Mucho Mejor – Ruben Blades, 1984

🇵🇦 🎺 📀 ⚖️ 🌟 In the mid-1980s, the end of Ruben Blades’ contract with Fania Records was nothing short of turbulent. Required to release three albums before his departure, Blades re-recorded some of his own tracks and covered compositions by other artists. He submitted the material to Fania—without any new content—which then released one album per year, starting in 1984 with Mucho Mejor. Along the way, Fania rearranged the tracks, altered the orchestrations, and omitted the credits. The Panamanian artist’s only satisfaction was ultimately being able to leave the label. The following year, he signed with Elektra for the first album of his new concept, Seis del Solar. Nevertheless, Mucho Mejor remains a Ruben Blades album, and thus a masterful example of salsa (Amor Pa Que, Mucho Mejor), enriched by surprises such as a bolero version of Siembra, from the cult 1978 album of the same name recorded with Willie Colón.