Spanish superstar
David Bisbal's discography already had a ratio of four studio efforts to three concert recordings when this release arrived on the shelves, and with his previous live album
Acustico: Una Noche en el Teatro Real arriving in late 2011, this early-2013 effort may seem a bit much. Still, when an artist makes his debut at London's legendary Royal Albert Hall, it is worth celebration and documentation, but more than any of this, the recording here was captured toward the end of
Bisbal's 100-show acoustic tour, so expect more full-bodied, natural, and refined performances than on 2011's
Acustico. The smoky, sexy sway of big hit "Dígale" is increased, taking its story of lust and loss to another level, while the light lilt of "Ave Maria" beats the Teatro Real version, here coming off more delicate and lovely with a butterfly's grace. Special guest appearances come from
Luis Fonsi,
Malú, Rosario Flores, and
Pastora Soler, while the U.K. audience is quite responsive, making the Teatro Real crowd sound timid in contrast. This superior live effort arguably makes the previous one moot, but mega-fans can enjoy listening to the tour develop and mature into this outstanding success. ~ David Jeffries