Customer Reviews

Mejor De La Vida

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

 

 

Compay Segundo is a 90 year old Cuban guitarist. His age alone makes this CD somewhat of a miracle and an impressive accomplishment. Listening to it, you would never realize that the fingers that are moving that fast playing all those great songs are fingers that are almost a century old. It is a pity in some ways that the American embargo against Castro prevented this great music from getting to America for so long.

You may recognize Compay from his work on Ry Cooder's great album Buena Vista Social Club. It's also worth noting that this CD does sound more like Compay's work on BVSC than any other album he's worked on, including Calle Salud.

Unfortunately this disc doesn't have nearly as much variety to it as Cooder's which is probably it's biggest problem. After awhile all the great guitar and percussion work just starts to kind of blend together and I sometimes forget what track I'm on since many sound similar. There also appears to be some bad electronic mixing that was done afterwards, someone told me it sounds like they tried to add an echo.

Nonetheless this is a superb effort. In particular there are a couple of tracks where Martirio and Felix Valoy add their vocals to the already superb instrumental sound and the result is quite amazing.

There are two tracks that stick out a little in my mind. "Frutas Del Caney" is an older song that Compay does true justice to in this version. And track 8, "Es Mejor Vivi Asi" has some great vocals that seem to cut straight to my heart.

If you're looking for a truly great example of Cuban music, then I'd recommend trying Buena Vista first, there is also another CD put out in that same line called Buena Vista presents Ibrahim Ferrer that I think is better than this work as well. However if you have both of those albums or if you just want some more good Cuban music with a great flamenco inspiration then I recommend this CD.

As good as Buena Vista Social Club was, Lo Mejor de la Vida is better. Without a doubt this is one of the finest albums to be released this decade. The excellence of Compay Segundo's muscianship is almost beyond compare and yet is generously complemented by the fine, fine company of muscians performing with him on this album. Despite his venerable age (90 years), a youthful joy of life shines through in his music.

It is a essentially a crime that the American embargo against Cuba has kept such fine muscians as Compay Segundo from having their music reach American ears for so long. God bless Ry Cooder for "discovering" this fine muscian and the record company for allowing him a solo album.

Feel fortunate you have a chance to hear such a magnificient musician...now buy the album.

I can't find words good enough to describe the performance level of this artist, as my English is too poor to express what it is really like. It takes your heart, your soul, your life. Usually the artists do what they can, this one does what he wants.

In response to the previous, poster, Ry Cooder didn't "rediscover" Compay Segundo; the latter made a number of recordings in the 90s before Buena Vista. Never mind, this is one of my absolute favorite (modern) Cuban son CDs. And no slide guitar from you-know-who!

Compay Segundo's rich, throaty voice is a perfect accompaniment to the twangy, slightly out-of-tune armonico guitar he plays on here, which makes "Lo mejor de la vida" a step up from a couple of his other recordings, especially the windy "Calle Salud", which I thought was too top-heavy with clarinets and saxophones. Compay is always at his best, but the accompaniment here truly shines, a fine sugar coating on the tip of this pungent old Cuban cigar.

The reviewer below was dead on. Segundo's sound truly is unique and irreplaceable. This is definitely "the best of life". Great stuff! Get it.

I now own all of the Buena Vista Social Club CDs and this one is the least wonderful. What could have been a great CD is ruined. The use of an electronic echo chamber makes them sound like they are performing from the bottom of a well.

El Maestro Francisco "Compay" Segundo is perhaps Cuba's ambassador of its fine folk music. Like many people have said, it is a SHAME that his music is barely trespassing the island's boundries in last couple of years. The vocals, the acoustic guitar rythyms and the Afro-Cuban drums are simply out of this world. You will never regret buying this CD. Long live Compay!

Born on November 18, 1907 in Siboney, Cuba, Maximo Francisco Repilado Munoz (better known as "Compay Segundo") died of kidney failure on July 13, 2003 in Havana, Cuba. Farewell to an unbelievably charismatic and talented musician. Known for his sporty, Borsalino-style hats and trademark cigars, Segundo was truly young at heart and rich in sound. He reemerged in popularity in 1997 with the Buena Vista Social Club documentary and CD. With the passing of segundo, the world has lost a truly unique and irreplaceable sound.

I now have 20 CDs by various artists associated with the Buena Vista Social Club project, and I fell in love with this one from the very first listening.

Of the 14 tracks, "Cuba y España" is the only one of which I find tedious.

On the other extreme, "Es Mejor Vivir Así" is, by itself, probably worth the price of the whole CD.

Most of the rest are excellent. Some of merely wonderful. If you're a fan of Compay Segundo's, this one should definitely be in your collection.

Maybe it's just because I have over 30 CDs of Cuban music, but this is not my favorite. Compay is great and I like his voice, but I prefer son/son montuno and the styles of these songs don't appeal to me as much as those of other CDs like "El son es el mas sublime." Certainly worth listening to, but not as stunningly brilliant as the others in the collection.