Nothing But The Truth

Performer: Rubén Blades
Artist: James Ingram; Lou Reed; Paulinho Da Costa; Elvis Costello
Engineer: Al Schmitt
Distributor: Infinity Entertainment Gr

Notes: Producers: Tommy LiPuma, Ruben Blades, Lou Reed. Personnel: Rub�n Blades (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Carlos Rios (guitar, keyboards, keyboard programming, background vocals); Lou Reed, Mike Rathke (guitar, background vocals); Hadley Hockensmith, Michael Landau (guitar); Dean Parks, Elvis Costello (acoustic guitar); Buell Niedlinger (cello); Alan Pasqua (accordion, keyboards); Larry Andrew Williams (saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals); Rick Bell, Larry Williams , Richard Bell (saxophone, background vocals); Oscar Hernandez (keyboards); Jason Miles (synthesizer); Abraham Laboriel, Sr. (bass guitar); J.T. Lewis, Yossi Fine (drums, background vocals); John "J.R." Robinson , Michael Vinas, Jeff Porcaro, John "4 Daddman" Robinson, Robert Ameen (drums); Bobby Allende (congas, bata, percussion); Ralph Irizarry (bata, timbales); Marc Qui�ones (bata); Lenny Castro, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Phillip Perry, James Ingram , Howard Kenney, Kate Markowitz, Phil Perry, Phillip Ingram (background vocals). The first English-language album in the long and illustrious career of Panamanian salsa superstar Rub�n Blades, Nothing But the Truth is a strong effort that, if less than great, is fascinating on several counts. The novelty of hearing Blades sing in English is certainly a big draw. He's a fine vocalist and he has the luxury of working with three of the English language's most eminent tunesmiths: Lou Reed (on the songs "Hopes on Hold," "Letters to the Vatican," and "The Calm Before the Storm"), Elvis Costello ("The Miranda Syndrome" and "Shamed into Love"), and Sting ("I Can't Say"). The one drawback to Blades' singing in English is that it lacks the fluidity of his native language, as each word is enunciated clearly yet a bit too slowly, as if he were reading the lyrics as he sang them. It helps, however, that the songs are topically engaging and generally in tune with their time (El Salvador, AIDS, Oliver North), so the unnaturally slow enunciation is a mixed blessing. Also a mixed blessing is the thoroughly contemporary, synth-heavy production, which screams out "1988!" As for the music, it varies from song to song and, overall, would best be tagged as late-'80s MOR with a Latin lilt. What's perhaps most surprising is the lack of salsa here -- "The Miranda Syndrome" and "Chameleons" are as close as this album comes to salsa, and even they're far removed -- and the abundance of foregrounded electric guitars (musically, "The Calm Before the Storm" is all blaring electric guitar and larger-than-life drums). Such oddities are a significant part of Nothing But the Truth's appeal, for better and for worse. ~ Jason Birchmeier

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