After working successively for Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald successfully embarked on a solo career in the early 1980s, scoring hits such as Sweet Freedom, Yah Mo Be There (with James Ingram) and On My Own (with Patty LaBelle). In the 1990s his career stagnated, only to receive an unexpected boost a decade later with the cover albums Motown and Motown Two, of which he sold
… many millions in the US. Soul Speak builds on that direction, but also allows itself a few adjustments in the success formula. For example, you can no longer only hear music from Motown, but also other soul-crackers. The choice for Into The Mystic (Van Morrison), Redemption Song (Bob Marley) and Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) is even completely outside the genre. McDonald is best seen in lesser-known songs like Love TKO (Teddy Pendergrass) and Still Not Over You (Getting Over Me), one of the three original compositions on the record. (MS)more
