When I first heard the song " La Flaca" back in 1997 in Spain, I was struck by its catchy sounding lyrics and its rhythm and beat. I knew right away this song was a winner. The only thing I wasn't sure of was who is singing it, I initially thought Juan Perro from Radio Futura, but after asking around that was ruled out. It wasn't until I went to a record store in Bilbao that I found out it was Jarabe de Palo. Who is he? I never heard of him before, that's right he's a new artist from Barcelona, but the singer is named something else (Pau Dones). At that time I realized Spain had a new star in the making someone who could easily upstage Joaquin Sabina, El Ultimo de la Fila (Manolo Garcia y Quimi Portet), Radio Futura (Juan Perro), etc. And that is what has happened, people throughout Spain have been obsessed with "La Flaca" never seeming to get enough of it, it was being played everywhere. This album has other great songs such as El Bosque de Palo, El Lado Oscuro, Dueno de mi Silencio and so on. So don't hesitate and treat yourself to the best thing that hit Spain musically in 1997 and buy this great album.

La música y las letras son increíbles, este CD no tiene pérdida. Lo compré para regalar y terminé comprando otro para mi. No te lo pierdas. The music and lyrics are amazing, especially if you are a native Spanish speaker. They are even more impressive if you are familiar with the group's intended messages. They might let down people who try to literally translate them, but anyone who knows anything about languages could assume as much from any kind of direct translation. It is a great CD, you will not regret it.

American audiences may just be catching on to Spanish export because of some catchy commercials floating through the air waves featuring "La Flaca." There is a hook to Jarabe de Palo's style that makes the crossover in media very easy. His singing style is reminiscent of Juan Perro and his backup musicians play a variety of easy going pop styles. The star quality of the disc is the voice of JDP. It is one that makes an unfamiliar song sound at once quite familiar. The best illustration of this phenomena is the title track "La Flaca" which once you have heard it once will stayin your brain for days and become a part of you. It is as though you have heard the song before immediately. I guess this is why there are "radio friendly" songs as this one got a lot of airplay a few years back and continues to this day on the roc en Espanol stations. The band is tight in a loose way for a relaxed groove that fluctuates between a jazzy blues guitar rhythms, accoustic bliss and in general a soothing bit of pop balladry that features the unique Castellano vocals according to PDJ. "La Flaca" is featured twice, the accoustic version is a showcase for the vocals of JDP and finishes the set quite appropriately as that song will be playing in your head for days and years to come. Recommended for rockeros that enjoy their roc music to be in a gentle vein sometimes.

This is an extremely enjoyable, fun CD...I know this guy doesn't have a "voice", and he sings in a monotone sometimes, but the music has an infectious charm, clever lyrics, and it's easy on the ears and brain.

Though "La Flaca" is his biggest hit, my favorite by far is the bluesy "El Lado Oscuro"...though his voice is at its best and most expressive in the final track, a live performance, acoustic version of "La Flaca". The Spanish guitar of Antonio Martínez "Ñoño" on two songs is lovely, and a nice touch.

The insert is positively dismal. One of the worst ever. Yes, it has lyrics, but you can hardly read them. There is the notion by some that this kind of layout is "Arty". Well, it's nothing but a disservice to those who bought the CD and would like to read the lyrics...and to ho-hum with "Arty" ! Who needs him anyway ?

I had the great fortune to live in Spain through most of 1997 and though I didnt speak spanish particularly well you cant escape the local music even if you tried. I bought several discs over there which featured a catchy song which was a hit over there only to discover that there really was nothing else worth a second listen on the disc. On the other hand, there was "La Flaca" by Jarabe de Palo. I thoroughly enjoyed this one! the title track was a giant hit that year and deservedly so. However the entier disc includes a nice mix of musical styles into a disctinctive rock sound. The only complaint I had was the use of sythesizers on two or three tracks just didnt seem to fit in with the rest of the disc, which has a very minimalist "just the music" feel to it with no electronic effects or the like. But I can overlook that for a great CD.