It Takes Two to Tango: Ties That Bind Us

Compact Disc Review

It Takes Two to Tango

Ties That Bind Us

Available from Leeny Del Seamonds, Two to Tango Productions, P.O. Box 1268, Westford, MA 01886-1433, Phone: 978-692-3961. Email: leeny@LeenyDelSeamonds.com. $17.00 (includes shipping & handling)

Reviewed By Linda Goodman

     Master Story Performer ™ Leeny Del Seamonds values the sage advice and wisdom of family members whose love, guidance, and patience have helped her develop solid relationships. Such blessings, she says, are the ties that bind us. Such blessings are the theme is this unique recording.


     Leeny’s father, known as Del, shared his wisdom with her through wise advice that she refers to as “Del-isms”. “It takes two to tango,” he warns her, “and it takes two to tangle.” The difference, while subtle, makes a world of difference.

     Leeny illustrates the wisdom he bestowed upon her through the stories on this CD. In Purgy-Tory, Leeny shares the terror that caused her to stop speaking when five neighbor boys told her that even unintentional fibs would scar her heart with black marks that would send her to purgatory, a holding cell for hell. The pain there, they said, would feel like 11,000 toaster burns.


     Who Rules the Roost, follows 2 friends who try to answer the age old question of who is head of the family: the husband or the wife. Chuckles abound as the listener accompanies them on their journey.


     Party Girl, which starts out to be a celebration of the party life, takes a serious turn when a routine surgery results in an out of body experience that requires a decision be made between the “big party up in heaven” and rejoining the human race.

     In Tres Perros en Miami, a Labrador retriever, a bulldog, and a Chihuahua vie for the love of a poodle. Which one will meet her test and win her heart?

     La Cucarachita Rosa Maria is the story of a cockroach who tries every modern means available to find love (My Space, Twitter, Speed Dating), only to find that the good old-fashioned way is still the best. It also serves as a “pourquoi story”: why are there so many cockroaches on this planet?

     My personal favorite on this CD is The Stinking Dragon, a delightful story set at a renaissance fair. Leeny, a theater major who spent time acting in New York, came to storytelling, “through a stage door.” This story reveals that a future generation stands ready to amaze us.

     The CD appropriately ends with We Sing as One, a jaunty song that is an ode to a better world.

     Leeny Del Seamonds’ recordings never fail to engage the listener with their passionate wit and simple truths. It Takes Two to Tango, however, goes one step further and tugs at the heart. It will be a cherished addition to any story lover’s collection.