Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

( 9 )

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Mark Schwartz
Colombian star Shakira generally gets her own way, and when the singer-songwriter proposed, counter to all industry practices, to follow up a hit English-language debut with a Spanish-language record three years later, it caused some head-scratching. But a hit video the first Spanish-language song to chart on MTV's TRL is just the first suggestion that Shakira knows best. Laundry Service was admirable if occasionally clumsy, but Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 shows her at her confident best. The fast-rising single, "La Tortura," features Spanish heartthrob Alejandro Sanz and a mix of club beats and Colombian accordion and percussion, indicative of the wide range of styles on ...
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Mark Schwartz
Colombian star Shakira generally gets her own way, and when the singer-songwriter proposed, counter to all industry practices, to follow up a hit English-language debut with a Spanish-language record three years later, it caused some head-scratching. But a hit video the first Spanish-language song to chart on MTV's TRL is just the first suggestion that Shakira knows best. Laundry Service was admirable if occasionally clumsy, but Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 shows her at her confident best. The fast-rising single, "La Tortura," features Spanish heartthrob Alejandro Sanz and a mix of club beats and Colombian accordion and percussion, indicative of the wide range of styles on the album, if not its overall sound. With executive production from Rick Rubin and, on two songs, co-production from Soda Stereo's Gustavo Cerati, Fijación Oral Aural? is experimental but focused, alternating strummy ballads with more rhythmic material. "Tortura" is certainly a standout, but the best track is "Día Especial." With Cerati's input, it sports an airy majesty typical of his Argentine supergroup, or early U2. "Escondite Ingles" is the album's sole rocker, a high-energy mix of surf rock and new wave that recalls songs from Laundry Service. There's nothing as exuberant as that album's "Wherever, Whenever" -- maybe that's waiting on Volume 2. But the singular vision of Shakira Mubarak, as singer, songwriter, and performer, hasn't come across this strongly in a while, and it needs no translation.
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Laundry Service gave Shakira her long-anticipated English-language breakthrough, turning her into a global superstar in the process. A hit of that magnitude is hard to follow, so it shouldn't be a great surprise that she toiled on its sequel for upward of four years. What is surprising is that the subsequent album was split in two -- à la Kill Bill -- with the first being devoted to Spanish tunes and the second consisting entirely of English songs; the teasing titles Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 indicate which is which and which hit the market first. It's kind of a sharp move to release Fijacion Oral first, since it not only satisfies her longtime fans who have been waiting a long time for a collection of brand-new Spanish material she hasn't delivered one since 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?, it also subtly signals that she won't be placing American success above anything else. Similarly, Fijacion Oral smartly straddles the line between traditional Latin pop and the sexy, splashy dance-pop and bombastic adult contemporary pop that made Laundry Service a big hit in the U.S.: its heart is in the former, but the production -- the omnipresent Rick Rubin serves as the executive producer -- is slick and bright, enough to make the first single, "La Tortura," sound like a natural for American radio even if it will never be played because it's sung in Spanish. Despite the surface sheen, Fijacion Oral is proudly a Latin pop record, and it conforms to the conventions of its genre, alternating between melodramatic ballads and insistent dance tunes, sometimes working a sleek bossa nova number into the equation for good measure the terrific "Obtener un Sí," which sounds like it could have been a big hit in the late '60s. Even if it doesn't break convention, it nevertheless does its job extremely well, with an ample amount of style and flair, as well as more songcraft than Shakira is usually given credit for. She's written each song here, sometimes in collaboration with either Luis F. Ochoa or Lester Mendez, and these ten originals the 12-track album includes two alternate versions have a combination of commercial savvy and smart writing, making this album a small triumph, proof that Shakira can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them. Since this is a Latin pop record through and through, it will not cross over the way that Laundry Service did, but that's by design: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 will conquer half of the world, and the other half will follow with Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in six months' time. Given the strength of this album, it's hard to wait for the second part to arrive.
Rolling Stone - Barry Walters
1/2 A world away from the Ricky Martinizing of Latin pop.

1/2 A world away from the Ricky Martinizing of Latin pop.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 7/20/2005
  • Label: Epic Japan
  • EAN: 4547366021943
  • Catalog Number: 542

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 En Tus Pupilas (4:24)
  2. 2 La Pared (3:20)
  3. 3 La Tortura (3:35)
  4. 4 Obtener un Sí (3:21)
  5. 5 Dia Especial (4:25)
  6. 6 Escondite Inglés (3:10)
  7. 7 No (4:47)
  8. 8 Las de la Intuición (3:42)
  9. 9 Dia de Enero (2:55)
  10. 10 Lo Imprescindible (3:58)
  11. 11 La Pared (2:41)
  12. 12 La Tortura (3:12)
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Shakira Primary Artist
Gary Foster Flute
Rene Toledo Acoustic Guitar, Guitar
Bruce Dukov Concert Comedienne
Alejandro Sanz Guitar, Tres Cubano, Guest Appearance
Paul Bushnell Bajo Sexto
Jorge Calandrelli Metales
Dave Carpenter Bajo Sexto
Luis Conte Percussion
Pete Davis Trumpet, Keyboards
Victor Indrizzo Percussion, Bateria
Charles Loper Trombone
Warren Luening Flugelhorn
Lester Mendez Keyboards
Jonathan Mover Bateria
Teddy Mulet Trumpet
Shawn Pelton Percussion, Bateria
Archie Pena Percussion
Ramon Stagnaro Guitar
Lyle Workman Guitar
Frank Morrocco Accordion
Gustavo Cerati Guitar, Keyboards, Guest Appearance
Tony Reyes Guitar, Keyboards
Chris Chaney Bajo Sexto
David Alsina Bandoneon
Humberto (Kiro) Judex Accordion
Steve Kajula Flute
Bob McChensay Trombone
Technical Credits
Terry Manning Engineer
Alejandro Sanz Composer, Vocal Arrangements
Jorge Calandrelli String Arrangements, Orchestra Director
Pete Davis Programming
Rob Jacobs Engineer
Kevin Killen Engineer
Lester Mendez Composer, Programming, Producer
Rick Rubin Executive Producer
Shakira Composer
Gustavo Cerati Composer, Programming, Producer
Mauricio Guerrero Engineer
Iker Gastaminza Engineer
Luis Fernando Ochoa Composer
Carlos Paucar Engineer
Vlado Meller Mastering
Joe Wohlmuth Engineer
Tim LeBlanc Engineer
José DeJesús Rosales "Halcón Dorado" Torres Programming, Remixing
Maria Paula Marulanda Art Direction
Gelipe Alvarez Programming
Gian Arias Programming
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 9 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(2)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    my biggest icon

    from the first time i heard 'whenever wherever'i was blown away.she has really brought latin people to the world,prior to that no one here knows latin people or music.she might not get the attention from the americans but she's big here.from young to old in shillong(india) everyone knows her,she is comparable to the beatles,with one english album(laundry service) she could make herself the biggedt star in the world right now(excluding.u.s.a).she is my icon,her songs has captivated my heart beyond words.and by the way,is there any female artist who write their own songs and music.she deserve more than this people after all she's a philantropist and she represent not the american but the world dreams.i simply love her.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Great Album

    Shakira's album is very beautiful. The Lyrics are wounderful!! This is a CD for anybody who love's music!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    La Tortura

    To be honest, I've heard 1 song from this CD. And I love it!!!! If the rest of the songs are like "La Tortura" than I love them.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    AMAZING... EVERY TIME!

    I am a HUGE fan... And, I've been waiting for her Spanish album for years... This album is awesome. It is different than all her previous albums but it's still Shakira... She's growing and changing and it shows... I can't say enough good things!!!! I love her... LOL!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Yes, outstanding!

    ...when so many artists have been there, done that, Shakira is so passionate and refreshing. She defines seduction and mystique in every song. Drop the bread crumbs along the way...or you may get lost. Which is not a bad way to go.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Shakira Never Ceases to Amaze Me

    Shakira delievers a very mature album that is very unique and different to her past albums. This album is more mature sounding, more polished, better mixed, and with a slight electro sound to the songs compared to earlier Shakira albums. The album flows well together and does not seem like a collection of singles As usual Shakira draws from a lot of different music styles in this album - everything from 80s rock to 60s easy listening to European electro. For instance: En Tus Pupilas is a very relaxing song with a beautiful chorus. It's hard to describe but it's just a very relaxing song. It's almost like you're day dreaming. It's in the same vein as Sonbre de Ti but not a copy of that song. En Tus Pupilas is my favorite song on the album. La Tortua is an interesting song with a lot of passion and honest, straight up vocals. It's one of those songs that grow on you. The song changes tempos and textures several times but pulls it off very well. Every now and then the song has a slight mariachi sound and a slight "jungle" sound. Obtener un Si is not a song you'd expect Shakira to sing - but that's what makes her so good. You never know what to expect, and she always pulls it off. This song reminds me of a mid 60s easy listening Burt Bacharach song. And, believe it or not, she handles it well and it's a treat to listen to. And, like a Bacharach song, it's very well arranged with plush orchestratioin. This song might also have fit on the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. Shakira is very much at ease with the song and appears to have fun with it. Dia Especial is a very catchy song that is again very mature and well done. For some reason it seems like the song would have been good in a James Bond movie. Escondite Ingles has a modern back to the 80s sound. The most rocking song on the album.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 30, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 11, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 11, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews