Historia de un Idolo, Vol. 1

1	Lástima Que Seas Ajena 4:16
2	La Ley Del Monte 3:24
3	Aunque Mal Paguen Ellas / Roberto Carlos 3:25
4	El Hijo Del Pueblo 2:41
5	Acá Entre Nos 3:13
6	Ni En Defensa Propia 2:24
7	Qué de Raro Tiene 3:19
8	Me Voy a Quitar de en Medio 2:44
9	Hoy Platiqué Con Mi Gallo 3:37
10	Nos Estorbó La Ropa 3:02
11	Palabra De Rey 2:28
12	Las Llaves De Mi Alma 2:56
13	Por Tu Maldito Amor 3:56
14	Mi Viejo 3:12
15	La Diferencia 2:50
16	Mujeres Divinas 3:12
17	Hermoso Cariño 2:34

Barnes & Noble

This generous, 17-track collection showcases the infallible artistry of the contemporary world's greatest ranchera singer, Vicente Fernandez. Like any bona fide Latin music star, Fernandez has copious greatest hits discs to his name; what makes Historia de un Idolo stand out, however, is its quantity and quality of early cuts. All the crooner's first heavy hitters are here, including "La Ley del Monte," "Ni en Defensa Propia," and "Palabra de Rey," as well as newer gems such as "Lastima que Seas Ajena," and "Me Voy a Quitar de en Medio." Fernandez's real strength has come to be his deep, muscular tenor, with which he dominates any arena or theater lucky enough to host him. Yet here his fans can compare that more mature voice with the lighter croon that marks his earlier recordings. Whatever one's preference may be, the album is pure gold and easily demonstrates why Fernandez has been at the top for more than 30 years. Special standouts include his duet with Brazilian pop singer Roberto Carlos on the haunting "Aunque Mal Paguen Ellas" and "Las Llaves de mi Alma," whose eloquent words depict the torturous addiction that a love can become. Look no further than this for the best in ranchera. Ramiro Burr

All Music Guide

Vicente Fernández possesses a voice of operatic quality and size, and his singing has earned him the title "King of Ranchera," the Mexican rural musical style that's a part of the mariachi form. He might wear the sombrero and glittery, showy Mexican cowboy uniform to display his roots (he was actually born in Jalisco, the home of mariachi music), but don't be fooled -- he's a persuasive, sophisticated singer with immense control over his pipes. A true icon in Mexico, he's sold millions of records, and it's easy to hear why, when, for example, he unleashes a gentle cry on "Aca Entre Nos" or a wail on "Hoy Platique Con Mi Gallo." For the most part this isn't true roots music -- there's too big an orchestration of the majority of tunes for that -- but the inflection in the arrangements is always ineffably Mexican, both in rhythm and melody. The closest to "pure" ranchera is "Lastima Que Seas Ajena," but even that isn't exactly pure. Not that it matters; once he gets singing, you're completely swept up in his voice, and this collection -- the story of an idol -- simply won't let you go until he's finished. Chris Nickson