Customer Reviews

Lucky One

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Raul Malo's latest CD, entitled Lucky One, showcases yet again Raul's superb ability to perform many types of songs and handle them all so smoothly you'd swear he was born to sing and entertain the world. His albums have brought joy to millions of people and this one is surely no exception. The musicians on this CD include the likes of bassist Jay Weaver, saxophonist Ben Graves, trumpeter Jameson Sevitis, keyboardist Chris Tuttle and drummer John McTigue. Of course, Raul's collaboration with Steve Berlin only makes this album even better. The quality of the sound is absolutely excellent and the artwork is very tastefully done.

"Lucky One" features Raul singing beautifully--his voice reminds me of Tom Jones only much BETTER! Raul's manly voice impresses people but he also sings with so much passion that you open up a bit more to him than you would if you were listening to another singer--and that's special. Raul knows how to touch people's hearts--what a rare talent! The guitar work on the song "Lucky One" is outstanding and the melody works well. I could never tire of hearing Raul perform "Lucky One." In addition, "Moonlight Kiss" has an excellent Latin rhythm and Raul sings this well with a splendid male backup chorus that sounds perfect. Raul sings of a man smitten with a woman while the male backup singers warn him that his love may not be reciprocated for very long if at all. The guys on backup harmonize to perfection. "Something Tells Me" is another great ballad performed with a slower tempo. "Something Tells Me" is a moving number and it really moves me with its natural beauty.

Raul bats "Ready For My Lovin'" straight out of the ballpark; he delivers this without a flaw and you can tell he's enjoying himself as well. What a delivery! "Ready For My Lovin'" is clearly a big highlight of this album. "Crying For You" puts Raul Malo squarely front and center; and I really like "You Always Win." "You Always Win" gets the royal treatment from Raul and it's another gem on this CD. Talk about great country music!

"One More Angel" is a strong and moving ballad about the importance of telling people you love just how much they mean to you while they're still living. Unfortunately, life is merely temporary. "One More Angel" is both strong and sensitive at once; and listen for Raul Malo to outdo even himself on the somewhat dark and pensive "Rosalie." "Haunting Me" shows off Raul's ability to tackle complicated tempo changes and the key modulations between major and minor astonish me. The CD ends with a stunning ballad entitled "So Beautiful." "So Beautiful" was recorded by Raul in his living room--but he didn't stop at just singing this number--he played guitar, keyboard, and bass as well! "So Beautiful" just couldn't have been better written or performed; the keyboard work in particular really enhances the musical arrangement for "So Beautiful." I love it!

Raul's fans will clearly want this album--it was worth the wait. Raul Malo possesses great talent and a love of art and life that comes across in every song he sings. If you don't know much about Raul Malo but you like creative country music, try this CD and discover the genius of Raul Malo. The musicians on this album help to make Raul's material shine like the brightest star in the sky; and I for one can't wait for his next CD.

This is Malo's first disc of new material in ages, he's taken the reigns of writing and I must say that this disc is like the Mavericks at their style mashing best; think more of Trampoline/ Music for All Occasions ... and I must say I heart Trampoline so flippin' much. But Malo didn't abandon his strong attraction to that big band sound that has influenced his output as of late.

If I had one problem, it would be that the lyrics, at times, aren't that strong. But how can they be when coming off albums of covers from some truly amazing artists. But what is apparent is that Malo gives it his all, wrapping his magnificent voice around every single note and declaration of love; Malo's voice has only grown warmer, deeper and more bombastic with age.

And the muscianship is also another winning point - as always - "Something Tells Me" is just a dang good song with great guitar play and a nice opening refrained vocal, "Moonlight kiss" follows in the same vein with its cute little call and response chorus.

The disc is a winner. It's genre mashing at its best, to go from "Lonely Hearts" to the simply stunning "So Beautiful" shows that not only Malo but the production as a whole is brilliant.

Like all of Raul Malo's music, this disc is a must buy.

That voice! WOW! Although this isn't the best music I've heard from Raul, even "less than best" from Raul Malo is better than "the best of" by any other musician. I miss the horns tho! Rock On Raul! We love you!

2 days later and I'm still listening to this cd on the way to and from work. I still miss all the horns but the whole cd is growing on me. Moonlight Kiss has enough sexy Raul and horns to keep me happy.

I just picked up this CD today and I can't stop playing it!! Every song is good which is rare. Raul Malo is an amazing singer and musician. I fell in love with him as lead singer of The Mavericks. I am going to try and get everyone I know to listen to this cd. It is absolutely fantastic!!

Following three albums that visited MOR supper-club pop (2006's You're Only Lonely), swing (2007's After Hours), and a broad palette of seasonal sounds (2007's Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites), Raul Malo returns with his first album of original material since 2001's Today. His latest songs circle back to the genre-stretching experiments of the Mavericks' last two albums for MCA (1995's Music for All Occasions and 1998's Trampoline), but approach from the other side: rather than shedding country sounds to make room for pop and jazz influences, Malo reintroduces twangier elements into the purer strains of crooning that had become the meat of his solo career.

As on the Mavericks' albums, Malo's baritone draws the ear's focus. The soaring vocal of the album's title track is laced with twangy guitar and punctuated by a three-piece horn section. Country sounds are brought to the fore on "Lonely Hearts," with Malo doubling his vocal, Buck Owens style, and a chugging organ adding Tex-Mex flavors ala the Sir Douglas Quintet. Malo hasn't forsaken the Rat Pack vibe of his recent solo outings, as "Moonlight Kiss" hoofs along on a Latin rhythm, "You Always Win" sports a jazzy countrypolitan sound, and "Ready For My Lovin'" offers Ray Charles-styled gospel-blues. The baritone guitar of "Something Tells Me" offers a familiar twang to Mavericks fans, and the emotional vocal on "Hello Again" and dramatic crescendos of "Crying For You" suggest Roy Orbison's spirit hovering nearby.

The ballad "So Beautiful" closes the album in dreamy emotion, with Malo's voice accompanied by piano and strings. This album isn't the left turn of Today, but aside from "Moonlight Kiss" and "Haunting Me," it's also not as ring-a-ding-ding kitschy as Malo's last three albums. This new collection represents a summation of all the musical flavors Malo's touched so far, playing more as a collection of singles than a cohesive album. Fans longing for the Mavericks' country roots will be pleased, as will late-night swingers and those who just love Malo's incredible voice. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

I've been a Maverick's fan for awhile and have all of Raul Malo's solo albums as well. However, this maybe the greatest collection of song's Raul has ever put together in one album. "Americana" is the best way to describe this CD. I'd say Orbisonesque in parts, crooner style in parts, pop, country, you name chances are you will find it in this CD. "You Always Win" is my favorite song on the album. It sounds like a song from the days of Sinatra and Martin. Then there is "Rosalie". Wow, is all I can say. I could picture a great Italian singer performing this song. "Moonlight Kiss" is a catchy fun song complete with a background chorus bantering back and forth with Raul over his infatuation with a young lady. This is only a small sample but all 12 songs are unforgettable. This is easily the album of the year. Now go out and buy it.

How do you describe a voice that can shift from country to sultry tango without a twitch? I've heard Malo compared to everyone from Tom Jones to Roy Orbison and I guess that's all fair, but you better add a habanero hot Latin sound to those comparisons and you might get close to what Malo's like.

These songs are all written by Malo, who's doing his best to bend his genre from his initial entree as the lead singer to the Mavericks. He's done a superb job here.

A bonus: we get twelve songs instead of the usual 9 or 10. I appreciate artists who actually take advantage of the CD. Here are just a few favorites among the 12.

"Ready for my Lovin'" Oh yeah, I could hear Orbison singing this bluesy, retro sounding ballad. Great sax and bass backing here.

"One More Angel" celebrates life and memorializes someone gone. I didn't expect the great tango beat backing it.

"So Beautiful" the piano may almost upstage Raoul's voice in this magnificent paean to lost love.

Rebecca Kyle, March 2009

Have you (n)ever experienced Raul Malo? It's possible you did - when going back a while he was a member of the Mavericks - a group deemed Country, but possibly too hip for that genre. If you weren't Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson or the likes, you had a harder time making in-roads into radio and sales when they were around.

Like the Mavericks, Malo continues that style: Some Country. Part Latin influence. A little Tex-Mex. And more than a hint of Roy Orbison thrown in. His newest disk, 'Lucky One', doesn't stray too far from what he knows or what he has done in the past. This is not a bad thing.

Malo can mix all those together and pull them off as being pretty original, as no one else out there is really putting those things together. Being Cuban,Malo brings authentic latin vibes to his music, but it is not overpowering.

Malo has always been a strong vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist - even if he has never attempted to downplay Orbison as an influence. That is not to say that all his songs sound like an Orbsion redux, Roy is an influence, Raul is not a copycat.

There are a number of strong songs on the disk - and I've always been a bigger fan of the things that go more in 2/4 time. The 4/4 stuff is just fine, but I like what I like.

"Haunting Me" is hands down one of the best songs (if not THE best) of 2009. The guitar work is good, but it is really the vocals and the vocal arrangement that he totally nails. I have played this song to death and it does not get old.

I really like the title track, "Lonely Hearts", "Hello Again". "Moonlight Kiss" is fun, but it is not a continual play at this point.

As the slower stuff goes, let's get this right off the table: "Something Tells Me" is one of the best songs Orbison never wrote or released.Malo pulls it off flawlessly. He knows when to turn it on and not make it sound karaoke.

It is hard for me, sometimes, to listen to the slower stuff without hearing Orbison ("One More Angel", "Crying for You"). I'm a Roy fan, so it's all good. I think Raul finds it hard to sing slower songs any other way. Or maybe I can't turn off hearing what I think I hear.

'Lucky One' is a pretty strong album as a whole, but if you're only into downloading .mp3s and not an entire disk, and had to pick only one song, it should be "Haunting Me". ...but there are plenty of other good ones to chose from.

What an emotional journey. This project will take you make you smile when you first hear Lucky One; laugh out loud with Moon Light Kiss; tears are possible with One More Angel; then lets you down easy with So Beautiful. Haunting melody and lyrics. Whether in Autin or NY this is a winner!

Raul Malo, Has an amazing voice, I wouldn't compare it with anyone else because I don't think any other singer that is alive today has the fantastic voice that Raul Malo has. I have listened to it over and over and the more I listen the better it sounds. Five stars goes to this CD and the best part is, I will be very surprized if this CD doesn't have Grammy Award written all over it. Raul is a rare breed; he can sing any song and make it sound wonderful!

I applaud him for the writing he did with these songs also, He has shown that not only can he sing, his song writing is excellant.

I am a Huge fan of the Man, his band and his music..Bravo and a standing Ovation.