Gloria Estefan is one of the pioneers in modern pop music and there’s no denying that she’s been a trailblazer for Latin artists, and particularly female Latin artists. Without Estefan there would be no Shakira or Jennifer Lopez enjoying success on a worldwide scale with their music. For fans of Estefan here in the UK and Europe, it can be easily forgotten that Estefan was making music as part of Miami Sound Machine, the band she formed with her now husband Emilio Estefan Jr., since the late 70s. Miami Sound Machine never really had a whole lot of success outside of the US until their tenth album ‘Let It Loose’ in 1987, which would become their final album with Estefan on vocal duties.
‘Let It Loose’ gained plenty of traction in the US but given that Miami Sound Machine hadn’t toured outside of that territory at the time of its release, it’s no surprise that the album didn’t soar up the charts elsewhere. The album was eventually re-released as ‘Anything For You’ with different artwork in 1988 and it was from that point it became an international sensation. Recently, Music on Vinyl has reissued the original Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine version of the album on limited edition 180-gram translucent red coloured vinyl.
Featuring the original artwork printed on a deluxe sleeve, the 1LP release comes with a two-sided lyric sheet. ‘Let It Loose’ is often wrongly considered to be the start of Estefan’s solo career (that didn’t come until 1989’s ‘Cuts Both Ways’) but the album is packed with hits that have endured the decades and are still popular today. Five of the album’s 10 songs were released as singles but it was ‘Anything for You’, the tender love ballad that closes the record that gave the band their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Estefan’s soaring vocals proved that without an uptempo beat, she was still capable of captivating fans.
Honestly, there isn’t a single bad song on ‘Let It Loose’. Sure 25 years on the production sounds a little dated but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the songs on the record. Opening with ‘Betcha Say That’, the one single from the album that wasn’t a mega hit, the album gets off to a strong start. Over the course of the next 9 tracks, the mood is mostly upbeat with iconic hits such as ‘Rhythm is Gonna Get You’ and ‘1-2-3’ and album favourites such as the title track ‘Let It Loose’ and the playful ‘Love Toy’. Joining ‘Anything For You’ in the ballad territory is the classic “Can’t Stay Away From You”, a song with another powerhouse vocal from Estefan.
‘Let It Loose’ really does showcase why Miami Sound Machine were as popular as they were and why it was inevitable that Estefan, supported by her husband Emilio as a producer, would go on to become a huge solo star. As comfortable with uptempo jams as she is with ballads, Estefan truly is a defining singer of our times. ‘Let It Loose’ has never sounded better than it does on this 180-gram vinyl release from Music on Vinyl and in these trying times, what better way to find escape than through the timeless magic that Gloria and Miami Sound Machine created on this classic album.
Track listing: Side One – 1. Betcha Say That 2. Let It Loose 3. Can’t Stay Away From You 4. Give It Up 5. Surrender Side Two – 1. Rhythm is Gonna Get You 2. Love Toy 3. I Want You So Bad 4. 1-2-3 5. Anything For You Record label: Music on Vinyl Release date: 21st July 2023 Buy ‘Let It Loose’ now
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