Ricky Martin Cafè - Discography (Albums & Singles)
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 Discography
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 LifeSony International
Release Date: October 11, 2005
Charts Position: #6 US, #40 UK
Ricky Martin's self-titled 1999 album made him an international crossover star, and it's been both a blessing and a curse ever since. The Puerto Rican heartthrob became the poster boy for the much-ballyhoed Latin-pop movement, and he paved the way for English-language albums from Paulina Rubio, Thalia and Shakira.
At the same time, Martin's processed pop recordings quickly lost favor at radio, and he seemed destined to become a musical footnote. Life finds the charismatic singer exuding a newfound confidence and showcasing some much-needed musical diversity. Martin traveled to India to record the string arrangements for the album, and that influence is felt throughout the disc's 12 tracks.
Middle Eastern accents embellish tracks "Til I Get To You" and "I Won't Desert You," and groovy first single "I Don't Care" adds guest vocals from Fat Joe and soulful songbird Amerie for some street cred. Vocally, Martin sounds better than ever; he pushes his modest voice past its normal limit to match the intensity of the music. And like any good pop icon looking to maximize airplay, Martin dabbles in reggaeton during "Drop it On Me" and the Luny Tunes Mix of "Que Mas Da (I Don't Care)." Life may be the sound of an artist still looking for his individual sound, but it's a pretty enjoyable ride nonetheless.
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 Almas del SilencioSony International
Release Date: May 20, 2003
Charts Position: #12 US
WW Sales: 4,000,000
Almas del Silencio is a Spanish language album by Ricky Martin.
Being a pop icon is nothing new to the Grammy-winning, Puerto Rican singer/actor Ricky Martin. He was a child star with the '80s kid group Menudo. And he was a regular on the soap opera General Hospital. But he hit the big time in 1999 with his smash Anglo hit Livin’ la Vida Loca. On his new CD, Martin returns to his Hispanic roots with this zesty Spanish language release, which translates as Souls of Silence.
Backed by poetic and pulsating string/synth/horn production from Tommy Torres, George Noriega, Emilo Estefan and Stefano, this effort comes with all of Martin's grand moods and grooves. The fiery, flamenco-flavored "Jaleo" is rendered in Latin pop and hip-hop, Spanglish versions.
Both takes, along with the equally danceable numbers like "Besos de Fuego," are designed to move your bon bon. But Martin's bolero ballads "Tal Vez," the title track, penned by the other Latin star Alejandro Sanz, and Ricardo Arjona's "Assignatura Pendiente" show that Martin can sing for the heart and the hips. With this effort, Ricky Martin moves into Celine Dion territory and may be able to keep his loyal Latino dance/ pop fans while making new ones in the adult contemporary market. Get Lyrics
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 La HistoriaSony International
Release Date: February 27, 2001
Charts Position: #83 US, WW Sales: 3,500,000
La Historia is an album by Ricky Martin, and was released in 2001.
In an attempt to appease Ricky's Spanish-speaking fans and resuscitate his ailing crossover career, the folks at Sony have unleashed La Historia a mere three months after releasing the underperforming Sound Loaded, which has failed to generate any Loca-sized pop hits. The 17-track Historia compiles the biggest Spanish-language hits off Martin's six albums, and--not surprisingly--it's his best effort since 1998's Vuelve. Martin tends to comes off like an overzealous Broadway extra on his English-language albums, but he infuses his Spanish tracks with nuance and passion. "La Copa de la Vida" (the superior original version of "The Cup of Life") crackles with electricity, and "Por Arriba, por Abajo" revels in acoustic energy. Martin also excels at ballads, most notably the pensive "Vuelve" and the exquisite "Perdido sin Ti," his finest recording to date. La Historia also includes rerecorded versions of early hits "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida," along with the current hit "Sólo Quiero Amarte." There's no telling how long Martin will make English-language fans shake their bon-bon, but his Spanish catalog promises a long and bright future. Get Lyrics
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 Sound LoadedSony International
Release Date: November 14, 2000
Charts Position: #4 US, #14 UK, WW Sales: 7,000,000
Sound Loaded is a 2000 album by Ricky Martin. It includes the single "She Bangs", a song that came to prominence again in 2004 after William Hung performed it during his failed American Idol audition. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was made into a duet with Christina Aguilera, but the version included on the album does not feature Aguilera. The album is considered to have been unsuccessful in comparison with Martin's previous effort, 1999's self-titled Ricky Martin.
Sound Loaded, Ricky Martin's follow-up to his self-titled 1999 triumph, is a marvel as much of cross-country technological wizardry as of a multicultural pop sensibility. "She Bangs," its first single, was made in seven locations from Miami to Hollywood; all the work results in a gratifying everything-and-the-kitchen-sink uptempo extravaganza. (The details include a sampled nod to Fishbone, an apparent influence on 1999's "Livin' la Vida Loca," and the delightful malapropism "She looks like a flower but she stings like a bee.") If the rest of the disc never quite matches that high, neither does its quality sink much; if anything, Sound Loaded may be a bigger cut-for-cut success than its predecessor. The winners are mostly similar dancefloor rockers, but the ballads generally skirt the edge of treacle. Spanish versions of "She Bangs," "Come to Me," and "Loaded" are additions to the dozen cuts in English. Get Lyrics
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 Ricky MartinSony International
Release Date: May 11, 1999
Charts Position: #1 US, #2 UK, WW Sales: 17,000,000
Ricky Martin is the 1999 eponymous album by Ricky Martin, released on May 11, 1999.
Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin's self-titled first English-language album is a triumph of an omnivorous world-pop sensibility--but more important is that at its best, it's a real kick. The first single, "Livin' la Vida Loca," employs a revved-up ska tempo to praise a girl whose "lips are devil red [and] skin's the color of mocha." Martin is no less irresistible on the disc's other uptempo numbers, such as "Spanish Eyes," "The Cup of Life" (the 1998 World Cup theme which with he stole the Grammy telecast a few months before this CD's release), and the Soul Coughing-indebted "Shake Your Bon Bon." Ricky Martin loses momentum with its draggier ballads--even the much-touted Madonna duet, "Be Careful (Cuidade con Mi Corazon)," doesn't spark--but overall, it deserves its inevitable multiplatinum success. Get Lyrics
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 VuelveSony International
Release Date: February 12, 1998
Charts Position: #40 US, WW Sales: 8,000,000
Vuelve reflects Ricky Martin's evolution into a well-seasoned artist/Renaissance man--albeit in a Pop Tart sort of way.... Vuelve blends rich texture and tropical polyrhythms with Ricky's soft tenor and mainstream appeal ... the pleasing, seductive Vuelve works quietly but with a sweet aggressiveness. Get Lyrics
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 A Medio VivirSony International
Release Date: September 8, 1995
WW Sales: 7,000,000
A Medio Vivir is Ricky Martin's stylistic leap from the swoony crooning of Me Amaras toward Top 40 stardom. While still an essentially romantic recording, this collection dips into rock, gospel, and Latin soul, forming the foundation of the artist's meteoric rise on the charts. Beginning with the sound of ocean waves, A Media Vivir gets going strong with the wailing sax, chorded piano, and gospel-choir backing on the superlative title cut through to the electrified rock of "Bombom de Azucar." Get Lyrics
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 Me AmaresSony International
Release Date: April 16, 1993
WW Sales: 1,000,000
Me Amarás is Ricky Martin's second solo album, released in 1993.
Looking like a young Lorenzo Lamas on the cover with a sweeping thatch of hair and poised rather elegantly at a cafe table, the 1993-model Ricky Martin of Me Amaras is the post-boy-group pipsqueak and pre-General Hospital stud yet to become Ricky "Livin' la Vida Loca" Martin. All suave crooning and lite-jazz overkill, this Spanish-language album won't make the listener wish to shake her bon bon but rather curl up in the strong arms of a Latin Fabio who'll whisper "Te amo" and sound like he means it. Me Amaras is quite dated by sticky-sweet arrangements and hyperslick production. All the same, this guilty pleasure documents a stop on the path of one of the late '90s' biggest crossover superstars and runs right up the alley of Kenny G and Iglesias (father and son) fans. Get Lyrics
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 Ricky Martin SpanishSony International
Release Date: November 6, 1991
WW Sales: 500,000
Ricky Martin is the 1991 eponymous debut album by Ricky Martin.
Ricky Martin's self-titled solo debut finds the former Menudo star working the same basic mix of styles that would support his worldwide breakout in 1999. Upbeat radio-ready numbers such as "Dime Que Me Quieres (Bring a Little Lovin)" and "Juego de Ajedrez" reveal a strong Elton John influence, while the ballad "Fuego Contra Fuego" might have come from the soundtrack of a Spanish-language version of Dirty Dancing. Though more "Latin" than the multiplatinum seller that shares its name, this Ricky Martin is the work of a singer who already aimed to unite two audiences. Get Lyrics
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POSTER STORES
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