Don't Mess With The Dragon | 
| Artist: Ozomatli
Label: Concord Records
List Price: $18.98
Buy Used: $4.24
You Save: $14.74 (78%)
New (48) Used (27) Collectible (1) from $4.24
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 9028
Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 2305
UPC: 013431230526
EAN: 0013431230526
ASIN: B000M06STA
Release Date: April 3, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Can't Stop | | • | City Of Angels | | • | After Party | | • | Don't Mess With The Dragon | | • | La Gallina | | • | Magnolia Soul | | • | Here We Go | | • | La Temperatura | | • | Violeta | | • | Creo | | • | When I Close My Eyes | | • | La Segunda Mano |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
On their fourth full-length studio release, Ozomatli serve up a rhythmically seething musical melange 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...
 Don't Mess With The Dragon April 10, 2007
T. Snyder (AZ)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
"Don't Mess With The Dragon" is Ozo's latest full-length studio album. I hesitate to call it "full-length" though, since it clocks in a just over a half-hour long. But I'd rather have a compact, tighter album than an overly long, drawn-out, watered-down 75-minute affair.
I would agree with some of the other reviewers that this isn't Ozo's best album. But it is still solid. It's upbeat and fun. Don't Mess with the Dragon is a party album, a feel-good record.
One complaint - the rapping is below average and has been for quite awhile now. They could really use a guest appearance by Chali 2na, of Jurassic 5, again. I could do without rap on any future Ozo albums.
Overall though, it's not mind-blowingly great, but it is good. And it's way better than 95% of the other new music you could be buying. So pick it up. It's hard to sit still and be unhappy when Ozo's coming through the speakers.
 Disappointing May 3, 2007
Guy DeRome (Greendale, USA)
9 out of 12 found this review helpful
Per their interview in Paste magazine, Ozomatli set out to make a more commercial, more accessable CD. Most tracks on Don't Mess With The Dragon are clearly aimed at radio play and the club and party crowd. You can't knock them for trying to make some money for a change; we all know how hard that is in the current music biz.
I love Street Signs, but this CD is a bit of an embarrasment. Everything is stripped down and simplified. The songs are silly and shallow for the most part. There are couple of OK moments, but after listening to this CD for the second time I felt like I'd heard enough.
If you are new to Ozo, skip this and buy Street Signs instead. Now THAT is a great album!
 The Least Exciting Ozomatli Release to Date April 4, 2007
D. Morgenthaler (Los Angeles, CA United States)
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
I am sad to say, but after my first listen, I am pretty convinced that Don't Mess with the Dragon is Ozo's worst release to date. That is not to say that it is bad, however, the album seems to be the greatest departure from all that Ozo has been in the past: namely, a seamless and original blend of very different styles of music. Also, perhaps in an effort to appeal to a broader and more mainstream audience, the album does not seem to include any of the fantastic latin songs such as "Timido," "Nadie Te Tira," and "Suenos en Realidad." There isn't a song on the album that's over 3:46, many of the songs seem very repetitive, and the album is their shortest to date, not including Coming Up. Overall, I think I'll wind up listening to a lot of their older work until their next album is released.
An afterthought: I think that the departure of DJ Spinobi may have had a significant effect on the sound of the record, though I could be wrong.
Different, but still awesome April 29, 2007
M. Flanders
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've been an Ozo fan since they were selling tapes out of the trunk of their car at the L.A. County fair oh-so-many years ago. Ozo is always changing, which is refreshing in this industry of sameness. While this is a shorter album, it's still a good, solid album. I think the best track on there would have to be "Magnolia Soul" (a fun, soulful nod to New Orleans). This album is still worth picking up, despite the weird and negative reviews from the ultra die-hards. Try it.
Not their best... April 10, 2007
Chango (Santa Fe, NM United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
in fact, I have to say it is my least favorite album of Ozo's. That is not bad, in my opinion. I would rate their previous three as five stars. Some of the songs get a little repetitious and are rather short. However, I saw them live three weeks ago (my 15th time) and their songs have much more energy live. My personal favorite is "La Gallina". I heard it first live, and it blew me away.
As good as all their recordings are, the only way to really listen to Ozo is live. I never miss a chance to see them. If they are ever in your neck of the woods, go! But be ready to move and dance!
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