Donnie Darko wrote: I can't wait for this to hit my country. Shakira is my fave singer ever. And where ever I look the album has great reviews...
It's one of those rare CDs that has no bad songs on it.
What country are you waiting in?
A few other reviews:
Entertainment Weekly :
No more yodeling bizarro metaphors in broken English. Shakira has found herself again. Fijacion Oral vol. 1 may not be the commercial juggernaut that 2001's Laundry Service was, but it finds the Colombian goddess doing what she does best: placing her operatic vocalizing at the service of Spanish poetry. From the bouncy electronics of the accordion-laced Alejandro Sanz duet ''La Tortura'' to the dreamy romanticism of ''En Tus Pupilas,'' there's beauty to spare in this lavish compendium of raw emotions  Shakira's finest work to date.
E!
Shakira doesn't play by the rules: The follow-up to her English-language debut, 2001's multiplatinum Laundry Service is the Spanish-language Fijacion Oral Vol. 1. For most (okay, Ricky Martin) that would spell career suicide. But the 28-year-old Colombian sensation seems to have no such concerns: Mainstream radio and MTV are even cranking her chest-jiggling jam "La Tortura." And why not? The hot single tunes such as "Escondite Ingles" work in any language, mixing mad Latin percussion with big rock riffs and Carribbean rhythms. Imagine Def Leppard making an album in South America--except with a totally hot chick instead of five English guys in Union Jack shorts. And for those that aren't convinced, the second part, Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (completely in English), will be released this fall.
Amazon.com:
It's thrilling--in any language--to hear new music from Colombian superstar Shakira. And it's been a long time coming. Shakira's English crossover opus, Laundry Service, was released in 2001. The Spanish Donde Estan Los Ladrones came three years before that. Fijacion Oral, Volumen 1 is the first of two new discs; an English counterpart is due in November. Shakira's bleating, biting voice is in fine form, and it gives the material an electric urgency. She's girlish and innocent during the glittering "Dia de Enero" and sensual and seductive amid the thundering beats of "Lo Imprescindible." A talented stable of producers, including former Soda Stereo vocalist Gustavo Cerati, has swathed Shakira in rhythm-based arrangements. But the album's best moments come when Shakira channels her inner--and innate--rock goddess. "La Tortura" is a hurts-so-good break-up duet with Alejandro Sanz, and "Escondite Ingles" rides a beach-party guitar groove.
AllMusicGuide
Laundry Service gave Shakira her long-anticipated English-language breakthrough, turning her into a global superstar in the process. A hit of that magnitude is hard to follow, so it shouldn't be a great surprise that she toiled on its sequel for upward of four years. What is surprising is that the subsequent album was split in two  àla Kill Bill  with the first being devoted to Spanish tunes and the second consisting entirely of English songs; the teasing titles Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 indicate which is which and which hit the market first. It's kind of a sharp move to relase Fijacion Oral first, since it not only satisfies her longtime fans who have been waiting a long time for a collection of brand-new Spanish material (she hasn't delivered one since 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?), it also subtly signals that she won't be placing American success above anything else. Similarly, Fijacion Oral smartly straddles the line between traditional Latin pop and the sexy, splashy dance-pop and bombastic adult contemporary pop that made Laundry Service a big hit in the U.S.: its heart is in the former, but the production  the omnipresent Rick Rubin serves as the executive producer  is slick and bright, enough to make the first single, "La Tortura," sound like a natural for American radio (even if it will never be played because it's sung in Spanish). Despite the surface sheen, Fijacion Oral is a proudly a Latin pop record, and it conforms to the conventions of its genre, alternating between melodramatic ballads and insistent dance tunes, sometimes working a sleek bossa nova number into the equation for good measure (the terrific "Obtener un SÃÂ," which sounds like it could have been a big hit in the late '60s). Even if it doesn't break convention, it nevertheless does its job extremely well, with an ample amount of style and flair, as well as more songcraft than Shakira is usually given credit for. She's written each song here, sometimes in collaboration with either Luis F. Ochoa or Lester Mendez, and these ten originals (the 12-track album includes two alternate versions) have a combination of commerical savvy and smart writing, making this album a small triumph, proof that Shakira can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them. Since this is a Latin pop record through and through, it will not cross over the way that Laundry Service did, but that's by design: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 will conquer half of the world, and the other half will follow with Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in six months time. Given the strength of this album, it's hard to wait for the second part to arrive.
Chicago Sun Times:
Back after four years, Shakira does not disappoint with this wildly diverse effort that segues from Latin rock, electronica, post-bossa and beyond, all accomplished with the trademark fluidity of her undulating hips.
"Fijacion Oral" -- how's that for a title? -- is just the first of two discs this year from the Colombian-born superstar; the English-language "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2," with completely different songs, follows in November. For both, Shakira serves as producer and author (or co-author) of all the songs, with longtime collaborators Lester Mendez, Luis Ochoa and Tim Mitchell. Uber-maestro Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash) takes the role of executive producer. But make no mistake: Unlike the Thalia/Paulina-type operations typical of Latin pop, Shaki's totally in charge.
She flexes her artistic muscles throughout, but especially well on "La Tortura," a duet with Spanish star Alejandro Sanz that morphs cumbia, flamenco, dancehall and even reggaeton into a dizzy elixir of dying love. And for the disc's biggest surprise, Shakira goes Sinatra on "Para Obtener Un Si," for which arranger Jorge Calandrelli beautifully conjures the sounds of mid-'60s Jobim.
This Technicolor dreamcoat of many musical colors might be a bit too outre for some, but for the adventurous, it's a fixation not easily denied
|
