Buena Vista Social Club

Soothing Cuban jazz that was the hottest thing in the whole world for a hot minute due to the popular documentary. Its good, but nothing particularly stands out for me, is just good background music.

This album did exactly what it intended: it introduced Cuban music to a world that had forgotten, or never heard, it. And the world is better for it.

Also, to the person who gave this 1-star because it's "not in English", I hope you lose your ability to speak and hear. You've been wasting those gifts.

My introduction to BVSC was the release of the live at Carnegie Hall record in the late 00s. At the time, I didn’t even know an earlier studio record existed, but I embraced the Carnegie Hall album completely (I even own the vinyl). It wasn’t until humiliatingly recently - like two weeks ago - that I fully realized this album existed and listened to it for the first time.

Obviously I'm a fan of BVSC and this album. There’s a little bit of magic in the live album that you don’t get here, but the studio clarity creates a richer mix of every musician’s contributions. Some of the compositions, like “Pueblo Nuevo”, seem built for a in-person jam and don't play so well in a studio recording. I'll also note (as others have) that the album seems to get tired as it goes on. It starts very energetic, and then slows down into ballads and piano tracks that don't bring the same energy. The live album seems to carry its energy longer so, I guess, just know your mood before choosing an adventure.

I’m at a 5.

I don’t have that much to say, thankfully. I’d heard of “Buena Vista Social Club” as a title before listening to this, but I’d never heard the album or really knew what it was all about. It’s just a revival of the Cuban music of the 1940s, done with modern instrumentation & made by Cuban locals with a passion for the craft. Their love for this, and their genuine desire to share it with the world, clearly comes through on this album, and their energy is infectious. There’s a quote from a Guardian article, cited for an essay noting this album’s inclusion into the Library of Congress, calling this “the album that collapsed the cold war wall between Cuba and the west”. That feels like a pretty apt description.

There is one minor critique I have, but it’s probably related to how Cuban songs / “classical standards” were just composed back then – I just think there’s a bit of repetition on a number of tracks. It didn’t bite me too badly, but “El carretero” was the one that got me the most, given that it’s just a slower track in general. Given that the soundscapes & the vocal harmonies (as well as the lyrical storytelling, to a degree) are the focal points of the album, it’s a very minor critique, but one that doesn’t matter that much in the long run. I do wish there were a few more fast-tempo tracks, but that’s just my own tastes speaking. Overall, it’s just a delightful album, and worthy of all the name-brand praise it gets. It’s maybe a little long at an hour, but given that I was up and moving when the time called for it, as well as sitting & vibing when the mood called for it, I’d say they did a great job of keeping me along for the ride, and capturing the emotions they wanted to on each track. I really enjoyed it, and I think it’s an easy 5. Thank goodness it’s on the list.

A little bit too boring. I mean, lots of songs didn't even have any words. The slow, calming atmosphere worked for maybe three songs and then got really tedious really fast.

The guy who gave this a 1 for not being in English and everyone that upvoted it should be sentenced to listening to this for the rest of their lives.

Latin class of working people... I don't know what to say, I just feel it

This was fun at times and boring at others. This album showcases a style of music that is not played much where I am from, but definitely has value. The singing was really good. There just isn't much that sticks out here. I appreciate this album for existing, but I wouldn't listen on my spare time.

Not into Latin

just makes me so happy

Love this album. Feels like little Havana in Miami.

A very interesting listen.

What a lovely album.

A stunning document and a bountiful assemblage of Afro-Cuban traditions, Buena Vista Social Club has become a standard - perhaps the classic - of world music. This ought to make any consumer hesitate since white-only determinations of what's essential to other cultures seldom hit. But w/ this particular recording, it feels wrong to politicize: the songs and the musicianship are simply too good to take up what may or may not be valid ethical points. And while no one should consider themselves some sort of expert in the danzón having heard it, they can still be moved by its luxurious rhythms, the clarity and vigor of the piano parts, the way the trumpet punctuates the scene, and just how haunting the whole thing is.

Not bad, it's that classic Latin music. So easy listen, but it didn't wow me.

Highlight Song/s: Chan Chan, De Camino a la Verda, Orgullecida and Murmullo

This album has an absolutely killer atmosphere, literally second-to-none. Just that killer. I think it's because of it being sombre in parts, a bit bittersweet-sounding and the passionate singing. Now, I'm not sure if that's something that's just specific to this album or if it's just the Latin sound or the specific sub-genre. But I dig it hard. My only gripe is that it goes on for just a bit TOO long, it would've been great if it was a 45m long album. Though I do get that album length is an artistic choice, I just can't help but feel that way.

Buena Vista Social club is certainly an interesting album. Some of the songs here, especially the earlier ones, sounded like songs that you would hear in a children's animated movie (particularly, some by Disney and Pixar). This is another album where i don't really feel that one song really stands out as being the best or worst one but it is an album that i think comes together pretty well. The songs were all a bit samey but they fit together well. I mainly think that an album like this could probably count as an elevator album (return of that term) due to it just being background music but i still think that it is pretty good background music.
Best Song: Chan Chan
Worst Song: Candela

Cigar Smoking Simulator

This is #day365 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… o wow, today marks precisely a year since I started this project. Now, World is currently among my least favorite genres, and I'm not sure if seeing the artwork of this record pop up on the lists of those you kind of must hear before you die can change my perception of it. Some fun moments in here, like the piano on "Pueblo Nuevo," "Murmullo," or the title track, and the sax play in general. Otherwise, there's little chance I'm coming back to this record soon, if ever. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day366.

Is there an album whose sound matches the cover as well as this one?

Many fond memories of avoiding studying during undergrad and listening to this album with the headphones in the library.

Pueblo Nuevo is one of my all-time favorites, the way that thing builds like a sunrise to the trumpet at the end is pure magic.

+2 for being in Spanish and not being able to understand the lyrics.