Marc Anthony - Contra la Corriente

Best of the Best

I believe I own every album Marc Anthony has released and this is my absolute favorite. I love every selection and can understand why he is called "The Salsa King." When he sings a ballad, you feel the emotion and your heart is touched. But when he sings salsa, your feet will itch to dance! All of these cuts are in Spanish, but you'll enjoy this collection whether you speak the language or not. January 31, 2006

If you like salsa this is a great CD to have

I like all the songs in this CD. The music is amazing. You will feel like dancing while listening. Two of the songs are not salsa, but there are good too. You can listen to the whole CD without skipping any songs. This is a 'must have' if you like salsa. It does not matter if you speak Spanish or not. August 10, 2005

A remarkable album - loved by this Gringo, too!

To put this remarkable album in perspective, let me start by stating the entirety of my Spanish training came from Sesame Street. Marc Anthony could be singing about rings around the bathtub for all I know. But man, bathtub rings have never sounded better!

In all seriousness, CONTRA LA CORRIENTE (which a Spanish-speaking friend translated for me as "Against the Flow") has become one of my favorite albums. It is a fine example of excellent composition, performance, and engineering, making for one outstanding sonic experience. Marc Anthony's album falls within the "Latin Music" catagory (of course), but his songs are musically interesting enough to transcend that label. His vocal delivery is passionate and expressive enough to evoke emotions in me, and I don't even know what he's singing about! (Special kudos to his trio of backup vocalists - you guys are so tight in your harmonies that you grabbed my attention and are still my favorite aspect of the album.)

Mr. Anthony surrounded himself with excellent musicians and every performance from the horns to the piano to the multiple percussionists play in tight collaboration and yet are easily distinguishable from each other. One can recognize the extraordinary audio engineering from this as well, as every instrument and vocal is in perfect balance with everything else - nothing draws attention to itself, it only adds to the ensemble. This makes for enjoyable repeat listens as one can make new discoveries with subsequent spins.

With the possibe exception of the final track (where the music style changes from straight Latin to a pseudo-latin-pop), there are no "throw-away" pieces. Each song on CONTRA LA CORRIENTE is distinct and worthwhile, therefore you'll be getting your money's worth with this album. One additional bonus: because this is not a traditional "pop" album, it's not going out of style any time soon.

CONTRA LA CORRIENTE gets my highest recommendation for those seeking an excellent album, regardless of any "Latino" label. If you only own one Spanish-language album, you'd do very well with CONTRA LA CORRIENTE. CONTRA LA CORRIENTE also stands up to the scrutiny of my Latino friends, with many stating this album is a favorite lyrically as well as musically. In short, this one wears well on everybody! October 20, 2003

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