Don Omar Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Throwing fans a curveball, Don Omar gets conceptual on iDon, an album that tells the story of the singer/rapper's "transformation from international superstar into a cybernetic being." While it would be nice to call this the reggaeton version of Styx's "Mr. Robato" album, Kilroy Was Here, it wouldn't be true since the other major risk Omar takes on iDon is the embracing of dance beats and the urban sound of America. "Oasis" takes the reggaeton beat into the future, and the backing track on "Blue Zone" is firmly in the genre, but "Virtual Diva" blends new wave flavors, while "Sexy Robotica" is heavily influenced by the dancefloor sound of trance. As "Galactic Blues" unveils the time travel dream of Kraftwerk rewriting Omar's "Conteo" for the Cotton Club crowd, it's hard not to admire such an ambitious effort. However, when the album puts pushing the story forward before the music, it becomes hard not to drift, requiring a bit more commitment than the average fan is willing to make. Still, Don Omar the freedom-seeking artist is, at the very least, interesting. The subject matter may be akin to Styx, but the man's fringe albums are really comparable to the more esoteric efforts of Prince, especially when it comes to general worth and the fans' level of frustration. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'King of Kings Live'
Release Date 10/23/2007
Tracks 19
Label Machete Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Don Omar's King of Kings Live album highlights the struggle between Omar's considerable talent and reggaeton's inability to produce a good live record. Although the album's title might seem boastful to some, Don Omar is truly the genre's most powerful creative force. As a reggaeton MC he's unstoppable, but perhaps more unique is his capacity for sophisticated R&B ballads in a genre that doesn't really do them. The string of expressive balladry consisting of "Vuelve," "Tu No Sabes," and "Angelito" in the middle of the first disc reveals Omar to be capable of range and understatement. The moments where the crowd goes truly wild in the course of the disc are in the more sensitive, emotive material such as "Pobre Diabla." That's significant in a style embraces very little variety. The use of strings and traditional instruments is evocative and enticing in a way that few of Omar's contemporaries can manage. If listeners could clearly hear all that was going on, King of Kings would be one of the strongest records of the year. The sound lacks the stomach thumping quality of Omar's studio productions. Similarly, there are musical interludes that probably made complete sense in connection with the stage choreography. Both of these shortcomings can be chalked up to a problem of maturity. Reggaeton hasn't figured out how to make a good live record. King of Kings is one of several "live in concert" reggaeton records, many of which experienced the same pitfalls. When Omar's producers catch up with his talent, they'll make quite a team. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
King of Kings sure doesn't seem like only Don Omar's second album proper. In the three years since The Last Don, his impressive debut album from 2003, he remained omnipresent. A live album (The Last Don: Live), a couple one-off hits ("Pobre Diabla," "Reggaeton Latino"), and an odds-and-ends compilation (Reggaeton Latino) kept him continually at the forefront of reggaeton, as did persistent media attention. Yet indeed King of Kings is only Omar's second album, which only adds to the sense of why it feels like such a remarkable achievement. It's a major statement, for sure, not only because of its bold, contentious title, but also because it's so stylistically ambitious. In theory, sophomore albums are supposed to be commercially safe. They're supposed to reprise what had worked well the first go-round. They usually don't aim to redefine. After all, up to this point in time reggaeton had been a fairly narrow style, generally defined by a trademark rhythm and a couple staple anthems, most of them performed by Daddy Yankee and produced by Luny Tunes. And they're generally suggestive party songs, meant for dancing, or at least the impression of dancing. Well, on King of Kings that general definition of reggaeton is broadened for the better. For one, Omar is not Daddy Yankee, though his popularity is a close second. Unlike Daddy, who tends at best to be party-oriented, Omar is at best a socially conscious lyricist. His songs aren't party fodder; they're deep and worthy of reflection, especially for sociopolitical-minded Latinos. But he can fire up the party, too, most evidently on the explosive Beenie Man collaboration "Belly Danza." No one in reggaeton is as versatile as Omar, not even Tego Calderón. Secondly, and most importantly in terms of internationality, Omar isn't reliant on the hitmaking assembly line of Luny Tunes, whose production imprint is so integral to reggaeton. Consequently, he is free to experiment with different production styles -- something reggaeton could really benefit from at this point in time, as this is the one major criticism levied at it time and time again: "It all sounds the same!" Spearheaded by Eliel Lind, the sprawling 18 tracks of King of Kings exhibit a surprising variety; songs like the hit lead single, "Angelito," are moody and different-sounding, though still unquestionably reggaeton in style. Clearly, there's a lot to note here on King of Kings, especially from a comparative viewpoint. Taken on its own terms, however, it's one of the rare full-CD-length albums that doesn't drag at points or beg for editing. It's solid, diverse, laden with highlights, and overall, a remarkable achievement for Omar, who lives up to the promise of the hype surrounding him. He may not be King of Kings, literally at least, but he's certainly a strong leader amid the reggaeton movement, and this sophomore album bodes well for the future of that movement. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'The Last Don: Live'
Release Date 6/8/2004
Tracks 23
Label V.I. Music
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Issued a little less than a year after The Last Don, no doubt in response to the overwhelming embrace of that album as a pillar for the emerging reggaeton movement, The Last Don: Live might seem on the surface like a typical cash-in release. After all, that's exactly what Daddy Yankee's Ahora Le Toca al Cangri! Live was -- a poor-quality, outdated cash-in release issued a little less than a year after Barrio Fino, no doubt in response to that album's wildfire success. But unlike Daddy Yankee's live release, Don Omar's is worthwhile. In fact, it's quite impressive, not only in terms of sound quality, which is crystal-clear here, but also in terms of song selection, as it's up to date and features all of Omar's most popular songs to date, including some of his hard to find early singles. In a word, The Last Don: Live is epic, sprawling across two discs (22 songs, plus three new studio recordings tacked onto the end) and incorporating a bit of a narrative, with Omar framed as "The Immigrant" in the opening introduction, which features, of course, the theme music from The Godfather. It's a shrewd move, but it works well, giving this live performance a bit of a cinematic sense (most apparent on the DVD edition). From there Omar launches into one of his biggest hits, "Dale Don Dale," and then a few of his earliest singles, before keeping the energy level high with a few medleys. The show then slows a bit until Omar begins firing off more crowd favorites toward the show's close. This is the best part of The Last Don: Live, as Omar performs some of his best songs and the crowd often sings along with him. As previously mentioned, there are a few studio recordings tacked onto the end -- "Pobre Diablo," "Carte a un Amigo," and a salsa version of "Carte a un Amigo" -- and they're valuable additions, the first one in particular. Overall, The Last Don: Live is yet more evidence that Omar is far and away one of reggaeton's leading practitioners, earning his stripes as a live performer here, in addition to the accolades he earned with his debut studio album a year prior and the crossover success he'd earn a year later when "Reggaeton Latino" took America by storm during summer 2005. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the first reggaeton albums to make waves internationally, Don Omar's debut, The Last Don, deserves notice for historical reasons alone. But it's also a remarkable album musically, spotlighting one of the style's emerging icons as well as two of its leading producers, Eliel and Luny Tunes. These producers, the latter a duo, handle the vast majority of The Last Don and give it a unified sound that carries over from one song to the next. A few guests pop up now and then, most of them then-emerging superstars themselves, including Glory, Daddy Yankee, and Hector "el Bambino," and while they add a little spice to The Last Don, the album is very much Omar's own, nonetheless. He's not simply a vocalist with "más flow," he's also quite thoughtful, emotional, and articulate, delving much deeper than the surface guns-and-girls motifs of much reggaeton. And too, he can piece together some great songs, in particular the opening run of "Dale Don Más Duro," "Intocable," and "Dile." The Last Don peaks early, granted, and it's not nearly as catchy or accessible as you might expect, given its popularity, but it holds together well as it progresses, getting quite narrative at times ("Aunque Te Fuiste" in particular). The album-closing bonus track, "Dale Don Dale," is a highlight for sure, one of Omar's signature moments. All of these aforementioned songs are among the best reggaeton songs of their time, which alone would make The Last Don a classic. But that the album holds together so well and follows a loose narrative as well as maintains a unified sound makes it all the more standout, truly one of the best reggaeton albums of the early to mid-2000s, up there with Barrio Fino and El Abayarde. The thing is, though, Omar was just getting started. His music here on The Last Don is a bit formative relative to what he'd do soon afterward with songs like "Pobre Diabla" and "Reggaeton Latino," where he began adding increasing amounts of melody to his songs without sacrificing any of their substance. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
