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Ricky Martin - Life Audio CD

A fair review of the Ricky Martin "Life" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Ricky Martin reviews here, or go back to the Ricky Martin tabs.

Ricky Martin Band: Ricky Martin
Title: Life
Rating:
Release Date: 2005-10-11
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Til I Get to You 2: I Won't Desert You 3: I Don't Care - Amerie, Fat Joe, Ricky Martin 4: Stop Time Tonight 5: Life 6: I Am - Ricky Martin, Voltio 7: It's Alright 8: Drop It on Me - Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin 9: This Is Good 10: Save the Dance 11: Que Mas Da (I Don't Care) [Luny Tunes Reggaeton Mix] 12: Dejate Llevar (It's Alright) [Spanish][Version]

English fans will be (pleasantly) surprise to discover an artist much better than they knew
Go there to read more reviews. I have also posted this review in another Amazon page for Life because for some reason this product is duplicated.

For those who only knew Ricky Martin through his English CD's ( Ricky Martin and Sound Loaded ) LIFE can be a window to his artistic personality, much richer than what they have known until now.

Since his third Spanish album ( A Medio Vivir ) where his "real" style appeared, Ricky Martin has been known for mixing songs co-written by him with tracks from the best composers in the Latin American and Spanish music industry, many of them big stars on their own right. The connecting threads in his albums have always been that all the songs closely relate to Martin's own experiences and beliefs and the passion he infuses in his music. But both of those characteristics were almost completely absent in his previous English CD's. With a few exceptions, like the song "Loaded" from Sound Loaded , they lacked the "soul" of his Spanish productions. Although technically flawless, they seemed plastic and generic, fun to dance but lacking his personal touch and sometimes not even his voice being recognizable.

It's sad that LIFE being by far his best English CD, it's the less successful one. LIFE is the first equivalent (in quality and identity) to Ricky Martin's Spanish albums. It brings together what he had done in both languages, featuring pop, reggaeton and hip-hop tracks all mixed with Indian and Middle East accents to create a new sound that at the same time is completely and distinctively Ricky Martin's. Once again he chooses not to repeat himself (something to what his "Latin" fans are used to but might surprise the "English" ones) and explores styles completely different to what he had done before. This diversity of influences is at the same time a blessing and a curse. Because most probably you won't like all the tracks but it's a price worth paying for the ones you will undoubtedly enjoy.

From a personal point of view, I must admit that I'm not a reggaeton or hip-hop fan. Nevertheless, my favorite songs in LIFE are precisely the ones influenced by those styles!! "Drop It On Me", "I Am", "This Is good", "It's Alright" and "I Don't Care" have all the energy of those rhythm with the sensuality typical of Ricky Martin's music. Once again he manages to introduce his public to new sounds and hopefully LIFE will make his non-Spanish speaking fans to get interested in the rest of his work. It will definitively make them dance!!!

Finally, I respectfully disagree with Amazon's Editorial Review when it says that "he pushes his modest voice past its normal limit" Although he is not Sinatra (honestly, most singers aren't) his voice is by no means "modest". He has a good singing voice, both pleasant and strong enough to perform very well in a live show. In a time when auto-tuning makes you wonder who can actually sing, he has proven that he is the real thing. For those interested, Ricky Martin - MTV Unplugged and Ricky Martin Live: Black and White Tour are a must see.


You can see a complete list of all Ricky Martin discography, or go back to the Ricky Martin tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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