Rare, and even valuable occupancies in the bargain bin. A number of these records are now out of print and despite not having lasting hits, their used price tags place them in the elite sector. This is a distinct case where the lot contains very enjoyable records but its also a case where I begin to look like an incredibly moldy fig if you pay attention to the release dates. I've been meaning to post a list of uncelebrated gems, but in the meantime this functions well as preface.
Patricia Manterola: Niña BonitaYears ago I purchased this new; it was released as the technotronic wave waned in the mid-90's. Electronica-esque Mexican Pop - the description alone seems enough to make us cringe, but Niña Bonita is suprisingly enjoyable. Mainly due to the clever songwriting
coupled with clever production. The
title track is a grand excercise in how minimalism can be made to sound absolutely huge! Try looking for the record used and find that sellers aren't willing to fall under the $25 mark. A funny note about the packaging: under the CD tray is a picture of Manterola which the listener actually has to pull the packaging apart to see (not that I actually did, I just curiously know this).
MTV Party To Go, v.3The idea was simple: you don't need a dj; just pop in the cassette and you've got a party on your hands. Can't remember at what number they actually stopped delivering parties to us. Recently I mastered my cassette copy and was apparent is how clearly the pop music scene is represented for each volume's respective period. Volume 3 is an accurate survey of what radio stations were playing in 1991/1992. Some tracks I had simply forgotten about despite how heavily they were played. Cece Peniston's "Finally", House of Pain's "Jump Around", and Positive K's "
I Got A Man" ... probably my favorite forgotten track from the album. Does ayone know who the female vocalist is on the track? If the concept of a party-to-go seems odd, think of the modern equivalent, Now! That What I Call Music. Basic Idea is put a back-to-back mix of the current hits in the listeners hand for wherever they may roam.
Non-Stop 90's RockI don't actually own this one and used prices are still slightly steep. Why? One of the best soundtrack compliations of 1993-1995 I've seen. Critics complained that their own favorites weren't included (no Right Said Fred!?), but the issue is petty. A solid survey of the alternative rock of those years. The issue really seems that the title is a bit too wide, but anyone familiar with the era will see a logic to the song selection. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins,
CrashTest Dummies, and 4 Non-Blondes would be great additions. Maybe in vol.2 titled -
Non Stop 90's Rock Doesn't Stop Rocking: hopefully we included everything you reminisced about so you'll stop crying about it. Like so many other musicians (and folk in general), my life is measured in music and this compilation is one of the notches on the cup.
Sonora Tropicana: Me Gusta
One of La Sonora Tropicana's more obscure records, but I'm lost as to what rationale resulted in this. This is one of their strongest records and later works don't prove as potent. In fact, I would go as far as to dub this La Tropicana opus magnum.The songwriting and arrangements are outright catchy and ingenious! Because I've been preparing to write a Cumbia, I've been casually listening to these sorts of records in our collection. A friend had noted after watching the Selena film how similar (but not exact) Cumbia and Reggae grooves are. When you enter a Cumbia record, you know exactly what the groove is going to be. In this sense there is a challenge to the writing to keep an already known groove from becoming monotonous. Sonora Tropicana handles it masterfully here. Thinly guised innuendos, bawdy chants, rock elements, and some material that borders on being slightly twisted. Me Gusta!

Gloria Trevi: Si Me Llevas Contigo
Still trying to figure out why this record runs for an average of $45 on Amazon Marketplace. Its out of print, but fans generally agree its nowhere near as strong as her previous work. If anyone can offer a rationale, please comment. Curiously, reviewers describe it as tamer than earlier albums, but a charactertically outlandish Gloria Trevi record is still present. During the period of 1989 - 1995 had listeners become de-sensitized to her sound? Compared to other pop records, its is outlandish but agreeably it is more predictable than other Gloria records. A double-standard almost seems to emerge, but apparently she had established her own standard and fans were holding her to it. Paradox was probably inevitable. Listeners were expected to be taken by surprise and the producers and writers thought it would be unexpected to take a 'straighter' approach. Perhaps because her approach was a lucrative gamble to begin with, the logic was to prove that she didn't necessarily need those things to exist. What is your opinion?