The Bottom Line: When you hear about "Rock en espaqol", think Alejandra Guzman, and compare her to the best Pat Benatar stuff you've ever heard. Brilliant!
I missed the infamous "chicks rock" write off a few months ago. If I'd written something for it, I probably would have written about Alejandra Guzman. While everyone who knows anything about "chicks who rock" will have Pat Benatar on their list, they probably don't have Guzman, which is a shame since she's probably the world's best current example of "chicks who rock."
Alejandra Guzman has been one of the top rockers in the spanish speaking world for more than 10 years. Guzman's sound is rich on the guitars and redolent with the influences of classic American and English rock. When you listen to one of her albums you can't help but pick up the subtle influences of a dozen great rock groups. You'll hear great guitar work that calls to mind Stevie Ray Vaughn or Tom Petty. You'll hear fast, hard-driving licks that rock the house like the best of Aerosmith. And you'll hear incredibly convincing throaty, rough-edged vocals that call to mind the best female vocalists the rock world has ever known. In my previous review of her album, Cambio de Piel, I described her vocal sound as a "female Tom Waits" -- and I still think that's a pretty darn accurate comparison!
Few english-language female rockers have ever had both the depth of passion that Guzman shows on this album and the ability to consistently turn a quick hook and shake the house. It's been done -- just not often. Guzman is every bit as capable of rocking the house as Joan Jett at her blackest. She's every bit as passionate and believable as Pat Benatar. And her snappy lyrics are every bit as catchy as the best from Blondie.
But enough of the glittering generalities. Let's slide Soy into the CD changer and see what her sound is all about these days...
Hitting the Highlights of Soy Wow! Talk about a high-energy blast right off the bat, this is it! Diablo is one seriously butt-kicking, hard-rocking, shake-the-house kind of tune. I just absolutely love the thrumming guitar blast opening which sounds like nothing if not Tom Petty (with maybe some Elvis Costello influences). The lyrics are wonderfully subversive and gleefully celebratory of a party lifestyle; the song reminds me a bit of tunes like the Beastie Boy's You Gotta Fight for Your Right or Joan Jett's I Love Rock and Roll -- maybe even Joe King Carrasco's Party Weekend (a great tune!!). In my opinion, Diablo is THE powerhouse hit of the album, but that's just my opinion -- it's not popular opinion.
Popular opinion seems to be that the number one hit off this CD is Verdad. That's the tune that gets the most airplay, and that's the tune that I've seen videos for. It's a great tune, and I love the way it mixes things up with slower passages and then a fast shift to the hard rock.
Like a yin and yang, Caramelo is the polar opposite of Diablo -- it's more of a "toe the line" kind of song about listening to people who are older and wiser. Almost certainly sound advice. I really like the eerily cool sing-song tone of this track and I bet it becomes a classic favorite with a lot of fans.
Some of the tunes on Soy are a little mellower than I usually expect from Guzman. Volvere a Amar is a slow-paced ballad that lets Guzman express her stunning dynamic range, but truth be told, I really prefer faster, harder.
While Labios de Fuego is also a little slower and mellower, it stands out from the rest of the album as a much darker sounding song. It has a deep, foreboding sound of evil menace. Very cool.
The whole album is a very solid piece of work. It rocks. It rolls. Everything fits together and has just the right amount of polish. I suppose that's what happens when you have great production by names like Randy Cantor and Desmond Childs (who also produced Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and others). On top of great production, the album also includes an appearance by guitar great Joe Satriani and another by Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick on Caramelo.
Tracking the Tracks...
Ten house-racking tunes for a total running time of about 37 minutes. Here's what you'll hear during those minutes...
1. Diablo 2. De Verdad 3. Quiero Vivir 4. Volvere a Amar 5. Caramelo 6. Todo 7. Vagabundo Corazon 8. Soy tu Lluvia 9. Abrazame 10. Labios de Fuego
Bottom Line: Soy Is a "MUST BUY" CD
I really don't know exactly how many albums Alejandra Guzman did before Soy -- probably at least 14 or 15 -- but it's a lot, and most are excellent. Picking a "best" out of that kind of crowd isn't an easy job, and I think if you really wanted a smattering of her earlier work, I'd recommend Jugo de Exitos. But if you wanted a super solid, top-notch recent CD I'd have to recommend either this one or Cambio de Piel.
In my opinion, Soy is definitely one of Guzman's best CDs ever, and it really proves that she's still rockin' into the new millenium. I highly recommend this album to anyone who loves good, solid, hard-driving rock and roll. If that's you, check out Alejandra Guzman's Soy -- your ears will thank you!
Until next time, see you in the music store. As always, I'm the lonely gringo prowling the latin music aisle in the never-ending hunt for new ear candy...
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.