AMG Review of Grandes Exitos [Alternate Tracks]

All Music Guide

If ever an artist deserved a deluxe retrospective, Mexico's Luis Miguel is the one. Miguel began his career as a teen pop singer in 1987 with "Soy Como Quiero Ser" and followed it up with "Busca una Mujer" in 1988. He has continually topped the Latin charts and has won two Grammys. In 1990 he began to shift his sound to more traditional romantic material and has followed that path ever since, down the winding road where he melded traditional son and popular styles from soul to disco to the lush, romantic crooning of his fully mature style into a signature of his own. This set contains two CDs loaded with 32 cuts, culled from 17 albums recorded between 1987 and 2005. Virtually every hit is included in the set, and some of the fiery live performances from Vivo are here as well. It's fascinating to hear his development from being a brash teen idol to a mature song stylist who commands respect everywhere he goes. Miguel is a serious player in a field that is intensely loyal. In other words, he never had to work as hard as he has, but he pushes his own envelope, he's aware of his strengths, and he's never satisfied with merely playing to them. Some of the music here sounds dated, it's true, but the way the trajectory works is utterly engaging and worthwhile. Fans will want this keepsake, without a doubt. For those who got on the boat late, Grandes Exitos, Rovi