Customer Reviews

El Juicio

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

 

 

It was a wonderful reunion to listen to this masterpiece. Of course, my bias is that I can in vivid memory identify the song "Aguanile" with giving me a love affair for the phenomena of rythym in '72 while I was still in diapers! Mr. Colon, Lavoe, and the rest sure did a wonderful job of preserving the Africa to the New World Rythym evolution. Excellent.

Hector begins this dynamite album by taking you in a lyrical journey (literally) throughout latin america. His ability to Sonear (improvise) shines like a gold nugget in the first track, AH AH Oh No. The beat starts slow, but builds on this album in every song. The next track, Piran~a is a passionate cry for a clear message from a girl...while I doubt the message ever came accross, the song sears the ears with an excellent trmbone chorus, a sexy piano solo (perhaps he was still smokin' them bananas), and plenty of beat to keep the dancers in the room shaking it. There are romantic and slow moments, Son~ando Despierto and Seguire sin ti are rather ironic love songs, and prove to be the slow points of the album. Si la Vez plays on the theme of lost love, and will leave you dancing depressed as you contemplate where she could be while you dance with another. The album has two more songs which will have you turning the volume up so high the neighbors will be complaining. Timbalero is a scorching song set a fire by an orchestra that spews more heat than a jet engine. Aguianile takes slasa back to its african roots and will leave you in a trance. The final song, a mellow insturmental, will finally calm a listener down after being taken on this amazing journey that is el Juicio. No doubt this one of the best albums by one of the best salsa bands, you will be kicking yourself if you pass this one by........

El Juicio was the last album that Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe made while still being on the same band together. While they collaborated many times after, those collaborations did not come from a working band who knew exactly how to push each other's limits.

And that's what you get here, a total all out artistic tour-de-force. Strong rhythmic variations abound, breaks that were not to be heard again in latin music until the advent of timba, incredible vocal improvisation, and Willie Colon's fierce trombone section.

This one is not for fans of Gilberto Santarosa, Victor Manuelle, and Marc Anthony. This is the raw sound of New York. The album name "El Juicio" was Willie Colon's own introspective view of his life at the time, which caused him to shortly thereafter end his marriage and partnership with Lavoe. Which makes it not only historic, but also emotional.

I'm a big fan of Willie colon and Hector lavoe since i was kid playing my father's records, cassettes, and 8-tracks back in the day and now seeing fania records coming back in 06' with the remastered albums its like taking me back to that time except that these discs sound a lot clearer and this album alone proves that as you can clearly hear more of the instruments (Seguiré Sin Tí piano for example) and the vocals are clear. very well done disc i highly recomend if you are a fan or thinking of replacing the old cd/cassette/8-track (the record on the other hand is worth every penny to keep)

This early-'70s salsa album (from 1972) features bandleader Willie Colon edging into his glory years, with famed singer Hector LaVoe crooning atop the churning, rhythmic sound of Colon's tight, muscular band. I wouldn't say this is the best album to come out of the era, but it's still pretty good. Worth checking out.

El Juicio and Cosa Nostra, are very ritmical and perfectly orchestred by Willie, the voice of Lavoe gives to all songs brightness and invites you to dance salsa, it is real hot music.

Salsa as it should always be excellent music and service

This album is simply a masterpiece. Along with "Cosa Nuestra" and "LoMato" are Willie's & Hector's best work. All tracks are good. Sadly that Hector is not alive, because a reunion would have been great. To all you salsa afficionados, this is what Salsa supposed to sound like.

Well, was not what my husband and I expected, more songs of Hector Lavoe; but it is okay to listen it.