Track Listing

1. Livin' la vida loca
2. Spanish eyes
3. She is all I ever had
4. Shake your bon bon
5. Be careful (cuidado con mi corazon) - Martin, Ricky & Madonna
6. I am made of you
7. Love you for a day
8. Private emotion
9. Cup of life
10. You stay with me
11. Livin' la vida loca (2)
12. I count the minutes
13. Bella
14. Maria

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75242 in Music
• Released on: 2002-08-12
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin's self-titled first English-language album is a triumph of an omnivorous world-pop sensibility--but more important is that at its best, it's a real kick. The first single, "Livin' la Vida Loca", employs a revved-up ska tempo to praise a girl whose "lips are devil red [and] skin's the color of mocha." Martin is no less irresistible on the disc's other uptempo numbers, such as "Spanish Eyes", "The Cup of Life" (the 1998 World Cup theme which with he stole the Grammy telecast a few months before this CD's release), and the Soul Coughing-indebted "Shake Your Bon Bon". Ricky Martin loses momentum with its draggier ballads--even the much-touted Madonna duet, "Be Careful (Cuidade con Mi Corazon)", doesn't spark--but overall, it deserves its inevitable multiplatinum success. --Rickey Wright

CD Description
The statement may raise a few eyebrows, but this ex-Menudo hunk has come up a stunner of an album. A track like "Livin'La Vida Loca" makes a seamless amalgam of Pan-Americana in which surf guitars, electronica, and Mariachi horns rock together in fine form, and its Spanglish chorus feels as ordinary a pop hook as any other. Much of the album's appeal lies in the fact that it makes a booty-shakin' piece of art of North America's sometimes divisive bilingual reality. "The CupOf Life", with its Carnaval-esque splendour, gathers a gooddeal of steam. "Shake Your Bon-Bon" and "Maria" do more of the same, while "She's All I Ever Had" and "Be Careful" takeit more sweet 'n mellow. Subtle yet urgent, the latter track has the one and only Madonna adding heat to the pot, with English and Spanish pleading that twists into a fiery doublehelix with Ricky's soft crooning.

Customer Reviews

Simply Fantastic
Ricky Martin's first english language album was probably the album that started the explosin in Latin Music in the late 90's and what an album it is. It starts off superbly with 'Livin' La Vida Loca' which is still one of the best latin/dance tracks ever released and sounds just as fresh now as it did then. Anybody expecting the album to be full of songs in the same style as 'Livin' La Vida Loca' may at first find themselves a little disapointed as there are lot of ballads and mid-tempo tracks also present but all of these are done very well. My favourites being 'Private Emotion' and 'She's All I Ever Had'. Strangely, the only track on the album i don't really like is 'Be Careful' his duet with Madonna which just sounds out of place.
Otherwise, it's a stunning album.

An amazing display of talent
Ricky Martin's first English-language album is a very endearing collection of songs that are distinctive enough to make him a star in his own right. Some of the songs have been included in English and Spanish, but both versions of such songs are just as listenable.

Although 'Livin' La Vida Loca' is the song that most people recognise on this album, there are others worth listening to, including the beautiful ballad 'Private Emotion' with Meja (who had previously released a song called 'All 'Bout The Money').

Admittedly some of its punch may have been lost with the release of 'Sound Loaded', but this is still a good place to get into Martin-mania if you are curious.

Exciting to have some RM in English at last - a triumph
The album is an unqualified success and should be a must for all RM fans and for those looking to discover something of the latin beat whilst retaining a real 90s sound.

His voice is versatile though it is better suited to the more up-tempo tracks, and maybe one or two of his ballads are bordering on dreary... but having said all that this is a great album.

Considering he was all but unknown in the US and the UK / Europe a year ago he has risen to mega-star status very quickly. He deserves every bit of it. His stage presence is amazing.

Buy ALL of his older CDs.. you won't be disappointed.