POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Magnetic Julio Iglesias Still on the Move

Two words for those who think Julio Iglesias has lost his momentum: Think again.

Though he didn’t even half-fill the new 16,000-seat Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion, Iglesias delighted the crowd with his familiar middle-of-the-road repertoire.

Supported by a five-piece band and three powerful background singers, Iglesias came on stage in his standard black suit and for most of the concert remained still, microphone in one hand, eyes closed. There were no surprises or updates, but there was plenty of the same class and magnetism that earned him his international fame in the first place.

Iglesias played off that global recognition, singing mostly in English and Spanish, but also some in Italian, Portuguese and French. Rarely did he boost the tempo, but he compensated for a lack of overt passion with a strong dose of feeling and, most importantly, a sincere, spontaneous dialogue with his fans.

Iglesias tastefully addressed the topics of sex, the difference between Latinos and Anglos and what he termed Americans’ “only mistake”: missing out on so much of the culture that comes from elsewhere.

The concert-closing rendition of “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before”--the song that as a 1984 duet with Willie Nelson put Iglesias on the U.S. pop charts--was an intimate affair between fans and an artist who seemed ready to make his biggest move yet. Don’t count him out.