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Motown Two
: Way back in the day, when Michael first started with the Doobies on tour, he started out singing "Take Me In Your Arms." The Doobies followed up with another Motown cover, "Little Darlin," two albums later. Michael McDonald is no stranger to Motown. This album fulfills a promise that begin almost three decades ago. Michael McDonald is the perfect person to interpret the Motown catalogue. Now these are the songs that I remember with such delight. Michael feels so much more relaxed than he did on the first album. The tracks are much more upbeat. And there's an element of fun here that's been missing from soul music for such a long time. For a white guy, Michael McDonald sings a GREAT R&B tune!
 I'm a huge Michael McDonald fan, so I've been thrilled by the success of his MOTOWN and now his MOTOWN TWO CDs. Michael has perhaps the most distinctive voice in music today and I'd buy anything he sang.
I hope he returns to original songwriting for his next project. For a guy who has a grammy for writing "What A Fool Believes," perhaps my all-time favorite song, he doesn't need to be doing remakes of other people's songs.
I was reading some of the reviews and have to agree with them...this album is soo much better than the first. The arrangements differ from the originals - which is what I like anyway. Mike's first Motown album covers were just too close to the sound of the originals, but not this one. For example, he adds a latin feel to Marvin's,"After the dance" and it comes off great. I stand behind my comments that between Michael Mcdonald and Daryl Hall...I don't think there are any better soul singers out there now. Is it me, or has the two of them only gotten better with age? Wow...Michael's rendition of "Tears of a clown" is moving and one of the best songs on the album. Of course, my favorite is the classic, "Stop, Look, Listen to your heart" (which originally was a Philly soul song and not Motown) However, neither was his rendition of "You are everything" (another Philly soul classic), but wow..Michael's duet with Toni Braxton is just awesome.
It is so so so so refreshing to hear good music. I felt like I was abandoned on an island somewhere- forced to listen to what the "media machine" and Mtv say is "IT" or "HOT". I don't think either of them would know "IT" or "HOT" if it came up and bit them on the....well, you know. For example, how can Justin Timberlake beat out Michael Mcdonald for "Best male vocalist"..it just is inconceivable !!! Justin sounds like a watered down Michael Jackson (and do we need another one). Michael can sing cirlces around him, not too mention I wanted to laugh when J.T. got on the keys to play the same 3 chords over and over again (wow, I learned to do that when I was 10 Justin!)Michael just goes up there and puts J.T. to shame...what happened Grammy people????????? or should I say MTV. I hope that everyone gets the chance to buy this album (and Hall and Oates)....you will not be dissapointed !! send a message to the music industry that we know great music...so stop putting out sub par music (that all the music and singers sound alike)and stop adding your controlling 2 cents to music. I promise that you will not be disapointed with this album (it is just awesome) and pick up Hall and Oates too :) I
While the first MOTOWN was excellent to me, I think this one is even better. Critics have highly praised this second volume, MOTOWN TWO. My top song picks are "YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY", "REACH OUT, I'LL BE THERE", "BABY I NEED YOUR LOVIN'", "WHAT'S GOING ON", and "MERCY MERCY ME", among others. Michael McDonald executes these MOTOWN tunes well. 4 stars. Such a soulful voice that MM has!
Before the first Motown album, Michael McDonald had continued to tour while also working as a songwriter/recording artist after parting ways with Warner/Reprise in the mid nineties. He released a strong album, Blue Obsession, via an independent company that had little chance of being heard by those outside of McDonald's fanbase. Then McDonald's Comet came streaking back into the national consciousness in 2003 via the one-two punch of the Motown album/MCI commercial combo... He was finally able to make the most of an opportunity that presented itself to him. The moons had aligned in his galaxy. The project was a perfect fit for McDonald's type of voice and singing style. The people who purchased it dug it... A LOT.
After the album became the most successful of his solo career, the pressure was ON... What would the music buying public want next from McDonald now that they "found" him again? The choice was obvious, but maybe not the most artistic. When a singer/songwriter is painted into this kind of corner, the challenge becomes clear-- If all they want is another Motown album, make a BETTER Motown album.
He did it.
This new album surpasses the original on almost every level. The production is warmer, the song selection has more edge and McDonald is now at home with the material versus being an enthusiastic visitor for the first one.
There's not a stinker in the bunch. One highlight amongst the highlights is a smoothed out/quiet storm version of the Smokey Robinson classic "Tracks Of My Tears". The arrangers take a little license with the verse chords to great effect, tweaking this already fantastic song into a fresh, original new groove. The same could be said for the subtle Latin samba vibe laid into Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me" and "After The Dance". Keeping the soul flowing is the little known Stevie Wonder composition "Tuesday Heartbreak" (It was the flipside to the 45 single "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"... I was ten!... Old enough to remember). This collection of tracks takes you from the well known thru the lost and found treasures of the Motown catalog, all performed with the grace of a real music business survivor who's also a huge fan of the Hitsville era.
Michael McDonald's distinctive vocals reveal a true passion for the material. He's not only nailing songs that are hard to sing, but he's also bringing his own style to compositions that the original writers couldn't help but respect.
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