I graded all his tracks from his new CD.

Tracks 1 & 13 are Spanish & Spanglish version of the song "Jaleo" -- I give them A+.

Track 2, Tal Vez, really big ballad project. I give it only a C. His love ballads sound predictably sappy and feel over-produced. Just my opinion.

Track 3, Jamas. Hello Ricky!! Keep it coming!!! Upbeat and awesomely authentic Latin feel. Truly great trombones in there too. A++.

Track 4, Si Tu Te Vas. Another ballad. Oh...this one has piano in it. But, still, I'm asleep.....C.

Track 5, Nadie Mas Que Tu. The intro has my attention. Then it turns into ANOTHER ballad. Well, Ricky actually wrote part of this song himself. So I give it a B- for the extra effort.

Track 6, Besos De Fuego. AHHH!!!!!!! A+++. Vocals are so smooth! Plus I have already been able to memorize half the song already. And the percussion has heated up with this track. Again with the trombones too.

Track 7, Asignatura Pendiente. Why throw in this right after that last one? C-. I must save all the ballads for my cool-down after a good workout....

Track 8, Juramento. This all sounds like a movie filmed in the desert. Very desperado-like. But a great driving tempo. Like a locomotive or galloping stallions. And nice chants thrown in. A++.

Track 9, Y Todo Queda En Nada. Pleasant, so I give it a B- because I could listen to it while I was working and not be tempted to take a dance break.

Track 10, Si Ya No Estas Aqui. A++++++. My Ricky is back!!! Listen to the passages with percussion, strings and layered vocals. SOOOO Caribbean. So very island-like....I wish I knew what he was singing because I sense that this song has a human message in it.

Track 11, Raza De Mil Colores. A++++++. African-sounding drums. Another human message I might might be missing here? AWESOME to dance to. Syncopation and voices galore, and the piano is back on track with a native Spanish sound. Hurray for the last 2 tracks! Hurray because he could have done something entirely different after his US success a few years ago. This is just well-done Latin and so much everything I've always liked about his music.

Track 12. Las Almas Del Silencio. Here's that sad piano again. I KNOW people love his ballads. He must like them too or he wouldn't do them. I need to get a hold of English lyrics and maybe that would tell me why these ballads are so important to his career. C.

I rate this CD a success because over half of the tracks got an A+. These A+ songs make a really solid set I might not break up to play along with music from his past. Probably always they should be heard together.

The hip-shaking, Latin superstar Ricky Martin returns to the music scene after a 2-year self-imposed hiatus with a new album that undoubtedly will propel him back to #1 status in Latin America and all over the world. After writing and recording 36 songs for his upcoming English CD, Ricky decided to stop in his tracks and make a comeback in his native tongue first. This album contains 13-tracks, including a Spanglish version of his second single, "Jaleo" which is sure to get airplay in Top-40 stations across the country. The lead-off single, "Tal Vez" which debuted on the Hot Latin tracks chart at #1 and stayed there for 7 weeks consecutively, has crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 this week as it debuted at #74, a tremendous feat for a song recorded in Spanish. On this album, Ricky enlisted a few of his "friends" who also happen to be the best songwriters in the Latin music industry such as Alejandro Sanz, Juanes, Ricardo Arjona, Jon Secada, and Tommy Torres. In addition, Ricky co-wrote the 3rd single to released from the CD, titled "Nadie Mas Que Tu" a beautifully performed ballad that will move you emotionally. Other standout tracks include the highly-rhythmic "Besos De Fuego, the emotional "Y Todo Queda En Nada" and "Si Ya No Estas Aqui" which was produced by Emilio Estefan. "Almas Del Silencio" will go down as the top-selling Latin album of 2003 and will surely break many sales records before its run on the charts is complete. Do I see another Grammy next year for Ricky? A resounding YES! DA-ME JA-LE-OOO!!

Ricky Martin has had a wild ride the last few years. First came his widely acclaimed Spanish cd "Vuelve" followed by a show stopping performance of "Copa de la Vida" at the 2000 Grammys. When he later released his first English language cd that year, it became a huge hit, selling over 15 million copies. His next English cd sold 4 million copies and some people began to insinuate that he was just another one hit wonder. This new cd, "Almas del Silencio", proves the naysayers wrong. By returning to his Latin roots, Ricky is now singing with more passion, delivering a disc of beautiful ballads and some percussion heavy songs that make you want to jump up and dance. My favorite songs are "Jaleo", "Tal Vez", "Besos de Fuego", "Juramento", "Raza de Mil Colores", and the title track "Las Almas del Silencio". Also included in this cd set is the Spanglish version of "Jaleo", one of the first singles from the new cd. Ricky has included some of Latin music's most talented new singers and songwriters including Spain's Alejandro Sanz and Grammy winning singer/songwriter Juanes. You don't have to speak Spanish to enjoy this cd (I don't). If you are a Ricky fan, you will definitely want to add this refreshing cd to your collection. An added bonus is a interview cd (en espanol) with Ricky discussing the songs and chatting with the different contributors to this new set of songs. "Tal Vez", another single that has been released, has already hit number 1 on Billboard's Latin music chart. I think more number ones are bound to follow. Bottom line---if you enjoy Latin music, buy this cd!

When this CD was released, I expected it would be good because Martin gets better with each release. But, this is REALLY good!
It's a great collection of different tempos and styles; there's something for everyone's taste. It doesn't matter which country you come from, if you like Latin music, or more importantly, think you might, buy this CD - you won't be sorry.

I love his emotional ballads but "Besos de Fuego" ("Kisses of Fire") which is not a ballad, has that sexy yet traditional sound and dance tempo I love. So does "Jamas" ("Never"), but to a lesser degree. "Asignatura Pendiente" is a pensive song pretty much about his life. What more can I say that hasn't been said about how good this CD is. Except...

A word to the obvious haters (not the reviewers who actually don't like a particular CD):
Of course other Latin artists can certainly deliver good music but only Ricky Martin can deliver it with that recognizable style all his own!!

Ricky Martin's "Almas de Silencio" strikes me as a welcome return to his musical roots. All the songs are in Spanish, except for an alternate "Spanglish" version of the first song.

Martin is in outstanding vocal form throughout the CD. There is a good mix of fast, fun songs and slow, emotional ballads. Martin delivers, whatever the format. At his best he seems to show a greater maturity and brings a real emotional resonance to his performances.

The CD also represents a collaboration between Martin and some really outstanding songwriting talents from the Latin music world. Check out, for example, Martin's fine rendition of the title song, written by Alejandro Sanz.

Other outstanding tracks include "Jaleo," a fast, aggressive song that to me has a sort of Middle Eastern flavor; Martin delivers the chorus like a machine gun. "Tal Vez" shows Martin at his romantic, soulful best. "Besos de Fuego" is a fast, enjoyable song with fun lyrics. Overall, this CD compares favorably with Martin's best Spanish language CD's of the past ("Vuelve" and "A Medio Vivir").