Sweet Freedom: The Best of Michael McDonald

Performer: Michael McDonald (Vocals/Keys)
Artist: Patti LaBelle; Alison Krauss; James Ingram; Quincy Jones; Kenny Loggins; John Tesh; Vince Gill; Joe Walsh
Distributor: MSI Music Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Michael McDonald (vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Patti LaBelle, Quincy Jones, James Ingram (vocals); Dean Parks (acoustic guitar); David Pack (guitar); Joe Walsh (slide guitar); Albert Wing (tenor saxophone); John Tesh, Michael Hanna, Michael Boddicker (synthesizer); Willie Weeks (bass); Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Maureen McDonald, Kenny Loggins (background vocals). Producers include: Ted Templeman, Lenny Waronker, Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald, Burt Bacharach. Compilation producers: Michael McDonald, Gary Peterson. Includes liner notes by Barry Alfonso. Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch and Bill Inglot (Digiprep). This collection of solo tracks from the former Doobie Brother includes "I Gotta Try" and "What a Fool Believes." The Swedish import includes five bonus tracks. A solid collection that features all of McDonald's greatest hits from the early '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine For too long, there wasn't a Michael McDonald compilation available domestically. Rhino/Warner Archives' 2001 release The Very Best of Michael McDonald corrects that situation, offering a generous 16 tracks, including duets and a previous unreleased version of Higher Ground. The collection concentrates solely on his solo recordings for Warner/Reprise, which means it ends in 1993 and doesn't include anything from his long-delayed 2000 album. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because McDonald stopped having hits in the late '80s, so there's nothing missing (even though casual fans can be forgiven for wondering why latter-day Doobie Brothers singles aren't here; at a certain point, those became indistinguishable from McDonald's solo work). At its best -- which would be "No Lookin' Back," "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," "Yah Mo Be There," "On My Own," and "Sweet Freedom" -- this captures everything that's good about laid-back, West Coast, soul-tinged soft rock. At its worst, it's professional, well constructed, and listenable, lacking only songs that work their way underneath your skin. In a way, the length works against the compilation, since the merely pleasant feels like padding, but McDonald's greatest hits remain sterling examples of finely made, soft blue-eyed soul. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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