Marc Anthony: Mended : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

When Marc Anthony conquered America at the height of 1999's so-called Latin explosion, his hit "I Need to Know" outdid previous achievements by Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez by delivering instant-gratification hooks that still sounded authentically Latin. Unfortunately, corny ballads soon followed. After returning to salsa with last year's Libre, Anthony is now back with a new batch of English-language tunes designed to recapture lost pop momentum. His angst-stricken tenor aches with so much ardor that he requires material that operates on the same level of intensity. Mended addresses the slow-song glut of his breakthrough album by keeping a groove going throughout most of its thirteen tracks. But the melodies are as minimal as they are forgettable, and inane lyrics make matters worse, particularly when "Do You Believe in Loneliness" dares to rhyme with "onlyness." It's a shame when expressive singers waste surreal amounts of emotion on songs so lacking in substance.

BARRY WALTERS
(RS 897 - June 6, 2002)