No es Malo
Larry White | AdultPop.com | 12/04/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As the lead singer of The Mavericks, Malo is responsible for some of the most exciting and passionate recorded performances of the last 10 years. This departure from that group (whether temporary or permanent, we know not) allows Raul to dive head-on into the stream of Latin sounds and rhythms of his heritage. Whether singing en engles o espanol, he conveys both the beauty and the fire with his clarion tenor. Accompanied by as hot a band as imaginable, he has awarded us with music that simply drives us to dance, in spite of our ` pieds izquierdas' (left feet)."
Eclectic mix with a ton of passion
K. Bortz | Delmont, PA USA | 11/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have always liked the Mavericks (Raul's original group), especially the latter-day Mavericks where they began incorporating more world rhythms into their sound. This album takes what the Mavericks had done and breaks down all the "country" labels the group had. The songs on here run the gamut from Cuban dance rhythms that Ricky Martin wishes he could touch (Today) to late-night smoky lounge jazz (Since When). That's right, Jazz! The song "Every Little Thing" is a slow blues song, ala BB King's How Blue Can You Get, with a Latin backbeat creating the most intense build-up of rhythm I've heard. The song SMOKES!Shelby Lynne (who appeared on some Mavericks albums) does a great guest vocal spot on "It Takes Two to Tango". Tell you how great the sound of this album is - at least half the songs are in English, and all the choruses are catchy (even the Spanish ones) so that you can sing along with them, and I've been listening to this for a week, but I still don't know any of the words of the songs. Because they're bad? No, because the music is so good that every time I listen I'm captivated by the sound and don't even pay attention! The horn arrangements are awesome, and the backing band is tight, very tight. Not a moment out of place on this, and the songs do not get stale throughout the course of the album. A very entertaining listen."
What a great voice!
Kevin Stanton | Pittsburgh | 03/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"His first solo effort, sans The Mavericks, is a great debut! His rich, strong tenor carries these songs well. The title track 'Today' is a lively upbeat number about being in love. 'I Said I Love You, and 'It Takes Two To Tango' are great showcases of his voice.
It is nice to see him branching out from the Maverics. Some more solo efforts can be seen with 'Los Super Seven'. Definitely mexican cantina music on those discs... but just as enjoyable.
With a voice like his, I would love to hear him do some standards, probably best suited to rock standards, but I imagine he would do as well with others too.
He proves his malleability here with trying a little rock, spanish/mexican, tex-mex and pop with latin flavor and carries it off well. I do hope we hear more from him."