AMG Review of Historia de La Salsa

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

The Héctor Lavoe volume in Fania’s Historia de la Salsa series compiles tracks taken from his eight solo albums with only a couple of exceptions. While it’s true that some of his biggest hits are here, including “El Todopodoeroso,” “De Ti Depende,” "La Fama,” and "Amor Soñaro,” it also includes a couple of tracks from other recordings such as “Todo Tiene Su Final,” with Willie Colón, and “El Rey de la Puantalidad,” from the stellar Fania All-Stars with Héctor Lavoe recording. The point being obvious -- but still worth noting -- -that this disc isn’t meant to be a “best-of” so much as it is meant to showcase Lavoe's skills as a brilliant and original salsero. The remastered sound and the song selection make this a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in the form, since it is a killer Lavoe mix of an entirely different kind.