Hecho en Mexico

Back in 2008, Los Auténticos Decadentes celebrated their 20th anniversary with the live CD+DVD Somos. Five years later, they celebrate their 25th anniversary with the live CD+DVD Hecho en México. In a nutshell, that is about the worst thing that you can say about Hecho en México. Putting that aside, this is a pretty great Decadentes live album, for a variety of reasons. First, the band keeps on getting better with age, and has arguably never sounded better. Secondly, these sold-out shows in Mexico City at Palacio de Los Deportes, in front of 25,000 people, are a deserving tribute to the band's long honeymoon with their Mexican audience. Thirdly, by now they have so many hits that they can afford to leave many of their all-time classics out (of this disc, presumably not the set list), and make room for fan favorites such as "Que Vas a Hacer Conmigo" or "Luna Radiante," which speaks of the often overlooked depth of their repertory. In fact, it is a pity that they only included one song ("Distrito Federal," obviously) from their most recent studio album, and the only one released since the last live one, the excellent Irrompibles. Finally, they make the most of being universally beloved by colleagues and audiences across the entire continent, and keep on inviting friends to share the fun: Babasónicos on "Luna Radiante," Kapanga on "La Guitarra," No Te Va a Gustar on "Como Me Voy a Olvidar," Catupecu Machu's Fernando Ruiz Díaz on "Un Osito de Peluche de Taiwan," and Café Tacuba's Quique Rangel and Rubén Albarrán for a bonus studio version of the ever lovely "Corazón." The best collaboration, however, is the most unexpected, a duet with Julieta Venegas on the only previously unreleased song "A Mí no Me Importa el Dinero," a trademark Jorge Serrano cumbia with surprisingly sober lyrical content, by the band's standards. ~ Mariano Prunes