Próxima Estación: Esperanza

• Artist: Manu Chao
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 05, 2001
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Latin

Review

Clandestino, Manu Chao's first solo effort, owed its greatness to its character. It was a minimalistic, yet filled with experimentation, album. But, what's most distinctive, it was honest, direct, intimate: the personal diary of someone who had traveled a lot, not only around Latin America but through life. Unfortunately, Chao seems to lose his way a little bit in Esperanza. Apparently intended to be a continuation of what started in Clandestino, it ends being just a clone of it. The reiteration of ideas and formulas takes away from Esperanza everything that made of Clandestino a memorable piece of work. The problem with Esperanza is that Chao, instead of deepening what he proposed in his first album, seems to overfly the surface of his ideas. The consequence of this is that he transforms charm into cliché, leaving the listener with a very light flavor. Anyway, Esperanza still has a bunch of great songs ("Mr Bobby," "Mi Vida," "Trapped By Love," "Me Gustas Tú," "Bixo") and good lyrics ("Mi Vida") which amply justify its listening. Dedicated fans will find that Esperanza is not what they were expecting, yet it's really easy-going and accessible so it will end working for them as well as for casual listeners. ~ Alberto Moreno de la Fuente, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Merry Blues	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(3:36)
Bixo (Lyrics)	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:52)
Eldorado 1997		Manu Chao	(1:29)
Promiscuity	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:35)
La Primavera	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(2:23)
Me Gustas Tu	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:52)
Denia	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(4:00)
Mi Vida	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(4:39)
Trapped by Love	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(2:32)
Le Rendez Vous	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:54)
Mr. Bobby	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:56)
Papito	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(3:49)
La Chinita	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(2:51)
La Marea	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(1:33)
Homens		Manu Chao	(2:16)
La Vacaloca	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(3:18)
Infinita Tristeza	Manu Chao	Manu Chao	(3:56)

Credits

Jean Baptiste Mondino (Photography), Manu Chao (Artwork), Renaud Letang (Producer), Youri Lenquette (Photography), Manu Chao (Producer)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)