Michael Bublé: big bands, beautiful dancers, patent leather shoes. To Be Loved is, like all other Bublé albums, a bombastic mix of standards, own compositions and covers of popular artists. Every song requires a different approach and that also happens through the clever arrangements of Dave Pierce and Alan Chang. It does mean that the album is absolutely not a unity. It's a collection of songs,
… that's all. Two things stand out. First, the ballads. They are not Bublé's forte. Technically he can do it, but the feeling is missing. Such a bloodless version of Something Stupid, it shouldn't be. Bublé's voice is made for great work. It's like driving a Ferrari through the city: waiting nervously all the time until you can accelerate. Second, Bublé should have more confidence in his own writing skills. A song like It's A Beautiful Day is an extremely pleasant pop song with hit potential. It is a pity that such strong songs have to compensate for the weaker songs. It is high time that Michael Bublé made choices. Time for a real album, instead of a random selection from his record collection. (HF)more
