Buena Vista Social Club

This 1998 Grammy winner was the first and greatest of the traditional Cuban Café recordings to receive worldwide airplay and recognition. It was recorded in 1997 as a result of the vision and enterprise of American guitarist and world-music aficionado Ry Cooder and British music producer Nick Gold, at EGREM Studios in Havana "where the equipment was unchanged from the 1950s" in just six days.The reputation of BVSC is well-deserved. After 38 years of isolation, most of these Cuban musicians were unknown outside their native land and in their 70s and 80s by the time their music was exposed to a wider audience. The roots of the music are in pre-revolutionary Cuba, notably the Havana social scene of the 1950s, but these salsa rhythms rock with exuberance and a depth of feeling you'll rarely hear anywhere.If you've never heard this, just press `play' and let the strains of the opener `Chan Chan' wash over you for a couple of minutes. It'll have you dancing round the room and you'll be won over!BVSC is one of only two albums in the RS '500 greatest albums of all time' to be recorded in a non-English-speaking country.Check out the film documentary of the same name which features all the music plus interviews with these amazing musicians and their lives and times in Havana.

Intimate. Tranquil. Nostalgia.

If, when you listen to THIS, you DON'T jump up and wiggle your bum, dance and shout, and shake it all about... THEN, you've no heart, nor soul, nor breath in your body. This album was made by musicians who LIVE for music. Ry Cooder 'discovered' (as it were) this stellar group of Cuban musicians (average age of which, was SEVENTY FIVE YEARS OLD) and made it HIS BUSINESS to RECORD THEM FOR POSTERITY... they are of an age where time is important... DO YOURSELF A GIGANTIC FAVOUR and BUY THIS ALBUM... your feet will be happy, your HEART will be happy, and YOU will be HAPPY !!!!

Classic Cuban music. Vinyl high quality, and great informative booklet inside, containing lyrics in English and Spanish, as well as useful information about each composition and musician

If you’re looking for a superb vinyl version of Buena Vista, this is your chance. Really great job, dead quiet, heavy vinyl and mind blowing dynamics!

Beautiful album! I could listen over and over

A good recording which captures the feel of a group of musicians gathering to play and have fun making music. To some extent sounds “found” but ultimately lacks the punch and raw edge to be truly found.I have not set out to write reviews of the music content as “beauty is in the ears of the listener”. These reviews are about the quality (or not) of the recorded sound. To read about how the reviews are done please see my profile. • Clarity – Excellent, open, clear transparent • Channel separation – very good, excellent instrument imaging • Channel balance – very good, static with good instrument identification and placement. A very “classic” mix. • Sound Stage – a good “as is” sound stage, sounds as if a one shot live studio recording. Not a huge soundstage very deep and realistic. • Distortion – non audible • Compression – good dynamic range, vocals in particular can soar • Atmosphere – good has a real feeling of space and place. The recording space sounds as if it has good natural presence and reverberation. A very “found” natural feel. • Bass – low frequencies – very natural and warm sound. The percussion is quite far back in the recording but has a delicate tone and “wooden” ring. The bongos have very good feel and impact ring. • Treble – high frequencies – The guitars have good natural acoustic tone. The horns are clear without being shrill. The guitars can be quite faint on some tracks and hard to follow. • Vocals – very good but not always easy to differentiate the various individuals singing.As a general rule of thumb recordings from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s are nearly always better on the original vinyl. Remasters often fail to please as it’s just not possible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, i.e. the original recording lacks the necessary detail to be processed digitally and show an audible improvement. Indeed such processing can make the sound worse.Modern recordings which have been processed digitally from start to finish can be as good as vinyl. CD’s are often unfairly criticised for being poor quality. This is not the case, it is the original recording or the process which is to blame. Modern “remasters” can both enhance and degrade a recording. The statement GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is the limiting factor. Ignore this at your cost.

An incredible album showcasing the breadth and depth of Cuban and latin music, from bolero to son to mambo and more. The vinyl press itself was perfect, the album comes over two discs and even comes with a brilliant little 20-page booklet with full lyrics (in Spanish and English) as well as the background to each song and pictures of the recording sessions. Fully recommend for anyone looking to get into Latin music, a must-have.

Awesome value

Bastante bueno, gran música, único.

Love this set! If you aren’t into CDs it might be a tad expensive, but overall a super collectable.

Sou fã de longa data, e ouvir Buena Vista em vinil é uma experiência ímpar, pela qualidade do disco e das músicas em si. A percussão é demais. A versão de "Orgullecida" nas Bonus Track é sensacional, parece que estou dentro do estúdio. O livro que vem junto é uma diversão à parte.

The vinyls came inside of a beautiful book but with tape on it so be careful or don’t take the tape off at all because it will damage the thin material of the book.