Customer Reviews

Almas Del Silencio (W/ Vcd)

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I graded all his tracks from his new CD.

Tracks 1 & 13 are Spanish & Spanglish version of the song "Jaleo" -- I give them A+.

Track 2, Tal Vez, really big ballad project. I give it only a C. His love ballads sound predictably sappy and feel over-produced. Just my opinion.

Track 3, Jamas. Hello Ricky!! Keep it coming!!! Upbeat and awesomely authentic Latin feel. Truly great trombones in there too. A++.

Track 4, Si Tu Te Vas. Another ballad. Oh...this one has piano in it. But, still, I'm asleep.....C.

Track 5, Nadie Mas Que Tu. The intro has my attention. Then it turns into ANOTHER ballad. Well, Ricky actually wrote part of this song himself. So I give it a B- for the extra effort.

Track 6, Besos De Fuego. AHHH!!!!!!! A+++. Vocals are so smooth! Plus I have already been able to memorize half the song already. And the percussion has heated up with this track. Again with the trombones too.

Track 7, Asignatura Pendiente. Why throw in this right after that last one? C-. I must save all the ballads for my cool-down after a good workout....

Track 8, Juramento. This all sounds like a movie filmed in the desert. Very desperado-like. But a great driving tempo. Like a locomotive or galloping stallions. And nice chants thrown in. A++.

Track 9, Y Todo Queda En Nada. Pleasant, so I give it a B- because I could listen to it while I was working and not be tempted to take a dance break.

Track 10, Si Ya No Estas Aqui. A++++++. My Ricky is back!!! Listen to the passages with percussion, strings and layered vocals. SOOOO Caribbean. So very island-like....I wish I knew what he was singing because I sense that this song has a human message in it.

Track 11, Raza De Mil Colores. A++++++. African-sounding drums. Another human message I might might be missing here? AWESOME to dance to. Syncopation and voices galore, and the piano is back on track with a native Spanish sound. Hurray for the last 2 tracks! Hurray because he could have done something entirely different after his US success a few years ago. This is just well-done Latin and so much everything I've always liked about his music.

Track 12. Las Almas Del Silencio. Here's that sad piano again. I KNOW people love his ballads. He must like them too or he wouldn't do them. I need to get a hold of English lyrics and maybe that would tell me why these ballads are so important to his career. C.

I rate this CD a success because over half of the tracks got an A+. These A+ songs make a really solid set I might not break up to play along with music from his past. Probably always they should be heard together.

The hip-shaking, Latin superstar Ricky Martin returns to the music scene after a 2-year self-imposed hiatus with a new album that undoubtedly will propel him back to #1 status in Latin America and all over the world. After writing and recording 36 songs for his upcoming English CD, Ricky decided to stop in his tracks and make a comeback in his native tongue first. This album contains 13-tracks, including a Spanglish version of his second single, "Jaleo" which is sure to get airplay in Top-40 stations across the country. The lead-off single, "Tal Vez" which debuted on the Hot Latin tracks chart at #1 and stayed there for 7 weeks consecutively, has crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 this week as it debuted at #74, a tremendous feat for a song recorded in Spanish. On this album, Ricky enlisted a few of his "friends" who also happen to be the best songwriters in the Latin music industry such as Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Ricardo Arjona, Jon Secada, and Tommy Torres. In addition, Ricky co-wrote the 3rd single to released from the CD, titled "Nadie Mas Que Tu" a beautifully performed ballad that will move you emotionally. Other standout tracks include the highly-rhythmic "Besos De Fuego, the emotional "Y Todo Queda En Nada" and "Si Ya No Estas Aqui" which was produced by Emilio Estefan. "Almas Del Silencio" will go down as the top-selling Latin album of 2003 and will surely break many sales records before its run on the charts is complete. Do I see another Grammy next year for Ricky? A resounding YES! DA-ME JA-LE-OOO!!

Ricky Martin has had a wild ride the last few years. First came his widely acclaimed Spanish cd "Vuelve" followed by a show stopping performance of "Copa de la Vida" at the 2000 Grammys. When he later released his first English language cd that year, it became a huge hit, selling over 15 million copies. His next English cd sold 4 million copies and some people began to insinuate that he was just another one hit wonder. This new cd, "Almas del Silencio", proves the naysayers wrong. By returning to his Latin roots, Ricky is now singing with more passion, delivering a disc of beautiful ballads and some percussion heavy songs that make you want to jump up and dance. My favorite songs are "Jaleo", "Tal Vez", "Besos de Fuego", "Juramento", "Raza de Mil Colores", and the title track "Las Almas del Silencio". Also included in this cd set is the Spanglish version of "Jaleo", one of the first singles from the new cd. Ricky has included some of Latin music's most talented new singers and songwriters including Spain's Alejandro Sanz and Grammy winning singer/songwriter Juanes. You don't have to speak Spanish to enjoy this cd (I don't). If you are a Ricky fan, you will definitely want to add this refreshing cd to your collection. An added bonus is a interview cd (en espanol) with Ricky discussing the songs and chatting with the different contributors to this new set of songs. "Tal Vez", another single that has been released, has already hit number 1 on Billboard's Latin music chart. I think more number ones are bound to follow. Bottom line---if you enjoy Latin music, buy this cd!

When this CD was released, I expected it would be good because Martin gets better with each release. But, this is REALLY good!
It's a great collection of different tempos and styles; there's something for everyone's taste. It doesn't matter which country you come from, if you like Latin music, or more importantly, think you might, buy this CD - you won't be sorry.

I love his emotional ballads but "Besos de Fuego" ("Kisses of Fire") which is not a ballad, has that sexy yet traditional sound and dance tempo I love. So does "Jamas" ("Never"), but to a lesser degree. "Asignatura Pendiente" is a pensive song pretty much about his life. What more can I say that hasn't been said about how good this CD is. Except...

A word to the obvious haters (not the reviewers who actually don't like a particular CD):
Of course other Latin artists can certainly deliver good music but only Ricky Martin can deliver it with that recognizable style all his own!!

Ricky Martin's "Almas de Silencio" strikes me as a welcome return to his musical roots. All the songs are in Spanish, except for an alternate "Spanglish" version of the first song.

Martin is in outstanding vocal form throughout the CD. There is a good mix of fast, fun songs and slow, emotional ballads. Martin delivers, whatever the format. At his best he seems to show a greater maturity and brings a real emotional resonance to his performances.

The CD also represents a collaboration between Martin and some really outstanding songwriting talents from the Latin music world. Check out, for example, Martin's fine rendition of the title song, written by Alejandro Sanz.

Other outstanding tracks include "Jaleo," a fast, aggressive song that to me has a sort of Middle Eastern flavor; Martin delivers the chorus like a machine gun. "Tal Vez" shows Martin at his romantic, soulful best. "Besos de Fuego" is a fast, enjoyable song with fun lyrics. Overall, this CD compares favorably with Martin's best Spanish language CD's of the past ("Vuelve" and "A Medio Vivir").

I don't understand much Spanish, but Martin's voice is absolutely wonderful here! The ballads are VERY romantic and the "pop" style songs are very upbeat without being clubby.
I've listened to more than a few Latin artists (Sin Bandera included), and a lot of them are good at 1 or 2 styles of songs, but there's something about how Martin comes across on both ballads and the "pop" style songs. You can hear the feeling in his voice! I seriously can't say there's a bad song here!
Interestingly enough, when I heard the Spanish/English version of Jaleo it really sounds awkward. The words don't seem to mesh as well as when he sings it all in Spanish.
I have Martin's english albums and I like some of the songs on them, but he seems to put more feeling into his Spanish songs, and it comes across.
I've ordered the rest of his Spanish albums, and can only guess how good they'll be! Ok, now I've got to learn more Spanish!

Where do I start. The whole CD is amazing. His voice, the different sounds.

Each time I listen to this CD I find I enjoy the different songs more and more. The first time I listened to it I loved the ballads, feeling the emotion in Ricky's voice brought me to tears.

The sounds of the Spanish guitars in Besos De Fuego are haunting and beautiful. Love the song. Jaleo and Jamas are good as well.
Juramento and Si Ya No Estas Aqui have Mideastern sounds. I enjoy every song for different reasons. In true Ricky Martin style it is where he is at in his life at the moment. Even though being a more mature Ricky it is like he never left. It is so good to have him and his music back once again. Can't forget the great writers here as well though. Even the song Ricky wrote, Nadie Mas Que TU is good as well.

I do not speak Spanish but love his voice anyway and have learned some words by listening. He is at his best in his native language which you don't have to understand to know the range of his feelings and what type of song he is singing.

The only downside of this purchase was that I wished the VCD had had a choice of Spanish or English.

So he's finally back. Back with a good production that took, instead of Mr. Robi "Draco" Rosa, a handful of Latin America's most acclaimed songwriters and his still-fresh compratiot, the great (in my opinion) producer Tommy Torres.

There is definitely much to say about the long-awaited "Almas del Silencio". Let me start by the first single "Tal Vez", penned by Ricky's buddy Franco de Vita. "Tal Vez" stayed untouchable in the number one position of the latin section of Billboard for seven weeks straight since its debut. And no, that doesn't necessarily say that "Tal Vez" is the best song out there, this event, is most-likely a sign of the arousal and excitement that Ricky's fans went through when they heard of his come back. By now, we should all have an idea of the many fans Ricky has... or don't we? My opinion: "Tal Vez" is a decent song with a very nice message, performed with feeling and this time in a raspier, easier-to-sound-good-live voice format. The orchestral arrangements I would say, are wonderful.

Jaleo, as the word runs, is the pending single for America... the only thing I could say about it is that everybody seems to love it and I will not exclude myself. It has a unique blend of Middle East sound influences with percussions that make our body's rock.

Moving on to the third track of the album, "Jamas" is catchy, and very hard to dislike.

"Si tu te vas" by Juanes is a track that Juanes had written for his self-titled album and left out for "x or y reasons". In my opinion it stayed out because of the lyrics... not Juanes' best, but still good. The melody and musical arrangements are beautiful, thus still making it a hit.

"Nadie más que tú", partially written by Ricky is a beautiful ballad, that maybe was a little bit biased when it came to producing it since it was in part, his lyrical creation. Ricky gives voice to it with passion... but there is a little down to the song. Apparently Ricky Martin is not that good of a writer. Sorry I am a great Ricky fan and I love him, but writing is not his talent. "Clara como cristal", "Más allá del sol" and "Sin ti nada es igual" are lines that I could almost assure where written by Ricky, and boy they're trite and weak lines.

"Besos de Fuego" is a great track... very nice fusion of sounds and arrangements.

"Asignatura Pendiente" is a masterpiece in all senses. From Arjona's great lyrics, to Tommy's great production, to Ricky's great performance. A classic.

"Juramento"... Danny, I know you like how that title looks but the name of this song is "Así es que te quiero yo"... just kidding, you do whatever you want, but you know what I mean. Great job though. This song showcases Danny Lopez' talent.

"Y todo queda en nada" is a song that I really like. It gets caught in my head all the time. And yes, it is probably one of the most commercial track on the album, but it is a track everyone will like. Ricky breaks a new singing techique in while performing this song. I love it.

"Si ya no estás aquí" another great fusion with a touch of commercialism thanks to the fact of Emilio Estefan producing it.

"Raza de mil colores" is really, really good. Very latin folk. Quality work.

"Las almas del silencio" = Alejandro Sanz using Ricky's voice... not the worst thing ever. Nice lyrics Mr. Sanz. Tommy, where do you get all the imagination?

Well, there could be a lot more to say... but I don't think anyone would regret buying this production. Reason why I give it a 5/5 (plus the fact that I'm a Ricky Martin fan).

No, you don't have to speak spanish to enjoy the album... they made sure to give the universal touch to it.

Peace!

In this CD Ricky Martin goes back to his roots -- sexy, soulful ballads and strong dance tracks (check out Jaleo). Whether or not you speak Spanish, I strongly recommend you get this CD; the music stands up on its own. It does include a Spanglish version of Jaleo and a bonus video interview CD (I haven't watched it yet, so I don't know what language it's in). The CD packaging is wonderful: great pictures and lyrics to all the songs. Another plus: Many of the top Spanish-language/Latin song-writers, musicians and producers collaborated on this album, so you're getting a top quality production. It also has a greater range of music sounds and styles than Ricky's last albums. Well worth the investment, both in time and money.

This album is a great addition to Martin's repertoire. A good mix of ballads and fast paced latin rhythms, it feels very complete. Just when Livin' La Vida Loca and La Copa de Vida get annoying to listen to due to being overpopularized, the Latin composers come out with new hot Jaleo, Jamas and Besos de Fuego.

What's more, in this album Ricky Martin matures into his ballad style and his Las Almas Del Silencio, Tal Vez and others are beautiful whether you understand the words or not.

Unfortunately, the bonus interview is completely in Spanish, but if you just like looking at him - it's a full half an hour of video, not to mention the great photos included the cover booklet.

Totally worth buying.