Ricky Martin : Sound Loaded

(Columbia)

It's one thing for grown women to regress to their less illustrious teen years in the presence of a gyrating, hysteria-inducing pop idol, and something entirely different to buy his album. One night of behaving like a 15-year-old at a Ricky Martin concert is acceptable enough for fun value, but to have his CD in your collection? Come on now. Truth to be told, his latest offering, Sound Loaded, is not such a bad effort if you like soulless radio fodder.

Kicking off with perfect latino pop ditty She Bangs, Martin gives the impression that he has let go of the clean-cut toe-tappers and the soppy love songs - and that he is going to mess up his coiffure, work up a sweat and let rip. Sorry ladies, you can keep your knickers on, that codpiece in his leather trousers is clearly for ornamental purposes only.

What we have here is good, clean American fun with a splash of the Beach Boys and a big, deep breath of Air Supply thrown in. Housewives across the US will be wringing their aprons in ecstasy. He still manages to get posteriors shaking in homogenised latin dance numbers like Loaded, Amor. One Night Man (accompanied by Arabic chants by Clanit Ledani) but their effects are usurped by painfully unsexy love songs Come To Me, Nobody Wants To Be Lonely and The Touch. Martin must be admired for his success in capturing the English-speaking market and gathering some of latin music's best music producers on this album, but save your squeals (and cash) for the next touring sex symbol.