Artist: Michael Bolton
Album: Gems - The Very Best Of
Label: Sony Music
OUT NOW
Rating: 3.5/5
Michael Bolton fans are in for a real treat this week as his releases a double album Gems - The Very Best Of.
Disc one brings together some of the greatest singles that Bolton has released during his long and illustrious career while Gems sees him team up with a whole host of stars in the duets side of the album.
There is a really upbeat feel to the start of this album as Michael Bolton teams up with Rascal Flatts for Love Is Everything.
It is clear from this opening track that Bolton’s vocals are as good as ever as his deep and earthy tones are complimented by the slightly higher pitched Rascal Flatts beautifully.
Fields of Gold is one of the highlights on the album as Eva Cassidy’s beautiful vocals alongside Michael’s really do work wonderfully - they are supporting by an acoustic guitar, piano and some strings.
But the instruments are very much in the background and it’s the vocals that really left to stand out and dominate, it’s a very emotional recording of this stunning song.
But the special guests on this album don’t just lend their vocal talents as world renowned violinist Anne Akiko Meyers features on a great cover of Pride (In The Name Of Love).
This time around the guitars on the track are supported by these great strings, and it really does give the track a real Irish/Riverdanceish type feel to it.
This is not simply a case of covering well known songs Michael Bolton and co really have put their own stamp on every track on this great duets album.
You could be listening to some of these songs for the first time, Pride being a particularly good example of this.
The only thing that I would say about these duets is that they are perhaps just a little bit too safe - there is not a single song that makes you sit up and say ‘I can’t believe that have recorded that.’
Gems is frontloaded with all of the best tracks coming at the beginning and the album does weaken towards the end - which is a shame.
But throughout this album artists have been chosen that compliment Michael Bolton’s distinctive vocals, I’m Not Ready with Delta Goodrem is very good.
Vocally this shows that Michael is still at his very best and it will be great to now see him put out a new record of original material.
Michael Bolton - Gems - The Very Best Of is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Michael Bolton