Soul Speak - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
The unforgettable voice of Michael McDonald is back with his follow up to his two Motown tribute albums! The former Doobie Brother and touring member of Steely Dan returns with a 13 track record, featuring some of Michael's favorite songs: "Love TKO" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Walk on By" by Dionne Warwick, "Into The Mystic" by Van Morrison, "Living For The City" by Stevie Wonder, "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley and more. "Soul Speak" also features the brand new song from Michael "Getting Over You". Let Michael's familiar voice take you higher with "Soul Speak".

Customer Reviews: Read 40 more reviews...

1 out of 5 stars

Superfluous and Mundane! March 5, 2008
18 out of 32 found this review helpful

I hate this cd. It consists of unnecessary remakes of great songs and a few weak McDonald-penned originals. Don't get me wrong, Michael McDonald has a great reedy voice. The problem with this cd is that the song remakes pale in comparison with the original or familiar classics. Please, trying to top Teddy on "Love T.K.O.?" And why listen to McDonald's "Into the Mystic" when you can hear Van Morrison's haunting and vastly superior original? If you want to hear the definitive remake of "[Baby] Can I Change My Mind," dig out your old Roy Buchanan record. The whole project is superfluous and mundane, except perhaps for the senior sansabelt Vegas lounge set. Come to think of it, Michael McDonald might just be the new Jerry Vale.

2 out of 5 stars

Nice Try. Get back to basics March 7, 2008
15 out of 19 found this review helpful

I've read the other reviews so I won't repeat the main points of his great voice and tepid remakes. If you want to hear Michael with an inspired voice and interpretation listen to his guest track on Foreplays "X" cd, My Love's Leaving Me. You wil replay it again and again. I have been a fan since his first cuts with the Doobie Brothers. Been to a dozen of his shows. He's jumped the shark here and needs to retreat and find his voice again with songs he can truly leave his mark on. If you haven't seen him live, go. But don't waste your money on this cd.

3 out of 5 stars

Soul Lost The Voice March 5, 2008
13 out of 23 found this review helpful

When it has came down to it, the past few years showed to be pretty bright for Michael McDonald. After a few years of success in his revived cover albums era with 2002's Motown and its 2004 sequel Motown Two, he needed to prove again if he has been able to achieve that classic Blue-eyed Soul he had successfully achieved like he did during his 80's height, and his time when he was a member of The Doobie Brothers back in the 70's. Now, he has expanded past his acheived Motown success, with his latest covers' album, and hopes to do well. But what we have, isn't a real feeling for the Rhythm And Blues as we thought over here in this latest album.

Michael McDonald's 2008 album, Soul Speak, tries to expand his successful comeback after his 2 previous Motown albums, into doing classic covers from all walks of vintage music. the songs aren't really anything that shines brightly here, and doesn't completely click with anyone who is new to Michael's distinctive style. The album includes covers of songs that don't shine so well here, and somewhat borrow the theme of Motown too, as shown by his covers' of Stevie Wonder classics Living For The City and For Once In My Life, as well as soul standards like Ray Charles' You Don't Know Me and the Aretha Franklin and George Michael hit, I Knew You Were Waiting For Me. Other standard covers' like Dionne Warwick's Walk On By and Teddy Pendergrass' Love T.K.O. don't help either to seperate this album from being distinctive.

All in all, Soul Speak isn't a must buy for anyone who is new to Michael McDonald's style, or definitive enough to even appeal to longtime fans as well. I could just say that if you're new to Michael's voice, you're better off buying his 2005 greatest hits album The Ultimate Collection instead. As for this album, it makes you keep forgettin' you've ever heard this record.

Album Cover: B

Songs: D 1/2+

Price: C-

Mastering: C

Overall: C-

3 out of 5 stars

Uninspired March 10, 2008
11 out of 16 found this review helpful

I picked this up without listening to it, after I'd heard that it was better than his previous two Motown offerings. I wished I'd listened first, though, because I probably would have passed it up. There are some interesting song choices here. "Into the Mystic," "Hallelujah," and "Redemption Song" all held potential. However, although Michael's voice is as strong as ever, the song selection and arrangements are nothing special. Even the few original songs aren't particularly strong. As a result, the album ends up being a decent but ultimately forgettable entry in McDonald's discography.

Here's hoping that he doesn't wait another three years before his next release. Here's also hoping that he finally moves beyond his fixation with cover albums...

4 out of 5 stars

Another solid "Motown" album, 3 Stars March 11, 2008
10 out of 26 found this review helpful

To say that Michael McDonald's "interpretation" of soulful, classic pop songs is lacking in authenticity is a bit of a harsh reality. Though the constant problem with cover albums is gaining the authenticity that the original performer(s) had. On SOUL SPEAK, the exceptionally talented blue-eyed soul/soft-rock star never accomplishes the feat of trumping the originals (though he comes close on opener "I Knew You Were Waiting"), but then that was the same issue present on both MOTOWN and MOTOWN II. What the soul brother does do is cover most tracks convincingly. Those that are less convincing aren't less convincing solely because McDonald isn't the given artist who performed the tracks, but often because some productions on this album are the slightest bit too slick for their own good. SOUL SPEAK is definitely flawed, but it isn't flawed so much that it ruins McDonald's intended effect. Overall, it is a generally likeable album with hits and misses.

"I Knew You Were Waiting" is a brilliant cover by McDonald. The original was a duet between Aretha Franklin and George Michael. McDonalds vocal affectations are much better than Michael could've hoped to have been (not discounting the original by any means, but Franklin outsang him). Sure the production is a bit over slicked, but it works well for McDonald, just as it has on McDonald's previous covers albums. "Living For The City" isn't bad either, but it is Stevie and only Stevie Wonder does Stevie the best. "Love T.K.O." is enjoyable as well, but Teddy Pendergrass shouldn't be fearful of McDonald's fine performance ever trumping his original, "orgasmic" take. "Walk On By" features soulful production, but it doesn't stand out like its predecessors making it McDonald's first miss. It's solid, but not exceptional. "Still Not Over You (Getting Over Me)" is an excellent original from McDonald (the first we've seen for a while!) "Still Not Over Your (Getting Over Me)" makes up for any lost momentum after "Walk On By" while McDonald does fine covering Stevie's version of "For Once In My Life" (still not as strong as Stevie of course!).

The Van Morrison cover "Into The Mystic" isn't bad, though not the very best of SOUL SPEAK. "Hallelujah" is strong enough, though everyone will agree Jeff Buckley's cover of the Leonard Cohen classic is perhaps the very best (aside from the original). It is a strong soulful take though. "Enemy Within" (another original) is solid at best while "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" restores any lost momentum up to that point. "Only God Can Help Me Now" is yet another fine original from McDonald, written solely by him. It stands up strongly against the covers without feeling like fluff. "Baby Can I Change My Mind" and "Redemption Song" are solid, though not great while "You Don't Know Me" is a fine, though not fantastic ending to an overall good covers album.

In some ways, SOUL SPEAK is stronger than some portions of McDonald's other two MOTOWN albums. There are some originals (all except for one being exceptional) and an overall strong selection of covers. What most McDonald fans would like to see, however, is a completely "new" McDonald album with originals that tap back into McDonalds "roots" such as the likes of "I Keep Forgetting" or "Yah-Mo Bee There". With three worthy originals here (even "Enemy Within"), McDonald could easily release a fine solo disc of originals. SOUL SPEAK, is a solid album, despite miniscule flaws. 3 Stars.

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