This two-fer combines a pair of albums Rubén Blades and his backing band, Son del Solar, cut for the Sony Discos imprint in 1991 and 1992, respectively.

This period, while not usually recognized as being as successful as his period with Elektra, during which he briefly came to the attention of mainstream U.S.

audiences, was nonetheless a modest return to the more roots-oriented expansive salsa he recorded for Fania in the 1970s and '80s, albeit more polished given the production dictates of the era.

Caminando, issued first, boasted its title track as the single, which charted, but also contained other fine cuts including "Prohibido Olvidar" and "Mientras Duerme la Ciudad." Amor y Control, issued a year later, was released during a period in which Blades was acting on television and in films a great deal, and his focus on recording wasn't as pointed as it might have been.

The socially conscious salsa-cum-reggae tune "West Indian Man," sung in English, was an attempt to get back non-Spanish-speaking North American audiences, but it failed to chart.

More successful commercially were ballads such as "Adan García" and the languid and sultry title track, which also incorporated elements of cha cha and rumba in its salsa.

Perhaps the oddest thing here is the inclusion of the Beatles' "Baby's in Black," which, frankly, is just a misguided mess in terms of arrangement and production.

That said, this set is worth the purchase price simply for Caminando alone.