Michael McDonald is a true star and his talent knows no bounds. Recently his career with Motown (or what passes as it) has taken him to new heights of popularity within the US. Michael is known and loved in the UK too, and his work with the Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, Chaka Khan, George Benson and Patti LaBelle has helped him make a home in many hearts here, of people of all musical persuasions. This 1985 album is, primarily, a rock CD BUT as always, this great man throws in a few KILLER soul grooves which no soul fan in their right man would want to pass over. As it happens, liking rock as I do there are a few killer rock tunes too and if you're the same then check out the strong title track which was a big US hit. Ballads have always been Michael's speciality. His soulful voice and sympathetic production by Ted Templeman are unbeatable, and if you check out my chosen songs below I am sure you won't disagree with this."Any Foolish Thing"is not a track to ignore. In fact, ignore this at your peril. Soulful, summery and awesome are three ample words to describe this song. The Doobies / Steely Dan's saxophonist, Cornelius Bumpus, shows that he can blow a sax as soulful as any of the best of the rest, and with complete ease too. This groove canters along brilliantly and is one for a nice long car drive along the coast. Oh, I couldn't imagine my collection without this. My second choice is the KILLER "Our Love" - a dreamy, hazy song that unashamedly sends me to heaven. Paulinho Da Costa's almost reverent percussion sits alongside a gentle, floating bubbling keyboard line courtesy of Michael McDonald himself along with Brian Mann. This is one of Michael's finest ever recordings, and when I heard the 12" remix I almost had a seizure. Everything that made this track brilliant had been stripped out. thankfully this is cheap as chips on CD, and if you only want the 2 highlighted tracks then they're there on Amazon to download as well. Please don't miss these.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
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