Ultimate Collection

Michael McDonald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 9, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B0009X779A
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > R&B > Soul > Blue-Eyed Soul
  • #14 in Music > Pop > Adult Contemporary > General AAS
  • #19 in Music > R&B > Soul > General AAS

Track Listings

1. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

2. What A Fool Believes (The Doobie Brothers)

3. I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)

4. Yah Mo B There (w/ James Ingram)

5. Takin’ It To The Streets (The Doobie Brothers)

6. Sweet Freedom

7. Minute By Minute (The Doobie Brothers)

8. On My Own (w/ Patti LaBelle)

9. You Belong To Me (The Doobie Brothers)

10. Real Love (The Doobie Brothers)

11. I Stand For You

12. It Keeps You Runnin’ (The Doobie Brothers)

13. Take It To Heart

14. No Love To Be Found

15. I Gotta Try

16. No Lookin’ Back

17. Blink Of An Eye

18. Open The Door (Urban Remix)

19. Lost In The Parade

Editorial Reviews

One of the most immediately recognizable voices in all of contemporary music, Michael McDonald's signature sound fuses rock, R&B, soul, and gospel. As he evolved onward from his formative days as a backup singer for Steely Dan, McDonald's artistry bridged the gap between jazzy blue-eyed soul and and chart-topping pop rock, earning him superstardom both as lead vocalist/keyboardist for the Doobie Brothers and as a solo artist. Spanning 1976 to the present, this hit-packed new compilation spotlights his inimitable baritone on 19 timeless songs that will have you believing from the very first minute. Warner. 2005.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Mc Donald, the front man of "Blue-Eyed Soul" August 12, 2005

By Michael Brent Faulkner, Jr. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

What more can you say about a legend the caliber of Michael McDonald in the music business? He can sing his head off! Michael McDonald did things that people aren't doing today in the music industry-- crossing over. In the 1970s Mc Donald was one of the frontmen for the "blue-eyed soul movement" and he did it very well. He is both adult contemporary while also being soulful and exciting to listen to. His voice is both coarse and smooth at the same time. He is definitely, in my eyes, still one singer to beat, even in his early 50s. He is keeping soul music alive where others choose to let it go, and that is definitely respectable.

As for his ultimate hits, it is an excellent compilation combining the highlights of his career including "What A Fool Believes" with the Doobie Brothers, "Takin' It To The Streets", "On My Own", his sensational duet with Patti La Belle", and even a modern hit from his MOTOWN album "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". That is just a partial list of the wonderful hits included on this master singer's ULTIMATE COLLECTION. You can't go wrong with a veteran, especially on a strong compilation disc as this one.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael McDonald is takin' it to the pop/rock/R&B streets October 12, 2005

By andy8047

Format:Audio CD

There are no original tracks on this album. But because Michael McDonald is one of the world's greatest musicians/songwriters,I give this album five stars. The ex-Doobie Brother and pre-DB's background vocalist for Steely Dan gives us his very best on this collection. The Doobie Brothers recordings contained herein are from 1976's TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS,the title track and IT KEEPS YOU RUNNIN'. From the Grammy-winning MINUTE BY MINUTE,released in 1978 is WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES,co-written by McDonald's friend Kenny Loggins. WAFB itself won a Grammy also in early 1979. From 1980's ONE STEP CLOSER is REAL LOVE. From McDonald's '82 solo debut IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES is I KEEP FORGETTIN'(EVERYTIME YOU'RE NEAR) and I GOTTA TRY. In 1983,McDonald collaborated with James Ingram on YAH MO B THERE,produced by Quincy Jones. That song is from an album of Ingram's. From McDonald's second solo album NO LOOKING BACK,released in 1985,is the title track. SWEET FREEDOM is from the 1986 MGM/UA film RUNNING SCARED and the soundtrack album. The film's stars Billy Crystal and the late Gregory Hines join McDonald in the music video. TAKE IT TO HEART is from the 1990 album of the same title. The lone track from 2003's MOTOWN,also a Grammy-winner,is AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH made famous originally by the late great Marvin Gaye. The other songs are excellent! This collection could have used REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE from 2004's MOTOWN TWO,MINUTE BY MINUTE and DEPENDIN' ON YOU from MBM,ONE STEP CLOSER from the album of the same title and PLAYIN' BY THE RULES from ITWIT. Also on this collection is ON MY OWN,a duet with Patti LaBelle,from LaBelle's 1986 MCA album,WINNER IN YOU.... Fans of McDonald are also fans of Daryl Hall & John Oates,The Righteous Brothers,the late Robert Palmer,Ingram,Ambrosia and of course,the Doobie Brothers. Read more ›

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice, but incomplete overview August 10, 2005

By Dr. Emil "Tom" Shuffhausen

Format:Audio CD

As I've said about other compliations, we all have to realize that you can only get just so much music on one CD. And, with an artist as prolific and as significant as Michael McDonald, that means a lot of great music is going to be excluded from a single disc.

Still, this is a good, useful overview for the casual fan...for the person who is perhaps just discovering McDonald with his Motown CDs or who hasn't heard anything from him since his days with the Doobie Brothers. This disc collects a diverse group of tracks from various eras, and all of them are excellent. I would have liked to have seen "One Step Closer" or his duet with Patti LaBelle, "Ever Changing Times" included, but, given the time/space limitations, I think the producers did a good job of choosing tracks.

There's a lot to like here: "Yah Mo Be There" with James Ingram is always inspiring; "I Keep Forgettin" is a moody, bluesy masterpiece; "Sweet Freedom" is a great dance tune with one of Michael's best vocals; and, of course, his work with the Doobies shines brightly. (Michael's stint with the Doobie Brothers includes the terribly underrated but masterfully performed LIVIN' ON THE FAULT LINE album, in addition to TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS, MINUTE BY MINUTE, and ONE STEP CLOSER.)

One day, it would be great to have a box set that included all of these tunes, plus more of Michael's work with others like Kenny Loggins, Cristopher Cross, and even Steely Dan. Until then, be happy with this "nearly ultimate" collection.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sampler of both the Doobie Bros and Solo careers! September 19, 2006

By Distant Voyageur

Format:Audio CD

This 2005 "Ultimate Collection" is true to it's word in the fact that it compiles two worlds onto one great CD: One is Michael McDonald's solo material and other other his former band that he was lead singer of The Doobie brothers in the 1970s. This isn't a replacement of McDonald's solo 'best of' CD "The Very Best of" from a few years before. Many of the most well-known songs from McDonald and crew appear on here including a track from his most recent release "Motown Two" and a bizarre remix of "Open The Door" from his "Blue Obsession" CD. At 77 minutes, this is a very good investment in introducing someone to his music.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars McD & his Doobie hits August 10, 2005

By The JuRK

Format:Audio CD

I agree with the other reviews quibbling that this is not an "ultimate" CD: Michael has too many other outstanding songs that need to be included before it could be called an "ultimate."

But it is the first collection, that I know of, that includes his Doobie Bros hits with his great solo and collaborative hits. This CD will make for wonderful gifts to friends I want to expose to Michael's broad career.

An "ultimate" edition would probably be at least three discs long! The tunes ad up when you think about how many songs he's sung with everyone from Christopher Cross to Ambrosia to Steely Dan to DC Talk! And there should be a DVD clip included of the hilarious Second City TV sketch from the Eighties with Rick Moranis as Michael rushing from one studio to another to sing back-up on everyone's songs.

I have all of Michael's CDs and DVDs already, and I still bought this one since it puts a lot of his hits together on one disc.