After four successful Spanish language albums, including an MTV Unplugged session, had made Shakira one of the best known and highest selling artists in Latin America, as well as a three time Latin Grammy Award winner, she decided it was time to try and break into the English speaking musical market. This resulted in a teaming up with Emilio Estefan who, with his wife Gloria and their band the Miami Sound Machine, were one of the first Latin artists to cross over into the English speaking market with a string of 1980s pop hits.

Yes, there's a slight resemblance in appearance and "Laundry Service" sold over 13 million copies worldwide, so there's some resemblance in sales figures as well. But the important thing is the music and Britney's dreadful version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" proved that she doesn't have the voice for a rock song. If Shakira was to shake the comparison, she would have to do it musically.

The tempo drops all the way down for "Underneath Your Clothes", which is essentially nothing more than a pop ballad. In fact, it's very nearly nothing more than the Bangles' "Eternal Flame" with a Latin American accent on the vocal. There are parts where you could quite easily start singing the lyrics to "Eternal Flame" and they'd fit in perfectly. There is a very Beatles sounding moment part way through, however, which just about saves it from being a complete copy, but only just. I'm prepared to forgive her as she has a great voice, which makes this track a pleasure to listen to, but I wonder if the Bangles would be so willing to let it pass.

The sound of the album comes full circle with "Rules". It's an up tempo pop song, with some Ricky Martin style guitar in parts, although it's more of a straight pop song that "Objection". There are a few parts where Shakira's vocals sound a little like Vanessa Carlton, although she's got a more rounded voice and a more up tempo and bouncy sound than Carlton.

Despite the inlay booklet crediting the song writing to Shakira, I keep thinking that "Ready for the Good Times" is a cover version. This may just be because it's quite a generic up tempo synth pop number that would have worked perfectly in the 1980s. There are some dark undertones that would fit in with Depeche Mode, but it's got a dance-pop drumbeat that shows the influence of the Estefans for the first time. However, it's a nice bouncy pop song, and not at all unwelcome.

When you're trying to break into the English speaking market, putting a Spanish track in the middle of the album is perhaps a bit of a risk, although it is perhaps Shakira playing it safe rather than risk alienating her large Latin fan base. Whatever the reason, "Te Dejo Madrid" is one of my favourites, being another energetic pop number with Ricky Martin style guitars and a foot tapping feel. I have no idea how the lyrics translate, but this song makes me want to learn Spanish just to find out.

It's back to the rather 1980s pop sound for "Que Me Quedes Tu". Again, it's a very simple song and doesn't stick out, apart from it being entirely in Spanish, although the some of the guitar parts remind me of something that an AOR band might have produced. Shakira's vocals are quite laid back throughout most of this song, so even the instrument that has saved a lot of the songs on the album from being insipid is lost here, and this is certainly the weakest track.

The original version of the album would finish at this point, although the limited edition "Laundry Service: Washed and Dried" album I have carries on. Sadly, what remains is nothing special, being nothing more but slightly different versions of first three tracks on the album. The first, the Sahara Mix of "Whenever, Wherever" is a more Eastern influenced version of this track, which doesn't work as well as either of the earlier versions and, coming so soon after the Spanish version, just sounds repetitive.

It's a nice DVD to own and to watch through, but you'd only really watch it through the once, and it's not worth the extra money that Amazon charge for this version.

What's best about the whole thing is that an album with this much enjoyment value is available very cheaply, now that it's around four years old. Although it should be, given that the limited edition is only just over an hour of music and there are really only 11 different tracks on it, which I would anticipate would make the original version only around 50 minutes of music. However, at an Amazon price of £5.97 for the original version of "Laundry Service" for what is for the most part a thoroughly enjoyable album, this still doesn't represent bad value. Even better is that copies have been seen on both eBay and the Amazon Marketplace from 99p.