Metiendo Mano! [180g LP]

by Ruben Blades

Overview

Any Willie Colon fan who couldn't understand why Colon and Hector Lavoe would want to go their separate ways must have been reassured by the recruitment of Ruben Blades to take his place in 1977. (Surely, no one could argue with the results of 1975's The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, which featured all three figures on one of the best LPs that any of them ever recorded, together or apart.) But Blades certainly wasn't a double for Lavoe; in fact, their styles were completely different. Lavoe was a spark plug of a sonero who could motivate the oldest abuela to get up and dance. Blades, while he may have had the ability to sound like a romantic crooner, only hit with a punch when he wanted to, instead pushing to the front his lyrical concerns with the underclass through a variety of storytelling modes (an interest he shared with Colon himself). There aren't any standout tracks like both its predecessor (The Good, the Bad, the Ugly) and successor (Siembra), but Metiendo Mano! was a worthy introduction to the two recording as twin leads. It's certainly an adventurous record. Colon kept only three arranging assignments for himself, which makes it sound less like a Willie Colon record (and is probably why it's remembered slightly less fondly than its bookends). Luis Ortiz's two excellent charts included one that sounded a much different note than Colon (the opener "Pablo Pueblo") as well as another that sounded as though Colon were writing it himself ("La Maleta"). Colon bolstered his strong brass lineup with additional power (including a tuba solo on the opener), and the lineup is a powerhouse (including frequent collaborator Yomo Toro on two tracks). Meanwhile, Blades proved his range, moving from raging first-person narratives to pastoral boleros -- with no lack of passion on each -- and although Colon is heard less here than on his previous classics, his lieutenants proved the confidence he had in them. ~ John Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	07/11/2025
Label:	Craft Recordings
UPC:	0888072671935

Tracks

1. Pablo Pueblo
2. Según el colór
3. La maleta
4. Me recordaras
5. Plantación adentro
6. La Mora
7. Lluvia de tu cielo
8. Fue varón
9. Pueblo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Willie Colon   Primary Artist,Gong,Soloist,Trombone,Percussion,Choir/Chorus
Ruben Blades   Primary Artist,Vocals,Choir/Chorus,Guitar (Acoustic)
Leopoldo Pineda   Soloist,Trombone
Nicky Marrero   Timbales
Tom Malone   Harp,Tuba
Jose Torres   Piano,Piano
Salvador Cuevas   Guitar (Bass)
Papo Vasquez   Trombone
Sonny Bravo   Piano
Jose Mangual Jr.   Bongos,Maracas,Percussion,Choir/Chorus
Sal Cuevas   Bass
Milton Cardona   Claves,Congas,Guitar,Quinto,Tambor,Percussion,Choir/Chorus,Talking Drum
Lewis Kahn   Trombone
Yomo Toro   Cuatro,Guitar (Acoustic)
Tom "Bones" Malone   Arpa,Tuba,Synthesizer Harp

Technical Credits

Willie Colon   Recording Producer,Coro,Arranger,Producer,Presentation
Frank Dominguez   Composer
Louie Ramirez   Arranger
Felix Hernandez   Composer
Pam Lessero   Title Design
Izzy Sanabria   Design
Mark Kozlowiski   Original Photography
Irv Greenbaum   Engineer,Mastering Engineer
Louis Ramirez   Arranger
Eliseo Grenet   Composer
Joe Tarantino   Mastering Engineer
Jon Fausty   Engineer,Mastering Engineer
Johnny Ortiz   Composer
Luis "Perico" Ortiz   Arranger
Jose Mangual Jr.   Coro
Jerry Masucci   Producer,Executive Producer
Ruben Blades   Coro,Composer
Luis Cruz   Arranger
Milton Cardona   Coro
Jaime Torres Torres   Liner Notes
C. Alonso Curet   Composer
Louis Ortiz   Arranger
Catalino "Tite" Curet Alonso   Composer
Louie Cruz   Arranger