Ricky Martin Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
The "17" in Ricky Martin 17 stands for the 17 years of Martin's career -- and this compilation celebrates by plucking a track from each of those years, offering an extensive if not exactly thorough overview of his career. Given its approach, it should be no surprise that this is heavy on Latin material, to the extent that even his huge crossover hit, "Livin' la Vida Loca," is here in Spanish rather than English. Therefore, this isn't a compilation for the curious fellow pop travelers who only want to hear turn-of-the-millennium monsters like "She Bangs," a hit single that's not even here. Instead, this is a sampler, giving a taste of what Martin has done over the years, and in that regard it's successful, even if it's not definitive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Ricky Martin Live: Black and White Tour'
Release Date 11/6/2007
Tracks 9
Label Sony BMG
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What The Critics Say
At no point does Ricky Martin's MTV Unplugged sound like an intimate acoustic performance. Like most of the acts on MTV Unplugged since Eric Clapton's Unplugged, Martin brings in a full band, complete with electric bass and keyboards, so even if there are no electric guitars, it sounds big, full, and polished, particularly since his band is augmented by strings and horns. It may not be small-scale, the way that Unplugged was in its earliest days, but the concert does have the effect of stripping Martin back to his basics -- which means that he does no English-language pop and avoids all the silly dance-pop that became his stock-in-trade after "Livin' la Vida Loca," while also avoiding the desperate nature of his 2005 studio album Life. What's left is the power of Martin as a live performer, and he's in good form here, delivering energetic performances of the up-tempo songs and avoiding schmaltz in the ballads. It's an album for the faithful -- instead of stretching, Martin is relying on his strengths -- but it will satisfy those who still stand by Ricky Martin after all the ups and downs in his career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ricky Martin fell from grace hard with Sound Loaded, the 2000 sequel to his eponymous 1999 mainstream pop breakthrough and its hit single "Livin' la Vida Loca." Sound Loaded photocopied many of the sounds and styles of Ricky Martin, but it wasn't an exact duplicate: it was dingy, murky, and smudged, lacking the style and flair of the original, as evidenced by "She Bangs," the album's spin on "Livin' la Vida Loca." Following its commercial disappointment, Martin retreated from the spotlight for a brief period, releasing a Spanish album called Almas del Silencio in 2003, returning two years later with Life, his first English-language pop album in five years. On its album cover, Martin tries to strike a harder, tougher pose -- he has stubble on his chin and prominently displays a tattoo on his shoulder -- and that's just one of many different attitudes he tries out on the record. He starts the album with "Til I Get to You," one of the best (and maybe only) Robbie Williams knockoffs to date, segueing quickly into "I Won't Desert You," which is reminiscent of the best of early-'90s Jon Secada, before he hooks up with Scott Storch, producer of Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake, for a bass-heavy dance track, complete with cameos from Fat Joe and Amerie. Martin doesn't stop sampling styles there -- he does a by-the-numbers Diane Warren power ballad, dabbles in reggaeton, brings in most of the Black Eyed Peas for a track. In short, he tries to be a little bit of everything to everybody, which isn't a surprising reaction for a global superstar trying to both recover from a flop and to reintroduce himself after half a decade. Not surprisingly, not all of the styles work -- for instance, on the producer-driven dance songs, he sounds like a bit player on his own album, at once tamed and overwhelmed by the thudding bass and hip-hop beats. But there are as many moments that work here as those that don't and, tellingly, they're all tunes Martin had a hand in writing, including the aforementioned "Til I Get to You" and "I Won't Desert You" and the title track, which suggests that if Martin relaxed and wrote all of his own material, he might have a more consistent record on his hands. But that's not what he did here: he made a big-budget album, filled with cameos and collaborators. It fits his status as an international superstar and it's a livelier, better record than Sound Loaded, but he never once sounds as assured as he did on his 1999 breakthrough -- the difference between that album and this is that everything seemed to come easy for Ricky Martin six years ago. On Life, you can hear him struggle with what he should do and who he should be. Sometimes he struggles and succeeds, which is enough to make it worth a listen -- and it might even score him a hit or two -- but that palpable sense of exertion means this isn't quite the comeback or makeover it was clearly meant to be. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Almas del Silencio'
Release Date 5/20/2003
Tracks 13
Label Sony International
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What The Critics Say
Similar to jazz artists, Latin pop singers can move back and forth between audiences, exploring new terrain with a crossover album and then returning home to the faithful with a more traditional date. Almas del Silencio, Ricky Martin's first Spanish record in five years, actually offers something for all of his widely varying audiences, from Jalisco to Hartford. The opener "Jaleo" is a kitchen-sink performance, boasting Spanish guitar but also a few biting metal chords, a deep bottom end for dance fans, and a yearning, romantic vocal. The single "Tal Vez" is pure ballad territory, with an army of strings and Martin struggling to pull off a histrionic performance. He breaks out with some subtle vocal feats on the digital-age Emilio Estefan, Jr. production "Jamas," and also sounds great during the other dance track, Besos de Fuego." There's something here for everyone. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Pistas: Canta Como Ricky Martin'
Release Date 12/17/2002
Tracks 12
Label Miami
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What The Critics Say
Ricky Martin's second English-language album Sound Loaded did not fare nearly as well as its earth-shattering predecessor, even though the quality of the material is probably one notch higher. Several reasons could be given for this, but the most obvious is lousy marketing. First, the album's lead-off single, the electrifying (and terribly titled) "She Bangs" (arguably one of the best songs of 2000), which failed to make the U.S. Top Ten, wasn't even released as a commercial single. Second, the album's follow-up, "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely," was remixed and refashioned into a duet with red-hot Anglo-Latina vixen Christina Aguilera -- the album version is solo Ricky, and features largely acoustic accompaniment, as opposed to the remix's more bombastic instrumentation. Unbelievably, the version with Christina Aguilera wasn't released as a commercial single. Instead, the album was re-released with a single of the song clumsily attached to it (with a rubber band, no less). In other words, most of Ricky's fans, who had already bought the album, would have had to purchase it all over again in order to have the hit version of the song. And thirdly, the set's final single, "Loaded" (which was actually released commercially, indicating a base level of intelligence on the label's part), bore more than a striking resemblance to his breakthrough hit "Livin' la Vida Loca," but, by the time of its release, the magic had petered off. Those factors aside, the album is a lushly produced set, with more Latin-flavored dance cuts, such as the fun, Santana-ish "Amor," the smoldering, string-enhanced "Jezabel," the endearing "If You Ever Saw Her," and the sizzling Spanish-language track "Cambia La Piel." The ballads, however, tend to weigh the album down, such as the unmemorable "Come to Me" and "The Touch." And, finally, Latin loverman clichés abound, which bring down otherwise fine tracks such as "Saint Tropez" and the gypsy-tinged, slightly bizarre "One Night Man." Infinitely better marketing and less reliance on clichés will hopefully translate into better sales for Ricky Martin's future English-language albums, but, for the time being, Sound Loaded, an otherwise fine album (and exquisitely produced), will go down in history as something of an undeserved flop. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ricky Martin's Spanish-language 1998 set Vuelve is the predecessor to the self-titled English-language album that would propel him to iconic status in the U.S. the following year. Vuelve, however, is much more of a Latin album than a pop album, and effectively balances red-hot Latin dance numbers with melodramatic ballads. The album's main highlight is the unforgettable, unstoppable "La Copa de la Vida," which is the song he chose for his now legendary show-stopping Grammy performance. The version on Vuelve is the original -- miles better than the English-language, remixed version which resurfaced on Ricky Martin. The version here includes all the bells, whistles, horns, trumpets, and percussion that anyone could want from such a carnival-esque song. Other highlights include the intoxicating album opener "Por Arriba, por Abajo," the hit "La Bomba," and other fast-paced gems, such as "Marcia Baila" and "Lola Lola." Some of the ballads lean toward the forgettable (especially during the album's second half), and his version of Michael Bolton's Hercules theme "Go the Distance" (here titled "No Importa la Distancia") is pure schmaltz. Other ballads, however, fare a little better, such as the melodramatic yet effective "Corazonado," the brooding piano and string ballad "Hagamos el Amor," and the Sting-esque "Casi un Bolero." All in all, this engaging and beautifully produced album, despite a few lulls, emerges a winner. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
'Me Amarás'
Release Date 4/16/1993
Tracks 11
Label Sony International
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What The Critics Say
In the 1980s, Menudo was the Latin pop equivalent of the Osmonds more than the Jackson 5 -- that is, pure bubblegum rather than bubblegum combined with some grit. As one of the lead singers of that Puerto Rican group, Ricky Martin was a superstar in Latin music. Martin's music matured when he went solo, but he continued to appeal to a young, largely female audience. Me Amares isn't without its pleasures; it includes the dramatic ballad "Entre El Amor y Los Halagos," the urban contemporary-flavored "Ayudame," and "Que Dia Es Hoy (Self Control)," a Spanish-language translation of Laura Branigan's haunting 1984 hit "Self Control." ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
