David De Alba  Billy Tweedie Reviews

SUPERSTAR David de Alba Collection of 4 CDs!
VISIT THE AWARD WINNING SITES
http://www.david-de-alba.com
http://billytweedie.com

I remember a package arriving at my parents' home in Ireland in the early 90's when I ran the original Judy Garland Fan Club.   It was from David de Alba and it had in it a selection of press cuttings and wonderful photos of David as Judy Garland.   That was the first time I had heard of a proper male character actor who could be so good at it that he would make you believe that he WAS Judy!~

Years passed and I finally left Ireland behind and came to America.
 I rediscovered David again!

David de Alba sings a loving tribute to Olga and Tony
Review by Billy Tweedie

In this first CD of 2002 David has selected many of the International hits of his beloved idols and friends from Cuba, the singing husband and wife team of Olga Chorens and Tony Alvarez.   Included are musical selections of Edith Piaf, all performed in Spanish with the exception of David's own theme song which is done in English and Spanish as a bonus track.

I have never studied Spanish nor do I understand one word on this CD (except for the last track, most in English!).   However, I am mysteriously drawn to listen to it over and over.   David's voice, so alluring, sensual, and earthy all at once is one-of-a-kind.   I know of no one alive today who can sing as Piaf/Garland sang, but David's re-creation of his songs from 1970 thru 1986 are simply amazing!

I thought it would be hard to listen to, but as with anything else that is truly worthwhile, I decided to stay with the CD and give it, at least, the respect the artist deserves by listening a few more times.   Obviously, my patience has more than paid off....if only because I can now appreciate the immense talent that he possesses.  While sounding unlike any other vocalist that I had previously known David is able to contain more "raw emotion" in one song than most vocalists can emote in an entire CD!

The sounds of the track devoted to Edith Piaf, 'Potpourri Francés' can bring goosebumps.
What heart touching music.

This is really a great album to put you in a good mood, as well as for appreciating top of the line musicianship.   The Gold Star award for the songs must go to "Te Adoraré", which is just that, and the impossibly infectious "Tengo una Debilidad", (try and play it just once!).

Open-minded fans are in for a treat.   The songs are based on different local styles, as the liner notes explain.   There's an amazing variety of rhythms - all irresistible.   The melodies are catchy and David delivers them with his customary warmth and assurance.   David goes back to his Cuban roots (he was born in Cuba, came to the States in the early 1960's) and when you hear him sing in Spanish, you know for sure that he is proud!

You don't need to understand the words in Spanish to enjoy this joyful music, but I am sure it's a real bonus if you do. It is perfect for any day of the year when your body and soul need a little refreshment.

The cover photo by Concetta Jorgensen is divine.   David's management Ryner/Alba Entertainment should be buzzing with gigs shortly for this CD will sell the entertainer to the masses!

Despite the language barrier, the emotional content of this artist comes through without doubt.   It's a CD that can withstand many, many listenings, and still retain its ability to give pleasure.

I cannot wait until the Spring when I can hopefully review David's CD that will feature his backstage memoirs including anecdotes from his run at Finocchio's in San Francisco, CA along with some rare audio recordings singing on stage at Finocchio's.   Many thanks to his friend and Emcee Carroll Wallace who was able to capture those moments from the wings on David's small tape recorder.   The third CD David will re-create some of the hits of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli that he sang on stage, plus some medleys and show tunes from his own International Boy-Chic Act at Finocchio Club.   To date David de Alba is the only artist from the world famous Finocchio Club to record and release to the public any material from that club.   A must for any collector of female impersonation memorabilia!

Another Great man in our Art, Culture & Entertainment!
That is the Unique David de Alba!

The Legendary David de Alba: LIVE! at Finocchio Club
1971 - 1987 Volume One
Review by Billy Tweedie

"Impressive body of work from an underappreciated genius!" ~ Billy Tweedie

Only one other CD retrospect release did I anticipate with such hope that my favorite songs would be included.   I was standing at the door to find the answer to that question the day "Live at Finocchio Club 1971-1987" was released.   I was not disappointed by what had been left out.   As any DIVA! lover would know, these are all foundation songs to their career.   Plus they deserve to be on compact disc.   However, how wonderful to have 28 tracks on disc, after all these years of waiting.   (David's first album was still a bit of a mystery to me. The album was foreign sounding, so I hadn't listened to it often as I would have liked to.)   However here I am in my glory!   The inclusion of "Hello Bluebird", "Something" and "I Want To Hate Myself In The Morning", (written FOR Judy Garland, but made famous by Shirley Bassey) make the CD worth the money.   These early songs are his most introspective and soulful.   His yearnings and conflicts are universal, and sung by a songbird.   The poignant and superb versions of "The Man That Got Away/Over The Rainbow" are included on this volume.

That was a step in the right direction.   All his music deserves to be on disc.   Many will be available this year, the next album: VOLUME 2 are the tracks that will hook me on David's soulful and silken voice and lyrics.   I have collected all of them and I'm happy to say they are all of the highest quality, with almost all of David's songs of significance on them.   Kind of ironic that this American-Cuban artist is so much more appreciated in various circles.   I suggest any lover of Female Illusionists to purchase this collection and keep searching the internet for the others on David's own site.   Very much worth the effort.   This album is a great overview of his work, although it should have been a 2-disc set.   (Instead of two volumes released at different times, just a personal thing with me I guess!).   It contains obvious selections, big hits but also some very good, lesser known songs......there are backstage memoirs that include anecdotes from his run at Finocchio's in San Francisco, CA, narrated by David in English.

David and Paul's (his producer) choice in songs are solid.   At least four of them could have been top 40 hits if we lived in a perfect world and real music was the 'In' thing!   For me these would be, "This Is My Life", "Something", Never Will I Marry" and the wonderful "Carnival Medley".   The message of this one really catches on after several listens.   "Hello Bluebird" truly has wings.   Both the lyrics and the arrangements soar.   His voice never sounded better and more sincere.v "La Virgen de la Macarena" is one of those melodies that you can't get out of your head.   (I believe I recently heard it in the background of some so so movie.)   David sounds very happy and in-love in this one.   "What Now My Love" is another one with some thoughtful and introspective lyrics.   The more you play this one the more you appreciate its reason for being on this CD.   David's version of "Something" beats Shirley Bassey's version, and that says a great deal.   "This Is My Life" closes this CD on a perfect note.   The CD has a central theme.   David sings about love, loss and hope as he always does.   However, now we have a more mature perspective.   The song that Liza Minnelli is famous for: "Cabaret" shows us that David can still be sassy.   This collection is pure pleasure, and a must for any DIVA! lover!

Another Great man in our Art, Culture & Entertainment!
That is the Unique David de Alba!
 

The Legendary David de Alba: LIVE! at Finocchio Club
1971 - 1987 Volume 2
Review by Billy Tweedie

"This CD got my heartstrings and wrung them out to dry!" ~ Billy Tweedie

Well it came!   Volume 2 that I was waiting on as I was playing to death Volume One in the meantime!   A disc that lifted my sprits during a friend's illness, this CD got my heartstrings and wrung them out to dry!

Volume 2 continues David's backstage memoirs from Volume 1 including anecdotes from his run at Finocchio's in San Francisco.   David de Alba is the only artist from the world famous Finocchio Club to record and release to the public any material from that club.

I cannot praise either this album or David de Alba enough.   Listening to the first track alone, "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die'" is enough to tell you that this man knows and expresses everything there is to know about love.   What's more, he does it with sublime subtlety: a wink and a sly smile as opposed to a modern so-called "Diva" like Mariah Carey, who I cannot stand, who'd bash you over the head.   True style as opposed to gaudy excess.   There's not a bad song on the album, and several true classics, like a wonderful selection from "South Pacific", and "Getting To Know You/He Loves Me".

But listen to it several times before you form a judgement: that subtlety needs time to work its magic and insinuate itself into your soul.   I always thought "If Love Were All" was dreary oldies's MUZAK until I heard David's masterly epic version.   And no matter how many times I hear it, chills go up my spine when he sings the words!   Hell, nobody can sing these songs and express as many emotions through it as David does.

I rarely use the word "sublime" to describe anything, but it seems a perfect word for this album.   In light of today's top 40 radio (which I'm sure leaves so much to be desired), it sounds insulting to label this album as pop music.   But knowing that pop culture has the capability of being creative, meaningful, and even powerful, this album collection has to be one of the absolute pinnacles of popular music.   Volume 1 is also available.

The songs on this album are fantastic, and David has one of the greatest voices to ever grace American/Cuban pop music. His voice is so soft and mellow, yet can grab and just galvanize you. He knows exactly when and how to emote, something today's pop singers seem completely clueless about.
So warm and loving--wow.
When he sings "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die", well heck  you can feel it.

But I don't want to overemphasize David, though.   The arrangements and song selection on this record are as important as David's gorgeous voice.   It's really amazing that this stuff passed as mainstream pop music; it beats the pants off of anything ever put out by Celine, Whitney, etc., etc., etc.   This is the kind of record they DREAM of having their names on (and always miss it by a huge longshot).   Did we really have to drop horns and real instruments in order to make songs consumable to the general public nowadays???   It's so sad!   But I digress...

Don't even think of buying anything less than these two Volumes!

If I could only say one great thing about this record (I can say a lot), it would be that this album showcases "Once In A Lifetime"--which is undoubtedly one of the greatest songs ever recorded.   The buildup to this song is so tremendous, and the controlled release is just glorious.   But that's really how this whole album works.

For once---BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!

David de Alba Sings Then & Now
Review by Billy Tweedie

"This is a fantastic recording!   David's voice is at its best." ~ Billy Tweedie

You cannot listen to this CD and not be swept away by David's range and passion for the material he is singing.   This is not just David de Alba, this is David de Alba becoming each character and pouring the soul and emotion from each piece into his performance.   This CD is literally like going to each show from which the selections come.   You can step out of "A CHORUS LINE" and into "MAME" and David's voice is the vehicle that takes you there.   You don't just get a mechanical recitation of songs, David approaches each as an individual work and strives to bring you the song in context.   My personal opinion is that the version of "Maybe This Time" on this CD is the absolute definitive version of that song to be found anywhere.   (Sorry Liza!)

This is a fantastic recording!   David's voice is at its best.   "The Boy Next Door" and "If He Walked Into My Life" are beautiful.   Trust me it is SO worth your money.   David has the strongest, most entrancing voice you'll ever hear.   He really does have the voice of an angel, and this CD proves it.

I first heard this CD while on Easter holiday, and I knew I had to have a copy in my car at all times!   David de Alba's voice is absolutely magnificent.   His rendition of the songs on this CD take me away from the troubles of this world.   There is an old Irish saying "To live above with the saints we love, that would be pure glory, to live below with the saints we know, that is another story."   Listening to this CD takes you all the way to Heaven with the saints and angels praising God!!!   It really is that good!

I'm close to exhausting my superlatives on David de Alba - but words can't really do justice to his marvelous recorded output over this year thanks to his drive and his wonderful producer Paul Ryner.   While virtually every record he made is special in its own way, this particular recording of his "THEN & NOW", Judy, Liza and his own creation "Boy-Chic" may be his very finest recording to date.   I give it pride of place in my collection as the finest popular music recording of all time.   The first time I heard it I was stunned, and I have never ceased to be amazed.   Where can one start?   Every song is a gem.   The arrangements by Bill Bullard are perfect.   David de Alba, who has one of the finest Broadway and cabaret voices of all time, was in exceptionally good voice, and he had learned to connect with the meaning of a song in a deeper way than in his career on stage in the 1970's.   He's in a great mood, and it makes for an entrancing evening in a car ride outside Pittsburgh on an Easter weekend!   "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" is sung with confidence, feeling and a merry, jaunty air."   "If He Walked Into My Life" is sung with breathless wonder.

Everyone has their favorite singer - David de Alba is definitely up there with the greatest in my personal pantheon - and this "NOW" section of his disc was more than just a great performance by a favorite performer.   The joy, the artistry, the technical skill, the complexity of arrangements, the variety, - all of these make it an unforgettable performance.   I would love to have been there in the studio in Arizona, but I'm grateful that I have the recording and my imagination to take me there whenever I wish.   For this recording, 5 stars are not enough!

David displays his dazzling vocal abilities once again with "THEN & NOW".   From the wonderful cover songs to the catchy pop tunes to the soaring, lyrical ballads, David never misses a step.   Though quite different from his other albums, it's nice to see David do an album that stretches his versatility rather than beat a tried-and-true proven formula to death.   If you want fun, beautiful, infectious music from the most stunning vocalist of our generation, pick up a copy of "THEN & NOW".   You won't be disappointed!   (While your at it, pick up all of David's other albums!)

David is the kind of singer who can sing anything at all and still captivate your heart.   I absolutely melt when he sings "The Boy Next Door".   His tenderness is beyond description.   This entire CD is a keeper.   In the mood to dance?   Well then you will have a gentle flair and some hopping heart beats to pick from!   When you put this CD in the player it just gets better by the second with each song climbing higher and higher in unbelievable beauty.   I also have all of David's other CDs and love those as well.   I for one like the different styles he is doing.   I also saw David in performance on video and could not believe how beautiful this man is as Boy-Chic!   (his OWN creation!) and how his voice just pierces your soul.   All of our modern categories seem to disappear and you find that you are some new place with some new secret.   David and his producer Paul Ryner are the best kept secrets of the 21st Century and I kind of hope it stays that way so that when they get bigger it does not change what they are doing.

Another Great man in our Art, Culture & Entertainment!
That is the Unique David de Alba!

CONTACT INFO TO PURCHASE THESE FOUR WONDERFUL DISCS!
Contact Alba/Ryner Ltd. to order CD(s) at
david-heri@citlink.net 
David will personally autograph your CDs upon request.

VISIT THE AWARD WINNING SITE
http://www.david-de-alba.com

Return to David's Main Wing page

Return to GLBT Artists

 
The  only GLBT Music ranking Chart Online Since 1996! Support GLBT Music vote for your favorite GLBT Artists.
StoneWall Society Network Member!

Site Map

Site opened 10/31/99

StoneWall Society 10/99 - 2012