Anthology: Rubén Blades / Anthology: Ruben Blades

Many of Fania’s biggest stars were formidable instrumentalists, virtuosic singers, or even—in the case of the great Johnny Pacheco—first-rate composers and bandleaders with Julliard pedigrees. Rubén Blades was none of these. Though he had a decent singing voice and was a competent guitarist and percussionist, his real talent was as a songwriter and lyricist. Blades brought a poetic sensibility to his compositions, and his work unfailingly displays a blend of streetwise fatalism, romantic longing, and righteous political indignation that make him one of salsa’s most perceptive songwriters. Anthology is a well-assembled 27-track survey of Blades’ career at Fania, from his mid-‘70s recordings with Ray Barretto’s band and his long and fruitful collaboration with Willie Colon to his soul– and jibaro–influenced mid-‘80s solo work. This collection is a compelling portrait of the idealistic young Blades in the first flush of his success, and it performs a vital service to anyone seeking to understand the true range of Fania’s considerable legacy.