MOG Editorial Review

With Siembra, Willie Colón and Rubén Blades led New York's Fania Records into greatness, as their orchestra lays down a flawless display of Latin dance and nods to sounds of its time, as on "Plastico" which begins by tipping its hat to disco. But when the first killer salsa groove starts, the album quickly develops its own funk. "Maria Lionza" begins the second half in a tumbling of dark piano chords that land slowly and sexily, while "Dime" is epic in its number of different drop-dead gorgeous sections and unexpected harmonies. Throughout, the bass-piano combo anchors the music, as the vocals of Blades, brass-playing of Colón, and the percussionists all swing around them. Spicy!