Search - Triplets :: Thicker Than Water

A Dozen Years Later, Still Worth Hearing....

Louis S. Mosier | Chesapeake, VA, USA | 01/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I concur with the two previous reviewers of "Thicker Than Water"; the Villegas triplets made an excellent first album. I can't remember how I first learned of The Triplets--perhaps I was just browsing CDs in the music store and was attracted to the cover picture of the three pretty Latina singers--but I do remember being struck by their wonderful harmonies and smooth, beautiful voices when I gave the CD a listen. I, too, acknowledge that their lyrics are sometimes a bit sophomoric and awkward, but the song's straight-forward production and The Triplets' sincerity make the fault forgiveable.

I must add, however, that The Triplets didn't disappear after this one album and didn't ignore the growing interest in Hispanic music of the early Nineties, typified by such singers as Gloria Estefan and Selena. Their second album, "Fuerza Del Parentesco", issued in OCT 91, was a Spanish-language remake of "Thicker Than Water". Their voices and harmonies are just as beautiful on "Fuerza..." as on "Thicker...", but their translations sometimes made the Spanish lyrics fit awkwardly to the tunes.

The Triplets' third, and apparently final, album was "Algo Mas Que Amor", which came out in SEP 93. This album is predominately in Spanish with a few English songs at the end of the track list, but the Spanish songs were apparently written in that language; the lyrics fit the music much better than on "Fuerza..." and don't detract from the sisters' awesome singing voices. Although I'm not fluent in Spanish, I really enjoy the marriage of the Spanish lyrics to the Hispanic-tinged pop/rock instrumentals.

If you're going to give The Triplets a listen--and I do recommend it--start with "Thicker Than Water". Then, if you realize you enjoy their light, harmonious music, go for "Algo Mas Que Amor". After a dozen years, the Triplets are still worth hearing."

Latina power-harmonies trio had mainstream potential

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 03/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While on one of my usual jaunts to the record store in Las Cruces, I chanced upon a jaunty pop song on an instore play sung by a female group. The song was "You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight" by the Triplets, and its svelte Belinda Carlisle pop and Bangles-like harmonies were what caught me. If Wilson Phillips were more upbeat and rocked more, and were Latina, they'd be Vicky, Sylvia, and Diana Villegas, a.k.a. the Triplets. While studio musicians back them up, their powerful harmonies are a wall of sound by themselves. It's as if they are the rock-pop version of the Pointer Sisters, with guitars and drums instead of bass and brass as accompaniment, the lead off track "Dancing In The Shadows" an example of that."Light A Candle" is the story of an emigrant's going to America with a pocket of dreams and the prayers the family does to make sure he stays safe. However, it's not peaches, and the poor guy's glad his girl's not with him: "living in a tenement, and he's sleeping on the floor, the loneliness that's with him rips him to the core."The vocals of the ballad "So Hard" at times has a Linda Ronstadt-ish twang. "The Sunrise" could well be a Wilson Phillips tune due to its pop flavouring. This song was co-written by Martin Page. The power vocals and instrumentation are pretty powerful here. Another singleworthy song is "If I Could Only Make You Love Me" which is a perfect demo of their style, and if their overpowering vocals were what turned off radio, the vocals here are moderate."Blood is Thicker Than Water" is a nice guitar and power drums ballad about the connections between siblings and the moral support that'll be there despite the distance. They also explore interethnic boundaries in the white man/Spanish girl encounter in "Spanish Surrender." They're definitely proud of their ethnicity, as they aver that Latinas are girls that will stay in the blood forever, and would take issue with the line "I wish they all could be California girls."OK, only last year was I aware that the Bangles covered "Where Were You When I Needed You." Recently, while glancing through the track listing on the Triplets, song #9 caught my eye. I hastily opened the booklet and sure enough, written by P. Sloan of the Grass Roots. Having also heard the original, I had to hear how the Villegas sisters did it. Not a bad rendition; but the power chorus harmonies are in fourth gear as usual.The album closes with the quiet guitar and a slow samba-like beat of the bedroom romance of "Pyramids Of Pleasure." The Triplets went on to do Spanish albums later, but this album was a missed opportunity. Had this gone over big, they would've preceded Shakira, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Thalia, and Enrique Iglesias as the vanguard of a possible Latina invasion, had the battleplans been made.1990/1 seems to be the year for forgotten artists. There was Francesca Beghe, Tag, Eye & I, and now The Triplets, who could've cut into the biz with Wilson Phillips breaking in. After all, another girl trio with rock/pop sensibilities, and with more powerful vocals? However, I would've included Spanish versions of the better songs to guarantee the Hispanic market. Gee, what're you doing now, Triplets?"

One of my guilty pleasures of my youth

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 08/24/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was perusing my tape (does anyone listen to tapes anymore?) collection from my adolescence when I came across my copy of The Triplets' "...Thicker Than Water". I decided to throw the tape into my portable stereo. I almost forgot how much I liked them. They were kinda like Wilson Phillips but latino and with better voices. Sylvia, Vicky, and Diana definitely had a knack for melodies and harmonies. They had a minor hit with "Light a Candle" back in the early '90s. It was a shame that nothing came out of it because they really did know how to harmonize and their music was catchy as heck. Their music was pretty fell into the pop/rock category. Nothing daring or innovative. It was fun, catchy songs although the ballads swerved into the velveeta territory, especially "Pyramids of Pleasure" (the silliest lyrics I have ever seen at the time) and "Spanish Surrender". Like The Bangles who had a knack for harmonizing and melodies too, The Triplets does a stunning rendition of The Grassroots' "Where Were You When I Needed You". As silly as the group's lyrics were at times, I would have gladly taken them over the over the top cheesiness of Wilson Phillips."