Unwrapped

Gloria Estefan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000C52JC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,432 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. A Little Push

2. Te Amare

3. Your Picture

4. Wrapped

5. Time Waits

6. In the Meantime

7. Dangerous Game

8. Into You

9. One Name

10. I Will Always Need Your Love

11. Say Goodbye

12. I Wish You

13. You

14. Famous

Editorial Reviews

GLORIA ESTEFAN Unwrapped (2003 Canadian 2-disc set CD/DVD set comprising 14-track CD album and a 60-minute Famous NTSC DVD [ESD56412] picture sleeve EK86790)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking music marks Gloria's deserved comeback, September 23, 2003

By 

Kevin Martin Murnane "spookycooky" (Donnybrook, Dublin 4 Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unwrapped (Audio CD)

What can be said of this truly amazing album by Gloria Estefan that can justify it's innovation. For a start Gloria has returned with a sound unlike anything she has ever done before and unlike her contemporaries she has not resorted to a musical form in order to impact the current top 40.
It's production values are truly outstanding and if given the correct marketing this could be the album of 2003. Outstanding tracks include the promotional single "Wrapped". It's raw, acoustic sounds combined with Peruvian pan-pipes, mandolin guitar, harmonic vocals and poetic lyrics, haunt you for a long time after it's finished. "A little push" is truly surprising as Gloria's lush vocals float atop a bed of brooding baselines and moody unplugged guitar rifts, finding her visit a place she's never been before. On the acoustic, guitar driven ballad "Your Picture" Gloria takes us on an uplifting journey through nostalgia to a place where our memories reunite us with those passed on. Here her rich, honey soaked vocals accompany some beautifully lush classical guitar with a very modern arrangement. The powerful "I wish You" echoes elements of The Beatles at their creative-peak with an arrangement not unlike that of guitar bands Travis or Oasis and with collaborations on this album that include Stevie Wonder (who also plays harmonica on the Southern Bayou influenced "into you") and Chrissie Hynde (the uptempo, flamenco infused "One Name") we find her twisting the conventions of latin pop on its head. Sounding more genuine and spirited on this album than ever before, it is almost like a storybook of life and because it's poetic lyrics are based around real-life experiences they certainly relate to us all. Here is an album, Gloria's "Tapestry" album, dripping with untailored artistry and class. 5 STARS

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloria's Greatest Album To Date!, September 25, 2003

By 

Robert Rosario Jr. (So. California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unwrapped (Audio CD)

When Gloria Estefan said that this was her most intimate and passionate album ever, she wasn't kidding. UNWRAPPED is clearly her most thoughtful and strong album to date. The songwriting, all of which Estefan wrote herself, is pure imagery and captivation. She pulls no strings-the lyrics aim straight for the heart as she bares her soul, telling how the world really is and how one cannot live without love. Sure, Estefan's known "balladry" is evident on this original collection, but they prove to be some of her best songs yet. "Your Picture" is probably the strongest ballad on the album, with a forceful chorus. The song is very acoustic and passionate. Estefan truly shines through on this track. The song talks about how a picture says a million words, even when the person is gone. Very melancholy. "Wrapped," the current single, is nice, yet may seem too folkloric for this record. The Peruvian sound is definitely different and it brings a nice, warm touch to the album. The strongest tracks on the album are "I Wish You" and the lead opener, "A Little Push." Rock fans will even be delighted by these tracks, as Estefan creates a new sound bringing rock, jazz, African, Latin, and even Jamaican rhythms seamlessly together. "Time Waits" sounds as if it could be on a Bon Jovi album, with a stellar acoustic opening. The songwriting on this particular track is undoubtedly deep, as Estefan is telling how life can just go by without one even knowing it. To add to that, two all-star duets are present-Stevie Wonder on "Into You" and Chrissie Hynde on "One Name." They bring an incredible vibe to the album with their unique delivery. Oh, and of course, the album cannot be complete without a couple of pure Latin-tinged tracks. "Te Amare" and "You," dedicated to her daughter Emily, are full of warm, South American percussion with mandolin and vintage guitars. UNWRAPPED closes with a chilling, tell-all song entitled "Famous." Here, Estefan shocks us with her simplicity as she questions life and telling how she never meant to be famous, having full of fame. For Estefan's Latin fans, four of the English tracks are translated into Spanish. The special treat here is a special documentary DVD that Estefan's son, Nayib, produced. Here, Estefan is giving thanks to all her loyal fans by giving an in-depth look at one of music's finest female artists. With an album such as this caliber, it's hard to imagine Estefan topping this album. If you don't have a Gloria Estefan album in your collection, this is surely the one to go with. UNWRAPPED finally shows the music world what Estefan is all about: a sophisticated, intellectual female singer/songwriter who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Five years was, conceivably, well worth the wait. Simply put, a classic album by a timeless artist.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gloria does it again, September 24, 2003

By 

sevenMN "adamfontaine203" (Lindstrom, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unwrapped (Audio CD)

Wow. I have been a big time Gloria fan for just over ten years now. And I must say that it never ceases to amaze me the depth that Gloria has as a singer/songwriter. Unwrapped has been described as an "organic" album and it delivers. Every song on the album has this warm and inviting sort of rhythm. As a long time Gloria fan, this album has a familiarity to it and yet at the same time is distinctly different and stands on its own. I would recommend this album to anyone fond of latin music as well has anyone who appreciates music that has a soul to it and isn't just some "out of the mold" pop music.