Customer Reviews

Destiny

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This has to be Gloria Estefans most accomplished album and one of her best. Conveying strong messages of love and spirituality over percussive afro cuban rhythms it really hits home. It's title track "Destiny" speaks of a sometimes dangerous and obsessive love, one that we can't turn away from no matter what the circumstances, while "I'm not giving you up" tells the tale of a thwarted love affair where the love is so strong and loyal it can beat the odds. Lyrically the album is quite deep without being pretentious..even it's upbeat tracks "You'll be mine (Party Time)" is in my opinion singing the celebrations of what waits for us after we leave this world..that no matter what we are in life or what we're seeking, the biggest party is yet to come.."When the sun is setting in the sky, everybody knows it's party-time" while "Higher" is an all out anti-drug anthem..."Path of the right love" is probably the most spiritual track on the album and with it's unforgettable haunting chorus it says that we all seek the same in life..to be loved, but sometimes without realising we're on a direct path towards it, it's all around us but we take it for granted. While it's first single "Reach" the theme tune to the 96 Olympics is one if the most up-lifting, positive and influential songs I've heard..."So I'll do whatever it takes..Follow through with the promise I made"...an excellent anthem but avoiding all the anthemic cliches in it's production and arrangements! Do yourself a favour..but this cd, sit back and listen!

By far, this is probably the best Gloria Estefan CD. I've never heard such creativity and emotion on an album before. Each song is very deep, leaving you looking at your life and the relationships you have. "Destiny" speaks about changing your life and accepting your fate, while the ballads "I'm Not Giving You Up" "Steal Your Heart" "I Know You Too Well" and "The Heart Never Learns" speak about relationships and the effect it has on the people in it. Gloria's dance style comes through in "You'll Be Mine (Party Time) and "Higher." Gloria pens tribute to her daughter Emily in "Along Came You (A Song For Emily)" Let's not forget about the official theme for the 1996 Olympics and very inspiring "Reach." Although the rest of the songs are magnificant, the most heart-wrenching, emotional ballad is track 7, "Show Me The Way Back To Your Heart." I must say, this song ranks better than Gloria's classic ballads such as, "Anything For You" and "Here We Are." I was amazed when I heard this song. Her voice glides with the music, very passionate. The guitar solo in the middle is outstanding. Gloria's best ballad. All in all, this CD is phenominal...very deep, emotional and relaxing. If that wasn't enough, you also get a bonus CD-Extra when you load the CD into your PC. Pick it up, I GUARANTEE you, you will NOT be disappointed!

I am by far the biggest Gloria Estefan fan in my home state (SD), and most likely the US, and Destiny is my favorite album by Gloria. What bugs me is that nowadays, the only Latin music there is playing is Ricky and Jennifer, and that's not even true Latin in my mind, its just a bad blend of pop and latin. However, this album is pure Latin from the title track, to my favorite song, "Reach". The mezmorizing guitar playing on "Steal Your Heart", and the ballad "Show Me the Way Back to Your Heart" written by Diane Warren are just some other favs on this album and let's not forget "Along Came You" which Gloria wrote for her daughter. This album has everything, including great dance numbers. So if you like REAL latin music, then I can't tell you how much I reccommend this album.

Destiny marks the return to English music for Gloria Estefan, but the African, Carribbean, and Latin influences of her last few years can easily be heard here. From the very African You'll Be Mine (Party Time) to the beautifully rich Spanish guitar on Steal Your Heart, the world rhythms permeate this album. Reach, which is probably most familiar from radio play, is unsurprisingly the most mainstream song here. While I don't care for a couple of the songs, many of the others spontaneously pop into my head frequently. Highly recommended.

Quality in every department on this album. As an artist she always gives the best to the listner. You know what you get, but it`s nothing wrong with that. From the opening track Destiny to Track 11 Reach there is just small musical letdowns to not give the CD a five star. But the glorious "Estefan touch" shines trough the weaker things anyway. Personally I prefer here when she sings in spanish, because it`s more real in a way. You get anyway a good mix of slow songs
and songs with more "up tempo" beat. Track 5 You`ll be mine is a good example of that. Track 9 Along came you is an another example wich realy make you "cha cha cha" all trough. The acoustic Track 11 Reach is a classical Estefan
songs as we like it. A fine end to a good musical journey.

I have always been a fan of Gloria Estefan ever since her Miami Sound Machine Days. I have always loved her strong and deep voice and her amazing ability to write songs that are both catchy and meaningful at the same time. This album is no different. However, Gloria does seem more serious on this one. The biggest hit on this album was "Reach" for the Olympic Games, but although the song is wonderful, it is not my favorite. My favorites are "I'm Not Giving You Up" (the ballad version), "Steal Your Heart", "The Heart Never Learns", and "The Path of the Right Love." All of these songs, in my opinion, deal with the truth of love in it's purest form. It is not something that is constantly romantic and perfect, but an emotion filled with as much pain as pleasure. "The Path of the Right Love" especially deals with the unconditional love that the world needs more of. My favorite lyric on this song is "I do believe, If we share this life, We must learn to share, All its pain and strife." Take from that what you will. Musically this album has a very different style than her former English albums. The flavor is more Latin than Pop and has very interesting interweavings of Afro-Cuban rhythms that only her Spanish Language albums have had to date. This is my favorite Gloria album, so far.

I have nearly all of Gloria's english-speaking albums and this is, in my opinion, one of her very best. I love her Greatest Hits album, but this one is more mature, yet very latin, so you get the salsa feel that makes you want to wiggle, along with the intensity of her more romantic cuts.

Some of my favorites are Steal Your Heart, which is very flamenco, I'm Not Giving You Up, which is intense and sensual and Path of the Right Love, which really showcases her true vocal talent. I think she's gotten even better over the years.

Then, of course, there is Along Came You, about her infant daughter, Emily. If you saw her Evolution concert on HBO years ago, it came with endearing footage of this child that must now be 6 or 7.

All in all, this is Gloria at her finest and I just hope she continues to get better and better!!!

After putting out INTO THE LIGHT in early 1991,Gloria Estefan released GREATEST HITS the following year,and two years later,HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME which is all cover tunes. In 1996,came DESTINY which is completely all her own(no covers or previously released material). The title track is cool. REACH is the only Top 20 hit from the album. I also like I KNOW YOU TOO WELL,YOU'LL BE MINE(PARTY TIME),I'M NOT GIVING YOU UP and HIGHER. ALONG CAME YOU is an ode to Gloria's daughter Emily(yes,Emilio is her father). All the other songs are good.

...and Gloria listens carefully to all of them.
This album is such a gem!
I remember being in Madrid on its release day, so you can imagine what a surprise find out that the whole concept was mixing latin-flavoured and influenced music and beats with powerful lyrics.
DESTINY is a great track, lyrically boombastic, musically engulfing.
Just like I'M NOT GIVING YOU UP or STEAL YOUR HEART.
SHOW ME THE WAY BACK TO YOUR HEART is the Diane Warren ballad stripped down to essentials, and Diane also teams up with Gloria in writing I KNOW YOU TOO WELL and the Atlanta 1996 Olympic games score track REACH, as well as the titletrack.
You do have uptempos here, but they don't work too well in their original form, although i find that acoustic uptempos - full of drums and bongos DO sound fun! - so YOU'LL BE MINE (PARTY TIME) was taken and remixed for the single version.
The music in this collection brings back such wondrerful memories of Spain, thanks Gloria!

It's a little different from her earlier CD's. The songs have a more spiritual and mystical sound. There are chants and Afro-Cuban rhythms, but at the same time it's very much an adult-contemporary pop CD.