Raul Malo Opens A New Musical Chapter With "You're Only Lonely"

Raul Malo Opens A New Musical Chapter With "You're Only Lonely"

By Wendy Newcomer

December 12, 2006

Photo: Kristin Barlowe

For more than 15 years, Raul Malo fronted The Mavericks, a Country band that garnered multiple awards - including CMA Awards for Vocal Group of the Year in 1995 and 1996 - and enjoyed mainstream success in both the U.S. and Europe. Their recipe, equal parts Roy Orbison and Hank Williams, tested the boundaries of Country Music. Malo, the son of Cuban émigré parents, further widened those boundaries with his 2001 Latin solo album, Today, and his work with super group Los Super Seven in 2005. He also produced other artists, including K.T. Oslin and Rick Trevino. One project that has long languished on Malo's to-do list is what he described as a "singer's record," an album that showcased its vocalist with songs of integrity, range and emotion.

"This is a record that I've always wanted to make, because I'm just a singer on it," explained Malo of his new CD, You're Only Lonely, on Sanctuary Records. "For me, as a vocalist, it's just paying tribute to some of my favorite songwriters and artists. It was the first time in my life that I had ever done that."

For inspiration, he didn't have to look any further than the Linda Ronstadt albums in his collection.

"To me, those records are so special," he recalled. "They are an important part of our music history. Linda covered a lot of people's material, because she wasn't a writer, per se. But there was an enormous wealth of talent around her, and all these songs were just tailor-made for her. Those records were fantastic, not only hers, but James Taylor's and of course the J.D. Souther stuff."

Enter legendary producer Peter Asher - the man at the helm of many of the Ronstadt, Souther and Taylor albums that Malo held dear. Malo and Asher met backstage last year in London at a Mavericks show, and the seeds of You're Only Lonely were sown.

"I knew of The Mavericks records because in England they had a couple of huge hits," Asher said. "So I knew who they were, and liked them. I loved the show, went backstage and met Raul. We ended up having a long conversation, and we talked about the possibility of working together at some point."

As with Ronstadt, Asher saw in Malo an opportunity to record with a singer's singer.

"Raul has an extraordinary voice," Asher praised. "It's one of those huge voices that can do anything. So what we tried to do was pick his favorite songs - songs that he enjoyed singing, in such a way that it would frame his voice. It's a vocal-based album. We tried for the singer and the song to be the center of attention, and the center of the arrangement, because his voice is unlike anybody else's. It's so beautiful."

Asher points out similarities between Ronstadt and Malo. "They both have quite amazing voices, but they also both have a very strong sense of what songs will suit them," he said. "Each track was structured, arranged and produced in such a way as best I could, to reflect the brilliance of her singing - and in this case, his singing."

If the critics have their way, You're Only Lonely will be joining Ronstadt's classic records at the top of the charts. Released on July 25, the album has generated reams of critical praise. People magazine selected the album as their "Critics Choice," describing the music as "intensely romantic." The Los Angeles Times credited Malo with "resurrecting the kind of romantic pop music that Frank Sinatra long personified." And the singer was recently invited to appear on NPR's "All Things Considered."

The list of songs on You're Only Lonely runs the gamut of musical styles and decades. Malo soars with classic standards including "Remember," "So Sad" and "Games That Lovers Play;" knowingly interprets Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground;" puts a male perspective on the oft-covered Etta James ode to romance, "At Last;" and makes the title cut - written by Souther - his own. Nestled seamlessly among these and other classics is the Malo-penned original, "For You," a joyous Latin-flavored composition.

"We listened to the original tracks as if they were demos being sent to us, not as the hit records that they were," he revealed. "It was like we were in the studio, and somebody sent us a demo and we'd just heard it. So we'd go, 'Okay, let's do this. Let's break it down and forget what orchestrations there are on the record.' And that's how we went at it."

Martina McBride joins Malo on the Randy Newman ballad "Feels Like Home." Malo jokes that he was able to get McBride's participation with "a lot of begging. Martina's a friend. George Massenburg (who mixed and mastered You're Only Lonely) had just finished working with her on something. We were looking for a duet partner for that song, and it just seemed right. I certainly knew she could sing it. It's difficult to get somebody on a record, because everybody's so busy - and she's no exception. So it just aligned. It was good timing, thankfully."

Malo toured last summer, introducing the songs on You're Only Lonely to U.S. and Canadian audiences. "The reaction was great," he said. "People know these songs, and are thrilled to hear them again in this context. I don't think they've heard them in awhile, and they're such great songs. I'm thrilled to be singing them."

But a Malo show isn't the only place you're likely to see him. Last year he was the Musical Director for several CMT productions, including the "Crossroads" episode that featured Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers and "100 Greatest Duets." "Honestly, I don't know how they came about - but I'm glad they did," he said of the musical director jobs. "I think they felt comfortable that there was an artist in the band to work with the singers.

"And I get to be a musician, which is fun for me, because I don't even read charts," he added. "It's great. I get to stand there and pretend. I mean, I've got them all there on my music stand, with a light. People go, 'Wow, look at him - man, he's bad, he can read charts.' And I can't. But I pretend like I do, and it's a lot of fun."

There's no pretending when it comes to Malo's voice. When asked how he feels to have Peter Asher describing him one of the best singers in the world, he's silent for a moment. "I mean, come on, what am I supposed to think about that?" he said humbly. "That's amazing, with the singers that he's worked with."

Asher has the final word on Malo. "There are two hallmarks of a great singer - a great voice and an ability to use it to create further greatness in the song," he said. "Raul is a huge fan of all the balladeers - Sinatra, Dean Martin. And the Country Music influence is in there, but people expect that already from a Mavericks person. So in a way, you're seeing all the other influences in Raul's musical upbringing. He may live in Nashville, but his soul is all over the place."

On the Web: www.raulmalo.com

"Intensely romantic."

***** Critic's Choice - People

Ralph Novak

"[An album] dedicated to resurrecting the kind of romantic pop music that Frank Sinatra long personified. This is all about setting the mood for candlelight, champagne and a cozy evening with the one you love - or wish to."

***1/2 - The Los Angeles Times

Randy Lewis

"Anyone in search of sophisticated make-out music should snag Malo's album, posthaste: You're Only Lonely is a perfect disc to break out (along with a bottle of red wine) once the kids are tucked into bed and fast asleep."

- The Washington Post

Shannon Zimmerman