Pepe Aguilar's Thoroughly Modern Twist on a Traditional Sound...
Written: Apr 17 '04
Product Rating:
Pros: Great vocals, mellow enough to have on at work, 21st century sound
Cons: Mellow enough to have on at work
The Bottom Line: Pepe Aguilar spices up the staid, conservative ranchera style with rock and pop influences, dragging it kicking and screaming into the 21st century...
mrkstvns's Full Review: Y Tenerte Otra Vez by Pepe Aguilar
With ranchera in his blood and rock in his soul, Pepe Aguilar forges a unique sound that's at once traditionally grounded, but with enough hooks and twists and fusions of modern influences to miraculously strike a middle ground that can appeal to traditional audiences of ranchera and mariachi music, while at the same time pulling in younger audiences weaned on a pop pablum diet.
I'm more than a little surprised at myself for liking this CD as much as I do. Guilty pleasure, I guess. Truth is, I'm not quick to reach for any CD that sports a picture of a guy who looks like he's been raiding Vicente Fernandez's hat rack. Rancheras. Not my bag, Baby. Matter of fact, I don't reach for country CDs very often either. Rancheras and country -- two sides of the same coin, if you ask me, and it's like a penny to me -- the coin I don't pick up.
But I did pick up Pepe Aguilar -- solely on the recommendation of Ramiro Burr -- and I'm glad I did. Pepe is good! In fact, if it weren't ranchera, I'd say he rocked, but rancheras don't rock, but in the hands of Pepe Aguilar, they at least try to!
I think a lot of the reason for Aguilar's big, bold sound boils down to simple genetics. Aguilar was born to do this kind of music. I mean, what's a kid gonna do when Dad is one of the greatest ranchera stars to ever live (bigger than Vicente Ferndandez even) and Mom is one of the most revered female vocalists in the genre? A younger Pepe tried to rebel, playing grunge rock to annoy parents and neighbors alike. Yet, when push came to shove, young Pepe looked at the cards he was dealt and wisely figured that you don't ask the dealer to hit you when you're holding a royal flush -- which is pretty much where he was sitting.
Stick to rancheras, and you've got generations of Aguilars waiting to help you out with the very best inside tips. You've got the connections to make anything happen. You've got just about every fan of Mexican music lined up, ready to fork over hard-earned pesos for any disc bearing the Aguilar name. And that's pretty much how Pepe Aguilar's career has gone -- certainly he's been the golden boy since his 1998 hit with Por Mujeres Como Tu.
Sometimes I feel jaded about young stars who get lots of press based on their parentage, but every now and then, you find one who doesn't have just the silver spoon in his mouth -- he's also got some talent to justify that microphone in his hand.... Such is the case with Pepe Aguilar -- he has one of the clearest, most dynamic voices of just about any male vocalist I can think of. He has an uncanny ability to fuse tradition with today, and he does so with his own style and on his own terms. I can respect that.
But enough widi-widi. Let's slide Y Tenerte Otra Vez into the changer and see how it tickles the ears...
Biggest and Brightest...
It's like deja vu all over again! The biggest hit off this disc has got to be He Venido a Pedirte Perdon -- a remake of Juan Gabriel's blockbuster hit. It's kind of hard to imagine anyone pulling off a more convincing pop anthem than a pop maestro like Gabriel, but Aguilar actually pulls it off, and he does it on the raw, emotive strength of his vocals. This is actually a pretty complex arrangement, with some light marimbas chiming in, an occasional restrained horn, and that wonderous multi-layered chorus.
The lyrics on He Venido a Pedirte Perdon are kind of sappy in a lost love kind of way, and frankly, I can think of a dozen artists that have put together more convincing lyrical arrangements on this theme, but with the light and spritzy keyboard and horns of this song, it's a born pop heartstring yanker along the lines of Tony Orlando's forever sappy (but masterfully exploitative) Tie a Yellow Ribbon...
"...Se que nunca tu querras volver y, yo quiero por ultimo decirte amor, que yo te seure amando. Adios, mi amor...."
"Surround yourself with good people." It's not just a recipe for success in business, it works in music too. That Aguilar's biggest hit off this CD was penned by Juan Gabriel is just part of the proof. My favorite cut off this CD is a song that -- believe it or not -- was written by Teodoro Bello, the songwriting genius behind Los Tigres del Norte.
Me Falta Valor sounds nothing like a typical Tigres del Norte song, and that's a good thing if you're a fan of rancheras or any other very traditional sounding style of music. Bello is controversial and cutting edge -- at least he is when performing with los Tigres. But he is also a consummate perfectionist with an ear toward today.
I'm a sucker for a great opening riff, and I just I love the opening on Alma En Pena -- it reminds me of the sort of synthesizer-driven techno sound of earlier Tangerine Dream. The keyboard arrangement on this track is excellent. Aguilar has some other strong openings on here -- I love the big bold brassy mariachi sound on A Pierna Suelta.
I'm on the fence about how innovative this disc really is. While I love the pop and norteno and rock elements that Aguilar is incorporating into his strong traditional ranchera base, I also know that many of these tracks are not exactly cutting edge kind of songs -- I've heard at least a handful of these being done by other artists, and I know that Aguilar is pulling from the 1970s/1980s era, so part of me says, "Awww, it's just all derivative." but I'm not sure. Some of the tracks are clearly not reheated leftovers, and Aguilar is pulling in such strong new arrangements that I'm really thinking that these are more in the spirit of "revivals" than anything else.
In any case, overall, I'm extremely impressed with the quality of Y Tenerte Otra Vez. I didn't have very high expectations when I picked it up -- because of my natural bias against ranchera -- but Aguilar is enough of a talent that he brushed off my doubts and left me feeling like this was one purchase that was thoroughly worth every penny I spent. A nice disc, and a nice change of pace if you're used to a more staid and conservative kind of ranchera. I definitely recommend it!
Tale of the Tracks...
14 tracks coming up to almost an hour of gentle ranchera listening...
1. Me Falta Valor 2. Va Por Tu Suerte 3. Alma en Pena 4. Yo la Amo 5. He Venido a Pedirte Perdon 6. Mi Buen Corazon 7. A Pierna Suelta 8. El Mecate 9. Indispensable 10. Caida Libre 11. El Hombre es Hombre 12. Y Tenerte Otra Vez 13. Y Ahora Olvidame 14. Mi Casa de Teja
Bottom Line...
Truth is, this isn't my favorite kind of music, yet I still admire it for the accomplishment that it represents. This is an extremely well produced album of diverse sounds and tracks. Aguilar is such an accomplished vocalist that he could probably make truck backfires sound delightful. Still, not my style of music, though there are times when nothing else would sound quite as well. When I'm looking for some great music to accompany dinner, or some nice soft romantic music to entice someone special -- well, those are the kinds of times I'll be reaching for this disc. There are hundreds of romantic latin discs out there, but few that manage to pull in enough modern influences to keep from sounding stale. Aguilar pulls that one off, and that alone is enough of an accomplishment to earn my respect.
Until next time, see you in the music store. As always, I'll be the lonely gringo hanging out in the latin music aisle...
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