Just this side of a classic,
El Juicio is yet another frenetic volume in the continuing series of classics produced by
Willie Colón and
Hector Lavoe during one of the most fruitful partnerships in Latin music history. With Cosa Nuestra and
La Gran Fuga (The Big Break) already under their belt, and a few years of honing their material on the road,
Colón and
Lavoe produced a pair of classics on
El Juicio, the eight-minute "Timbalero," which approximates the sonic experience of a barnyard parade down 110th Street, and the six-minute "Aguanile," both of which should have come with caveats for all but the most conditioned salsa dancers. It may not equal Cosa Nuestra before it or Lo Mato just after of it, but
El Juicio would be the best moment in any other salsa artist's catalog. ~ John Bush