The height of underground
Synthia L. Powers | Chicago | 02/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rafael "Lego" Rodriguez has put together an intoxicating blend of grooves to send you into deep house euphoria! This CD is all shades of fabulous; it will satisfy even the most finicky house head. The grooves are instantly accessible and catchy, without sacrificing one bit of underground credibility. You can play this at any party, anywhere in the world, and get people moving. You could play this at a big budget discoteque in Paris... or a street party in the Bronx. There is something special about this particular mix - the overall sound is sexy and seductive... yet hard and pumping, while being funky, jazzy, down to earth and classy - all in the same moment. This is the kind of mix that makes house music feel like "real music", yet it is deep enough to be respected on the street. This CD features a great deal of excellent latin percussion to rattle your senses, soul stirring horn solos to send a chill up your spine, and jumpin basslines to get you hopping all over the place - I DARE YOU to listen to this CD and sit still!
Most notable:
The horn arrangement in "Latin Love" made the hair on the back of my neck stand up! The chord progressions are a lot of fun to listen to - this is a great piece of music!
Johnny Fiasco's "Glitter Palace" makes my heart race. The keyboards will invoke the image in your mind of something actually 'glittering'; this song is phenomenal.
"Essential Sax" is deep and funky; the bassline is raw and that sax solo sizzles!
"Bulo" - I don't understand a word he says, but when the groove is this good, who cares! When I dance to this track in the clubs, everybody waves their hands and loses their minds!
The layered harmonies on top of the horn arrangement in "Ever After" are intricate, and complex - great music! - but the percussion is what makes this song truly remarkable.
"Angels" has this bassline that just growls in all of it's depth. The keyboards give the song a warm feeling... and Tonya wailing about "Angels watching over me", as she reminds us to "keep the faith" is very inspriring. This is one my favorite house tracks of all time - I'm thrilled to have this hard-to-find classic in my collection!
I bought this CD about a week ago and have listened to it twice everyday since I got it - yes, it's that good. All my friends want to copy it, but I won't let them. Hahaha!
Rafael "Lego" Rodriguez keeps the funk alive!"