Search - Charo, Salsoul Orchestra :: Cuchi-Cuchi

CHARO IS A LATIN WIZARD.

Dianne Carter | Beverly Hills, CA | 01/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"WOW! "CUCHI-CUCHI" IS A GIFT FROM THE LORD!! In my born days I've never known Charo to disappoint. Her magic-streak continues with this roller disco-licious love letter to fun, and "Cuchi-Cuchi." The title track will send you into spasms of hip shimmying glee -- think the Lido deck, with Isaac at the bar; Julie Mc Coy as your cruise director, and April Lopez stowing away in a laundry basket -- better yet, think Cher at Flipper's Roller Disco, as seen in Rona Barrett's "Hollywood," circa '78. Buy this disc for the title track alone and you will live a few years longer. "Cuchi-Cuchi" is such a stress-relieving slice of yesteryear's Latin magic. Ole', Ole'!! If you don't love this record, you have zero sense of humor and a hatred of puppies and sunshine. Charo is a Latin Wizard! You'll thank me -- and most importantly, you'll thank the loins of Spain for birthing such a uninhibited ambassador of musical cuchi-cuchi. Mark my words, good times lie ahead."

ONE GREAT SONG..... the rest is a lousy collection of eurotr

Paulo Leite | Lisbon, Portugal | 12/18/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"How do I begin?



Well... I bought this album for one song: DANCE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER - which appears twice on the album: the first track is a single cut (4:34) while the 12nd gives us the 12'' mix in full 6:17 minutes.



But both tracks are a great disappointment.



FIRST because, oddly enough, the single cut seems to drop (in the beginning) the backvocals that mask Charo's heavy Spanish accent making some words nearly incomprehensible (if not laughable). She sings nice, but let's be honest... in those days, none of those disco singers had great voices - and the back vocals used to give them a more consistent sound. This version also adds some horrible hand-clapping that drags an otherwise perfect drum playing. Who did this?



SECOND because the longer cut (which has everything in place) has audio problems. Yes... at 1.33 minutes it seems the master tape was chewed in a previous run. The sound trembles for a second or two - long enough to break the experience... specially because this is the best version of the song: full length, full back vocals and no clapping.



In fact, the single version I always knew (which is the one available on THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA ANTHOLOGY) was edited from this 12'' version. The shorter version found here must be a mistake or a bad joke.



The rest of the album is a train wreck.



LET'S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER is a needless version of the immortal Stones' classic. Charo just cannot do anything with it. Her accent is horrible and the song gets raped. But that was the 70's, right?



BORRIQUITO is a song that I hope I will never play by mistake and let people know I have it. And it leaves me wondering... this is the kind of song the word eurotrash was made for. In the words of Charo herself... Flamenco-disco. Can you imagine it? It is painful to hear.



The rest of the disc is a rehash of the same ill-conceived musical ideas: a Spanish babe trying to sing in English with bad lyrics, bad accent, bad everything.



YOU'RE JUST THE RIGHT SIZE is a happy exception. Here, Charo is back to REAL disco with a proper act.



THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA ANTHOLOGY is a better buy.



BEWARE!"