Other Sounds may be the best-known Esquivel album because of its sensational jacket art portraying a red-caped woman prancing across a green planetary landscape. Its real significance is as the moment where Esquivel takes control of his production and develops his signature sound. The chorus (the Randy Van Horne Singers) begins the "zu zu zu" nonsense beloved by Esquivel fans, and the playfulness with stereophonic separation begins here. But the material is not his best. "Ballerina" and "Night and Day" are cheesy, while ...
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Other Sounds may be the best-known Esquivel album because of its sensational jacket art portraying a red-caped woman prancing across a green planetary landscape. Its real significance is as the moment where Esquivel takes control of his production and develops his signature sound. The chorus (the Randy Van Horne Singers) begins the "zu zu zu" nonsense beloved by Esquivel fans, and the playfulness with stereophonic separation begins here. But the material is not his best. "Ballerina" and "Night and Day" are cheesy, while most of the album seems like slow-song outtakes from To Love Again. It is a different mood, one that never really hits its stride until the closing track: the astounding arrangement of "It Had to Be You." This is the promise of the future, the "futuristic" Esquivel; Four Corners of the World, the other album reissued on this two-fer, brings us back to earth, however. Most listeners will be disappointed to discover that Four Corners is the least characteristic of Esquivel's zaniness. His arranging skills are demonstrated in purest form, as the album is Esquivel playing piano with relatively spare backing. But as with Martin Denny and exotica, this effort really is not likely to please those hoping for "new sounds in stereo." Certainly there are greater piano players and albums. Note that the version of "Cielito Lindo" here is not the same as released on a 45 rpm single. ~ Tony Wilds, Rovi
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