Ricky Martin - Martin, Ricky (CD 1999)

Everyone knows Ricky Martin. He may have faded into oblivion but he definitely used to be really big. That s when I purchased his CD. The booklet has lyrics (yay!) and is scattered with pictures of Ricky looking around wistfully, or sporting a leather jacket, trying to seem tough. There are some Special Thanks too. My favorite one is Madonna You rock BIG BUTTERFLY. No further explanation. Oh well.

The first song on this CD is the immediately recognizable Livin La Vida Loca. If you don t know this song, shame on you! Trumpets introduce the song, and there s some guitar occasionally. This is a great, fast song that you can t help getting caught in your head. Upside inside out/ She s livin la vida loca/ She ll push and pull you down/ Livin la vida loca/ Her lips are devil red/ And her skin s the color mocha/ She will wear you out/ Livin la vida loca/ She s livin la vida loca.

Spanish Eyes is next. Some whimsical sounding music plays during this song. It works well with the words of the song. This is a lot slower than Livin La Vida Loca, but it isn t too slow. We were dancing in the summer rain/ We were dancing through the night/ She never said her real name/ So I called her Spanish Eyes / Spanish Eyes

Next is She s All I Ever Had. The music is very quiet as the song starts, but it begins to swell around the chorus. This is a slow track, and the music is very beautiful. Got a sweet love song for you right here. I really enjoy listening to this one. It s the way she makes me feel/ It s the only thing that s real/ It s the way she understands/ She s my lover, she s my friend/ And when I look into her eyes/ It s the way I feel inside/ Like the man I want to be/ She s all I ll ever need.

The fourth track is the quite infectious Shake Your Bon-Bon. This song was very popular a while back. It s basically just a fun, fast song that you find yourself singing along to even if you don t want to. There s some acoustic guitar and drums during this song. Hola amiga, hola amiga/ You re my temple of desire/ We ll go around the world in a day/ Don t say no, no/ Shake it my way, oh/ Shake your bon-bon/ Shake your bon-bon/ Shake your bon-bon.

Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Corazon) (with Madonna) is next. Guitars and keyboards are the main instruments throughout this track. Ricky sounds kind of weird when he sings the first verse. Madonna sings with Ricky during the first chorus, then she sings her own verse. Cuidado (please be careful)/ Con mi corazon/ Me siento algo desnuda/ Cuidado (please be careful)/ Es mi corazon/ Mi corazon.

Up next is I Am Made of You. Electric guitar and drums accompany this song, along with some keyboards. This is a slower song with a nice beat. The chorus gets a bit faster than the rest of the song. With your love/ Show me how to live/ Cause you are made of me/ And I am made of you/ With your life/ Show me how to give/ You are made of me/ And I am made of you.

Now we have Love You For A Day. This is a catchy song, with some guitar and trumpets. When the line Que sera, oh que sera is sung, it sounds like a chant. Pretty amusing. Let me love you for a day/ Let me have you for a night/ Let me take you far away/ Into forever/ Ay, ay, ay/ I don t wanna let you go/ Nena yo/ Let me undress your soul/ Ay, ay, ay/ I can take you to another world/ Never go/ Let me take you home tonight.

The eighth song is Private Emotion (with Meja). Guitar, drums, nice bass line. This is a slow song, and the music is very nice. Meja doesn t sing by herself during the song. She just sings with Ricky, except for some sparse words in the background. It s a private emotion that fills you tonight/ And a silence falls between us/ As the shadows steal the light/ And wherever you may find it/ Wherever it may lead/ Let your private emotion come to me/ Come to me.

Next is The Cup Of Life (Spanglish Radio Edit). Sooo disappointing. I love this song so much but not the Spanglish radio edit. The English version isn t on here, and there isn t a Spanish version either. We are just stuck with a stupid Spanglish radio edit. Grr Well anyway the music is wonderful, with guitars, trumpets, a cool percussion line, and a horn. Really upbeat and catchy. I truly wish this was the real version, but sadly, it is not. Tu y yo! Ale, ale, ale/ Go, go, go! Ale, ale, ale/ Tonight s the night we re gonna celebrate/ The cup of life!! Ale, ale, ale!

You Stay With Me is next. This is a very slow song. The music is pretty low and calm. Guitars, keyboards and drums are present, and there is some violin at some parts. Oh you stay with me/ You stay with me/ Oh, in my heart/ And on my mind/ Oh, like a melody that keeps haunting me/ Oh, you stay.

Up next is Livin La Vida Loca (Spanish Version). This is exactly the same as the English version, except for the lyrics, of course. Ella que sera/ She s livin la vida loca/ Y te dolera/ Si de verdad te toca/ Ella es tu final/ Vive la vida loca/ Ella te dira/ Vive la vida loca/ Vive la vida loca/ She s livin la vida loca.

Now we have I Count the Minutes. Keyboards are very noticeable here, and some drums too. This is pretty slow, but not like a full-scale ballad. I count the minutes/ I count the hours/ I count the seconds/ Till you re here by my side again/ And every minute/ Goes on for hours/ Until you re here with me/ Till I look in your eyes again/ And time is standing still till you re here with me/ I need your love to set me free, set me free.

Bella (She s All I Ever Had) is next. Again, this is the same as She s All I Ever Had. Just have some Spanish lyrics instead. It sounds just as good in Spanish. Ella todo me lo dio/ Desde alma hasta la piel/ Fue mi verso a mi papel/ Fue mi amiga y fue mi amor.

The last track is Maria (Spanglish Radio Edit). They have a thing for those Spanglish radio edits don t they? This is a very fun, fast, funky song. We have some trumpets again. Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa delante/ Maria/ Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa atras/ Aunque me muera, ahora, Maria/ Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa delante, Maria/ Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa atras/ Maria I wanna make you mine.

This CD is very cool overall. There aren t really any songs on here that I hate or want to skip when I listen to it. There is a nice balance of fast songs and slow songs, and I would recommend it. Ricky's voice may start to annoy you after awhile, but that's okay. It s just a fun CD to own, but it's not for everyone.