En Concierto

If you appreciate norteño music -- either as a hardcore fan or a more casual listener -- but don't speak much Spanish, two phrases that you should make a point of memorizing are "en concierto" and "en vivo." Both of those phrases are Spanish for "live" or "in concert," and it's important to be on the lookout for live norteño albums because norteño bands are known for going that extra mile on-stage. Now for the bad news: many norteño artists have never recorded live albums. Their labels know that Latin stations are mainly interested in studio recordings, and since radio airplay helps increase sales, Latin labels tend to give the program directors what they think they want. Thankfully, Los Rieleros del Norte aren't among the norteño bands that have never provided a live album; recorded live in 2004 in Dallas, TX, en concierto gives listeners a chance to hear how engaging they can be on-stage. This disc boasts inspired performances of many gems that serious Los Rieleros addicts will be familiar with -- gems that include "Una Aventura," "Ayer la Vi por la Calle," "Noches Eternas," and "Capricho Maldito" as well as "En las Cantinas" and "Te Quiero Mucho." This 45-minute CD isn't nearly as long as it could have been; longtime Rieleros followers will no doubt wish that Fonovisa had provided another 30 minutes worth of live material -- and given how many great songs the band has provided over the years, that would not have been hard. A conjunto of Los Rieleros' stature certainly warrants more than 45 minutes on a live album. Even so, en concierto is a rewarding, if imperfect, document of Los Rieleros on-stage in 2004. [en concierto was also released with a bonus DVD including music videos for "Una Aventura," "Una Mujer Como Tú," "Aventura Pasada," and "Te Quiero Mucho (Mucho Te Quiero)" as well as a photo gallery, discography, and other features.] ~ Alex Henderson