A great CD for fans and everybody else who loves music
S. M. Hyde | NY, USA | 11/24/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD celebrates Ricky's magnificent 17 year (so far) career as a solo artist. The selections are hits taken from Ricky's many albums. Although many of the tracks are in Spanish, you don't need to understand all of the words to enjoy Ricky's performances of some of his most memorable music. For fans, there are remixes that were only available on a limited basis and the remastering of the tracks makes each song sound even better than you remember. Ricky's voice is clear and beautiful on these tracks. For those who believe that Ricky's career was only Livin' la Vida Loca, you will hear a versatile hit-maker who can memorably perform emotional ballads (Vuelve,Y Todo Queda en Nada), hot dance tracks (Maria, La Bomba), bittersweet introspection (Asignatura Pendiente) and contemporary songs (I Don't Care, It's Alright). Ricky is the greatest live performer I have ever seen and the delightful, live Tu Recuerdo (a huge hit)gives a hint of Ricky in concert when he is not dancing (which of course he does so well), but connecting with fellow musicians and the audience in a relatively quiet moment. You can even trace Ricky's development as a singer, with the very young voiced Ricky on Self Control transforming himself into the adult Ricky on Tal Vez. This is a great place to start listening to Ricky's Spanish songs and if you like it, I would suggest moving on to the CD Vuelve, which remains Ricky's masterpiece for me. I would love to hear something new from Ricky soon, but while we are waiting, 17 is a nice holiday gift from my favorite singer."
2 buy or Not 2 Buy, It's Always Up to U.
Kunpeng Wang | 11/22/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"As a best-of album, this album doesn't have any new songs. Nevertheless, there are three remixed songs that you can't find in his previous albums, they are "Que Dia es Hoy (Self-control Remix)", "La Bomba (Remix)" and "I Don't Care (Remix)". "QDEH" and "IDC" are just so-so, but the new version of "La Bomba" is pretty cool, just like the version Ricky performed during his Black & White Tour, this one is a speeded-up version.
Therefore, if you are not a big fan of Ricky Martin, this album is obviously not so worth buying; but if you are, you should buy this to complete your collection."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1