The second volume of street-level Latin crossover from the Fania vaults isn't a simple cash-in to lure those who bought the first volume. Compiler Dean Rudland spent some serious time sifting through the tapes and digging up a few unreleased tracks, including the delicious slow grind of Ray Barretto's extended opener "O Elefante." Compared to the first volume, this is less concerned with the gangster wing of Latin music and more involved with soul and consciousness-raising crossover material. The disc balances groove-laden salsa from Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente with tracks from Jimmy Sabater, Ralfi Pagan, Joe Bataan, and Orchestra Harlow (the latter with a stirring call-to-action titled "Rise Up"). What none of these tracks miss, however, is the groove, which shows up everywhere, from Tito Puente's excellent percussive workout "Safari" to the highly orchestrated cover of "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Bataan. And despite the occasional moralizing, there's still plenty of fun in evidence from covers of "Here Comes the Judge" by Pete Rodriguez and "Me and My Monkey" by Orchestra Harlow. (Rudland even managed to choose the rare Ralfi Pagan track that's not sickly sweet.) To cap it off, the sound quality on these tracks is at an all-time high. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide