 |  | What a CD! Perfect introduction to or review of Camar贸n's work |  |
Wow! I picked this CD up as an introduction to Camar贸n along with his seminal (and also highly recommended) album "La Leyenda del Tiempo", and listened a lot more to the former, using this album - a collection of 19 of his songs from all points of his career - as a reference here and there. A year later, I've finally found myself delving fully into this album, and what I'm hearing blows me away. All of Camar贸n's best is here, with most of the major flamenco palos represented. It's got depth, width, quality, quantity. It's hard to keep this out of a true flamenco lover's collection. Note also that some tracks, like "La Leyenda del Tiempo" and "La Tarara", are re-arranged here, and the new mixes will certainly be pleasing to fans of the originals.
Now, as the two negative reviews here show, this CD isn't for everyone, and the ear unaccustomed to flamenco singing might well have a tougher time with this. Flamenco singing isn't the sweetest-sounding by any stretch. No, it's raw emotion shaped by a couple of hundred years of collective pain. But I do believe that anyone with an open mind can come to understand and truly appreciate cante flamenco with an effort, and the rewards you reap from this are tremendous. I hardly know of any type of song in the world as exhilarating and beautiful, when you know how to listen. This album might not be a bad introduction - who knows?
July 14, 2008I PICKED THIS C D UP IN THE USED BIN....I PUT IT ON AND MY CAT HOWLED AT THE SOUND OF THE VOICE AND KEELED OVER DEAD!!!! "ENOUGH WRITTEN"-I BURIED THE C D WITH THE CAT.....
March 5, 2008I first heard this CD in Madrid in '05 and was blown away by the emotional intensity expressed by the singer. I purchased it in Salamanca a few days later and have enjoyed it since then, but be warned, it is neither easy listening nor for faint of heart. It's a great testimony to the versatility
of Camaron, but not a totally cohesive package; on the other hand, the serious music lover,will no doubt be amazed and cheer for more.
February 7, 2008 | | Do Camarones Sound Like This Dipped in Boiling Water? | |
The few cuts with the Royal Philharmonic save the album from complete disaster. Nothing is good. The arrangements are unimaginative. The accompaniments add nothing positive. As for Camaron's vocals, I wouldn't listen to this again if you paid me. My dog howls better.
May 3, 2006This album is a great overview of Camaron's different types of work. It shows the incredible depth of Spanish music as a genre, as well as Camaron's impressive ability to sing each style with passion and grace. It is not cohesive as an album, because it is an overview of his work, selected by the singer. There are some fantastically moving songs in here though, and it is probably my favorite album of his. Although not nearly as famous, I find it much more of a pleasure to listen to than the Paris 1987 album. It has more songs that have a rhythm to them that is pleasing to the ear, whereas some Flamenco can at times seem disjointed. In short, a great introduction to Flamenco and Camaron, its greatest singer.
April 17, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(7 reviews)