Siembra

Ok, so another one where it’s ‘not for me’. Ugh. I get the musicianship and that it was a smash hit. And salsa is kinda fun. Probably missing out because I don’t understand Spanish so the story is lost on me. Fun to dance and have a laugh too. A bit like background music to listen to

Very fun listen, I almost always love these albums! Just makes me which I could properly dance to it lol. I also had at least on Dicaprio moment of a passage I heard that's been sampled a ton. And the album sounds just like a solid unit, they're having a blast, enjoying the vibes, noit outplaying each other. More of this please! 8 out of 10

A perfectly fine Latin music album.

First listen Saved 6/7 Top track: Plastico

Nice bass line right at the start! This is not really my bag but it was enjoyable for what it is.

I enjoyed everything I heard. It was really smooth and funky - probably the best I've heard of this type of music, but I wouldn't want to hear it all the time. Salsa is something I have to be in the mood for, I think.

A good time, got me moving

Not really my style, but it was an interesting listen

Fun album and not something I'd normally listen to. Can absolutely see how I would dance to this at an event or something. Some great tracks, especially Ojos.

Pretty good. First few tracks were really interesting, though the rest of the album kind of started to sound samey to me. Enjoyed it overall though.

Was fine, but not the sort of thing I'd ever turn on. I didn't dislike it or anything. It was... Fine. 2.5/5

Pretty decent Latin music. Not really my thing, but a solid way to kill 40-some minutes. C

I loved this. I listened to it now than once and I'll probably add it to my rotation. It's super bright and fun, the horns and strings sound amazing, and it's so outside my normal wheelhouse, I get excited knowing I have something this different to listen to.

Nice one. Been aware of Ruben Blades but never dove into his music. They say in NYC in the 70s there were three separate musical explosions... hip hop, punk, and salsa. I've never had an opportunity to check out the salsa movement nor did I know where to start. I can understand why Ruben is such an icon in the Latino community.

Es un disco de salsa. Está bueno, pero nunca me va a interpelar tanto. Tiene una vibra hermosa.

Hygge nok. Lidt sådan noget madlavningsmusik. Discount versionen af Buena Vista Social Club.

I loved this album a lot. Fun to listen and move around to. Very cool

Favourite tracks: plastico

This is why i'm doing this. Would i ever have listened to this otherwise? no. Am i glad i did? yes something about salsa piano gives me the heebie jeebies, but, the brass section and vocals on this are a delight.

Primo cooking tunes

Nice morning listen

Salsa is not really my genre but this seemed pretty much perfect to my unsophisticated regard.

I wish I was smart enough as one of the other reviewers to come up with a tortilla chip joke.

Totaal niet mijn ding. Klinkt als alle andere salsa in mijn ongetrainde oren. Alle stukjes die leuk waren werden niet herhaald.

Salsa! Good salsa. Why does the cover make it look like one of those Salsa for Babies CDs? Radiohead for Babies etc. Best tracks: Buscando Guayaba, Ojos.

Meh. Good enough to not slip. But not good enough to add any songs to my library.

Qué sorpresa encontrar este disco aquí. Además, es bien político y eso me gustó.

Now this is more my speed! Great little salsa record we've got here! A great introduction to salsa music, I really enjoy this from start to finish

Big fan of this album Had me doing a little dance while making dinner. Big fan willie and Cecilia too

Conozco a los autores pero nunca los tomé en serio. Mis disculpas. Empieza con tres cañonazos y luego se aplaca pero es un disco completamente imprescindible.

Never heard of this album, but it was an enjoyable listen. Well recorded and inoffensive, it has great instrumentation, percussion and vocals throughout. The horns had great texture on “Maria Lionza”. 3.5/5

Nice catchy music, unfortunately makes you feel like you're in a theme restaurant.

It's got a great beat and you can dance to it.

This album deserves all the love for not being Scum by Napalm Death as well as having such a fire trombone section HL: title track, "Buscando Guayaba", "Pedro Navaja" June 30, 2023 (later)

Something about Latin music that just makes you want to move! Enjoyable under certain environments

I used to listen to a lot more Spanish-lanaguage music (back when I was learning the language in middle + high school and early university) so this felt kind of comforting.

That was kind of fun.

It’s aight.

Plastico came right out and slapped the coffee out of my hand with that opening bass line. Song abruptly drops all the funk in favor of a straightforward salsa jam. I'm not mad... I'm just disappointed. Like I still think this is fantastically enjoyable, but I love me some funky bass. Pedro Navaja pulls that funky bass back into the mainstream and I truly appreciate it. Song is a jam that interpolates some West Side Story along the way. Maria Lionza has a chant feature in it (at the end 5:05) that reminds me of a Kendrick Lamar song off of Section 80 (Poe Mans Dreams around 2:22). Unsure if it is actually what was sampled there, but it fits too perfectly. Someone please check this out and tell me if I'm crazy. Well this was an interesting one. I'm not one for salsa per se, but I also don't mind it in general. The funky bass elements definitely were a nice addition that made their presence known in a number of songs. I'd say for what it is, it was better than expected. So between a high 3 and low 4. Nudging because even without favorable biases I found this more engaging than not.

Leukleukleuk

Loved it!

Goes in one ear and out the other. Not horrible tho.

Good music if you're into it I suppose

Started a little disco-y, but settled down into some excellent Latin music

Salsa can be annoying, sometimes. Sometimes, very much so.

Time for a salsa jam! It's nice. Rhythmic and fun, but not exceptional in any way.

This didn't excite me.

Maria Lionza is okay, cool drum beat Ojos is pretty cool, happy with cool backbeat Dime is kinda a vibe Was getting into the vibe by the end. Listened through twice. Not my style of music. Torn for the rating. Don’t want to low rate as it is well done, but I’m not into it.

Pretty good album.

No hablo espanol. Te lo agradeceria mas si estuviera en ingles. The brass in this album made it.

This sounds like noise as it’s not in English. Sounds like I’m at a Mexican Restaurant not my kind of music.

Pretty easy listening. I like the brass. Decent album for a genre I don't really listen to. Likely won't return for more.

Nice Latin grooves. Extremely listenable!

Yes please.

Great tunage really enjoyed this

day 2 and we get salsa. so far 2/2 in genres I never listen to! this is a vibe though, listened to this while in traffic and felt totally at ease. I know it’s meant to be danced to, but I just want to chill on a beach with a margarita and listen to this. musically, lyrics are pretty big for me so it’s hard for me to connect with a song when I can’t understand it (I don’t speak Spanish). But there are a lot of elements of this I love. Cool instrumentation, unexpected elements, some funky/disco vibes at times that I enjoy. It feels really refreshing listening to it, has an impromptu feel like the band is just jamming. Compared to a lot of over produced stuff today it just felt nice. I do think it started to lose steam a little bit toward the end though Faves - Pedro Navaja, Plástico 3.5/5 rounded up to 4

Less of an album and more of a vibe. Good music but individual songs won’t sell it. It’s more how you see it overall.

Enjoyable world music standard 3

Nice music. Force you shaking body.

Toe tapping fun. Made me want to learn how to dance a little bit. But not enough to make me get off my arse.

I have no recollection of listening to this, but I also know it was great. I'm not entirely sure how I know this, but it is completely true.

Like that

Muy caliente

Disco flavored Yacht Rock designed to piss off Christopher Cross, which is a compliment to all, especially those little babies on the cover.

I find myself returning to this record multiple times over - it’s a very good one.

It's very rare for me to dance instead of walk to work. This album gave me those vibes to let go, and dance all the way. Fantastic.

"Plástico" que buena critica y sátira a la gente clasista, lastima que haya sido compuesta desde 1978, y aún se siente tan moderna. "Buscando Guayaba" De los más disfrutables, ya que me dieron ganas de bailar, el ritmo es genial, y divertido, me gustó mucho. "Pedro Navaja" Un clásico eterno, y de mis favoritas de salsa, no tengo mucho que decir de está. La vida te da sorpresas, sorpresas te da la vida. "María Lionza" Gran tema, habla sobre una diosa o algo así, igual es disfrutable de escuchar. "Ojos" un enorme poema que admira notablemente los ojos de una determinada persona, tiene un ritmo bien sabroso, me encanta. "Dime" Probablemente la balada del disco, ya que es mucho más suave y el piano más melódico. Y la letra es bastante triste a pesar de contar con un ritmo bailable típico de la salsa, "Dime como me arranco del alma esta pena de amor". "Siembra" Una gran metáfora de la vida, y creo que le da el sentido al disco, de lejos la mejor letra del disco. El ritmo de la voz es lento, pero la música es considerablemente rápida.

I’d listen on tuesdays

Love the vibe

Meh

Really enjoyed this one. Right from the first track.

For the first few seconds I thought this was going to be shitty, latin disco. But turned out to be a really great album.

Salsa. La vida te da sorpresa. Pero no me gusta la salsa.

Cool beats, fantastic rhythms. Great music to dive into or just have on while you clean the house.

A solid salsa album, and paired well with chips & salsa.

I really enjoyed this album. I enjoy salsa as a whole, but don't listen to it often. This album is very easy going and flows incredibly well. Pedro Navaja was probably my favorite song. This album definitely makes me want to listen to some more salsa.

Can't say I've ever listened to a full salsa album like this but this one was absolutely Feugo🔥

Don't listen to much salsa but damn if it didn't have me craving some tacos and margaritas at 10 am on a Monday.

Good Latin music

4 stars. I love salsa apparently

Beautiful horn line, honestly not knowledgeable enough about the genre to say much more but I found this album delightful and it has made me want to find more salsa music to listen to.

It might be really good salsa, but it's still salsa

I have definitely heard many of these songs before without even realizing it. I guess it's the "standard" for which salsa music is held to. I liked it!

I've read the wikipedia article for tumbao. I've watched a dozen videos about clave rhythms. My limited musical experience means that I only barely understand the basic structure of salsa but the more I listen and study the more I appreciate it.

Nice, but didn’t do a lot for me

"Como decia mi abuelita el que dé último rie se rie mejor" Salsa in 1978 really fit right in with the Disco scene. I enjoyed the album - more for the music than the singing. Standout: Pedro Navaja 3/5

Cool découverte!

Enjoyable but not really my style

Wow this was a fun listen! I can't say I've really given salsa much of a listen before this, and I don't know Spanish but I really wish I did now. The horns and instrumentation are excellent, and the lyrics seem great, even if I don't exactly know what's being said. It's the kind of album that just makes me want to dance, and it makes me wish for a warmer day than this one. Favourite: Plástico

Salsa is not my jam, but I can understand why this album is the best selling record in the history of salsa and latino music. The opening song, "Plastico" sets up the mood, puts the pedal to the metal and keeps it there for 40 minutes. It's very unlikely that I will listen to this album again anytime soon just for pleasure, but whenever I will end up on a salsa course, or on a party with latino themes, then this will be the first record to put on. It's a very fun album, and a very positive surprise!

Salsa. Pedro Navaja. Un 4.

This made me want to stand up from my desk and start doing the salsa. What a fun album!

Who knew four babies could write such fun and lively music?

Boogie time baby

Whimsical, happy music that makes you want to shimmy along

What a fun album! Great musicality all around.

This is the kind of music that makes me wish I knew how to salsa dance

Wel fijne muziek, maar ik merk dat latijnse muziek voor mij allemaal redelijk hetzelfde klinkt. Ik vind het dus moeilijk om iets heel goed of juist minder te vinden. Dus pakken we de gouden middenweg: 3 sterren.

bun, instrumentalu putea sa fie ceva mai funky da csf

I’m not great lover of Latin music, but I really enjoyed this, and inexplicably I recognised a couple of the tracks.

Tof en zomers, maar niet iets waar ik veel naar zou luisteren

I enjoyed this one. I don't speak Spanish or know very much about latin music but it was definitely a fun dance break in the middle of my work day as my energy was starting to fade. I think I'd give this one a 3-3.5/5.

Awesome Samba! Great stuff, makes me want to dance. Very groovy!

I know nothing about Salsa. The instruments were played very well, the singing was nice, the songs were good. A foot tapper. 3 / 5 stars.

This was unexpectedly awesome, never judge an album by its cover.

This was fun, and I had never heard of this album or the artists before. But I did tire of it and was glad when it ended. Oh wait there were still three more songs, it was too much.

A lot of fun! Beach vibes!

I missed this one, it was well before I got into Latin music. Clearly he nailed this long before Gloria Estefan. Great album, and I will be listening to it again.

Tasty

Medium-butterfly-chicken-and-peri-chips vibes

Its aight, if I ever want to listen to salsa again I know where to go.

Colon & Blades sounds like the name of a terrible gastrointestinal surgeon clinic in English, but in Spanish, it's the recipe for some amazing music. I award this album 4 dancing babies.

I've heard some of these songs on compilations, but never had the pleasure of hearing them together as intended until today. This album is a high water mark for the salsa genre. It's also one of the great Latin music albums, not just of its era, but of all time. Spectacular, nuanced musicianship and rich, flawless vocals from Ruben Blades. Not to mention, this album is just deeply, deeply fun. No hyperbole, this is a pretty perfect album. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Pedro Navaja, Dime, Plástico, Buscando Guayaba, María Lionza, Ojos, Siembra

Yesssssssss this is exactly the kind of thing i signed up for.

During the first minutes I was thinking "yep, this will get three stars, usual spanish stuff, pleasant but nothing interesting". NO, that's beautiful, carefully crafted and addictive. Will definetely look up other stuff of this genre

Enjoyed this more than I might have thought.

Siembra is the second album by Panamian singer and songwritter Rubén Blades and Puerto Rican-American trombonist Willie Colón. It is considered the best selling salsa album in the history of salsa and Latin music, and was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. It has sold 3 million copies worldwide and almost every song has been a hit at one time or another in various Latin American countries. This is definitely an awesome salsa album so give it a listen if you like that genre. I liked the groovy album, but the lyrics in Spanish didn't help me enjoy it.

Classic.i like it

1978, латинская музыка. Самый продаваемый альбом сальсы. Латинская музыка - не мое.

Great atmospheric Latin jazz, upbeat but also easy listening

Está bueno osi

Was pretty spicy

Great album

My wife loved this album. me I can take it or leave it. 3 stars

My mate brought a flamboyant friend to the pub. We chatted and they seemed ok. Most of the time I had no idea what they were going on about but they did say they wanted to live in America a couple of times. I probably won’t see them again.

Offensive Lineman Willie Colon moonlighting as a musician? Sure. Siembra misses me with the language barrier, I'd have liked the funky opening track to be a sign of the rest of it but, alas, it ends up being El Generico and not in the good Sami Zayn way. 2.

So the first minute of this is disco, and then the rest slips pretty comfortably into standard Latin American salsa stuff. I really struggle to differentiate much between most of this, my Spanish isn't good enough to get the lyrics unless I really concentrate (and this kind of music doesn't lend itself to intense concentration on the lyrics), and it ends up all sounding perfectly pleasant but lacking in any kind of oomph. Not an unpleasant listen, but no reason to recommend. 2/5.

I haven’t listened to a lot of salsa. This was funkier and more lavish than I expected. I thought maybe it’d sound more rootsy. Enjoyable throughout

Best Song: Buscando Guayaba. I think it is the background chorus that really set this one apart. Worst Song: Siembra. I'm not sure if it was actually the worst, or if I'd just exhausted my interest in this level of latin music. Given my ignorance of the genre, it all started to sound very similar by this point in the album. Overall: Not my genre, but nice and enjoyable all the same. I could imagine it for cooking and eating particular meals. It is danceable, but in a way that I don't know how to dance to.

Found myself dancing a little in my seat to this. Fun.

No hablo bien el espanol, pero esta musica me recuerda a Puerto Rico. Me encanta Puerto Rico y todas las hermosas playas. Not quite my thing, but does make me think of beautiful PR. Pretty sure my wife would enjoy and he did a couple shout outs to PR, so I'm not going to rear this album down. Good fun music for the right place. Beautiful Puerto Rico and beautiful Mindy!! 2

2 I hate this album cover. What’s with the babies?? And why do they look badly Photoshopped onto an illustration from a 1970s children’s book?? What does this have to do with the music?? Anyway, that out of the way, fine salsa music. Far from my favorite genre, but there were a handful of standout moments here. In particular, I really liked how Plástico kicked off with a unique, disco-style opening and then rounded out with a series of shouted call and response lines. Looking at the lyrics, it seems he was calling out an attendance list of Latin American countries with the backup singers responding “Present”, so I guess this is pretty much the salsa equivalent of California Love. I also liked the West Side Story references on Pedro Navaja, especially because I think they were used in a sarcastic way to complement an ongoing criticism of the American Dream and lifestyle, though I can’t speak Spanish, so I’m really taking Genius’ word on that one. But yeah, even though it’s supposedly a pretty politically charged album thematically, musically most of it sounds like pretty standard salsa fare. Buscando Guayaba sounded like borderline elevator music. Ojos had a bit of a hook to it with its repetition of the title, but beyond that, not much else of note. I said it before and I’ll say it again - not my type of music, and I likely wouldn’t put it on in my own time. That being said, I’m a very lyric-driven person, so I would maybe re-visit and learn to appreciate more if I ever became proficient in Spanish.

Samba - didn't really know what to expect or how to rate. I didn't get it, but didn't hate it.

Apparently the essential salsa album the 70s twists were cool but that’s not what made the album good

I guess the best-selling salsa album of all time should find its place in such a list, although I admit I know absolutely nothing about this genre. That said, I can still say two things about *Siembra*: first, you don't need to know the history of Salsa very well to appreciate its lush arrangements and instrumentation ; and then, there are many moments in this record where Blades and Colón aptly use other influences, if only for a few seconds ("Plastico"'s disco intro, the nod to *West Side Story* in "Pedro Navaja", that insane Ennio Morricone-like drop in "María Lionza", or the music-hall strings in the title track). All in all, it was a quite leasant first listen. Plus, even though I'm not fluent in Spanish, I feel like the songs are also telling interesting stories. So I hope I have time to revisit this record later on to delve deeper on that other subject and learn what those storie are all about... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: less than 700, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

Solid samba music.

Salsa-esque bops! Good for working

donde esta la bibliotheca

Decent album, even if it‘s not exactly my genre.

This was very enjoyable, great background music, very atmospheric. Maybe I should not be surprised I recognized one Major Lazer sample from Maria Lionza.

It is physically imposable to be upset while listening to Samba, your body will not allow such a thing and move to the music anyway. A great album filled with beautiful drums and horns and a sexy latin style, not that I know what they are saying but who cares it's the whole vibe that makes it transcend langauage. Favourite track Plástico

Oh, that cover :D I'm not into salsa, but that was quite pleasant.

vauvvat tekee musiikkia...heh... vauvamaista... HUVLATON, HULVATON ALBUM COVERI TAAS KERRAN... salsa...ei olla reseptiä vielä annettu, noh... mukavaa viiddakojuhlailua...ellei ruve tanssahtelemaan niin semmonen vähän tausta noise genre muuten mutta tässä biisien vaihdon voi silloin tällöin erottaakkin...miellekästä musiikkia ps uusi paskin review löydetty We should start a site "1001 Albums You Should Pass On Before You Die" ?????? HÄH???ANTI KOMEDIA...noh ei se mitään... äijä yritti ei aina voi onnistua ojos

Dope !!

Ah, finally some music you can dance to. Include more salsa next time, gringo

B4ng4

Ok...not sure I prefer salsa vs. other genres of latin music. 2/5

3.5 pretty good. Better than a lot of the others!

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Plastico (1) 2 - Pedro Navaja (3) 3 - Ojos (5)

Vibes

Started off with a great song but others fell flat even though i didn't understand the language. The instrumental on the first song were amazing. The vocals were good too, I guess.

Solid album. Willie and Ruben will go places. 4/5

Blades & Colon: a dangerous partnership.

Bit weird

Brings me back to an evening on Curaçao at the beach with a beer. Good memories.

I don’t know a lot about salsa music but this makes me want to explore more of it.

Pretty nice album of music I don't normally listen to, also pretty cool to hear something familiar from being sampled in different songs

This makes me feel nostalgic to a place I've never been.

I'm not well versed with the genre enough to say if it's actually generic but it feels generic too me. The sample sources were a fun surprise tough!

Makes me wanna get up and dance. Perfect album for the summertime.

Despite my interest in Latin music, salsa ain't for me, apparently. I can't follow anything as I listen. It's kind of confusing. Not my kind of groove.

LOVE!

Not all the way through yet, but I'm very very impressed. I just read that it's one of the best salsa albums pretty much ever and I can see how. It seems like it's got an extra layer compared to salsa you'll hear just anywhere.

Pretty nice

Прослушано! Отличный альбом, заводной латино, в моём вкусе.

I assume this sounds so classic because it is the standard. Very enjoyable and a nice change of pace from so much brit-pop.

Just not a fan of Latin tunes.

I'll do the chicken fajitas please. Black please Flour. Thank you!

this thing bops. music I normally wouldn't listen to (and still probably won't) but a fun dive.

Salsa is music for dancers. Which is to say, its fans engage with it viscerally. With the mind with the feet, a holistic integration senses and sensations, of the tangible and the intangible. Long story cut short: this is excellent mood music

Today's album was a salsa album, something I am not very familiar with. Salsa music can trace its roots to Latin jazz, mambo, and I heard a touch of funk influence in there too(mainly in, the intro of Plastico). This was an interesting listen, as it is way out of my wheelhouse, and all the lyrics are sung in Latin. The brass instruments add some liveliness and danceability to the tracks, and the precussion is on point! Overall, not my favourite to just focus on and listen to, but as background music, it would be great. Not sure if I will listen again, but I appreciate why it is on this list. Favourite song: Ojos, Pedro Navaja, Plastico Least favourite song: Dime, Siembra 3/5

What sinks this album for me is the track length. The instrumentals and vox are well-executed and pleasant, but wear quite thin after 5-7 minutes. I'm sure being able to follow the narrative would make things a bit more interesting, but my Spanish is way too rusty to keep up here.

Saucy, salsa, envigorating music.

I normally wouldn’t listen to this but I really liked it. It’s happy and lively. Good music.

I'm a fan of Buena Vista and some latino music but i've never heard that album before...it will become one of my classics Thanks!!!

Not really a fan of this one.

3.5/5. This was good, although I found that some songs dragged on a bit. But overall I enjoyed it.

Nice nice

Refreshing, enjoyed the beats and grooves, this is the sort of new stuff I signed up for.

I thought there'd be more of this kind of thing on this list. A refreshing change, but not particularly my thing.

Ah, it is Rubén Blades from Fear The Walking Dead! Erm, that's probably not the acclamation he'd want to be remembered for. The album is quite refreshing, great beats and grooves. Felt that most tracks could have been shorter, but overall enjoyed the vibe.

This is probably the best kind of this music around and it's great stuff but not likely to ever want to listen to again

I have never listened to a salsa album before, but this was really great. Shameful that a Texan hadn't listened to a salsa album before.

Liked this but would have liked to understand The lyrics better.

Salsa music! Pretty good

I can appreciate the talent, just not my vibe. It did make me want to watch West Side Story tho

I’ve never had an issue with music that is in a different language. Music bypasses the logical part of the brain and talks to your heart. No one questions whether they “understand “modern Art, the only important thing is whether that art piece talks to you or touches you? This is the kind of music that goes beyond language. Does it make you wanna wiggle? Can you feel the beat making you want to dance? Can you hear emotion in their voices? Without even researching any of the background to this album it sounds like a love song to Latin America. It’s a salsa masterpiece. It’s not my favourite genre of music, but I appreciate it for the superb compositions and musicianship and the obvious feeling behind it.

Sehr neu für mich, gefällt mir 3 oder 4 Sterne, muss nochmal hören schwierig. 4, weil niedriger standard?

👎

3.7 - ¡Salsa piquante! In terms of quality, I have no idea how this compares to other salsa records but to my ears it sounds pretty sharp.

Sorry, but once you've heard one salsa track, you've heard them all. This is just dance music, and I expect it's very good for dancing to - but I don't dance so it's no use to me. I prefer to listen to music.

La vie est une fête et je suis la piñata

ca rend un peu zinzin

It was very hard for me to discriminate as to why this is a standout probably owing to my lack of deep exposure to this genre. To me it sounded like every other album of the type that I've heard at restaurants and clubs. Pleasant, but nothing special.

This makes me think of Three's Company for some reason. I was super excited about watching Chrissy, Janet and Jack trade sexual innuendos in front of Stanley. Similar to this album, I didn't understand really what was going on, what was transpiring, but it seemed fun and sexy and made me happy nonetheless. This too, puts a smile on my face and would happily listen to this again.

In 1978, Willie Colón and Rubén Blades collaborated on the best selling salsa and Latin music album of all time. Unfortunately, it's not a style I know much about and thus can't tell you what makes it stand out from other salsa music. In 1994, Colón and Blades each ran for political office. I also can't tell you what made either stand out there, since Blades lost the Panamanian presidential election badly, and Colón lost in a primary for Democratic Representative in NY's 17th Congressional district. I also can't tell you what the outcome was of the May 2007 lawsuit that Colón filed against Blades for breach of contract. I can tell you that siembra means "sowing," though that doesn't really help us to judge this album.

A pleasant affair. I had heard of Rubén Blades before but I forget where. Maybe high school Spanish class.

This whole thing's a mood. Loved it. Last song sounded like something out of a James Bond movie.

not really my vibe, but very pleasant to listen to. Favorite track - María Lionza

Absolute classic. The rise of political rap, and one of the earlier examples of boom-bap style. This is definitely one to hear before you die.

I actually dig this hard. Can’t help but move about when it’s on.

Joyous music, made me want to move my feet and sway my hips.

Cetait bien jai aime le style mais pas plus. 3

I like but I didn’t listen that closely

7/10

Enjoyable

Ok

I was hoping for Latin music and the bass line opening the album lead me astray for a few seconds, but then bam - 43 minutes of diverse salsa music. I’m not always in the mood for Latin Dance but this is an album that will definitely hit the spot.

More Latin stuff. It's not bad, it just all sounds exactly the same. 3/5.

We take for granted the lovely global rhythms available to us at the click of a mouse. In 1978, were there hipsters with no roots in South America who listened to this? I like to imagine there were but I doubt there were many.

Although I own a few Salsa LPs from back in the day, I abandoned the genre after one too many aborted salsa lessons. I'll give this high marks because 1) I like call-and-response vocals and they have it in every song 2) the late 70s production doesn't have the shrill trumpets of early salsa predecessors from the 50s and 60s 3) there's a fair bit of variety among the songs 4) When Spotify provided me with other salsa artists after it finished this, I preferred Willie and Ruben 5) it was the greatest selling salsa LP of all time.

Although this wasn't a "bad" album, Salsa really isn't my jam, after a few songs it becomes annoyingly repetitive for me.

Solid salsa. Makes my toes tap and gets me hungry for chips n salsa.

Salsa, ruhig und lebhaft

Lovely album to dance to, but not such an attention grabber if just listening

I will mot explain myself. Great time

Salsa music is fun and something I do not really listen to.

It’s spicy

La samba c’est marrant deux minutes mais ça me gave vite

I actually really like the sound of salsa music. It has a very full sound - dense percussion, active harmonic lines from the keys, nice color from the horn section, strongly featured vocals, and nice backing chorus. And I'm the last person to insist that I understand what the singer is talking about - generally I don't care about lyrics at all, and some of my favorite bands I have no idea what they're saying most of the time. So salsa is kind of a natural fit. The main issue for me is that like any very-strongly-genre'd style, all the songs basically sound the same to me. Which is fine - it's a nice sound - but the lack of diversity and small-c conservatism (not really pushing the envelope) keep any strict genre-work like this from getting top marks. I did enjoy listening to it, and would like to learn more salsa. But I wouldn't put it on for myself, except for my only Dominican friend (who prefers bachata anyway).

no tää tosiaan on hyvää salsaa! salsa on usein aika tyhjänpäiväistä saman toistoa, tässä tykkäsin joka biisistä. perjantaimeno! (María Lionza -biisin loistavaa introa on Major lazer sämplännyt, kiva huomata)

Joo joo, sai nytkähtelemään pari kertaa.

Really enjoyed listening to this one- will definitely come back to this.

Killer band!! Loved this one. the strings remind me of chic.

I listened to this twice. I could listen to this once a day for a whole month. Presente!

Such a cool record with so many cool instrumental parts. A great listen.

Just couldn’t connect with this. Pleasant, super competent music. It just doesn’t mean anything to me unfortunately. It’s dance music and demands too much attention to be background.

makes sense after listening to "if i should fall from grace with god"😃 thanks for the music expansion again👍

I wish I knew more about salsa so I could appreciate what makes this album in particular special in the genre. I do really like it though!

Nice! Some great samba

Quite enjoyable.

I actually thought that I'd like this a little more. The experiences I've had with Latin music on this list has been pretty positive. This is ok. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I just didn't feel anything was special here. Perhaps fans more familiar with the genre might understand its significance better than I

Horns and percussion carry this album. As someone else noted, it sounds like a generic salsa album, but when you learn it's actually the best-selling salsa album of all time, you understand that it's influential rather than derivative. I like it well enough, but I don't know enough about salsa to explain if this good compared to other salsa albums or how exactly it is influential. An enjoyable listen though, and ticks some of the same boxes as Getz/Gilberto's bossa nova album that I also really like.

It was okay.

Finally a Spanish album. I remember my mom telling me about Ruben Blades when I was a kid. This guy is incredibly talented & has a bona-fide music career. I enjoyed this album so much, I listened to three more. I'm certain Blades influenced many modern artists including Ricky Martin. I'm glad this was part of the challenge. Love me some salsa.

this was pretty awesome.

I do not know Salsa music at all, but this is great, it grooves, and it's very enjoyable to listen to. Great record.

3.4/5 it's good salsa but not really in the mood for it

Eh. Never been a fan of mild salsa. There's a certain amount of energy here that's... almost appealing? But it's missing the edge that a lot of other latin albums on this list have. The energy is blunted by the smoothness of the delivery. Which is a shame because the musicianship is clearly tops - these guys are masters - but the delivery leaves me wanting. Every track outstays its welcome by about 2 minutes, too. I'm left feeling like, if these fellows would just slip the lead and cut loose, they'd blow the roof off the joint. But they don't. They play it safe, instead. Hence the middling score.

I don’t really know much about the genre, and the dance culture around it kinda irritates me. But an album like this one on its own is great. I enjoyed putting it on in the background while working or cooking. Definitely favourite track is Plastico and then Maria Lionza. 3.5/5 down to 3 simply because it’s not really my thing

Pretty easy to see why this is one of the most popular Salsa albums of all time. It's easily the best one I've ever heard (out of the 3-5 I've heard). Even without knowing much about the genre, I can tell that this is "good" - there's something about it, from start to finish, that sets it apart.

First non-english speaking album, and man what a jam. Saw some comments saying all the songs sound the same and I couldn't disagree more, every song was a totally different song, just under one genre, and it was enjoyable throughout. Some songs went on a little long, but that's okay! It almost feels like something you'd hear in a game like Katamari.

Fun salsa! I can definitely see why this has sold so much. What a great album, makes me get out of me seat and want to dance the night away!

Willieee ik heb de heupen op het werk liggen losschudden zenneee

Liked it

Really fun Latin album, would liven up any party

It’s fine, good instrumentation.

If salsa music does it for you, then I imagine that this album will really do it for you. For me? If you listen to any 5-second segment of any of the tracks, then you've basically heard the entire album.

It's alright, but I don't see anything special to make it the best selling salsa record OF ALL TIME. It felt more like music you'd here whilst holiday in a cafe at night. Maybe I'm just not a salsa fan.

Un cuatro alto, para distinguirlo del resto de cuatros le doy un cinco.

Ändå en salsagrabb är jag

This is one of those albums that I don’t know how to rate objectively. On the one hand everything all sort of sounds the same but on the other hand I really did enjoy it.

I’m not used to listening to salsa music but certain songs were very enjoyable to listen to while I cleaned today

Initial hit of disco had me wondering, but this turned out to be an excellent salsa album—a genre I know next to nothing about. Great way to be introduced to this classic album.

Great running music. Felt fun.

2.5. It's good for what it is....

It's a salsa album. Don't particularly like salsa music, but it was a decent album

bom demais os fadinho, latino e pa

Crisp, lively, 70's Havana vibe. Couldn't understand a word but enjoyed the rhythm and energy nonetheless.

dont like

Really enjoyed it, would definitely listen again

Idk Spanish but it was a gud listen Kinda repetitive as a new genre for me Very full feeling with all the percussion If I didn’t listen to War I may not enjoyed it as much

Good Latin album

Fun, perfect salsa album. Makes you wanna get up and dance

Really lovely album. Loses 1 star due to the fact they have a traffic siren on one song, which limits when I would want to put this on (it freaks me out during car listens, and is annoying at home). But overall some absolutely charming tunes.

youtube video has only one song. so I love it! It's actually pretty interesting, but I'm not paying $109 that it's being listed for on ebay.

Fine latin/tropical flair. I probably liked Pedro Navaja the most but nothing got me very excited and nothing stands out as bad. Overall, an interesting listen.

It's difficult rating an album when you don't understand a single word of the lyric. I enjoy hearing this type of music. The interplay of the percussion is infectious, I can't resist moving to the rhythm. I was struck by the muted tones of the horns. No sharp edges at all, the horns were always a mellow, round sound. I also really like the dynamic between the lead and backing vocalists — the call and response was a feature I enjoyed and it didn't wear out its welcome. But all that said, I'm not sure how to rate this. I enjoyed it, but it's like an island in my musical experience, I have little else to compare it to. I'm going with a 3, partly because if I heard a track from this album again in any other context I don't know that I'd recognize it from any other song in the genre.

I feel like me giving this a rating is kind of silly. I don't know from salsa. The music on this album certainly sounds good and clearly the musicians are excellent and the arrangements are fun, and I dig it, but it doesn't grab me the way jazz does and I'm not sure why. Anyway, I'm glad I heard it. I can see throwing it on for a party. But I don't feel like I need to do a deep-dive into the careers of either Blades or Colon. As for my rating, I'm giving it a 3 just because I don't know what else to give it. It's probably a 5-star salsa album, but it's a 3-star listening experience for me and that's no reflection on the quality of the music.

I dig! I know practically nothing about this genre. Never heard of this Willie Colón & Rubén Blades but this vibe is gonna be grooving a lot in the background when I cook.

I know nothing about salsa but I guess I quite like salsa. This is obviously a good example of salsa, so it’s nice to have a goto salsa album if I’m ever in the mood for salsa. 💃 salsa 💃

did not listen

Very good! Muy bueno

It's good salsa, but it doesn't really do much for me. Some good background music, but there wasn't much to actively hold my attention.

Great samba album

The first song was great, but from there it tailed off for me.

Starts off with some discoey funk. Then goes into salsa pretty quickly. The music definitely makes you move but as a non spanish speaker I have no clue what the lyrics are saying. Although idk if that's even really the point of salsa!

Great beat, streaks of funk. Songs are repetitive. Love the West Side Story inclusion

3.5

Yup, it's really good salsa. It made me feel like I, with my lead feet, could dance. I can't pretend I know what the lyrics mean, but this album was meant to be kind of revolutionary? All I know is my summer barbecue playlist has some new songs!

i'm never typing willy colon in to google ever again. 😳 More Nando's background music. nice enough to have on in the background but doesn't grab the attention.

If Willie Colon and Ruben Blades were to fuck, their offspring would be an ugly shitehawk with a cleft lip and a big old elephant cock. It would barely pass as human and would be the kind of child old women would audibly gasp at as they watch him masturbating. I'll let you decide whether that means the child is masturbating or the old women are. Maybe it's both.

Album cover SHARK would be all over, the big nonce. It was just a bit annoying to be honest. Did not make me cum.

Colon

Really fun salsa, surprising amount of variation across tracks. Hard to not want to dance when listening.

Good solid sound, just not my general preferred genre.

Enjoyable, but i found that i didn't want to listen to it more than once

Salsa, 1978. Pretty interesting record, perfect for moments of happiness with absolutely funny and enjoyable songs, but not memorable. Anyway, this album is not bad at all.

Greatest selling salsa album of all time with the weirdest fucking album art I’ve seen to date. Didn’t understand a lick of lyrics so I have no idea if this cover maybe makes some kind of sense after all? It was cool though, went well with brunch this week.

Nicht meine Richtung. Meh.

Muito bom! Excelente para um domingo de sol

I lack the linguistic ability and context to appreciate Siembra. The record is clearly positioned in a part of this country I have never visited, and is absolutely accessible from here. Part of me knows there have to be better salsa deep cuts out there, but the rest of me just loved listening to this whole album. It has unspooling in spades, but no tracks that drag on in the same style. Just songs which groove in a sonic space and give way to the next, doing something a little different. The vocals are the least remarkable part, but, as I led with, I can't understand the words.

some ok bits but not really my jam

This album was fun, I enjoyed it, although I don't speak Spanish so I missed out on some of the topical qualities that made this album so popular. It has a lot of range and is always entertaining. Also I learned that Ruben Blades is the same one who I remember from TV and movies over the years, pretty impressive. Learning about "Pedro Navaja"'s relationship to threepenny opera was instructive, it's a very good homage!

J’adore le cubain, mais je ne connais pas l’histoire du style ni comment cet album s’inscrit dans celle-ci. Ça sonne très authentique, mais pas nécessairement innovateur ou nouveau ou charnière. C’est par contre vraiment excellent. Le son est vraiment bon aussi.

Drôle de début d'album. J'imagine que c'était l'idée de tromper les gens. Après on est dans un album de salsa sympathique. Je ne sais pas si c'est toujours valide aujourd'hui, mais étant pendant longtemps l'album de salsa le plus vendu, je comprends sa présence sur cette liste. Je ne suis pas un super fan, mais ça s'écoute bien.

First time listen. Good. So seventies!

Some funky salsa. Not something I’d always listen to and I enjoyed it for sure.

The opening song in particular had no right to slap that hard quite frankly

Good vibes all round