The first disc that owns the heading "Pop/English" is full of just that, lilting ballads, thundering dance beats aned expert writing. Almost every track is dancable, including the geniusly remixed "Disco Medley" that focuses on the best-sung disco covers from Selena's original live perfomance. Along with a giddy cover of La Bamba and a firey rendition of "Getting Used To You", there are surprisingly rare English pop songs that are again a testamant to what Selena could have become in the English Market.

Under the "Mariachi" bill, the second disk is less impressive, but still emotional. The song "Dame Tu Amor" is one of the best in the anthology, and it's remixed version is far better than it's orignal conception. Unlike the first disk, the mariachi disk focuses mainly on Selena's early recordings, where talent is very evident, but not quite developed. While Selena's vocals are never flat, they are less interesting.

The Cumbia disk (the third disk) is a mix of giddy dance beats and remixed pop ballads that come to life. This seems to be the only disk in the collection that lives up to just what an "Anthology" means---the best of the best. With the dancable "La Llamada", the great vocal performance on "No Debes Jugar" and a little "Corazoncito" thrown in, it hits the jackpot.

Over all, the "Selena Anthology" is a collection of remastered, older material with a song for every taste. But unfortunately, it doesn't always live up to its name. If this is supposed to be the best of Selena, then where is "Como la Flor?" Where is "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" on the cumbia disk? And where, for god's sake, is "Dreaming of you" and "I Could Fall in Love" on the pop disk? It just doesn't make any sense. While this is certainly a must-have for Selena fans, and proves to be a great collection of great music, don't bill it as an "Anthology" if you don't truly have the best of the best.
Otherwise, kudos to the Quantinillas.


Completely brilliant!!   September 7, 2000
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Well i knew i would love this cd anyway becuase it is Selena! But there were lots of great surprises, lots of the songs are her older, much rarer ones. Alot of the newer ones were mixed, i quite like the new version of 'Amame' and 'No queiro saber'. Most of the songs have had a little brushing up but more drastically on 'I'm getting used to you' etc. I think it is good there were remixes since lots of Selena fans have the original already! There were some English songs too like 'Always mine' which is the first song Selena did in English, but also included a bit of Spanish. And i love the mix 'Don't throw away my love'. 'La bamba' has also been given the remix treatment and sounds better than ever! The whole cd is brilliant but i especially liked 'La puerta se cerro' it is a very upbeat classic song, it sounds like Si Una vez in this version! Buy it if you are used to Selenas older music , if u are a Selena beginner buy 'All my hits todos mis exitos'.


Thinking of you always Selena!   January 9, 2000
selenaonlyne (monroe, north carolina)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This cd box set shows the true Selena. It takes you on a trip from when Selena was just a local band called Selena y Los Dinos opening for La Mafia to a bonafid Tejano megastar. Selena was an icon for so many Mexican and American fans. We loved her so much and were very sad to see such an icon taken from us in a matter so senseless and stupid that we still don't understand it.The album released right after her death Dreaming of You was a look at where she was heading but this box set shows where she had been and where she was going. Going from Mexican based rancheras, pop covered english language hits, to the dance hall hits. This a wonderful album for any Selena fan or anyone wondering who she was. Selena, We will never forget the impact that you had on all our lives.We all will be thinking of you always. SEIMPRE SELENA!


Selena....una leyenda para siempre....   September 16, 2004
D. Pawl (Seattle)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Though, I didn't start listening to the beautiful, soulful, talented and incomparable Selena until after she died as a result of the bullet from the gun of Yolanda Saldivar, she will always be alive in my heart.

This 3 CD collection is a great cross-section of the styles Selena added plenty of sabor (flavor) to. These are just a few of her many hits....I don't think three CDs is nearly enough room to capture all of the beautiful melodies she recorded and interpreted for us, her loving audience. Here, we have Pop, Mariachi and Techno Cumbia (a very popular genre in Tex Mex and Mexicana music).

Though, I am not a huge fan of techno, Selena made me want to listen to it anyway. The first CD is filled with pop songs that could definitely carry you over to the dance floor. The best songs on this album are "La Bamba" and "Yo Fui Aquella." This is because they best capture the lively energy Selena added to both old pop hits ("La Bamba") and original ranchera ("Yo Fui Aquella"). The other songs also have this energy, but in my opinion these two are outstanding tunes.

The Mariachi album, on the other hand, feels like the heartbeat of the Mexican musical experience and is a great introduction for people new to this genre and a real treasure for those who have loved these songs for generations (as well as the new material written especially for Selena). What amazes me the most is Selena's versatility--even at a young age--to capture the emotions and tone of these songs even at the tender age of fourteen. This is especially apparent in the songs "Raima Caida" and "Quiero Estar Contigo."

The third and final album is filled with totally fun techno cumbia tunes that will get your feet moving even if you have never danced to this type of music before. My favorite songs (which are also filled with fun lyrics--for all of you Spanish speakers) are "Salta La Ranita" and "Baila Esta Cumbia."

Enjoy this album! Keep the spirit of Selena alive.