International music reviews

I have been a fan of Sentidos opuestos since their sophomore album, with awsome dance beats, lyrics and Alessandra's soft beautiful voice. Hoy que no estas is a spanish version of Madonna's one more chance not exactly the same but it has the same music. Tu loco amor, esta noche, eternamente, and my ultimate favorite Nada, has a powerful message behind it . You dont have to know spanish to love this cd. try it out.

Well what can I say, I am a big fan of them and I bought the album the day it came out. What a surprise. They are still pumping out great dance tunes with the style that made them famous, while adding some new things. Tu Loco Amor has rap, Promises is in English and they still sound great. Also it comes with enhancement that has a video for Tu Loco Amor and an interview with the artists. I love the album the first time I heard it which is very rare. I just like their beat. If you like their old stuff you will like this one and if you wanna try an album by them this is the best one to date.

Sentidos Opuestos is my favorite duo...Alessandra proved once again that she sings great...this album contains great songs. Is the best pop album I have ever heard...comprenlo es el mejor, les gustara mucho..SENTIDOS OPUESTOS #1

Ese CD es para aquellos que solo conocen de refilo a estos grandes de la musica. Para los conocedores solo el CD doble es bueno y es el �nico que consideran comprar. Los duatos estan exelentes y abran en los momentos exactos los microfonos del publico para hacer sentir como en el concierto. Lo unico raro es que las canciones no concuerdan cuando se escoje con el estereo, despues se le tiene que adelantar o atrasar un poco, pero esos son detalles curiosos y nada mas porque este CD se tiene que escuchar de cabo a rabo

If you want to enjoy Ana belen & Victor Manuel greatest hits live, MUCHO MAS QUE DOS is definately the best album !. The imported is a 2 CD album and if this one is good the imported is outstanding ! Just listen to believe!

When I first listened to this album in 1994, I was speechless. Never will you find a better collection of Spanish "Canta-autores". Victor Manuel, Ana Belen, Miguel Rios, Joan Manuel Serrat, and the rest are a huge part of Spain's "protest" generation, and thus the lyrics are so rich you can almost touch them. A must have! Wonderfully recorded. I specially recommend "Solo pienso en ti" and "Espa�a camisa blanca de mi esperanza".

Listening to Frank could not get any better by having this 2cds collection of the best. I could not imagine a better gift for Sinatra fans. Perfect

Being an avid collector of Old Blue Eyes dating back to when he started(1939) and I first saw him in person in 1941 at the Chicago theater before I went overseas,I am in possession of a great many of his works.
This compilation on 2 discs is very good,remastered well mostly in Monaural,yet still great to hear again,
to reminisce all of those wonderful WW2 Big Band days; I Treasure the music ,all of which I will be leaving for my Daughter in Michigan when I go visit The Man when my time comes.
The Greatest,The Consummate singer of our time!!
Richard(Dick)Lindstrom
Venice,Florida nee Kalamazoo,Michigan

This is simply a desert island disc. I don't care how many Sinatra albums you've got; this one package puts together a program you'll turn to over and over again. Especially great for in car listening, when you don't want to fumble around with many different CDs. This collection is a mood changer, so put on a happy face. While the complete Columbia, Capital, or Reprise albums represent different moods, this set has a nice sequence/flow to it. Frank tackles everything here! There are his signature songs, great standards, a couple of duets(incl.
"Something Stupid" with daughter Nancy) and even a swing take on
Jim Croce's "Bad Bad Leroy Brown". For the Sinatra addict or the casual novice, you can't go wrong. Charming tribute essay by long time Sinatra friend, Stan Cornyn included.

Passage is devoted to music of the African diaspora, sung by one of the world's most unique college a cappella groups. The group's strongest point may be their arrangements. I thought I knew most of the songs on this CD before I heard it, but the group manages to add new twists to classic pieces like "Wade in the Water", "Eyes on the Prize", "Soon Ah Will Be Done", "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing", as well as contemporary songs like Angelique Kidjo's "Akwaba", Dionne Farris's "Human", and Zap Mama's "Rafiki" (which includes lines interspersed from Mariah Carey's "Anytime You Need a Friend"). The introduction to "Soon Ah Will Be Done", using "Wayfaring Stranger", is one of the most beautiful segments of music ever recorded, and, like the rest of the CD, this song continues to grow with new surprises at every refrain.

I was initially less impressed a few songs, notably "Pata Pata!" and "Eyes on the Prize", but after giving them a few more chances I grew to love them as much as the rest of the songs. My only criticism is that most of the male soloists, while they sound excellent when backing up the women and blending in choral pieces, pale in comparison to the female soloists, most notably *Z* McClelland. That may be why they're so hard to come by- out of 56 solos on the album, only 15 are sung by a male.

Even if you're not usually a fan of a cappella music, this CD will make you smile, dance, and be thankful for the gifted musicians of Stanford University.

This album marks a major transition in the a cappella world. African and African-American music have NEVER seen better days or been in better hands. *Z* McClelland is AMAZING with her creative style and arranging talent. I've never heard anything like this album before (and will likely not hear anything close to it again). I put this CD on repeat and NEVER get tired of it. How many CDs can you say THAT about? (Honestly.)

From its non-traditional approach to traditional songs ("Lift Ev'ry Voice" and "This Little Light") to its sweet and mysteriously beautiful ballads ("Going Home" and "Famine Song") to its funky fusion of R&B and spoken word in tracks like "Rafiki," "Human," and "Pata Pata!", Talisman's newest album is certainly a must-have!

It's simply good music--whether you're down with the a cappella scene or not (and if you're not, there are a more than a few drum-laiden songs to keep you happy and bopping your head). This album is awesome. There's nothing more to say.

RARB (The Recorded A Cappella Review Board) review
for this album:

http://www.rarb.org/reviews/259.html

Excerpts:
"Once again, Talisman has put together quite an amazing album, full of the most beautiful African and African-American music you've ever heard...You will not find a better recording of this genre of music, aside from maybe SoVoS� or similar professional groups. Talisman just keeps getting better and better. I can't imagine how they could ever top this album." - Freddie Feldman

"It's a great album, one that should appeal to fans of world music both in and out of the a cappella world." - Rebecca Christie

"What's most impressive about this is that fifteen women and eleven men have a turn at soloing, avoiding detriment to the spectacular sound and energy of the disc." - Freddie Feldman

"It's just good music." - Bernard Levin

I Liken this CD to Frank Sinatra's "Sings For Only The lonely" Most of the songs listed here are for the broken hearted And Javier Solis sings each song as if though he feels what the brokenhearted are going through!
This is an absolutely "must have" CD for music lovers or aficionados of fine Mariachi music,with music arrangements by F.Z. Maldonado. Solis' voice was at it's prime when this album was recorded, and in my opinion, no one can match the Bravura of his vocal style!
I give it a perfect "10"

I liken this album to Sinatra's " Sings For Only The Lonely" album, And the beautiful Fernando Z. Maldonado Mariachi arrangements make this album " Payaso" one of Javier Solis' most unforgettable albums! this is really a "must have" for any music collection, I think Javier Solis' voice was at it's prime when this recording was made.
This cd is good to listen if you're feeling the blues as Javier Solis sings each song with such emotion and bravura , It's as if though he feels what you're going through!

This cd is a classic. If you love mariachi, fond of good music this is a cd to own. Please read te review underneath this one.

Gianmarco es uno de los mejores cantautores de latinoam?rica, ?l ya compuso canciones para artistas y sus composiciones son ?xitos, ?ste ?lbum como los posteriores son de una calidad indiscutible, , de baladas ?nicas y valses contempor?neos, una producci?n genial ! un orgullo para todo el PERU !

Gian Marco is one of the best singer's of Latin America. He goes on my top 3 fav's including Alejandro Sanz and Ricardo Arjona. He is talented,and very good looking as well!

I Love it!!!!! Gian Marco has everything, passion,heart and soul!

This is the second cd I have bought from Pablo Montero and its super fanstic. I love this 400x better than Que Voy a Hacer Sin Ti. And that was an awsome cd also. Pablo Montero sings from his heart and his soul. Not his lungs. Pablo Montero makes betiful music. Music that is passionte and romantic. I speak only a little bit of spanish but I understand it so I know a lot of the words in his music and from other singers what they are singing about in spanish. Eh its a great cd and I urge you to bye it. I have known Mr. Montero since 2000 and I have not been yet dissapoited with one of his cds. I tell you the trith that he makes great cds. Que Viva Pablo Monter Para Simpre!!!!

Although most of the musical arrangements on this CD are less interesting than those on his four others, Pablo's voice is at its most lush and romantic here. He is adding more lower notes and playing with interesting harmonies, especially on songs like "Yo te quiero" and "Que viva la novia," which are also the most musically interesting songs on this release. There is no voice in the world better suited than his for words such as "amor", "abrazame", "te quiero,".... Venus and Cupid could not have chosen a better ambassador of their message.

Pablo is also venturing into composition with "Volver contigo" (both music and lyrics) and I hope he will continue to develop his composition talent along with his exquisite voice. If these lyrics are a preview of what's to come, we can expect many more passionate love songs from him.

Probably one of the "other" best male vocal performers to come out of Mexico...The other one is Alejandro Fernandez. Still, Montero is in a distinct class of his own with his light almost-baritone voice. He soars on such numbers like track 5 with it's traditional bolero/mariachi dramatic feel ! Here, he sounds like Alejandro Fernandez when Fernandez made his debut in the early 90's...but enough of the comparisons. What this collection of beautifully crafted and sung Spanish tracks offer are a richly entrancing atmosphere of being on vacation in a beautiful land with that someone special !

After the release of her second sophomore album "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie," Alanis Morissette seemed to disappear from the music scene altogether. Her absence went almost unnoticed with the arrival of the teen pop movement - the Spice Girls were cooling and Britney was hotting up. A lot of mature and real talented artists didn't have a place anymore as a cheesy pop album seemed to top the charts every other week. The pop scene was, as it usually is, a hit-and-miss thing, and by the dawn of 2002 rock and indie was returning. So this gave Alanis a perfect opportunity to hit back at all the critics who called the curtain on her career three years previously. In March 2002 she released her third studio album entitled "Under Rug Swept." It surpassed many expectations when it went straight to No.1 in the US and put Alanis back on top of her angst-ridden rocking pedestal. The album received rave reviews and went multi-platinum as Alanis showcased a return to her Jagged Little Pill roots that made her the 90's reigning Angry White Female.

The second single to be taken from the Under Rug Swept album was the marvellous "Precious Illusions." In the UK this was the final single to be taken from the album, which is a great shame because the album featured so many other brilliant songs such as "21 Things I Want In A Lover" and "So Unsexy" which could all have made it into the charts. Precious Illusions didn't fare too well, however: it didn't manage to reach the UK Top 40 and was released in August 2002. The video received little airplay and not much promotion was done to get the country interested in the song. Still, the song remains as amazing as it did almost two years ago and retains its personal values because mainly Alanis-listeners only will have heard it.

Precious Illusions opens softly with a simple and melodic guitar that introduces Alanis instantly as she sings, "You'll rescue me, right? In the exact same way they never did. I'll be happy, right? When your healing powers kick in. You'll complete me, right? Then my life can finally begin. I'll be worthy, right? Only when you realize the gem I am." The song then picks up speed as more instruments are introduced and Alanis' vocals shift higher at the bridge where she sings, "But this won't work now the way it once did, and I won't keep it up even though I would love to. Once I know who I'm not then I'll know who I am, but I know I won't keep on playing the victim." Alanis then sings the joyous first chorus, "These precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was defenseless, and parting with them is liking parting with invisible best friends."

Alanis then sings the second verse, "This ring will help me yet as will you knight in shining armor. This pill will help me yet as will these boys gone through like water." Alanis then sings the bridge once more, but I prefer this one because it is altered lyrically and sounds much better, "But this won't work as well as the way it once did, cause I want to decide between survival and bliss. And though I know who I'm not I still don't know who I am, but I know I won't keep on playing the victim." Alanis then sings the second verse once more with more force than previously, before making way for a fabulous bit in the middle where she sings, "I've spent so long firmly looking outside me. I've spent so much time living in survival mode." Alanis then sings the bridge as the beat drops, before falling back into that brilliant chorus once more until the song ends.

Precious Illusions was a good choice as the final single from Under Rug Swept because it actually is one of the strongest tracks on the album. In the song Alanis is afraid to move forward in life as it will no doubt mean letting go of the precious illusions that have been inside her head for years. As the song progresses, she realises she must take this risk, and by the end she is convinced. It's an inspirational song and I admire Alanis even more for it. I admire her further for the spectacle she put on last night on stage in front of Canada at the Juno Awards, by wearing a nude bodysuit in a protest against the pathetic and over-the-top censorship on certain stars. (...)Britney dances provocatively, big deal. Alanis' new song "Everything" has a naughty word in it - better make a fuss about it! Honestly, Middle America needs to live in the 21st Century, not the 19th. Congratulations Alanis, you're never afraid to stand up for what you believe in!

When I saw the video to this single on MTV and I realized that it was the new single, I was happy. It's one of the stronger tracks on "Under Rug Swept" (in my opinion). So I ordered both parts of this single. I got this one in the mail first and popped it in the CD player immediately. I rocked out to "Precious Illusions" and almost jumped past "Hands Clean" because I'd heard her sing it live and acoustic on a Bravo! interview. But I was **blown away** by the spectacular sound of the arrangement. It was great live, but...Alanis just outdid herself with this version of the album's first single. "Sorry 2 Myself" began and at first I was unsure of the song. The melody was unconventional (not a bad thing, but characteristically Alanis...which is why I love her!), and I became attached quickly. But when the chorus came on, I FELL IN LOVE. What more can I say? Alanis has proven herself to be an amazing artist on her own...sans Glen Ballard. She never ceases to amaze me.

Alanis Morissette is one of the most genius women in the music industry. Despite the accusation that she is "smoking something," I think "Precious Illusions" is one of the best songs on "Under Rug Swept." In it, Alanis addresses new concerns (as always). Alanis wants to find something real, but she can't give up her "precious illusions." She starts with the thought that when you know who you aren't, you'll know who you must be. By the end of the song, she realizes she still has to go with herself.

It's an incredible song, a triumphant single and a powerful message to go with what feels right to you. Alanis is a talent that is hard to meet and a musical force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Este CD es tan bellisima!!! Oh my gosh!! :) When I first bought this album it was because of two songs that I had heard on the radio---those 2 songs were Corazones Solitarios and No Hay Razon. Not only did I find this two salsa tunes to be full of soul, but the arrangements made me feel as though four heavenly angels had fallen from heaven--those angels being the four male vocalists from SON BY FOUR (interestingly enough, the lead singer is named Angel!! :).....anyway, I am very happy to tell you all the rest of the album did not fail to disappoint. Each cut, whether it be fast and filled with sabor (Flavor) and juice, like "Nada," which made me even more of a salsa crazed chica than I am already...he he!!! Or that intoxicatingly sensual ballad, "Si Tu No Estas"---which I played many, many times cause I just couldn't get enough of Angel's smooth crooning.....I felt intoxicated with a beautiful fusion of traditional Puerto Rican rhythms and R&B riffs!!! Buy this album and buy it now!! I guarantee you won't be able to stop dancing, singing or swooning for that matter, as SON BY FOUR carries salsa to new heights of beauty with their musical interpretations....and the last, but not least, the smooth arrangements by song writer Omar Alfanno.......

I just love the sounds on this album. I've gotten into Latin Music in a big way in the last year, mainly with Marc Anthony, Chayanne, Rubin Blades and Celia Cruz, and have only just discovered Son By Four, but this album just says it all for me. The rhythms make me want to get up and dance until I drop.

Nunca habia oido este primer disco suyo. Me enamore del segundo, Son by Four. Este lleva lo mismo! La salsa esta buena y hay mucho mas!! Saben cantar! I love this one too! It is just as good as the 2nd one! I would really recommend it!! Only 8 tracks, but they are all pretty good, and not too slow.

I come from Australia and because this version of MUSIC is the national release in Australia, I had to buy this version without any choice. Mind you, I am not regreting it. MUSIC overall is great, has some big hits in it but it's not as good as RAY OF LIGHT. This album offers greater single quality leaving the unreleased sounding not as good. You know what happens to a CD when it's released, it suddenly sounds better than when it wasn't released.

This version is just like any other except the bonus tracks "American Pie" and "Cyber Raga". It makes me feel just that little bit better that we have something exclusive consaidering the rest of the world had always had exclusive releases in comparison to Australia. This CD has already gone 3 times platinum in Australia and still sits in the Top 20 but I wouldn't exactly import it if I was in America because you are really not missing out on much. It just has everything else and it little bit more and "Cyber Raga" and "American Pie" can be obtained from other Madonna releases anyway so I wouldn't recommend you to spend a few more dollars just so you can have two more songs on one already brilliant CD. If you're rich, go ahead and spend away. If you're not that rich, save the few dollars and buy the next Madonna single "What It Feels Like For A Girl" instead.

The queeen of pop's 14. album. The sound is again very futurist and electronic.
Music: This song has an amazing sound. That's the new Madonna
Impressive instant. Madonna uses the vocoder in this song. Sounds great
Runaway over. Another floorfiller
Ideserve it. A mid tempo song. It sonds a little bit like a country song. She could've written it for Guy Ritchie
Amazing. This one sounds like "Sky fits heavn" which is on her previous album "Ray of light". It's a nice song but not the best
Nobody's perfect: This song could be dedicated to the critics but I can't get used to the strange melody.
Don't tell me: Again a countrysong. I don't like it that much
What it feels like for a girl. This is not the video version. It sounds completely different. It's a ballad I really like it
Paradise. A ballad. It sounds depressive but it's not bad at all except the part when she speaks french because her frenh is more than bad
Gone:Another beautiful ballad I really like.Madonna has grown up that'a great
American Pie: Her Don McLean-cover. Whether you love it or you hate it. I love it
Cyber-raga. This song is in sanskrit.It sounds extremely strange.

THIS IS A LITTLE BIT 10 TIMES BETTER THAN THE REGULAR VERSION OF MUSIC THIS INCLUDES TWO EXTRA TRACKS.HER REMAKE OF AMERICAN PIE WHICH ABSOLUTLY ROCKS.MADONNA HAS DONE IT AGAIN AND THIS IS A MUST FOR COLLECTORS.I ONLY WISH SHE WOULD'VE INCLUDED ANOTHER TRACK PERHAPS THE SONG "TIME STOOD STILL".THIS IS STILL AN AMAZING PIECE OF WORK WITH A RUNTIME OF 54:54 IT'S A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FROM 44:44 IT'S VERY MUCH WORTH IT.