Mucho Más / Mucho Mas

Mucho Mas is Babasónicos' follow-up to the peerless Mucho, released 12 months earlier. This new edition consists of two CDs: the first reproduces Mucho in its entirety, while the second adds seven new songs plus three remixes from the original album. Even if it is not openly promoted as such, the new material sounds exactly like a collection of B-sides and outtakes from their previous record. Since Babasónicos is one of those bands whose style often counts more than substance, it should not be surprising that none of these previously unreleased songs are as good as the finished article in Mucho. By the same token, Babasónicos' fans can hardly be surprised either, since the band has a long history of releasing collections of both rarities and remixes. In all fairness, with a little more work and sonic polish, any of the new songs could probably stake its place among Mucho's stellar lineup. As they are, however, only "Letra Chica" may be ready for the A-list. The three remixes that close the bonus disc only reinforce this impression: even if they don't improve on the original versions, each is still — and quite plainly — a better song than any of the B-sides. The bottom line is, if you can get Mucho Mas for a fair price, by all means get it, since the bonus material, while clearly inessential, is still quite fun. Otherwise, stick to the superb original release. There is no reason to pay double for extra material that would have fit perfectly onto a single CD (each disc is about half-an-hour long). Mucho Mas was advertised as the first "online album upgrade" in Argentina, as owners of the deluxe edition of the original album could download the new songs for free. It was nominated for two Latin Grammys.