En Directo is not exactly what I expected. I expected a straight-up live album. En Directo does have some live tracks, but it also has some studio tracks. It's mostly stuff you've heard form Daddy Yankee's earlier albums, but it's got some nice surprises thrown in, with a few tracks of previously unreleased material. It also throws in the wrinkle of an overture to the hip-hop market with some strong hip-hop fusions as well as collaborative tracks with Snoop Dogg and Paul Wall.

The result is a somewhat odd album. An album that defies easy categorization. It's not a hits collection, though it does have some previously released material. It's not a live album, though it does have live tracks. It's not a studio release either, though it does have some new studio tracks of previously released material. It's none of the above, and it's all of the above, plus it's got a DVD with some Daddy Yankee documentary footage, video clips, and a movie promo.

I'm getting ahead of myself though. Let's slide the CD into the changer and see what En Directo is all about.


What's Hot, What's Not, What's En Directo All About??
Obviously, Gasolina is on this disc...it wouldn't have earned the Barrio Fino title without Gasolina. The version on this disc is every bit as seductive, slick, and sensual as the studio release, but it's a heck of a lot different in this live amalgamation, filled with shifting moods that change as unpredictably as the synth driven beat. While I prefer the original studio version to this version, it's educational to hear the frantic approval of the overpowering crowd sounds.

Gasolina was last year's chart-topping hit. This year kicks off with a new Daddy Yankee hit at the top of the charts, Rompe. This is probably the single best reggaeton tune I've heard since the release of Gasolina. It's catchy and sly, the beat packs punch, and it offers up yet one more tantalizing hint at English-language cross-over attempts to come.

If those cross-over attempts do come (and I'll be surprised if they don't), it's almost certainly going to come square in the middle of a hip-hop market that may or may not be ready for reggaeton. From the sounds of collaboration though, it looks like reggaeton is ready for more direct hip-hop fusions.

Fans of rap and hip-hop might want to check out a couple collaborative tracks on this disc. These are tracks that walk the broad-stroked line between english language black urban sounds and spanish language hispanic urban sounds. Teaming up with Snoop Dogg yields the hip-hop reggaeton track Gangsta Zone, while teaming up with Paul Wall yields Machete Reloaded. Surprise! The Snoop Dogg work doesn't work as well as the Paul Wall tune. Machete Reloaded has more energy, it's slicker, and it's ultimately more convincing (I also like the way that the insistent refrain of "Machete....Machete" brings a sense of insistence to the song. Gangsta Zone is okay, but it seems to plod and fizzle when everything else on this disc pops and crackles. Not one of the stronger tracks.

There's a couple other weak points on this disc. Of course the intro (En Directo) sucks. So does the stupid comedy routine thing that passes itself off as Como Dice Que Dijo --- a total waste of time and space, and a definite downer on what is, generally, a very strong disc. The weakest real track is probably El Truco, and it fails because it tries to be something that doesn't really work here. It feels more like an average quality Elvis Crespo song than a Daddy Yankee song. Not that there's anything wrong with Elvis, you understand, but Elvis is just soooooo 1999 and reggaeton is a fast-moving style where, if a track came out two months ago, it's an "oldie". El Truco just doesn't cut it.

Fortunately, most of the album is fairly strong, and it opens with power and conviction on the inimitable King Daddy, which is kind of a boastful, prideful thing lyrically, but it's also an inferno of energy with drive and conviction. Sliding from that kind of energy to the high-energy, party-time boogie mood of Dale Caliente is masterful. These two songs were done together in the same concert at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, so you get the added edge of home-town adrenalin.

For the most part, a very good album with some strong live renditions, a few very weak points, and at least one obvious hit in the making in the form of Rompe.


What's the DVD All About??
En Directo comes with a DVD. Big surprise. Everybody packages DVDs with their albums these days. What's on Daddy Yankee's DVD?

Well, it's a little of this and a little of that. You've got Daddy Yankee chatting about his life and views, you've got some live concert clips of tunes like Dale Caliente and Gasolina. You have an MTV-ready video of the tune Corazones, and you've got a trailer for Talento de Barrio, featuring Daddy Yankee, about Daddy Yankee, and coming to a theatre near you. It'll take you about an hour to get through it all.


What's the Bottom Line??
I like En Directo. It's not a great album, it's not earth-shattering, it's certainly not as good as having either a really good new studio album or a good concert CD. But it's okay.

Daddy Yankee fans have probably already gotten their copies, reggaeton die-hards in general will probably view it as a "must buy" too. Everyone else should probably skip this release and content themselves with the original Barrio Fino release until Daddy treats us to an all-new studio release. That's my advice anyway.

Until next time, see you in the music store. As always, look for me in the latin music aisle.


What's On This Album?
Sixteen total tracks, a mix of live and studio, old and new. Here's what you'll hear...

1. En Directo
2. King Daddy
3. Dale Caliente
4. El Empuje
5. Tu Principe
6. Santifica Tus Escapularios
7. Corazones
8. No Me Dejes Solo
9. Lo Que Paso, Paso
10. Gasolina
11. Rompe
12. Machucando
13. Gangsta Zone
14. Machete Reloaded
15. Como Dice Que Dijo
16. El Truco


What Else Should a Reggaeton Fan Be Reading on Epinions??
Here's a few other opinions on the hottest genre in latin music...

* Daddy Yankee - Barrio Fino
* Don Omar - The Last Don
* Luny Tunes - Mas Flow 2




Recommended: No

Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out