First Steps

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Marc Anthony is one of the finest male vocalists recording today. Hearing his pure, radiant voice is like drawing the curtains back from a picture window and letting in the summer light. Until now, Anthony has been known to his many fans mainly as a salsa singer, and almost all his songs have been recorded in Spanish. His last album, Contra la Corriente (RMM), was a work of brilliance: it made TIME's list of the Top 10 pop albums of 1997, and it also helped pave the way for this year's mainstream media recognition of a new generation of Latin pop stars.

Anthony's forthcoming album, Marc Anthony (Columbia), due out Sept. 28, is his first major album to feature primarily compositions in English. Anthony not only switches languages for his newest release; he also changes genres--the tracks here are Latin-tinged, but for the most part they obey the standard rules and regulations of Top 40 pop. The best songs on this CD burn with Anthony's customary golden fire: the first single, I Need to Know, has a welcome urgency. In addition, one of the Spanish-language cuts, the salsa-infused De la Vuelta, is vibrant and involving.

Overall, however, Marc Anthony is just a pleasant album by a singer who on past releases has proved himself capable of greatness. Still, after listening to this new pop CD, one looks forward to Anthony's recording more salsa albums, or at least an edgier brand of pop. A singer as good as Anthony deserves material that's up to the challenge of his talent.

--By Christopher John Farley