K.O.B. Live (CD - 2006)

This 2006 Aventura outing finds "los reyes de la bachata moderna" ("the kings of modern bachata") living up to their esteemed reputation. Throughout the highly percussive set, the Bronx, New York-based group presents lovelorn Dominican roots tunes such as "Los Infieles" and "Llorar," mixing up the proceedings with occasional skits in both English and Spanish.

In the wake of Aventura's mainstream breakthrough album, God's Project (2005), the group was so emboldened by its commercial success that it crowned itself the Kings of Bachata and, with some modesty, used the title as an acronym for the concert tour document K.O.B. Live. The double-disc live album (actually a triple-disc package featuring two CDs and a bonus DVD) features Aventura on tour performing their bounty of hits while a stadium full of girls scream in the background. All of the group's biggest hits are performed over the course of K.O.B. Live, including "Obsesión," "Llorar," "Hermanita," "Angelito," "La Boda," "Los Infieles," "Un Beso," and "Mi Corazoncito." The one exception is their biggest pop crossover hit, the Don Omar collaboration "Ella y Yo," which doesn't show up on either of K.O.B. Live's two CDs but does show up as part of a medley on the bonus DVD. The inclusion of all the big hits, along with several skits and other between-song banter, is sure to please fans. On the other hand, those who simply want to enjoy the music -- or those who are new to Aventura and perhaps approaching K.O.B. Live as a greatest-hits introduction to the group -- are likely to be troubled by the incessant screaming that can be heard throughout the album. Sure, it's nice to know that Aventura inspire a lot of reaction from their fans, girls in particular, but the crowd noise becomes irritating very quickly, as the noise level is dramatically raised and lowered in the mix throughout K.O.B. Live. In fact, on account of the crowd noise alone, K.O.B. Live is recommended to fans and only fans. All of the hits are here, no question about that, but the recording is difficult to endure for anyone but the most devoted fans who are willing to overlook -- or perhaps join in on -- all of the crowd noise. ~ Jason Birchmeier

DVD Features:

DVD Includes:

1. Altos De Chavon

2. Madison Square Garden:

a) Ella Y Yo

b) Por Tu Orgullo

c) Angelito

3. Los Fanaticos

4. Los Infieles (Music Video) minimize