Beware, all and sundry, there is nothing here that you haven’t already heard, and one kind of gets the feeling that the man is being squeezed for about all he’s worth.
“The Best Of Ricky Martin”, on the face of it, comprises practically every number worth its thrust that he has spewed out in his timely career. “Livin’ La Vida Loca”, “Maria”, “She Bangs”, “Cup of Life” and “Shake Your Bon Bon”, all part of the Latino assembly playing at every party two years ago, make for the racier side of the album. To balance the equation, the album also includes “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely” (featuring Christina Aguilera), the more bearable “Private Emotion” (featuring Meja) and the avoidable “Be Careful” (Featuring Madonna). The new inductees into this album are the two altered versions of “Amor”, one done by Salaam Remi and the other by Jonathan Peters and tailor-made for the dance floor.
Closing verdict: for those who find the man just about acceptable, this is a good excuse as any to own an album carrying his finer tracks. As for disciples of the “Hispanic hip-shooter” - I bet you already have all of them!
This article was first published on 02 Jan 2002.