or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
30 used & new from $1.97

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Lo Mejor de la Vida
 
See larger image
 

Lo Mejor de la Vida

Compay Segundo
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews) More about this product

Price: $18.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Friday, November 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
14 new from $6.75 15 used from $1.97 1 collectible from $18.98

Amazon's Compay Segundo Store

Compay Segundo
Find all the CDs, MP3s, and vinyl, plus photos, videos, biographies, discussions, and more.

Visit Amazon's Compay Segundo Store

Frequently Bought Together

Lo Mejor de la Vida + Calle Salud + Las Flores de la Vida
Price For All Three: $56.94

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Lo Mejor de la Vida ~ Compay Segundo

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Calle Salud ~ Compay Segundo

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Las Flores de la Vida ~ Compay Segundo

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Get $1 worth of MP3 downloads from Amazon MP3 after you order your item. Here's how (restrictions apply)

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Las Flores de la Vida

Las Flores de la Vida

~ Compay Segundo
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  $18.98
Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer

Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer

~ Ibrahim Ferrer
4.5 out of 5 stars (110)  $14.99
Cien Años: 100th Birthday Celebration

Cien Años: 100th Birthday Celebration

~ Compay Segundo
$19.98
Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Club

~ Buena Vista Social Club
4.7 out of 5 stars (334)  $13.99
Compay, Compay

Compay, Compay

~ Compay Segundo
$21.98
Explore similar items

Product Details

  • Audio CD (September 15, 1998)
  • Original Release Date: September 15, 1998
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Nonesuch
  • ASIN: B00000AEE4
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #182,257 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The 90-year-old Cuban guitarist and singer introduced to much of the world on Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club, is back with his own album. While Segundo uses his own group here, the disc has the same combination of delicate acoustic guitars, complex Afrocaribbean rhythms, and relaxed, impromptu feel as Buena Vista. Segundo has chosen songs from his first heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, and perfectly captures their classic flavor without making them sound like museum pieces. While less varied than the all-star Cooder project, the album has lead vocals by several legendary Cuban singers, occasional, understated horns, and surprisingly appropriate guest shots by the revolutionary bard Silvio Rodriguez and flamenco guitarist Raimundo Amador. Segundo lets the guests shine, but it is his harmonies and deft guitar work that holds the disc together, and his flawless musicianship thoroughly justifies this more expansive showcase. --Elijah Wald

Related Artists on Tour(What's this?)
Product Ads

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Guitar Music from Castro's Paradise, August 27, 2000
By William M. Rand (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This album kicks more butt than words can describe., July 3, 1999
By A Customer
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just to put it in one word: marvellous!, October 11, 1999
By A Customer
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Compay's best
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... Read more
Published on February 7, 2004 by Stephen Taylor

5.0 out of 5 stars Farewell to Compay Segundo
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... Read more
Published on July 18, 2003 by Martin A. Kalis

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it from the first time I listened
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. Read more
Published on June 9, 2001 by BVSC fanatic

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it from the first time I listened
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. Read more
Published on June 9, 2001 by BVSC fanatic

5.0 out of 5 stars TWO THUMBS WAY UP FOR COMPAY !!
El Maestro Francisco "Compay" Segundo is perhaps Cuba's ambassador of its fine folk music. Read more
Published on October 8, 2000 by Francisco Arturo Melara

4.0 out of 5 stars Closer to original BVSC than "Calle Salud" is
"Lo Mejor..." is a wonderful record that is much closer to Compay Segundo's contributions to the original BVSC disc than his 1999 "Calle Salud," which while a... Read more
Published on July 25, 2000 by Rubén

5.0 out of 5 stars frutas del caney
I remember hearing this song (frutas del caney) when I was a youngster. I commute for over an hour on a daily basis and for the last 2 months the only music I play is from this... Read more
Published on July 10, 2000

4.0 out of 5 stars good stuff, but not as good as the others in the 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... Read more
Published on May 25, 2000 by M. H. Bayliss

3.0 out of 5 stars Good music spoiled by using an echo chamber
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. Read more
Published on September 29, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Viva Compay!
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. Read more
Published on July 30, 1999 by Colin Brace

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Discussion Replies Latest Post
let's show the 60's some love too! 1925 18 minutes ago
What is the saddest song you have ever heard? 803 21 minutes ago
Cozy Revisited. 135 31 minutes ago
Avant Garde Jazz 332 2 hours ago
What are you listening right now? 3118 8 hours ago
Do men listen to Shakira? 4 1 day ago
Salsa in Puerto Rico 275 13 days ago
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   


Listmania!



SoundUnwound Says...

Lo mejor de la vida opens new browser window by Compay Segundo opens new browser window is mainly Jazz”

Disagree? Cast your vote now! opens new browser window

Share your knowledge and explore the rest of the music world at SoundUnwound.com opens new browser window

SoundUnwound Logo

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?



Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Music by subject:








i.e., each title must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.