Even among music fans who've never developed an affection for Los Lobos, only the addled would withhold their respect: Together for 30 years, they have long been in the top rank of bands both for consistency and for innovation. Both of those drive "The Ride," their 12th album, even while it also is a loop into charted territory: Four of the 13 songs are new versions of songs from their past. To accompany them on the trip, they've invited a passel of luminaries: Elvis Costello slows down the already slow "Matter of Time" ("How Will the Wolf Survive?," 1984), Bobby Womack weaves a rendition of "Wicked Rain," ("Kiko," 1992) with his own "Across 110th St.," and Marva Staples contributes a smoky "Someday" ("The Neighborhood," 1990). Perhaps the best collaboration comes on one of the new songs, "Wreck of the Carlos Rey," which employs not only Richard Thompson's rich voice but also his folksy twang and sense of storytelling. Also worth noting is "Rita," for the keyboard contribution of Mitchell Froom, who as coproducer helped blaze the way to the band's landmark album "Kiko." It's fitting that a producer performs on this one, the first Los Lobos album the band has produced.