Customer Reviews

Hard Hands

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Ray Barretto's second Fania release finds him struggling to find himself (musically). While the hit tune "Abidjan" is a classic and both "Mirame De Frente" and "Mi Ritmo Te Llama" deserved a better fate the rest of the album is of merely average (as opposed to superior) musical quality. A major issue with this album is that its sound quality (even the remastered CD edition) is quite mediocre and leaves much to be desired. Was it mastered from an old 8-track tape or a pre-recorded cassette? I (honestly) don't know but I just don't think that the original masters were used on either the 2006 rematered edition or the (even worse) non-remastered 1995 edition.

This 1968 Fania release,"Hard Hands", finds Ray Barretto still mixing rythm and blues, jazz, and some funky stuff, with traditional afro-cuban music. Like trying to makeup his mind, what road to take. Nevertheless, for those hardcore "salsa" fans, these four selections pickup the slack pretty nice; "Mi Ritmo Te LLama", "Son Con Cuero", "Ahora Sì", and( Hugo Gonzàlez searing güaracha) "Mìrame De Frente". The great sonero, Adalberto Santiago is the lead singer on the just mentioned selections, except "Son Con Cuero". Willie Torres and Jimmy Sabater, both from Joe Cuba's Sextet fame roundup the chorus section. Barretto's subsequent LP's for the remainder of the 60's, all of the 70's, and into the 80's, sealed his legacy as one of "Salsa's" true giants.