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Enrique Iglesias' Quizas - Maybe He Should Have Thought Twice About Releasing This Album
Date of Review: Oct 12, 2002
The Bottom Line: Don't buy this.
There's a real undeniable sex appeal that comes off of Enrique Iglesias. My heart tells me it isn't his giant mole (how come no one makes fun of Enrique wanting to be photographed from one side like they do with Mariah?), but instead the fact that he is the quintessential Latin lover come to life and to hear him sing in Spanish is definitely a treat. Quizas is definitely a departure from Iglesias' English fare in that none of the songs are upbeat or danceable – but doesn't stray to far from the formula that makes Enrique who he is which is angst-ridden love songs, heartfelt ballads and powerful vocals.
- Track Listing -
01. Tres Palabras
02. Para Que La Vida
03. La Chica De Ayer
04. Mentiroso
05. Quizas
06. Pienso En Ti
07. Marta
08. Sueltame Las Riendas
09. Mamacita
10. Mentiroso (version mariachi)
11. No Apagues La Luz (bonus)
"Para Que La Vida" is the first real star of "Quizas". Of course the topic follows the subject matter of the entire album: Love. How it hurts, how it heals and the like but "Para Que La Vida" is kind of like one of those I can't live if I can't be with you songs whose power can only be appreciated in its original context. The music in Quizas isn't anything spectacular – if anything it harkens back to early 90's Latin pop music with its over processed beats and cheesy sound effects, but it works well for Enrique. On "Chica De Ayer" which is produced within an inch of its life – there's a real likeable quality to it. It has an old school (almost dance) type feel to it – but it manages to be an album standout.
The title track: "Quizas" really wears on me. Although I am fully capable of understanding Spanish and think it is one of the most beautiful languages – Enrique's own Spanish, which has a heavy lisp to it, really irks and annoys on this track. "Quizas" sounds more like "Quithaste" and the song is just so over-emotional that it's hard to enjoy. "Marta" is another of the album highlights. Highlights is a word that I must use loosely because honestly – none of the material on this album is anything special or wonderful. "Marta" however does sound like current Enrique in that it has a bit of an edge and sounds less Latin and more pop. I hate to say that Enrique sounds better doing pop than Latin music – but this album supports that (past albums reveal otherwise).
"Mamacita" sounds juvenile in production and sound. It is however one of the few songs that isn't a ballad. Once again – the word annoying comes to mind – there is just some little thing that begs this song to be skipped. The best thing that "Quizas" has to offer up is the Spanish language version of "Don't Turn Off The Light" or "No Apagues La Luz". Here is where I feel that Enrique really excels. The song isn't super fast but the production is subtle and the vocals show you everything that Enrique is capable of as a singer.
- Final Thoughts -
This album is a real disappointment – especially since I've said in the past that I prefer to hear Enrique in Spanish. If you were thinking about getting more of his albums, this one is probably not a good testament to his talent. The only real savior of the album is that Enrique is an accomplished singer and is capable of wrenching every piece of emotion out of every syllable of every word and some women really like that – its just that here, it fails. The production leaves much to be desired, as do the songs themselves. The album sounds rushed and contrived and isn't worthy owning.
