La Historia  (Audio CD) 
by Ricky Martin

In an attempt to appease Ricky's Spanish-speaking fans and resuscitate his ailing crossover career, the folks at Sony have unleashed La Historia a mere three months after releasing the underperforming Sound Loaded, which has failed to generate any Loca-sized pop hits. The 17-track Historia compiles the biggest Spanish-language hits off Martin's six albums, and--not surprisingly--it's his best effort since 1998's Vuelve. Martin tends to comes off like an overzealous Broadway extra on his English-language albums, but he infuses his Spanish tracks with nuance and passion. "La Copa de la Vida" (the superior original version of "The Cup of Life") crackles with electricity, and "Por Arriba, por Abajo" revels in acoustic energy. Martin also excels at ballads, most notably the pensive "Vuelve" and the exquisite "Perdido sin Ti," his finest recording to date. La Historia also includes rerecorded versions of early hits "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida," along with the current hit "Sólo Quiero Amarte." There's no telling how long Martin will make English-language fans shake their bon-bon, but his Spanish catalog promises a long and bright future. --Joey Guerra