features in: Album Chart of 1978 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1970s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
Regarded as an essential classic by salsa and latin aficionados, and one of the greatest selling LPs of all-time in those markets. Joining forces for the second time were Willie Colón, a New York-born Puerto Rican trombonist / bandleader and Rubén Blades, a Panamanian singer-songwriter of Cuban and Colombian heritage who had moved to the USA in the early 70s. Almost all of its songs were hits at one time or another in various Latin American countries. Said Blades: “These songs were telling stories that were familiar to people in Latin America… everybody identified with these songs.”
Opening the album surprisingly, they come on all Nile/Rodgers like on “Plástico” before the latin rhythms take over. What's going on there? It's a clever musical motif to back up the message as I found out with some internet digging: “Plástico” denounces the superficial and materialistic attitudes adopted by some Latinos during the 70s and 80s due to the influence of American capitalism. The first half of the song explores the shallow behaviour of a man and a woman who have bought into a lifestyle of consumerism and false appearances. This first half transitions into a call to all Latin Americans not to fall prey to this seemingly comfortable yet vapid way of life.” “Ojos”, written by compadre Johnny Ortiz, was the only song on the album not to be written by Blades, and talks about the future of the South American continent being in the hands of a younger generation ready to fight for their people. Leaving social and political issues to one side, “Dime” deals in the classic break-up theme; will these love pangs and pain of heartbreak ever fade? This is Salsa with a social conscience in both the personal and the political, and it's easy to understand why it soothed so many senhoras e senhores.
The Jukebox Rebel
10–Mar–2016
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [06:37]  Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Plástico (Rubén Blades) Latin |
| A2 | [05:43]  Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Buscando Guayaba (Rubén Blades) Latin |
| A3 | [07:21]  Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Pedro Navaja (Rubén Blades) Latin |
| B1 | [05:27] Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - María Lionza (Rubén Blades) Latin |
| B2 | [04:50]  Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Ojos (Johnny Ortiz) Latin |
| B3 | [06:59]  Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Dime (Rubén Blades) Latin |
| B4 | [05:21] Willie Colón and Rubén Blades - Siembra (Rubén Blades) Latin |
