Outstanding debut from a talented singer/songwriter.
guillermoj | Washington, DC United States | 03/08/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This amazing debut from Alex Ubago came out of nowhere for me. Well it actually came from the great reviewers, who to me are the core of the Amazon.com family. First and foremost, thank you for your reviews as I keep discovering some unknown gems and have managed to stay away from stuff that is not so good due to your collective efforts!From the very first note, it is evident that Alex has some amazing chops. It is worth noting that Alex wrote every single song on this CD and I can only think one artist (the incomparable modern day poet Alejandro Sanz) who has so many musical tools at his disposal. The emotion and maturity of the release are surprising, especially when one considers that Alex was all of 18 when he went on a writing rampage and recorded more than 40 songs for his then girlfriend with the intent of making an original cassette just for her ears. Well talent like this is hard to keep silent and said tape made its way to several hands and to make a short story a star was born.Not only are the song lyrically head and shoulders above most of what is out there, but the arrangements support Alex without ever overpowering him. The songs are very personal on paper, but they come alive and make up one of 2003's best Latin popular music releases. Most of the songs are mid-tempo, and are best exemplified by the rocking first single ""Qué Pides Tú", "No Te Rindas", the amazing "Sin Miedo A Nada" a scorching duet which starts out somewhat generically but really comes alive when Amaia Montero, the lead singer of the Spanish supergroup La Oreja de Van Gogh gets in on the action. If anyone doubts thinks that the duet was recorded only for cross-marketing purposes, need only listen to the whole song to hear why this song can be nothing but a duet. After hearing Amaia's voice, I may need to look into La Oreja De Van Gogh too! The ballads are impeccable, particularly the lush "A Gritos De Esperanza" (which may be my favorite song on the CD), the seductive "Sabes" are simply gorgeous and heartfelt without getting sappy, and the earnest "Ahora Que No Estas", which may be the song which best highlights Alex's voice.This release easily earns 4 stars and more than puts young Alex on the same playing field with other more established Latin superstars like Luis Miguel, NEK, Eros, Juanes, and even my favorite, Alejandro Sanz. I would give it 5 stars, if not for a few musical arrangements that are nowhere as strong or original as Alex and can sound alike and the last couple of songs are not as strong as the rest. Hopefully Alex will continue maturing and sticking to what is in his heart. In his next release I'd love to hear Alex give a shot at some really up-tempo songs while also slowing things down even more to showcase the strength of his lyrics, which at times don't really with anything but his voice.In a nutshell, this is the type of release that reaffirms that "popular" music need not be solely about producer engineered acts, and that fresh young voices need not be puppets to be loved by the masses. I was happy to find not only Alex, but David Bisbal, Natalia Lafourcad, as well as "old timers" like Shakira to show the world how powerful Latin pop can be and that it not be marginalized or thought of as second best, because all of the artists mentioned are outstanding."
Best of Spain
Kristina M. Steininger | Westerville, OH United States | 01/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you're going to by any records this year this one is the one to get. All the more better if you understand Spanish. The first time I heard this record I fell in love with it. Every word of every song is so beautiful...almost enough to make you cry girls :) This kid is only 19 and has the talent as if he's been doing music for decades. Guitar and voice alike. The story of this guy is that he wrote all of these songs for who is now his ex-girlfriend. She thought he had so much talent she turned over the tape that he made for her over to her uncle who is in the music industry in Spain. He got a record deal almost immediately. They said he wrote like 50 something songs, and when they went to go produce Alex's cd, every song was so good, they had so much trouble deciding which ones to put on the album. Anyway, get this cd...you won't be sorry."
Excellent- A must have...
Maria E. More | Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. | 09/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Alex Ubago, a young Spanish singer, who recently entered the American market, has impressed everyone- Spaniards and the rest of the world- with this incredible cd. Not only does he have a terrific voice, this young man has composed some of the most beautiful songs in recent years, and also the most popular hits these past two years. He has so much sensibility for lyrics, harmonies and melodies, and has created songs that have captivated everyone's heart.I sincerely recommend everyone to buy this CD, you won't regret it. For me, it's such a tremendous pleasure seeing such a young man compose and create such songs for us to enjoy...Reminds you that there is still talent and quality left out there...So, let me conclude by saying: Buy the CD! Best investment you'll make!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1