| Sons Of Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Audio American Studios | |||
| Genre | Latin pop | |||
| Length | 36:35 | |||
| Label | Blue Dog Records | |||
| Producer | Papo Gely | |||
| Menudo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sons of Rock is the twenty-sixthstudio album (and fifth inEnglish) by the Puerto Ricanboy bandMenudo, released in 1988 byBlue Dog Records. This album marks the first time the group released entirely original songs in English; previous English albums had only contained translated versions of songs from theirSpanish albums.
It featuredRicky Martin,Raymond Acevedo,Sergio Gonzalez,Rubén Gómez and new memberAngelo García. Angelo replacedRalphy Rodríguez, after just one year of tenure, Rodríguez's parents pulled him off the band citing cruel treatment by management.[1]
During this period, the group consisted of the following members:Ricky Martin, Raymond Acevedo, Sergio Blass, Rubén Gómez, and the new member Angelo García.[2] At the beginning of 1988, the group appeared ontelevision shows and performed live as a quartet, as Ralphy Rodríguez left the group after reaching the age limit of 16.[3][4]
This is the first English album the band recorded of all new material, without any previous Spanish songs translated into English.[1]
The album has a similar name to the 1987 albumSomos Los Hijos del Rock, although the only connection between the two is the more rock-inspired visual and musical style.[5] This release continued Menudo's aesthetic and musical transformation, which began in 1987 after the underperformance of previous albums.[5] During this time, the group also released an album in thePhilippines titledIn Action, featuring English and Tagalog versions of songs fromSomos Los Hijos del Rock and other recordings.[5]
In late 1988/early 1989,Sons Of Rock was re-released with a new album cover. This time it featured a neon magenta color, as well as a new picture of the group and current line-up: Ricky Martin, Sergio Blass, Rubén Gómez, Angelo García and new memberRobert Avellanet replacingRaymond Acevedo.
"You Got Potential," the sixth track, was released as asingle. It achieved radio success, and according toRicky Martin, "The success led us to a 40-show tour in theUnited States. It was an exciting phase because we managed to reinvent ourselves to reach our fans with a different type of music."[5]
The group embarked on a tour to promote the album, which included performances inMexico,[2] where they were welcomed by a substantial number of fans at the airport.[4] The show’sset list included Menudo hits along with several songs from *Sons of Rock*.[6] One of the performances was broadcast by thetelevision channelKMEX-TV in October 1988.[6] The recordings were made live at theAmericantheme parkKnott's Berry Farm.[6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sons of Rock" | Marc Anthony | Sergio Gonzalez | |
| 2. | "Good Lovin'" | A. Resnick, R. Clark | Ruben Gomez | |
| 3. | "TLC" | Lynsey de Paul,Terry Britten | Ricky Martin | |
| 4. | "Miss You 'Til Tomorrow" | Papo Gely | Raymond Acevedo | |
| 5. | "Say Why" | Papo Gely | Ricky Martin | |
| 6. | "You Got Potential" | A. R. Scott, M. Jay | Angelo Garcia | |
| 7. | "Nights on Fire" | Peter S. Bliss | Ruben Gomez | |
| 8. | "999" | D. Danielson, P. Deremer | Raymond Acevedo | |
| 9. | "To Leave Once More" | M. Anthony, P. Gely | Angelo Garcia | |
| 10. | "I Will" | Papo Gely | Sergio Gonzalez |
