Search - Fania All Stars :: Tribute to Tito Rodriguez

Essential recording but flawed remastering.

coa1881 | New York, NY USA | 07/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One of my favorite Fania-All-Stars albums. It's not a live session as most of their output had been up to that point but a studio date featuring selections from Tito the Rodriguez songbook. The emphasis here is not in soloists but on ensemble playing, and this they do very well.

The major letdown is the sound on this reissue. I have a pristine first pressing LP from 1976. It sounds nice and clean. This reissue is marred by flat and cloudy sound as it seems to be based on the prior CD issued by Fania in the 90's which also had horrible sound. (Did they use an 8 track as their source?- It sure sounds like it).

It only takes a few lines to advise the listener that what is being heard came from the best available sources in existence. If you need to use an LP for remastering, go ahead. But please inform the consumer. Oh, and use sound engineers familiar with the nuances of Latin music. You can't just put the tape in the machine and walk away. I can't tell you how many of these otherwise great albums and Cds have been ruined by tiny sound. What I miss the most is that aura and atmosphere around the percussion instruments which is sadly not replicated in many of these reissues. It is possible to do it with the right equipment and the right person."