SPINS FOR ’87

A survey of what I’d buy if I only had $25 a month for records. Discounts are available, but the assumption is that an album costs $8, a 12-inch single $4 and a seven-inch single $2.

February albums:

Los Lobos’ “By the Light of the Moon” (Slash Records). The first great album of 1987, this heady combination of entertainment and inspiration is also one of the most stirring releases of the ‘80s. Its endearing tales of underdog idealism assume added power and poignancy because they reflect the dignity and desire of the Latino community--something that’s rarely been expressed in pop-rock.

Yet the heart of the album--the David Hidalgo/Louie Perez compositions “One Time, One Night,” “River of Fools” and “Tears of God”--speak to a much wider constituency, one that is trapped, to varying degrees, in the dark shadows of the American Dream. Despite the struggles outlined in the songs, Los Lobos focuses on how faith can create a resilience that keeps people from losing all hope.

Don’t, however, get the idea that “By the Light of the Moon” is all philosophy. In its equally endearing music the quintet opens up from the warm, block-party feel of its debut album by adding a sometimes harder, more dynamic edge to its country, R&B;, Norteno and rock attack. Essential. CD available March 2.

Ennio Morricone’s “The Mission” sound track (Virgin). In films like “A Fistful of Dollars” and “Once Upon a Time in the West,” the highly regarded Italian composer-conductor introduced a strikingly sparse, guitar-punctuated tension that contrasted dramatically with the grand, fully orchestrated tradition of Hollywood Westerns. Here, Morricone combines classical discipline and primitive tribal coloring to create a more lavish, yet still tense backdrop for this film’s examination of conflicting spiritual and social values as “civilization” advances on a remote South American village. A work of unusual beauty and grace, worthy of its Oscar nomination. CD quality: excellent.

Concrete Blonde’s “Concrete Blonde” (I.R.S.). This L.A.-based trio’s music ranges from the anxious, post-punk tone of X (one good model) to a bit of the disarming, acoustic side of the country Bob Dylan (another point in its favor). The key reference point, however, is the jangly guitar edge and moody psychological exclamations of the Pretenders. Johnette Napolitano sings with the measured assurance of Chrissie Hynde, and there’s a bright pop-rock consciousness to these tales about searching for emotional balance that suggests the band could win both critical and commercial support. CD available in early April.