scapp70's Full Review: RMM Tropical Tribute to the Beatles
Yes, I purchased this CD. I don't remember why I was a little anxious for it. It was a couple of years ago when I did buy it, and I used to listen to it a lot, not too much anymore. It may have been a faze of liking that kind of music. I did go to Florida around the same time, and while I was in Typhoon Lagoon, they were playing lots of tropical music throughout the park. I remember thinking that it was a nice touch and made it feel a bit authentic. It's possible I was searching for a CD that was filled with tropical music, and I came across this title. Like I said, it was a couple of years ago, and I honestly do not remember.
But, it should be told that I am happy that this CD is in my collection. If it were today that I discovered such a title I would most likely of passed it by.
I guess it's a good thing that I purchased it when I did.
Here are some of the highlights on the CD:
At first listen to the opening track Hey Jude, you may think to yourself just another Beatles tribute with a faithful cover to the original with congas, tampora and other percussion played behind it. But it actually is a very authentic sounding salsa song that does stay faithful to the original, even down to the background vocals, as it should because it is the Beatles after all. This song is sung by Tony Vega.
Let It Be is sung by Tito Nieves and this song is a great rendition as well. Very nice touches are added such as Tito Puente on the vibes, which for me is the highlight of the song. This also stays very faithful to the original and yet the additives are very welcome as they create that tropical mood.
The artist Guianko sings Can't Buy Me Love (No Puedes Comprarme). The entire song is sung in Spanish. Only one chorus toward the end creeps in and is sung in English. This guy Guianko sings really well.
Johnny Rivera sings A Hard Days Night. This version is Okay, not as good as the three previous songs. But I do like that salsa/merengue piano style. Toward the end of the song Johnny Rivera starts scatting in Spanish it sounds like, and he is singing about some woman named Maria. The CD includes lyrics for all the songs, but not these Spanish words toward the end of this song.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is translated into Spanish here, and even the title has now become Obladi, Oblada. Also the names Desmond and Molly in the original have been changed to Pedro and Celia, maybe because the name of the artist who sings this is named Celia Cruz. I must admit that it does sound like a man singing, so I made a search on Google Images for Celia Cruz, and the pictures I viewed did seem that Celia is in fact a woman. This song is extended in length way passed the Beatles song time, yet it seems every song is extended by at least two or three minutes. Again, toward the end of the song, (the extended part) the lyrics are all in Spanish, yet the lyrics do not include this segment of the song.
I Want To Hold Your Hand is a song by The Beatles that was a huge hit, yet this is one song that I could not really stomach. The single has a short time span of just 2:26, and yet I feel it goes on too long. I am the biggest Beatles fan and I love everything, but this song. This version Dame Tu Mano Ven is pretty good. It is sped up a lot more than the Beatles original version. It is performed by Manny Manuel, maybe he is the Puerto Rican version of that KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent.
Day Tripper is a guitar riff that we all know and love, here played in that salsa/merengue style of piano you would think it was written in this tropical way. This song was very nicely done. Artist: Domingo Quinones.
Maybe my favorite on this CD is the beautiful And I Love Her (Mi Gran Amor Le Di). It has a beautiful acoustic guitar contrasting the salsa/merengue style piano. It keeps that quiet tone that the Beatles wanted to emulate when they recorded it, yet this version makes it a little more haunting with just a little more reverb and little acoustic guitar runs throughout the song. This song is sung beautifully by Jose Alberto. This is the only song that is not extended in time in comparison to the original version.
Track Listing:
1. Hey Jude 5:28
2. Let It Be 5:17
3. Can't Buy Me Love (No Puedes Comprarme) 4:37
4. A Hard Day's Night 4:59
5. Obladi, Oblada 4:42
6. The Fool On The Hill 4:28
7. I Want To Hold Your Hand 4:25
8. Day Tripper 4:15
9. Lady Madonna 4:46
10. With A Little Help From My Friends 5:05
(La Ayuda De La Amistad)
11. Yesterday 4:51
12. And I Love Her (Mi Gran Amor Le Di) 3:15
13. Come Together (Venir Juntos) 5:55
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦More Beatles-related Epinions from Scapp70♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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