In Brief

While rock en espan~ol tributes to Queen and the Police failed miserably, this one finds inspiration in the larger-than-life, operatic vision of Jose, one of Mexico’s premier sentimental crooners. From rappers Molotov and Control Machete to rock groups Cafe Tacuba and Maldita Vecindad, the 15 acts here stand up to the challenge of revisiting the past while adding to it a distinct rock sensibility.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: http://ukobiw.net./soundclips