[1] "El Cancionero" translates as "songbook" or "the person who interprets songs," according to guitarist/drummer Louie Pérez.

[4] The set was the subject of an essay by author Nick Hornby in his collection Songbook.

[5] Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "the definitive portrait of Los Lobos".

He wrote, "As the set winds from the authentic Mexican folk music of 1977 through the gutsy roots rock of 1987 and the dreamy soundscapes of 1992 to the daring music of the mid-'90s and then the consolidation of their strengths on 1999's This Time, it's hard not to be astonished not just by the band's range, but the fact that they do it all really well.

"[1] The Guardian described the box set as "a comprehensive history of the band" with "dodgy patches among the triumphs".