03)
- Format: Enhanced
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 24 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #235861
Avg. Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: It's fire 2007-09-17
Comment: If you're a fan of Ozomatli and someone who'd never heard of them asked you what genre they are, chances are you wouldn't be able to give him/her an answer (what their very name means is a head-scratcher). But their latest album Don't Mess with the Dragon is filled with great stuff.
"Can't Stop" is an ideal way to open the album because you indeed won't be able to stop playing the disc after that track. From there you'll find standouts like "Here We Go", "When I Close My Eyes" and the necessary tribute-to-your-hometown, "City of Angels". And an Ozomatli album wouldn't be complete without some Latin tunes, so "La Gallina" and "Violeta" are good examples of that.
I only gave the album four stars because a few of the songs start to sound the same after a while and also, it's pretty hard to top their previous album, Street Signs. But Don't Mess with the Dragon is still a blazin' album that belongs in your collection.
Anthony Rupert
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: This is more mainstream than earlier Ozo 2007-07-01
Comment: Which may be why some listeners object. "Dragon's" good and it may be their entree into more acknowledgement. "Street Signs" is probably my favorite of their CDs and more indicative of their work, but this is still a great melange of a lot of different styles and worth the investment.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Actually, 4.5 stars! 2007-06-19
Comment: Truth is, I barely liked this disk after the first listen. I thought the guys had "sold out" and made a disk that was too pop-ish, slick and lightweight. But then I played it a few more times and, DAMN, these songs are stuck firmly in my head. I still think Street Signs had three songs better than everything on this disk, but overall I have come to thoroughly enjoy Dragon for what it is... different, fun and very energetic. Ozo is one of the coolest bands around and if this disk draws in some new fans to mix with us old ones (I discovered them in 2005), then I'm OK with the "selling out".
NOTE: If you want to buy their very best, get Ozo's Live at the Filmore set!!!! That one earns 5.5 stars.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, Ecclectic Mix 2007-06-12
Comment: Compared to the rest of the music Ozo has put out this is probably their most solid integration of various types of music. With a lot more Asian influence on this album I think they hit the nail on the head. Most of the songs get your foot tapping and the lyrics in English are quite profound. Highly recommended! It has been in my CD player since I bought it last month!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Expanding their musical scope. 2007-06-10
Comment: Their usual high energy with another "take" on the avenue of employing rap technique that helps someone who is 60 (which I am) appreciate one style of rap as a valid form of musical expression.
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Don't Mess with the Dragon
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