Most listeners wouldn't consider this a proper best-of, despite the title, since it only includes material from the band's late-'70s stint with
Columbia
.
Fania All-Stars
' late-'70s stint with the label is usually rated as a time that saw them tone down their more
ethnic
and improvisational facets for a more
pop
-crossover reach. Generally that's true, but that doesn't mean that this record isn't generally worthwhile, though it might not be their purest brand of
salsa
. With three or four tracks apiece from their four 1976-1979
LPs, there are just four players who appear on all 13 songs: pianist
Papo Lucca
, timbalist
Nicky Marrero
, percussionist
Robert Roena
, and
Pacheco
on flute. There are way too many other musicians coming in and out to keep count of, some of them not from
backgrounds, like guitarist
Steve Winwood
(who played on the 1976 album
Delicate and Jumpy
), trumpeter
Randy Brecker
, and guitarist
Eric Gale
. Still, the main thrust is engaging
with some
-friendly
soul
and
fusion
attributes that don't get too terribly slick (though at moments they get close), with major
Latin
singers
Ruben Blades
Celia Cruz
taking some vocals;
"Isadora,"
featuring
Cruz
, is the highlight. At 74 minutes it's good value, too, though not the best
album to start with. ~ Richie Unterberger