Luis Miguel Aries CD

AIRES won the 1994 Grammy Award for best "Latin Pop Album."
Personnel: Luis Miguel (vocals); Dean Parke (acoustic guitar); Kiko Cibrian (guitar, background vocals); Michael Landau, Carmen Grillo, Paul Jackson Jr. (guitar); Emilio Castillo (tenor saxophone, background vocals); Stephen "Doc" Kupka (baritone saxophone); Kirk Whalum, Brandon Fields (saxophone); Greg Adams (trumpet); Lee Thornburg (trumpet, trombone); Jerry Hey, Dan Higgins, Gary Grant, Bill Reikhenbauer (horns); Jorge Calandrelli (electric piano); Robbie Buchanan, Marcel East, Randy Kerber, Nick Milo (keyboards); Neil Stubenhaus, Freddy Washington Jr., Rocco Prestia (bass); John Robinson, Harvey Mason, Francis Russ McKinnon (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Annie Cruz, Iliana Holland, Dan Navarro, Tom Bowes (background vocals); Tower Of Power; The Hollywood String Ensemble.
Luis Miguel's pop album Aries, impeccably produced by the artist himself, was released after his first hugely successful Romance set, which was a collection of ballads and boleros as interpreted by the artist. Therefore, with the release of this album, his public expected more of the same in terms of romantic ballads, and that is what he delivered. Six of the album's ten tracks are romance-themed ballads, sometimes a little too syrupy, but nonetheless feeding his fans' appetite for said material. Other styles of music on this album are found on the tracks "Suave," "Dame Tu Amor," and "Que Nivel de Mujer," which are upbeat, brass-heavy, attitudinal numbers that the singer delivers to fine results. "Luz Verde," the other upbeat track on the album, sounds as a somewhat dated attempt at early-'90s Latin hip-hop R&B. A little too ballad-heavy for some, this album (which could easily wear a banner saying "For Ladies Only") delivered what the fans expected from this Mexican superstar. ~ Jose F. Promis