Motown

Performer: Michael McDonald (Vocals/Keys)
Artist: Leon Ware; Bob James; Larry Carlton; Harvey Mason
Producer: Simon Climie
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Michael McDonald (vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Toby Baker (acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, bass, programming); Simon Climie (acoustic & electric guitars, background vocals); Chris Rodriguez (electric guitar, sitar); Tommy Sims (electric guitar, background vocals); Michael Thompson, Larry Carlton (guitar); Mark Douthit (saxophone); Tony Swain (Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Tim Akers, Tim Carmen (Hammond B-3 organ); Bob James (keyboards); Nathan East (bass); Nicky "Mischief" Shaw (drums, percussion, programming); Harvey Mason (drums, percussion); Ricky Lawson (drums); Paul Waller (programming); Tracy Ackermann, Alfreda McCrary, Leon Ware (background vocals). MOTOWN was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players. Michael McDonald never disguises what his seventh solo album is: the title Motown makes it clear that this 2003 effort is a tribute to the glory days of Berry Gordy's Detroit empire. McDonald never strays too far from that thesis, occasionally dipping into the late '70s for material (he takes on Marvin Gaye's "I Want You") and sometimes choosing to wax relatively obscure items from Motown's vast, rich catalog, but for the most part, this is devoted to the songs that you know by heart, whether you were a kid in the '60s or raised on oldies radio. Since this is McDonald, not a neo-soul neophyte, this is cleanly and sharply produced, relying heavily on synthesizers, drum machines, and professional vocalists, but anybody who has spent any time with his solo records will find this not to be objectionable, but par for the course. If McDonald doesn't reinvent these songs -- hell, he uses the original arrangements as a blueprint, then cleans them up -- he does display a love and reverence for the work, and his singing is passionate throughout. Ultimately, Motown doesn't add much to his discography, but for those who love McDonald and Motown in equal measures, it's a fine listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine As a guy who made his reputation for being neck-deep in the sounds of blue-eyed soul, it seems Michael McDonald was destined to put out MOTOWN (released on the label of the same name), an album's worth of classics from this esteemed company's canon. McDonald went out and hired Fourplay, a quartet of top-notch jazz musicians, to back him up on his Motown debut. The combination of this St. Louis native's gruff vocals and the silky accompaniment of Larry Carlton, Bob James, Harvey Mason, and Nathan East gives adds a fresh touch to songs originally recorded by the likes of The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Wonder and Gaye songs make up the lion's share of the material, reflecting McDonald's longtime admiration of these two R&B giants. He doesn't disappoint, whether cutting loose on "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" or lovingly caressing "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)." With the stellar degree of care and respect accorded to these songs by McDonald, this 2003 outing ends up being a fine tribute to the Motown Records legacy.

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