The Bottom Line
Marc Anthony heats up this companion album to his first Latin Pop album (Amar Sin Mentiras) by putting lots of salsa on it.
Pros
- Salsa that sizzles
Cons
- Short - only 9 tracks
Description
- Latin Grammy's Tropical album of the year winner.
- Produced by Estefano (Estefano Production Group)
- Released on Sony Discos (Sony International)
Guide Review - CD Review: Marc Anthony - Valio La Pena
Just a few months after his first Latin Pop album, Amar Sin Mentiras , was released, I spotted a new Marc Anthony album on the music shelves. Different title, different picture, but turn it over and it sure looked like the same songs as on the previous CD. So, what was this? A marketing scam? Was I going to end up buying the same album twice?
Not quite. Valio La Pena (Worth the Pain) is the companion CD to Amar and is spiced-up with Anthony’s reliable blend of brass and percussion. Was it worth the pain to make two albums, the second being a faster, hotter, more energetic remix of the first? For die-hard salsa fans, the answer is a resounding ‘si, senor’.
I made myself a CD with the identical tracks back to back to listen to the difference between the two versions. Anthony's rich voice graces both albums equally. The arrangements and production on Amar are somewhat better than Valio's, where it sounds like he spent less energy jazzing up the beat.
Objective musical merit aside, I prefer Valio La Pena because, personally, I'd rather dance than cry.
