Track Listing

1. I Wanna Know
2. In My Dreams
3. Shine a Light
4. Wondering
5. By the Time
6. Would You Believe
7. A Little Too Lonely
8. Time Goes By (feat. Willie Nelson)
9. San Jose
10. Because of You
11. Air that I Breathe

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31689 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
After five years pursuing separate solo careers, the Mavericks are now reborn with a symbolically self-titled sixth album to underline this new beginning. Typically, Raul Malo had enjoyed the highest profile, whilst drummer Paul Deakin and bassist Robert Reynolds went back to rootsy clubland with Kevin Montgomery's Road Trippers. New guitarist Eddie Perez completes the line-up.

Malo has been on a songwriting roll, moving even further away from the country lodestone, towards an archetypal pop sensibility. "I Want to Know" makes an outgoing opener, a confident kicker that establishes the coming mood. Raul remains the reincarnation of Roy Orbison, keening into the distance with a voice that's the living embodiment of romantic fatalism, his words simple but heartfelt, shorn of any unnecessary obfuscation. "By the Time" comes from the other side, a leave-taking ballad, while "I'm Wondering" is a love song sung from a frustrated distance. "Too Lonely" is a schmaltzy Vegas crooner, but "Time Goes By" has a rockier punch, featuring a guest appearance from the grizzled Willie Nelson. Unfortunately, the production has a homogenised feel, with band, horn and string sections coexisting as a wall of cultured sound. It's almost too democratic a mix, without much space between the instruments. This defect can be partially cured by a sharp twist of the volume control. --Martin Longley

CD Description
First studio album from Florida country band The Mavericks since 1998's 'Trampoline'. The band gained recognition in the UK with their hit single 'Dance The Night Away', fusing traditional country with 50's and 60's rock 'n' roll, heavily influenced by Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Includes the Roy Orbison-inspired lead single 'In My Dreams'.

Customer Reviews

What A Crying Shame
The Mavericks' reunion album, after a four year break and a patchy solo album from Raul Malo, turns out to be a bit of a disappointment for anyone who loved the Cuban-rock-latin influenced "Trampoline" or the humour and Tex-Mex tinged "Music For All Occasions". On first listenings it is very derivative of all four main albums that brought them fame, and a watered-down derivative at that.

Lead track, "I Want To Know" has the characteristic Maverick twangy guitar and beat, but it's a twee pop song worthy of a place on an Archies album. "In My Dreams" has the "What A Crying Shame" intro and similar tune. "Shine A Light" and "San Jose" have chugging latin beats; "Because Of You" is an old-fashioned 'broken hearts' country & western honky tonk number. There are a few smoochy Big-O type ballads (in fact "I'm Wondering" bears more than a passing resemblance to Cliff Richard's "The Next Time") and Willie Nelson joins in on a Beatlish "Time Goes By". Oh, and there's a faithful rendition of the execrable "The Air That I Breathe" to close.

All the influences that made the Mavericks refreshingly different, the mix of C&W, Tex-Mex, Roy Orbison/Hank Williams, and Cuban rhythms are there, but only just, and they've been washed over with 60s and 70s pop.

Having said that, the more you play this album the more you realise that almost all the tracks are exceedingly good tunes, such that you find yourself humming or whistling them at odd moments through the day. And Raoul Malo's vocals do match them perfectly, warm, laid-back, unstraining, not so much Big-O as a Bing C in the making, perhaps.

So, this is not a bad album, in fact it is a very good album for easy listening; it's just not a very good Mavericks album, judged on past standards.

As a postscript, a word of advice. Don't listen to the album too carefully with good quality headphones, because they will emphasise the soggy mixing/sound production mentioned in Amazon's review; it sounds like it's been put through a sausage machine, which is also in marked contrast to the earlier albums.

A Welcome Return
If you liked Trampoline, you'll love this new album. As usual with the Mavericks, the tracklist covers several musical styles, all carried off with the usual conviction, excellent musicianship and terrific arrangements. Raul's voice is as good as ever, be it on the slower tracks or the more up-tempo numbers - the man can do no wrong. Standout track for me is The Air That I Breathe - the band sticks with The Hollies' arrangement and Raul nails it 100%. Let's hope we don't wait as long for the next album!

MAVERICKS
THEIR BEST YET .... HAVE NOT STOPPED LISTENING!