Two Words, One Answer.
Michael McDonald
 Motown Two $13.98 I've liked Michael McDonald for a long time, but had not purchased his music. I was listening to to him on Slacker and finally decided to buy music on Amazon's MP3 Downloads. After finding and listening to Motown II, I stopped looking for individual songs to download and got the album. I haven't stopped listening since. In the office. In the car. At home. For those shopping and reading reviews, please overlook the snotty supercilious reviews. This is good music. It's fun. It's well done. I now prefer Michael's versions to several of the originals. He has a great voice. I'm ready for Motown III. In the mean time, I'll be buying more Michael McDonald.  This Christmas $11.93 Michael McDonald's latest holiday CD has nothing but great music; but it becomes a mixed bag because so much of this has been released before. This CD has quite a few of its twelve tracks from Michael's past holiday releases "In the Spirit" and "Through the Many Winters." If you have these two CDs and you don't want the extra numbers on this album, then this is not for you. This album is really best geared at diehard Michael McDonald fans who want everything by him and/or people who are rather casual fans and who don't have the previous two CD releases. Michael is in good form here; his voice sounds great and his sophisticated phrasing impresses me. We get fine musical numbers including "That's What Christmas Means to Me" with its percussion, guitar and so much more as Michael sings this Stevie Wonder song faultlessly. Another tune, "This Christmas," is easy on the ear; and I especially like the medley of "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland." "White Christmas" in particular is both moving and poignant; and its melancholy ache for somehow simpler times gone by when you were young and your parents would protect you from anything is very appealing. "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" gets a very laid-back treatment as well as a rarely heard opening verse; and it all holds its own very well. "On This Night" has a fine piano arrangement that accompanies Michael McDonald beautifully; and "Children Go Where I Send Thee" has a somewhat gospel flavor to it mixed with another element that almost sounds like jazz--anyway you describe it, however, I really like it! "Every Time Christmas Comes Around" gets the royal treatment from Michael; he was born to sing songs like this. Listen for quite a creative arrangement on "Come, O Come Emanuel/What Month Was Jesus Born;" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" has a wonderful jazzy sound that enhances the ballad while allowing Michael to put his own stamp on this song. The album closes with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas;" this is a number first sung by Judy Garland in the MGM movie "Meet Me in Saint Louis;" Michael does this so well I'm sure Judy would approve! The MP3 download version of this album includes live tracks of an electric "Christmas on the Bayou" and "Peace." Another reviewer notes that there is a QVC edition of this release with five more tracks than the CD format of this album; and they're right. While you don't get the live tracks of "Christmas on the Bayou" and "Peace;" the five extra tracks on the QVC version come on a separate bonus CD and the two CD set currently costs roughly nine dollars more. The QVC extras are "Angels We Have Heard on High;" "Deck the Halls/Jingle Bells;" "Auld Lang Syne/O Tannenbaum;" "To Make a Miracle" and "World Out of a Dream." Michael McDonald diehard fans would do well to get one version or another of this release so they have all of these holiday songs by Michael. If you're a much more casual fan and you have only one (or neither) of "In the Spirit" and "Through the Many Years," you just may want to pick this up; Michael's songs on this album are just what you'll want when it's time to roast chestnuts in your own fireplace! |
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