Tejano star Selena's death hasn't stopped label executives from releasing material or fans from snapping it up. According to the EMI Latin label, 1996's Siempre Selena features the last of her previously unreleased songs, ... more »"Siempre Hace Frio." The lavish, three-disc Anthology, however, is a must-have for its glimpses of Selena honing her vocal skills and sharpening her talent. Divided under the headers "Pop/English," "Mariachi," and "Cumbia," the set showcases hard-to-find early material and hits, including a club remix of the Diane Warren-penned "I'm Getting Used to You" and a disco-flavored take on "La Bamba." The liner notes offer background information on every song, and these discs also underscore the talents of Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III. He gives many of the older tracks ("Dame Tu Amo," "Salta la Ranita") fresh arrangements that match the energy of Selena's more recent material. --Joey Guerra« less
Tejano star Selena's death hasn't stopped label executives from releasing material or fans from snapping it up. According to the EMI Latin label, 1996's Siempre Selena features the last of her previously unreleased songs, "Siempre Hace Frio." The lavish, three-disc Anthology, however, is a must-have for its glimpses of Selena honing her vocal skills and sharpening her talent. Divided under the headers "Pop/English," "Mariachi," and "Cumbia," the set showcases hard-to-find early material and hits, including a club remix of the Diane Warren-penned "I'm Getting Used to You" and a disco-flavored take on "La Bamba." The liner notes offer background information on every song, and these discs also underscore the talents of Selena's brother, A.B. Quintanilla III. He gives many of the older tracks ("Dame Tu Amo," "Salta la Ranita") fresh arrangements that match the energy of Selena's more recent material. --Joey Guerra
Chris S. (Snowball7470) from CORP CHRISTI, TX Reviewed on 9/5/2006...
This is a great anthology of 30 of Selena's songs - my husband and I enjoyed it a lot.
CD Reviews
Anthology is a complete retrospective to cherish.
08/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As those of you in Digital America have noticed, I am a devoted Selena fan. Anthology is categorized into three groups: Pop, Mariachi, and Cumbia. Each disc is a different window into Selena's far-reaching talent. She could just as easily belt out a love song in Spanish as she could a deep dance groove in English. The best way to experience this collection is to play each disc back to back. No two tracks are the same, yet her voice remains constant from one range to another. No female artist now or in the past, except maybe Patsy Cline, could hit a blues note so carefully and completely that you don't know you've been hit until you are under her spell."
Completely brilliant!!
utter_nutter_gal | United Kingdom | 09/07/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well i knew i would love this cd anyway becuase it is Selena! But there were lots of great surprises, lots of the songs are her older, much rarer ones. Alot of the newer ones were mixed, i quite like the new version of 'Amame' and 'No queiro saber'. Most of the songs have had a little brushing up but more drastically on 'I'm getting used to you' etc. I think it is good there were remixes since lots of Selena fans have the original already! There were some English songs too like 'Always mine' which is the first song Selena did in English, but also included a bit of Spanish. And i love the mix 'Don't throw away my love'. 'La bamba' has also been given the remix treatment and sounds better than ever! The whole cd is brilliant but i especially liked 'La puerta se cerro' it is a very upbeat classic song, it sounds like Si Una vez in this version! Buy it if you are used to Selenas older music , if u are a Selena beginner buy 'All my hits todos mis exitos'."
Thinking of you always Selena!
selenaonlyne | monroe, north carolina | 01/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cd box set shows the true Selena. It takes you on a trip from when Selena was just a local band called Selena y Los Dinos opening for La Mafia to a bonafid Tejano megastar. Selena was an icon for so many Mexican and American fans. We loved her so much and were very sad to see such an icon taken from us in a matter so senseless and stupid that we still don't understand it.The album released right after her death Dreaming of You was a look at where she was heading but this box set shows where she had been and where she was going. Going from Mexican based rancheras, pop covered english language hits, to the dance hall hits. This a wonderful album for any Selena fan or anyone wondering who she was. Selena, We will never forget the impact that you had on all our lives.We all will be thinking of you always. SEIMPRE SELENA!"
Selena....una leyenda para siempre....
D. Pawl | Seattle | 09/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Though, I didn't start listening to the beautiful, soulful, talented and incomparable Selena until after she died as a result of the bullet from the gun of Yolanda Saldivar, she will always be alive in my heart.
This 3 CD collection is a great cross-section of the styles Selena added plenty of sabor (flavor) to. These are just a few of her many hits....I don't think three CDs is nearly enough room to capture all of the beautiful melodies she recorded and interpreted for us, her loving audience. Here, we have Pop, Mariachi and Techno Cumbia (a very popular genre in Tex Mex and Mexicana music).
Though, I am not a huge fan of techno, Selena made me want to listen to it anyway. The first CD is filled with pop songs that could definitely carry you over to the dance floor. The best songs on this album are "La Bamba" and "Yo Fui Aquella." This is because they best capture the lively energy Selena added to both old pop hits ("La Bamba") and original ranchera ("Yo Fui Aquella"). The other songs also have this energy, but in my opinion these two are outstanding tunes.
The Mariachi album, on the other hand, feels like the heartbeat of the Mexican musical experience and is a great introduction for people new to this genre and a real treasure for those who have loved these songs for generations (as well as the new material written especially for Selena). What amazes me the most is Selena's versatility--even at a young age--to capture the emotions and tone of these songs even at the tender age of fourteen. This is especially apparent in the songs "Raima Caida" and "Quiero Estar Contigo."
The third and final album is filled with totally fun techno cumbia tunes that will get your feet moving even if you have never danced to this type of music before. My favorite songs (which are also filled with fun lyrics--for all of you Spanish speakers) are "Salta La Ranita" and "Baila Esta Cumbia."
Enjoy this album! Keep the spirit of Selena alive."