Luny Tunes/Tainy - Mas Flow: Los Benjamins (CD)

All Music Guide

Luny Tunes, far and away reggaeton's biggest hitmakers, continued their relentless music output in 2006, releasing not one but three albums, only one of which, however, was comprised of entirely new music. That allnew album, Los Benjamins, was a continuation of their popular Mas Flow series of variousartists albums. Each of these albums features the trademark production of Luny Tunes (even if some of it is coproduced or credited to inhouse associates like Nelly, Tainy, and los Presidents) as well as a bounty of reggaeton's most popular voices, with the notable absence of Tego Calderón, who had appeared on previous volumes yet not this one. The usual stars are featured Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin Yandel, Zion, Hector "El Father," Tito "El Bambino," Alexis Fido along with the surprise inclusion of RBD, the asseenonTV pop/rock group of exceptional reknown circa 2006. The RBD song, "Lento," isn't all that impressive (sounding a little awkward, in fact, since the teens lack the lyrica...l dexterity for reggaeton), yet it is an interesting attempt by Luny Tunes to cater a hit for even the most unlikely acts (like Scott Storch working with Paris Hilton and Brooke Hogan, for instance). The standout song amid the bunch is "Noche de Entierro (Nuestro Amor)," a starstudded collaboration driven by a novelty production tricked out with odd flourishes, like a flute riff not unlike the starstudded colloration of Mas Flow, Vol. 2, "Mayor Que Yo," which had featured a spedup rhythm. Don Omar's "Beautiful" is another standout song, as is Tito "El Bambino"'s "Esta Noche." Overall, however, Los Benjamins is a bit of a letdown. It's not a bad or disappointing album, granted; in fact, it's quite well executed and should please anyone fond of Luny Tunes brand reggaeton. But there are no revelations here. It's just more of the same, and after the relentless output of Luny Tunes in the lead up to Los Benjamins, the cliché became a truism: it all began to sound the same. Perhaps if Luny Tunes slowed down their output say, to maybe one album per year, not three their style wouldn't seem so unexceptional, because indeed it is firstrate reggaeton. Yet when their music is so ubiquitious and their releases so unceasingly forthcoming, Luny Tunes are destined to lose some of the freshness they once had, no matter how well crafted their music may be. Then again, perhaps it is all about the benjamins to them. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less