Life (CD - 2005)

Personnel: Ricky Martin (vocals, chant, berimbau, background vocals); Ricky Martin; Debi Nova (vocals, background vocals); Vivian Perez, Sean Garrett (vocals); Amichelle Winkler, Pirulina Winkler (chant, background vocals); Rita Rosa (chant); Rusty Anderson (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Wurlitzer organ); Jorge Pajon (guitar, bass programming, drum programming); George Noriega (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, strings, percussion, drum programming, background vocals); Dave Cabrera (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, strings); Randy Cantor (electric guitar, keyboards); Danny Lopez (electric guitar); Daniel Lopez (nylon-string guitar, keyboards, percussion, bass programming, drum programming, background vocals); Itaal Shur (oud); Patrick Warren (sitar, chamberlin, Mellotron, keyboards); Mahmoud Osman, Emad Azmy, Hassan Sharara, Tamer Ghoneim, Monir Hariri, Ebada Mansy, Tamer Yassin, Hesham Nabawi, Saad Kamel, Ihab Abdel Hamid, Mostafa Abdel Naby, Doctor Samy Ibrahim, Aziz Jorge, Mamdouh ElWaaraq, Ihab Sobhy, Adel Eskander, Wagdey Ghoniem (violin); Amir Mikhail, Doctor Mohamed Abo Arab, Doctor Kamal ElReedy (viola); Yasser Taha, Taha Taha, Aymen El Hambouli, Emad Taha, Khaled Dagher, Hassan Moataz (cello); Teddy Mulet (strings, horns, Wurlitzer organ, chamberlin, keyboards); Tim Izo (saxophone); Printz Board (trumpet, keyboards); Albert Sterling Menendez (Clavinet); will.i.am (keyboards, programming, drum programming, background vocals); Francisco Saldaña, Víctor Cabrera (keyboards, drum programming); Alex Al (upright bass); Jorge Casas (fretless bass, percussion); Noriega (fretless bass); Emanuel Baker, Lee Levin, Keith Harris (drums); Scott Storch (programming); Matt Knobel (drum programming); Danielle Staley, Javier García, Jon Secada (background vocals); José Antonio Molina (strings).

Audio Mixers: Kam Houff; Gustavo Celis; Gary Noble; Jean-Marie Horvat; Matt Knobel; Bruce Swedien.

Recording information: AudioVision Studios, N Miami Beach, FL; Cantor Studios; Chung King Studios; Dharmik Studi, Miami Beach, Flo; Dharmik Studio, Miami Beach, FL; Hit Factory Criteria Inc., Miami, FL; Larabee Sound Studios; Larrabee Sound Studios; Mas Flow Studios, Carolina, Puerto Rico; Record Plant Recording, Puerto Rico; Royal tone Studios; Supersonic Studios; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; White Lion Recording Studio.

Author: Ricky Martin.

Photographer: Steve Klein .

Arrangers: Scott Storch; Sean Garrett.

Ricky Martin had some trouble recapturing the commercial success of his 1999 self-titled debut. After a disappointing follow-up and a bit of a hiatus, Martin released LIFE in 2005, a clear bid for commercial re-acceptance. LIFE teems with glossy, high-end production (especially the tracks helmed by Beyonce producer Scott Storch), star cameos (Fat Joe and members of Black Eyed Peas take turns on the mic), and a cornucopia of pop styles, all of which makes for an enjoyable, if somewhat uneven, listen.

Martin opens the record with "Til I Get To You," an expansive, mid-tempo number with a slinky verse that gives way to an epically dramatic chorus. From there he tries on urban contemporary dance tracks ("I Don't Care"), sweeping balladry (Diane Warren's "Stop Time Tonight"), stabs at reggaeton ("I Am"), and funky soul (the title track). Interestingly, by mixing rock, hip-hop, Latin flavors, contemporary R&B, and reggaeton--essentially, by covering every available base--Martin almost guarantees himself a hit on this slick collection of palatable contemporary pop. minimize