You need Google or Wikipedia to fully appreciate the CD Gems The Duets Collection of Michael Bolton. This is because the blue-eyed soul legend has chosen to sing with an international line-up of artists and several of them are not familiar to us. This, however, will not in anyway detract from your listening pleasure. Bolton’s collaborators are so well-chosen, this must be his best album ever.
Gems lives up to its title. It is truly a gem. And Bolton, laid back and crooning effortlessly most of the time, is singing at his best. Truth to tell, I believe that he gave several of his best vocal performances ever to this album. Still it will not hurt us to know who are these wonderful artists he is singing with. Here goes:
Love Is Everything with Rascal Flatts: A great opener and one of the best cuts in the CD, this is with Grammy winning country music trio of Rascal Flatts. What Hurts The Most is one of its big hits. Gary Levox on vocals, Jay DeMarcus on keyboards and bass and Joe Don Rooney on lead guitar and vocals, composed the new song with Bolton.
How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, a Bolton classic rehashed with Coco Lee: The singer- actress is one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars. She is best known for hits Do You Want My Love and A Love Before Time, the haunting theme from the acclaimed epic film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Fields Of Gold with Eva Cassidy: The song by Sting was one of the beautiful recordings by the talented artist who tragically died at 33 just as she was rising to international stardom. Eva made it to the top posthumously when her version of Over The Rainbow became a hit and got people interested in her recordings.
Sajna featuring A. R. Rahman: The Indian pop star is a world-renowned composer, singer and musical director for films, the stage and television. He has won a few Oscars, some Grammys and many other awards. He is best known to us for the hit songs from the soundtrack of the motion picture Slumdog Millionaire. But no Jai Ho dancing here. He came up with a light, folksy tune to sing with Bolton.
Pride In The Name Of Love a big hit for U2 with Anne Akiko Meyers: She is an American violinist who has been performing and recording professionally since she was 10 years old.
I’m Not Ready featuring Delta Goodrem: An actress, singer, pianist and songwriter, she is one of the biggest stars of Australian films and television who is now dating Nick Jonas. Come to think of it, she has a lot of resemblance to Taylor Swift. But was that Nick or Joe? Who cares? Delta is the one who matters here. Incidentally, she is one fantastic singer.
Over The Rainbow with Paula Fernandes: She is young and very pretty and she is Brazil’s beloved singer of theme songs from popular telenovelas.
When A Man Loves A Woman/ It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World featuring Seal: We know Seal of Kiss From A Rose fame. I saw him and Michael do the mashup duet in the new David Foster and Friends album. Of course, Foster also produced the track. Lots of soul in the song from two sexy heartthrobs.
The Prayer with Lara Fabian: We know Fabian as the original artist behind the phenomenal F4 hit song Broken Vow. She is American but is based in Europe, where she is a huge star. The duet is another Foster production that she and Bolton performed live in David’s show.
You Are So Beautiful featuring trumpet wiz Chris Botti: Trumpet wizard Botti joins the star studded line-up in this dreamy version of the Billy Preston song.
Make You Feel My Love with Helene Fischer: Bolton takes on Bob Dylan in this number with, Fischer, the lovely star of German music and television.
Hallelujah featuring the MB Children’s Choir: Finding the Leonard Cohen classic in any album is always a joy. Bolton makes it doubly inspiring by singing with what I suppose is his own children’s choir.
Steel Bars with Orianthi: Another Dylan song done this time with the Australian pop star Orianthi. If her name sounds familiar, it is because she was supposed to play lead guitar in Michael Jackson’s This Is It concert.
And Said I Loved You… But I Lied, another Bolton classic featuring Indonesian pop idol Agnes Monica.
These are the gems within Gems. They too live up to the title of the album, which should make it to your Christmas lists. Enjoy.