Customer Reviews

Babalu

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a kid in Miami, my night club loving Grandmother would haul me around to the best floor shows....my favorite then and now ( 40 years later ) is Desi. He may not be the best vocalist, but the band, the arrangements and the sheer entertainment value is very, very solid. Fans of the TV show will certainly be pleased, but those who are looking to fill a niche in their collection of Latin or nightclub/lounge won't be disapointed.

A friend first gave me this CD 5 years ago. At first I thought it was a joke, and that it would remind me of various I Love Lucy episodes. But I began listening to it at work and really came to appreciate Desi Arnaz's talent and the humor in the songs.

Many of them are catchy tunes you'll find yourself singing and rhumba-ing to across your living room. I highly recommend it as an entertaining pleasant CD for a party or for your own ambient listening. Forget the Cuban Pete you saw on I Love Lucy. The songs you'll hear are simply great Cuban-inspired music.

If you like Stan Kenton, Billy May and those great Big Band Orchestra's, you will love Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra- 1946 to 1949. He simply can not be beat!

...You will indeed love the sounds of a more innocent time in the late 1940's. Desi Arnaz, in my opinion has been over-looked and under-rated. He is Sensational on this CD! A very scarce and hard to find CD! Go for it! D. Thomas

Babalu was everything I expected and more. Mr. arnaz never received all the attention he should have for his music. If you enjoy the 40's latin sound then you should buy this.

If you like Stan Kenton, Billy May and those great Big Band Orchestra's, you will love Desi Arnaz and his Orchestra- 1946 to 1949. He simply can not be beat!

A wonderful blend of Latin rhythms ranging from soft, slow ballads to Desi Arnaz's famous upbeat tempos like the legendary "Babalu". A perfect remedy for either brightening or settling down a mood. Complete with 20 full tracks, "Babalu" by Desi Arnaz and his orchestra is sure to keep any Desi or Lucy fan amused for as long as they like.

It's too bad these songs from the late 1940s are in such sad shape. While the liner notes list Bill Lacey for 'Audio Restoration', the sound quality is still pretty poor.
The songs seem to be culled from singles and various film selections.
Jane Harvey and Amanda Lane pick up the vocals on a few of the songs, with Desi carrying the weight on others. 11 pages of liner notes and biography are included in this current packaging.
If you are looking for the Desi Arnaz excitement from his performances on the 'I Love Lucy' show of the later 1950s, this collection will leave you disappointed. While the seeds of his genius are here, Desi Arnaz, like Xavier Cugat in the same time period, only got better after these earlier recordings.
He certainly deserves better than this collection gives.

'Babalu' is cute; not a very serious album. I bought it expecting a representation of Desi Arnaz's music. I do not think this is so. I was entertained, but not awed.

Desi Arnez is not only he is a great singer but marryed one of Hollywoods best actors Lucille Ball (For a short time .)Desi died in 1987 but his music well live on for years to come .