Search - Larry Harlow :: La Herencia [Remastered Compilation]

ANOTHER COMPILATION by the new owners of Fania! Has some BIG

S. | 07/16/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"`La Herencia' the heritage (in terms of artist legacy, I believe) is a series of compilations AGAIN, made by the new Fania owners (Emusica)! There's MORE than ENOUGH compilations around (including the ones made by the original Fania owners of the time) to start making EVEN MORE COMPILATIONS, but there you are!

Not much can be done apart from avoiding them, AND BUYING THE ORIGINAL ALBUMS THAT YOU LIKE INSTEAD! That way, there's also much less to loose!...





The first song here, Chez José comes from his very first Fania album from 1965: ORCHESTRA HARLOW HEAVY SMOKIN' (remastered version now available along with an economical V2 Records re-made one.)

The song seems really nice to listen to although a bit dated, but I cannot make any comments about this choice and the album as I'm totally unfamiliar with it.



Ignacio Piñeiro's Coco Mai Mai is the following song which comes from his 2nd Fania album: ORCHESTRA HARLOW GETTIN'OFF/BAJANDOTE (1966).

The song features `Monguito' (Ramón Quián) singing and from the little I could hear, Harlow turned it into quite a hot and dynamic jam session. If believe he also changed the chorus of the song. I have a re-made version of that song featured in the last tune (#9) of his album HARLOW LIVE IN QUAD which is AN EXCELLENT album with a VERY INTENSE MUSICALITY, recorded at Sing Sing prison. (Remastered version now available; but with an unimproved `Live' sound quality!...) [It's worth purchasing if you don't already own it as it's also VERY long; 63:05 mins!...]

Concerning GETTIN'OFF/BAJANDOTE, I'm unfamiliar with it, but it seems like quite a mixed bag from what I could see/hear!... I'll have to look it up when it becomes available remastered.



El Exigente is the `unavoidable' title track from his 3rd Fania album ORCHESTRA HARLOW EL EXIGENTE (1967). I've understood that the song was quite a popular hit from the album, containing 7 `Anglo-American' tunes with UNFORTUNATELY only 3 Latin songs which turned out to be OUTSTANDINGLY INTENSE and SUPERB (from the soundclips that I've heard...) What a shame and what a waste!...

(It's also the first collaboration from Ismael Miranda with Orchestra Harlow.)



From their following collaboration from 1968: ORCHESTRA HARLOW PRESENTA A ISMAEL MIRANDA no songs were selected here (I don't know why), although on Ismael Miranda's La Herencia they featured 2 songs from this one: La Contraria, and Rumba A La Vida.

(Remastered version now available.)



The VERY FINE song La Revolución comes from THE EXCELLENT and INTENSELY HARD-CORE (NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED) ALBUM: ELECTRIC HARLOW VOCAL: ISMAEL MIRANDA (1969). Remastered version is not available yet, but make sure you GET IT in future, IF you like your salsa to be raw and rhythmically intense, like in the good old days...

From that album, MY BIG-TIME favourite tune is: Donde Vas Chichí, although Guasása, Con Dulzúra (from Charlie Palmieri) or Lo Que Quieras Hacer are other EXCELLENT tracks from a GREAT all-rounder!... Check that album out!...



No songs from the AMAZING: ISMAEL MIRANDA CON ORCHESTRA HARLOW ABRAN PASO (1970) album were selected here (I don't know why, either), although, again, you have Se Casa La Rumba on the Miranda La Herencia compilation which I do not recommend.

ABRAN PASO is SO full of quality that they could at least have included the title track or almost any other song!... (Remastered version is now available). Check my review of it! It's a MUST-HAVE (which I HAVE) and is SUPERBLY remastered!... G-E-T I-T!...



El Malecón comes from his other 1969 album: ORCHESTRA HARLOW ME AND MY MONKEY/MI MONO Y YO. It seems to me like a very nice album to listen to, which seems much more Cuban in style and probably more musical too.

I'll probably get it when it becomes available remastered.



The versions of Arsenio and La Cartera selected here, both come from his EXCELLENT 1974 HARLOW LIVE IN QUAD recording which I've already recommended and which consists of re-makes of his previous songs from his discography.

I would have preferred his original version of La Cartera which comes from his VERY FAMOUS and EXTREMELY POPULAR album: ORCHESTRA HARLOW SALSA (recorded in late November 1973.) [Now available yet remastered]



I would've also preferred from LIVE IN QUAD: Señor Sereno (Another BIG HIT missing!), or that 9th song I've already mentioned: Descarga Final, although SO MANY other great tracks from that recording could've been selected too...



Arsenio's LIVE IN QUAD version with Justo Betancourt, is very good and very solid, so it compensates...

Harlow first recorded it with Ismael Miranda in: ORCHESTRA HARLOW TRIBUTE TO ARSENIO RODRIGUEZ (1971) where no songs were selected here! (Not available remastered yet. It's ANOTHER of those GREAT albums, but MUCH more Cuban, obviously...)



The FAMOUS Gracia Divína w/Celia Cruz comes from his EXTREMELY FAMOUS and IMPORTANT album: ORCHESTRA HARLOW HOMMY A LATIN OPERA (1973).

[Check out what Larry Harlow has to say about his Harlow Hommy album in youtube!]





Lino Frias's Vive La Vida Hoy comes from the 1972 Cotique Records release: FRANKIE DANTE & ORQUESTA FLAMBOYAN CON LARRY HARLOW.

A VERY fine song. (Album not remastered yet; I'm looking forward to it!)



Con La Mayór Elegáncia and Rumbambóla come from his 1979 album: ORCHESTRA HARLOW "RUMBAMBOLA" (w/ Néstor Sánchez). Check out that L-O-V-EL-Y Noro Moráles instrumental title-tune!...

Remastered version now available, and it's quite nice and more musical, although a bit more commercial too...



#10. comes from an AMBITIOUS and NON-SALSA 1978 project: LARRY HARLOW PRESENTS LATIN FEVER (which is a LOUSY selection) as well as #12. which comes from ANOTHER AMBITIOUS 1977 project: ORCHESTRA HARLOW LA RAZA LATINA A SALSA SUITE. (AVOID these 2 albums in future!)



From the very enjoyable: LARRY HARLOW YO SOY LATINO, the ballad #14. IS A WASTE OF SPACE OF 5:50 mins!

(I've also reviewed the album now available remastered.)



The NICE Ray Barretto written jam: (#15) comes from LARRY HARLOW'S LATIN LEGENDS BAND 1998.

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