Ray Barretto - Barretto
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CD Details
Artist: Ray BarrettoPerformer: Rubén Blades
Performer: Tito Gomez
Edition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2008-02-26
Music Label: Fania
Soundtracks:
- Guarare
- Vine Pa Echar Candela
- Eso Es Amar
- Ban Ban Quere
- Vale Mas Un Guaguanco
- Testigo Fui
- El Presupuesto
- Canto Abacua
Music reviews of Barretto
Music Review: A WONDERFUL follow up to Indestructible! Again, RHYTHMICAL, AGRESSIVE and DYNAMIC are THE words!!! Also A CLASSIC/ BESTSELLER!!!
Rating: 5 Stars
This 1975 `Barretto' release is a GREAT `hard Salsa' album that features mostly Cuban style of songs that are greatly and strongly adapted to a very FRESH, CRISP and LIVELY style of New-York Salsa sound by a band mostly composed of New-York, Puerto-Rican musicians (apart from Cuban Trumpetist Roberto Rodríguez who did not run to Tipica'73 band in late 1972), Cuban Pianist Gil López (responsible for some of THE BEST arrangements on this Cd), and Flutist Artie Webb who doesn't even sound or play AT ALL like a Cuban.
When I say Cuban style of songs, don't think old 1920's or 30's style of Son tunes, but think more in terms of fresh Cuban style of Salsa songs not quite as rooty, or Típico like Sonora Matancera, but that DEFINITELY have MASSIVE potential to be covered by a Salsa band like this one!
Concerning the 1st tune Guararé, well, what can I say! It's just one of those tunes you MUST have heard on a Compilation one day, and OVERWHELMED by it, you must have wondered: what Cd does it come from?
Well, here you have it available, remastered and reviewed!
FULL credits AGAIN, to Gil López for his WONDERFUL arrangements to one of the best tunes from the album, and FULL credits to Barretto for having turned this song (which apparently was an obscure tune played by Formell and the Van Van's in Cuba in the late 60's) into a MEGA-MASSIVE Salsa hit!
(Such was the hit, that the band took the same name of that song when Barretto left it after this to do a couple of "Crossover" albums on a different label...)
[The only Guararé album that got reissued is a non-Fania one, wait for the 2 other Inca [Fania] releases to be remastered in future, it may take some time!...]
It surprised me VERY MUCH to find out that the 2nd song, Vine Pa'Echár Candela is actually a Ray Barretto composition as you could EASILY imagine yourself in the Cuba of the 1940's or 50's because of the Arsenio Rodríguez style of song it is! I actually thought he was the original author!
Anyway, it's a Son-Montuno (let's say,`mid-tempo' Cuban Salsa-Son type of tune) which although takes it's time to get really started, is WORTH YOUR PATIENCE, as you'll get a GREAT intensity, SUPERB arrangements, and a GREAT chorus section in the album consisting of a young and upcoming Rubén Blades, Adalberto Santiago [already back with Barretto!] and Tito Allen, the singer from Barretto's previous album `Indestructible' (which I also reviewed, and which YOU MUST ALSO GET!!!).
There's also a VERY nice, although a bit short Piano solo by Gil López, a Ray Barretto Conga solo, and a KILLER end to the tune which you don't want to finish, believe me!
The 3rd song is the only tune I don't listen to. It's a Ballad (Bolero) written and sang by Rubén Blades.
Rubén also sings on the coming tunes, and Ban Ban Quere is ANOTHER HELL of a song arranged by López! The arrangements on this AMAZING tune are SO OVERWHELMINGLY MIND-BLOWING that they give me REAL THRILLS, along with the Trumpet arrangements that follow which would take the listeners AND DANCERS TO HEAVEN! ANOTHER MEGA-MASSIVE HIGHLIGHT!...
Vale Más Un Guaguancó is a more obvious Cuban type of tune composed by Curet Alonso which smoothens things out just a bit after the INTENSITY of the previous tune!... It talks about how a Guaguancó (Afro-Cuban Conga-Drum rhythm) and it's Drums along with their enjoyment is better than a bad love.
We could all agree to that, couldn't we? (Another VERY NICE tune to listen to.)
Testígo Fuí is another Curet Alonso tune I enjoy very much, and if you listen carefully, it actually starts in a sort of Danzonete (slow Cuban style of dance from the 18th-19th century with a very particular and recognizable rhythm [think also of Danzón, which is just a bit less `accelerated' with less emphasis on the rhythm/percussion...]). Then it finishes rather traditionally in a Cha-Cha-Chá with such a rock-solid N.Y powerful sound that we almost forget what rhythm the tune actually is!
El Presupuesto is a WONDERFUL `Charanga-rhythmed' tune (think faster paced than Cha-Cha-Chá) written by the album's late Trumpetist Roberto Rodríguez who always seemed to have a nice Cuban number to write for Barretto's albums!
Like on the previous tune, the arrangements are provided for some reason, by Sonny Bravo (Pianist, Leader and founder of Tipica 73!) The tune, the arrangements and the Trumpet solos around the middle build up to SUCH a DELIGHTFUL musical intensity that the listeners AND DANCERS WILL BE, YET AGAIN, IN HEAVEN!
The lyric is also sarcastic and funny, and still pertinent today, in a world where obviously price increases and salaries are still a big issue!
Canto Abacuá is another tune composed by Rubén, and ANOTHER MASSIVELY POPULAR hit from this album too! Unfortunately, the Conga-Drum / "Amazonian" introduction is FAR TOO LONG, but just wait because what comes after IS REALLY BURNING HOT SALSA, with a fine Keyboard-Piano solo by López, and HOT BURNING TRUMPET BRASS ARRANGEMENTS AND SOLOS THAT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY!!!...
KILLER STUFF, AND ANOTHER MASSIVE HIGHLIGHT!
[FULL credits to the late Tito Gómez, this album's other lead singer and chorist for FINE vocals on 3 tunes too!]
[Total Play-Time: 43:31 Mins]
Cd Remastered 2008 By: Jon Fausty. 9/10! GREAT volume level, EXCELLENT clearness of sound, and VERY GOOD sharpness too! Original recording PERFECTLY preserved by Mr. Fausty, the album's original sound engineer!
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Description of Barretto
The hard Salsa follow up to the landmark Indestructible does not disappoint. Barretto is every bit as hard and swingin here in a hard salsa classic. Featuring Tito Allen, Tito Gomez and Ruben Blades on vocals and a strong cast of players rounding out the band, the album produced a number of all-out hits that still enjoy the airwaves and club play today such as 'Guarare', 'Canto Abacua', 'Ban Ban Quere' and more. And of course Ray takes care of business on the congas as only he can. This album is not to be missed!International CDs
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