The Very Best of Michael McDonald

Michael McDonald

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 3, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B00004YLIV
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,214 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Michael McDonald got his big break in Southern California singing with Steely Dan in 1974. He later became a superstar as a lead singer/keyboardist with The Doobie Brothers from 1975 to 1982, contributing such megahits as "Takin' It To The Streets," "It Keeps You Runnin'," "Minute By Minute," and the triple-Grammy'-winning #1 smash "What A Fool Believes." Post-Doobies, McDonald scored gold with his 1982 solo debut LP If That's What It Takes and its #4 single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)." His career has since taken him back to the rootsier rhythms he explores today. The Very Best Of Michael McDonald spotlights the legendary artist's greatest solo sides, including all of the hits from his own albums, movie soundtracks, and collaborations with James Ingram, Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Foster, Peter Wolf, Joe Walsh, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, John Tesh, and Don Was-plus a previously unissued version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" taken from the ex-Doobie's 1990 Take It To Heart sessions. The accompanying liner notes feature new quotes from McDonald himself.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 'Best' Left Out Some of the 'Best', August 7, 2001

By A Customer

Of course, being a huge Michael McDonald fan, I cannot be displeased with much that he puts out. Particularly on this album, I was impressed with the very powerful remake of "Higher Ground", and I cannot believe it was never released before. Yet I was disappointed to see that, for those who do not have all of Michael's collections (as I do), they will be missing out on "Hey Girl" and his duet with Aretha Franklin, "Everchanging Times". If you read the cover inside the CD, a lot of the songs (although good) didn't even reach the charts, so I question why they are there. I disagree with someone who mentioned he should've thrown in Doobies material; in my opinion, there are many Greatest Hit packages for the Doobies and doing so for the solo Greatest would just be redundant. I do, however, agree that he could have included the phenomenal performance of "Minute by Minute" played at the New York Rock and Soul Revue. I would recommend this album for those that need a "taste" of Michael's music, but it's a bit lacking for his long-time fans. With the great music I'm hearing on his new album, "Blue Obsession", I think he should've waited until after that release to make this Greatest Hits compilation, because I predict at least a few songs will make it big.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Very Best After The Doobie Brothers But Before "Motown", May 3, 2004

By	Mike Vegas King (Taunton, MA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Michael McDonald's distinctive voice and strong songwriting abilities helped turn the Doobie Brothers into a hit-making machine. Michael's outstanding vocals helped sustain his success after he left the Doobie Brothers. "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," taken from his first solo album, made it all the way to #4 in 1982. However, Michael's songwriting seemed to suffer from a certain sameness, as evidenced by his songs "Matters Of The Heart," "By Heart" and "Take It To Heart" on this collection. Michael's solo career is also noteworthy for his duets, particularly with James Ingram on "Yah Mo B There" (#19 in 1984), and with Patti LaBelle on the smash hit "On My Own" (#1 in 1986). The superb song "Sweet Freedom," which peaked at #7 in 1986, outshines most of the other songs on this collection. Michael's version of the Stevie Wonder classic "Higher Ground," which was previously unreleased, is another highlight on this compilation. Michael McDonald would go on to even greater success covering other Stevie Wonder songs on his recent "Motown" album. Too bad this collection was released before that album came out.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get the Word Started, April 9, 2001

By	Edgar Alberts (CT, USA) - See all my reviews

On one hand, Michael McDonald's new collection is an amazing collection of his best work. It gives us his duets "Yah Mo B There" and "On My Own" in the same place. The previously unreleased "Higher Ground" is a powerful number, and "Get the Word Started" is a good one from after his first hits collection "Sweet Freedom-Best of". And yet most of these songs are repeats, which is understandable, since you can't forget "I Keep Forgetting" or "By Heart." But 6 of the songs are from his "No Lookin' Back" album, while his recent album "Blue Obsession" is mentioned in the liner notes but not represented by any song on the cd. Is "Bad Times" essential McDonald? I would be more curious about a track from his latest album sounds like so I could see if I wanted to get it. Instead, I'm fed nearly the whole "No Lookin' Back" album and thus would have no need to purchase that cd for only a couple different songs. And although it's hard to cover everything McDonald did even with 16 tracks, his first solo album "If That's What It Takes" only scored two songs, equal to the amount from "Blink of an Eye" which failed to chart. In spite of these questionable inclusions and exclusions, The album has a clear sound that celebrates McDonald's unique voice. That is what I feel it raises to level of a five-star album, every song is good when McDonald sings it. And the liner notes are about 8 pages and give a biography and photos of Michael while noting trivia about the individual songs on this disc. Some would argue for marketing reasons that it's important to "fill it with hits" rather than show the artist's range from "Ain't that Peculiar" to "Down by the River." And yet if they put in more reasons to check it out like the one previously unreleased "Higher Ground", it would have been a more rewarding album. Nonetheless, whether seen as a former Doobie Brother, a pop hitmaker, or a pure musician, McDonald delivers the goods.