With his strong voice, Michael McDonald gave color to 70s figurehead hits and . As a solo artist he had some big hits in the 80s. In our country , For example , On My Own, his 1986 duet with , reached the highest regions of the charts. In the following years, his fame declined, until he made a comeback with a series of soul albums at the beginning of this century. They were mainly filled with
… covers, which makes his ninth studio album Wide Open extra special. On this record almost all songs are from McDonald himself. He also partly controls the production himself. The singer is assisted by drummer Shannon Forrest. Soul is still central on many songs and the singing of the sixties has lost none of its power. Most of the 12 songs are full of energy and are fired at the listener with youthful passion. The arrangements and recording of the songs, on the other hand, are very neat and accessible. It makes Wide Open an ideal record for lovers of virtuosity and craftsmanship. (JE)more
