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Rating:
THE REVIEW
The idea of a live album with only two solo records behind it is a bit of a stretch. Especially when you consider that, conveniently, a contract with Virgin France requires the release of at least three albums with the major label. One could therefore conclude that good old Mr. Chao did this decent work to 1) Finally say goodbye to Virgin (which had caused great accusations of inconsistency against him) 2) Show the public the other side of his first albums.
The result is, therefore, a mediocre "en vivo" album, where the hits from Clandestino and Esperanza are sped up unbelievably, consequently swimming in a very repetitive ska, and the old pieces from Mano Negra are played without energy. From the start, you can feel that Radio Bemba doesn’t hold the stage as well as their predecessors: the musicians are all technically very talented but totally lack imagination, perhaps because they are limited by Chao himself, whose voice does not withstand comparison with vocalist Bidji. Even the Radio Bemba interlude doesn’t warm up the audience sufficiently and needs two more Que Paso? and Pinocchio. The remakes of The Monkey and especially King Kong Five are poor. Luckily (and by the singer's own choice), the boring Me Gustas Tu, commercial to revolting levels, is spared in this album. Not that this is a bad record, but it certainly doesn’t live up to the previous ones.
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Summary by Bot
This review critiques Manu Chao's Radio Bemba Sound System live album as a mediocre effort that falls short of his earlier solo and Mano Negra works. The live performances feel repetitive and lack energy, with sped-up hits and uninspired renditions of older songs. Despite technical talent, the band fails to capture the imagination, and the album seems driven by contractual needs rather than artistic vitality.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
01 Intro (00:51)
02 Bienvenida a Tijuana (01:57)
04 Por dónde saldrá el sol? (02:43)
09 Por el suelo (03:56)
10 Blood and Fire (02:36)
15 Que paso que pasó (00:55)
16 Pinocchio (viaggio in groppa al tonno) (00:47)
17 Cahi en la trampa (02:11)
23 Que paso que pasó (01:12)
24 Pinocchio (viaggio in groppa al tonno) (00:46)
25 La primavera (03:33)
Manu Chao
Manu Chao (born 1961 in Paris) is a French-Spanish singer-songwriter and former frontman of Mano Negra. His solo work blends reggae, ska, rumba, rock, and chanson, sung in multiple languages. Breakthrough albums include Clandestino (1998) and Próxima estación: Esperanza (2001).06 Reviews
