Sweet & Sour - Hot & Spicy

Ely Guerra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 3, 2012)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Higher Octave
• ASIN: B0002VL13C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,074 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ely Guerra has been compared to PJ Harvey and Joni Mitchell, not to mention fellow Mexican music diva Lila Downs. But whereas Downs's music looks back as it looks forward---some of her influences are traditions that go back centuries---Guerra has always been firmly entrenched in modern day styles on both sides of the border. Her fourth album opens with "Te Amo, I Love You," which is a Spanish language rocker that ferociously roars. Soon she turns to touch on percolating electronic pop, subdued ballads and organic urban grooves that recalls songwriter Joe Henry. Amidst these different music flavors, Guerra's voice grandly soars overhead, coos to a lover, whispers and cajoles, proving she is as versatile as her backing. It's no surprise that the album is called Sweet and Sour, Hot Y Spicy; Guerra shares a lot of different sides of herself on it. Indeed, Guerra's decade-long career is an illustrious one, but this is an album is a real bright spot. --Tad Hendrickson

Product Description

Sweet & Sour - Hot & Spicy by Ely Guerra

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Evolution from Ely ((War)) Guerra, April 15, 2005

By 

Jesus G. Renteria "Tasting lo sweet & sour, c... (Fresno, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sweet & Sour - Hot & Spicy (Audio CD)

In her fourth album Ely comes full circle with another one of her musical evolutions! She puts a little bit of everything in this new album. Unlike her previous cds where she sticks to one style, here Ely has two completley different cds combined in one( that is why she has the digipack ediction wich LITERALLY is two cds). Each song can be classified in its own genre, which demonstrates that Guerra is not afraid to flow in more than one direction, musically speaking. This cd is about evolving and evolution can be slow or it can be VERY radical, just as this album is Ely's most intensely radical cd. Her English can use a little work, but it doesn't weaken the meaning behind the songs. Highly recommend the cd for those who are not afraid of experimentation and radical changes; this is Ely Guerra's most intense moment in her career and personally speaking this cd is the one that will help her gain a little bit more commercial success. Lotofire obviously started this process, but Sweet & Sour, Hot Y Spicy will take it to the next level.

****For those who really want to see this authentic artist at her best, see her play these songs live and you will truely appreciate the album. I didn't appreciate the English songs until I saw her perform them in one of her concerts in San Francisco, Ca USA. The same may be for some of those who are having trouble with these same songs or other songs in the album > ;)

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Solid Work, November 10, 2004

By 

MariaGitana (San Diego/Tijuana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet & Sour - Hot & Spicy (Audio CD)

I must agree with another commentator about giving this album "some time." I am a HUGE Ely fan, and fell in love with here when I heard her previous album LOTOFIRE, which I still consider her best. When I first heard this new production I hated it, but found that some of the songs lingered in my head... So I decided to listen to it more, and now have grown to appreciate what Ely has done.

What can I say? As with Julieta Venegas, love does things to songwriters, afterall, they are human beings people! Change and happiness isn't necessarily downfall however...

This album is bouncy and playful, and Ely fluctutates, within the same song, with coos and yells. However, it is delicately orchestrated to be this way, and the result is good. It is something different, definitely experimental, and with more rock and pop sounds than her previous work.

I gave it four stars because of two reasons. She does one English song that is quite shockingly HORRIBLE(ANGELITO HEART(?)) and ruins the mood of the album, since it is in the middle. Another problem is the never ending cooing...it sounds great at first, but she does it in EVERY song and it gets a little old.

Overall, I do recommend the album. You can tell that Ely has found a large part of herself, though is still in the process of COMPLETELY finding herself. She seems to be experimenting lots with her music- all of her albums are very different.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delicious mixture of rhythms, voices and styles!, September 16, 2004

By 

Ernesto "ernestosan" (SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, NUEVO LEON Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sweet & Sour - Hot & Spicy (Audio CD)

It is almost impossible, and certainly a major challenge, to surpass yourself when you have a record like "Lotofire" in your resume. But Ely Guerra finds the way in a very unexpected turn of the wheel. While "Lotofire" was intimate, circular, introspective, conceptual and highly complex, "Sweet & Sour, Hot y Spicy" is extrovert, simpler, charming, and invites the listener to change from song to song in every imaginable aspect.
The title couldn't be more appropiated. Ely's vocals are incredibly diverse: she roars in "Te Amo-I Love You", whispers in "Angelito Heart", provokes in "Puerto Vallarta", enchants in "PaRaTi" and evokes nostalgia in "Quiereme Mucho".
Likewise, the rhythms and the instruments used are constantly surprising. There's a latin jazz ("Besame"), a bolero ("Mi Playa"), a lovely ballad ("Angelito Heart"), and even a folkloric tune that will make you go dance ("Lucrecia Y Rigoberto").
There are two songs in english that Ely sings with such confidence ("Puerto Vallarta", "Angelito Heart"), that it's hard not to think that her next album could be completely sung in english. It should be.
Ely's talent as a mexican musician who avoids the cliché of using her hispanic roots to make music (Julieta Venegas, Lila Downs, Café Tacvba), is one of a kind.
In that sense, "Sweet & Sour, Hot y Spicy" is one of the few mexican albums that's not afraid to look forward into making universal music.
It's completeley different from "Lotofire", but equally interesting and powerful. And that's a triumph for Ms. Guerra.