Search - Monica Naranjo :: Coleccion Privada

Great collection..but very biased

Rob Ez | Chicago | 03/10/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm glad that Monica Naranjo finally has a collection of her singles AND the added bonus of compiling her dance remixes over the span of her 10 year career.



However, this collection is incredibly biased to her one successful album in Spain. Out of the 18 tracks on this CD, 7 of them are from her 1997 album "Palabra de mujer", which was her breakout album in her native country Spain. Her debut album from 1994 "Monica Naranjo" was a huge hit in Latin America, but this collection only includes 3 songs from this CD. Not to mention her fantastic album "Minage" from 2000, which consisted of covers of Mina (Italian singer) and 2 non mina songs. They only included 3 songs from that album.



This CD is worth it for the new song "Enamorada", which apparently was a leftover track from the "Chicas Malas" sessions. Don't get me wrong, all the songs on this collection are great, but Monica has alot more to offer than just one album, and the purpose of a compilation is to expose the range of an artists catalog and not just market one album. If that was their intention, then simply repackage "Palabra De Mujer".



If you're looking for a place to start on Monica's work, pick up this CD AND her debut album. However, for us fans, this collection is incredibly biased and would have been better if they actually included some rarities....like her rare cover of "MacArthur Park" titled "Palabra de mujer", which was recorded but never released, and curiously enough was the title track of her 2nd album but the song was missing. How's that for plausible?"

The spanish queen of dance love ballads~

tak1 | 03/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Finally a comprehensive collection from Monica Naranjo! I always wondered why this woman isn't famous like Shakira Paulina and Thalia!? I mean if anything this woman is the real deal when it comes to singing and her songs are accessible. oh well, that's the mystery i guess we'll live with for awhile. One thing is for sure is that if you're into dance club songs and love strong heartbreaking ballads then this one's for you! From her edgier work with songs like sobrevivire to the more dance oriented like no voy a llorar to the lovey dovey empiezo a recordarte this collection is pretty much complete! It's also a great place to start if you're just beginning to discover her music."

Does not do Monica complete justice.

cherubino | Houston, Texas United States | 03/13/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is (to my knowledge) Monica's first best-of compilation, spanning four discs. Inevitably, the set list varies from what her fans might have put together. Of course, you can't include everything, but there are a couple of glaring omissions. Here is what was included from each of her four studio albums:



SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM: Her greatest hit, El Amor Coloca, along with Sola, and Supernatural. The fact that Solo Se Vive Una Vez was left out is the biggest shortcoming of this compilation. How did Supernatural make the cut, and not Solo Se Vive Una Vez, which was a bona fide hit?



PALABRA DE MUJER: Thankfully, the glorious quartet of Desatame, Aprender El Amor, Pantera en Libertad, and Las Campanas Del Amor is left intact. If you ever wanted proof of what makes Monica Naranjo a great artist, the evidence is right here. Las Campanas Del Amor is one of my very favorites. Also, there is Tu Y Yo Volveremos Al Amor, something unlike anything she has done before, another favorite. In addition, there are two ballads, a torch one (Amame o Dejame), and a sweet one (Empiezo a Recordarte). You can argue with the bias in favor of Palabra de Mujer, but you can't argue with the selections.



MINAJE: Monica's tribute album to Mina, one that turned off a lot of her fans. I personally think she should have waited until she had another album or two under her belt before she did this tribute. Anyhow, the excerpts are Sobrevivire, Enamorada, and Seguire Sin Ti. The latter two are the Spanish-only renditions, instead of the English/Spanglish ones from the studio album, a definite plus. This is a big reason to buy Coleccion Privada. On the minus side, they did not include the bonus remix of Sobrevivire, a real shame. I don't like the album version



CHICAS MALAS: The title track, No Voy a Llorar, No Puedo Seguir, and Sacrificio. Chicas Malas (the song) is my least favorite MN single. I am mad that they mixed No Voy a Llorar- the album version is just perfect, and they ruined it. No Puedo Seguir adds a little spice to the mix. Sacrificio is, hands down, a first-class MN song. It competes with Las Campanas del Amor as my very favorite. It would have been nice if they included Liberame, a ballad that is a favorite among fans. And No Cambies is another fine ballad that got left out.



Oh yes, there is Enamorada de Ti, a decent dance-oriented track that isn't Monica's greatest, but not filler, either.



The second disc is a collection of remixes. I think they are terrible, and not worthy of La Pantera. Instead of a bonus remix disc, they should have expanded the best-of collection. One disc for uptempo/dance songs, and one for ballads, plus a couple of rarities for good measure.



DISC ONE: FOUR STARS



DISC TWO: ONE STAR"