Customer Reviews

Soul Provider

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Michael Bolton really showed his stuff when he made Soul Provider, his breakthrough album. He proved with such songs as the title track, "How Can We Be Lovers", "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", and "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" that he could write great songs and carry a memorable tune with each one. Not to mention that all four were big hits back in the day.

Those four big hits aren't the only things that make Soul Provider a great album. Most of the non-hits could've well been hits, especially "Love Cuts Deep" and "It's Only My Heart". The only song I didn't like is "Georgia on My Mind", but then again I never liked the original of that song either.

While Soul Provider isn't Michael Bolton's best album (Time, Love & Tenderness holds that honor), it is a great buy for anybody who likes love songs with great lyrics and soaring vocals.

The quality and depth of the songs is very pleasing to listen to. Michael Bolton has a wonderfully soulful voice.

Michael Bolton is a great artist. I like Bolton. I am a fan. Michael's soul shines through his songs that he birthed, when he sings those originals of his it is - magical - almost ethereal. His lyrics, his music and his voice they are so well put together - the fusion is awesome. The mixture melds and flows catapulting his songs like shooting stars heading straight for the sky. You want to know why we are above the animals? Buy Bolton CDs and enjoy being a romantic human being and listen to him alone or with someone special.
This was my first CD of Michael Bolton and that CD got me hooked and I have never gotten offline. As Michael Bolton grew he became better and better, now his songs are jet propelled. Now he has been burnt a few times by life and those life experiences he injects into his original songs.

you know you used to have this album!!!

Michael Bolton at his heyday. This pretty much marked the end of his AOR days (even tho we hear some with "How Can We Be Lovers" and "You Wouldn't Know Love) and also the album that catapulted him into the league of AC superstardom. At this point, Bolton was fresh and actually still somewhat cool. The album scored five top 40 hits for him, including his first #1 single, "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" which was also a huge hit for the late Laura Branigan a few years earlier, but Bolton was the songwriter. We also got a hard rocking side of Michael with the top 5 "How Can We Be Lovers", which actually scored MTV airplay, and MTV usually shunned Bolton's videos.

This album and "The Hunger" are the only Michael Bolton cd's you need in your collection, after this album, it was all downhill as Bolton became the AC artist nobody could stand.

This album doesn't really hold up quite well, even if Soul Provider and How Am I Supposed to Live Without You are on it. The rest of the album has too many dull power ballads that didn't grab me. But keep in mind, this was summer 1989 when a series of adult contemporary ballads by Bolton, Richard Marx, and Grayson Hugh were hits. I still think that he got better with "Time Love and Tenderness" and "The One Thing" (his best album). Otherwise, I don't know how you're going to go through this drivel of mostly bland songs. A few of them put me to sleep. Bolton just lacks passion on most of these songs to me.

First off I like Bolton's early work in the late 70's to mid 80's.Bolton's first albums Blackjack 1979, Worlds Apart 1980, Michael Bolton 1983, and Everybody's Crazy 1985 were all pretty good melodic rockers, but this is the end.Soul provider is the beginning of a soul failure.
The only good songs on here are How can we be Lovers and You wouldn't know Love.These songs have a catchy chorus and rock somewhat.The rest of the album is garbage.
Why did you sell out Bolton? It's such a shame what could of been.If Bolton stayed on the melodic metal/rock path he would be a rocker still to this day and most likely a dam good one like he was in the early to mid 80's.
It's a cryin shame!

Soul Provider includes the essence of adult pop hard rock that can easily rival Richard Marx, Bryan Adams, John Waite and Peter Cetera. His husky high-tone voice takes a little bit of time to sink in. But once captivated you will love his voice for the rest of your life. It has less hard-edged songs than previous album, The Hunger. Yet is still enjoyable for melodic pop hard rock fans. Title track Soul Provider and Georgia On My Mind truly show his turning point from hard rocker Bolton to soul searcher Bolton. It's Only My Heart and How Can We Be Lovers are excellent pop hard rock as if taken from Reckless or Repeat Offender. You Wouldn�ft Know Love starts from Bon Jovi like heavy-riff and is an excellent pop rocker enabling the next excellent ballad When I Am Back On My Feet Again to sound even more brilliant. How I Am Supposed To Live Without You is an excellent rendition of 1983 Laura Branigam hit but Bolton�fs version makes us feel as if it had been his original.

Recommended for adult pop rock fans that also love Foreigner, Survivor, Starship and Bryan Adams.

The best song on this album is "From now on" with guest vocalist Suzi Benson. This is the song that keeps the tape in my stereo.Synthetic string sections accompany Michael's voice very well and I agree with the other reviewers: Michael is easy listening....he's very easy to listen to....A+

A really great album, Michael's amazing voice powers through the strong dynamics of the album. Beautiful lyrics and great production make it a timeless classic. From the tenderness of How am I Supposed... to the raw emotion of How Can We Be Lovers, Michael's singing brilliance is never in doubt. Ignore the less than average reviews, this is a classic Michael Bolton album.

My goodness some critics can be so vicious! Really, this CD is not at all as bad as it's portrayed. I bought it back in 1989 when Michael Bolton enjoyed a pretty large fan-base. Let's face it, this is not fist pumping music that is going to fill up a stadium; but, then again, it was never meant to be. Michael is firmly placed in the easy-listening genre with a load of other artists who either never got their full due or whose audience unexpectedly turned on them. In Michael's case, I can't tell which it is, maybe he is affected by both scenarios. Michael's gritty vocals are soulful and he sings with passion. He offers a pleasing range of tunes, which I am hard-pressed to dislike. Basically, Michael is easy listening and there is nothing wrong with that!