Los Temerarios Albums (30)
What The Critics Say
When Los Temerarios revealed their more traditional side on 2004's Veintisiete, it didn't mean they were abandoning grupero and Latin pop or becoming a full-time mariachi/ranchera group -- not at all. There was plenty of grupero on the albums that came after Veintisiete, which isn't surprising because Fonovisa probably wouldn't want the Alba siblings to risk alienating the many fans who know them primarily as a Latin pop group. But on 2007's Recuerdos del Alma (Memories from the Soul), Los Temerarios not only revisit the mariachi/ranchera leanings of Veintisiete, they take the outlook of that album to another level and deliver what may very well be the most traditionally mariachi and ranchera disc of their career. It's a direction that serves them pleasingly well on inspired, memorable performances of José Alfredo Jiménez's "Las Botas de Charro," Martín Urieta's "Mujeres Divinas," and no less than three Cornelio Reyna gems: "Me Caí de la Nube," "Me Caíste del Cielo," and "Que Se Junten Nuestros Brazos." Recuerdos del Alma is an album that, stylistically, takes Los Temerarios into Vicente Fernández territory -- and while it is hard to imagine mariachi/ranchera ever becoming their primary direction (which would be like Gloria Estefan recording nothing but straight-ahead salsa or Garth Brooks becoming as much of a hardcore honky tonker as Dwight Yoakam), one can't help but hope that the Alba brothers will provide more mariachi/ranchera-oriented discs in the future. Anyone who enjoyed Veintisiete will find even more to cherish on Recuerdos del Alma, which is easily among the finest and most essential releases in Los Temerarios' sizable catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Youth, beauty, and sex appeal are high priorities in many genres of music, but there is also something to be said for experience. While a teen popster might peak at 19, the fact is that Celia Cruz, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Lola Beltrán, and Ella Fitzgerald (just to give a handful of examples) did some of their best work when they were over 40. And in the 2000s, aging was a positive for Los Temerarios, who greatly increased the mariachi/ranchera element on 2004's more traditionally Mexican Veintisiete (which boasts some of their meatier performances). While Los Temerarios' follow-up, Regalo de Amor, emphasized the pop-drenched grupero style that they're best known for, that disc took some chances here and there. And that brings you to 2005's Sueño de Amor (Dream of Love). Los hermanos Alba consider this 61-minute disc the last part of a trilogy that started with 2003's Tributo al Amor and continued with Regalo de Amor -- a trilogy emphasizing all things romantic. Of course, romantic is what one expects from Los Temerarios; no one's going to argue that they should start recording narco-corridos of the Grupo Exterminador/Chalino Sánchez variety. But there is romantic, and there is romantic. Veintisiete was a gutsier, edgier sort of romantic; so were a few tracks on Regalo de Amor (including the flamenco-influenced "En la Madrugada Se Fue" and the Temerarios/Julio Iglesias duet "Esos Amores"). Sueño de Amor, however, almost always keeps things on the light side -- light, soft, gentle, and caressing. The mariachi factor asserts itself the most on Federico Mendez's "Por Tu Maldito Amor," but overall, Sueño de Amor is a textbook example of grupero that is light on the heavy and heavy on the light. While it's a bit disappointing that Los Temerarios don't challenge themselves more, the material is always likable -- and many of their die-hard fans will appreciate the pleasant ambience that they maintain on this decent, if formulaic, effort. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Los Temerarios' Veintisiete album came out in June 2004, fans of the popular Mexican group were given a pleasant surprise. One of their more traditional efforts (by regional Mexican standards), Veintisiete increased the mariachi/ranchera factor significantly and found los hermanos Alba embracing well-known Mexican gems like Vicente Fernández's "Las Llaves de Mi Alma" and Antonio Valdez Herrera's "Renunciación" -- definitely not the sort of thing one expects from a pop group whose work is generally Latin adult contemporary with Mexican overtones. Arguably, Veintisiete was to Los Temerarios what Unforgettable was to Natalie Cole in 1991; it was an example of artists looking back and examining their cultural roots (Cole's roots being the jazz and traditional pre-rock pop that her late father, Nat King Cole, was famous for; Los Temerarios' being Mexico's rich mariachi/ranchera heritage). But while Unforgettable signaled an actual change of direction for Cole, Veintisiete was an anomaly for Los Temerarios -- and on their next album, Regalo de Amor (released only four months later in October 2004), they emphasized the light easy listening approach that they are best known for. Regalo de Amor is, first and foremost, a Latin pop disc; the album is dominated by soft, caressing, romantic Latin adult contemporary that is predictable and unchallenging but pleasant and likable. Nonetheless, this 65-minute CD does offer a few surprises here and there, including a bachata-influenced remix of the standard "Sombras Nada Más" (previously heard on Veintisiete), the flamenco-minded "En la Madrugada Se Fue," and "Esos Amores," an inspired duet with Julio Iglesias. Although Iglesias is from Spain, "Esos Amores" is the most mariachi-minded song on the album -- and the combination of mariachi horns and Iglesias' very Castellano accent makes for a delightful Mexican/Spanish contrast. But the surprises are the exception instead of the rule on Regalo de Amor, which generally doesn't have as much meat on its bones as Veintisiete, but is still an enjoyable addition to Los Temerarios' catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In Spanish, the word veintisiete means 27, and this 2004 release is a way of celebrating los Temerarios' 27th anniversary -- it was in 1977 that Adolfo and Gustavo Ángel Alba first joined forces as la Brisa (a name they gave up after becoming los Temerarios). The Alba brothers were hardly an overnight success; they had been paying dues for over a decade when they finally started making some commercial headway. But those years of struggle must seem like a distant memory for the Albas, whose pleasantly good-natured, if less than challenging, grupero has sold a lot of CDs in the '90s and 2000s. Veintisiete, it turns out, is one of los Temerarios' more traditional contributions to regional Mexican music -- traditional to a point, anyway. The Albas haven't abandoned grupero and Latin pop by any means, but the mariachi elements are much more prominent than usual on arrangements of well known gems such as Antonio Valdez Herrera's "Reunciación," Martin Urieta Salano's "Qué de Raro Tiene," and Vincente Fernández's "Las Llaves de Mi Alma." Of course, the very nature of the songs lends themselves to a more traditionally Mexican approach; anyone who is seriously into classic mariachi and ranchero will recognize names like Antonio Valdez Herrera and Vincente Fernández. And it's great to see los Temerarios showing this side of themselves -- even though they don't do it on all of the tracks. "Caminando Voy," for example, is more typical of the sleek, polished grupero/Latin pop that the Albas are best known for. It's hard to imagine that los Temerarios will ever become a hardcore mariachi group; they have way too much invested in grupero. But Veintisiete is a rewarding departure from the Albas' norm, and it is also one of the most memorable albums in their catalog. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
