Customer Reviews

Motown

5 star:		(131)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Once again the ex-doobie gives it his best.this cd is outstanding (you are everything brought tears to my eyes,too bad the press isnt giving this cd the credit it deserves.great job mike.

Michael McDonald has always been a favourite singer of mine. His deep baritone voice from the Doobie Brothers hit "Takin It To The Streets" remains a favourite. So, when I started to hear his voice on the MCI commercials I got curious. Was this a one time thing or was an album in the making. As it turns out, it was the latter and I immediately went out and bought the CD. I wasn't disappointed. Now, when I leave the drive way in the morning I immediately turn on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and it gets me totally excited about the day ahead.

I've recommended the CD to countless friends with different musical tastes and they've all loved it. With so much crap being made today from American Idol singers and the like, it's good to see a real talent being recognized.

With the exception of a few artists like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, who are in a class by themselves, most gifted artists of any era, do more than one thing well. Certainly, in MM's case it's singing and piano playing.

Buy the CD, you'll enjoy it!

Any fan of Michael McDonald...or simply any fan of great and lasting music is in for the listening treat of a lifetime in Michael McDonald's latest release: "Motown." Filled with soulful renditions of some beloved Motown classics, only a singer of McDonald's caliber, talent and background could manage to breathe new life into such timeless tunes as "I Heard it Through the Grapvine" and "Signed, Sealed and Delivered." Somewhere in the Heavens the late, great Marvin Gaye must be smiling down on Michael. Here he truly delivers. This is the kind of wonderful CD that comes around only once every decade or so...the kind you keep playing over and over in your CD player and never have the urge to take it out. This music soars and so will your heart with Motown!

Michael McDonald's distinctive voice is perfect for covering soul standards from the golden era of Motown Records. Michael seems to have a special affinity with Stevie Wonder in particular, including "Higher Ground" on his best of compilation, as well as covering four of his songs on this collection. "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" sounds filled with so much spirit, including a call and response from the female backing singers, that it practically becomes a gospel number. "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" and "All In Love Is Fair" are outstanding love ballads, sung with an emotional intensity that stands out from the other songs. "Too High" is a bold choice for a closing song, with its overt drug references. The arrangement of the song is closer to jazz than soul, with Michael performing the vocal gymnastics with ease. In fact, all of the arrangements perfectly suit each song, with Michael's keyboards and vocals out in front of the mix, right where they belong.

The very first records (45s for 45 cents each) I bought with my babysitting money were all "The Sound of Motown". Those songs by Smokey Robinson, the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, etc. were full of passion and soul. To hear Michael McDonald sing these classic chart toppers in new arrangements is just awesome. No matter what he sings - he rocks, he rolls, and he takes you higher. Make sure you also purchase his follow up CD - Motown II. Both are great to sing to on long road trips, and great to dance to with your honey.

A current trend in the music business finds singers of the baby boomer generation releasing covers of old standards. Some of these have been mediocre and not worthy of one's attention while others are superb reinterpretations of songs made famous by others.

Michael McDonald's "Motown" falls in the latter category. It is indeed one of the best releases of this or any other year. The former Doobie, backed by instrumental group Fourplay, adds his own distinctive style to tunes sung by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, and others from the Motown era.

The singer really ascends with loving interpretations that although similar to the originals, there is a certain freshness in these new recordings, especially on the ballads "All in Love is Fair" and "Distant Lover" wherein the artist actually reinvents them, almost to the point that they transcend their former selves. "I Want You" is a tour de force of classy funk, with a complimentary string accompaninent that rivals the previous incarnation.

The singer even tackles and succeeds on one of Stevie's most intricate and vocally challenging songs, "Too High".

It's not just the familiarity of the songs that make this album; it's the deep conviction of the singer to present them in such a manner as to pay tribute to them and provide the listener with an experience that is truly wondrous!!!

What a joy it is to hear the best singer in the business wrap his tonsils around this group of Motown classics! This was such a risky project for Mike McDonald, since the original versions of these well-known Motown tunes are so ingrained in our heads. Not only does he pay proper respect to the Motown sound, he also graces this record with his own exquisite soulful style and makes these songs his own. "Grapevine" is faithful to the original arrangement but has more guts, and some of the high notes he hits are breathtaking. "You Are Everything" is a great tune and Mike hits it from a different angle by singing the lower voicing on the chorus. "Signed Sealed Delivered" just rocks and Mike wails throughout. He'll break your heart on "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me". Tremendous vocal, especially on the chorus. "Aint Nothing Like The Real Thing" grooves throughout. "Reflections" has grown on me. I wasn't crazy about the original Supremes version but this arrangement has a bit of a Gospel-ish feel on the chorus that grabbed me. "How Sweet It Is" is the only tune that just doesn't work. Kudos to Mike for trying to give it a fresh look but it never hits it's stride. "Aint No Mountain" is tremendous and is superior to the original. "All In Love Is Fair" got me excited when I heard of it's inclusion in this set. Michael sings it with a lot of heart and wrings much emotion out this beautiful Stevie Wonder classic. Minor complaint: the synth percussion is a bit irritating and could have been left off. "I Want You" is very sensual and grooving. On "Distant Lover", Mike just wails and gives maybe his most impressive vocal on the album. "I Believe" is another one that's grown on me.....again I was never crazy about the original. Love the funky little jam at the end. "Since I Lost My Baby" is perfect for the wee hours. The sparse piano accompanyment is so tasteful and Mike's vocal is mixed up close and personal. The bonus track on the U.K. version (and appears to be on the U.S, release too?) is another Stevie tune, "Too High". Here, he's backed by Fourplay, and the Bob James arrangement is just wonderful. Mike really has a feel for this type of jazzy groove and I'd love to hear more. Great to hear Larry Carlton too. I hope this record sells a ton. There's a place for music like this....on the charts and in our hearts.

I always liked Michael McDonald's voice, that is why I bought this cd, and I can't believe how much I like it. He has a wonderful voice, and the way he interprets these old favorites is beyond belief.

I BOUGHT THE CD AND I LOVE EVERY THING ABOUT IT. HE IS A MASTER AT HIS CRAFT. I LOVE HIS VOICE, THE WAY HE LOOKS, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. FOR THE REVIEWER THAT PLAYED THE "RACE CARD", I THINK HE IS A RACIST HIMSELF. NO ONE SAYS A THING WHEN BLACKS COVER SONGS THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY DONE BY NON BLACKS. I THINK THE MAN HAS JUST AS MUCH SOUL AS ANY OF THE ORIGINAL ARTIST. I DON'T THINK THE WRITERS OR THOSE CLASSICS ARE COMPLAINING, "CHA-CHING. AN AFRICAN AMERICAN (BLACK) MICHAEL MCDONALD LOVER FOR YEARS. PEACE.

The lameness of the previous reviews motivates me to write. Truthfully, I have had the most awesome "let's get back to roots" emotions/physicalities experiences while listening to this CD. I had the privilege, as an out-of-towner, of experiencing MM perform at St. Louis' 4th of July festival. Talk about a tough crowd -- all walks of life, all types of ethnicities. Even the most reluctant of listeners was moved to move. You should too, with this recording!