Wide Open

by Michael McDonald

Overview

Wide Open is Michael McDonald's first album in nearly a decade, following Soul Speak by nine years, but a better benchmark would be Blue Obsession, the last album of original material he released. That record arrived in 2000, long before McDonald's reputation was revived by both yacht rocking satirists and R&B hipsters -- elements that barely factor into the sound of Wide Open, although their existence may have convinced McDonald to leave behind his stroll through the '60s soul songbook. Although he remains firmly grounded in blue-eyed soul, Wide Open also encompasses the slick open-road rockers of the Doobie Brothers and occasionally dabbles in some unexpected sounds from McDonald. "Just Strong Enough" ends with a spin on a New Orleans funeral march, "Honest Emotion" conjures a hazy Laurel Canyon sunset, "Blessing in Disguise" splices Sting with acid jazz, and "Too Short" nods at percolating African rhythms. Not one of these is new, per se, but they are new to McDonald, and give Wide Open a fresher feel than McDonald's overcooked (but well-intentioned) solidarity anthem "Free a Man." Nevertheless, the fact that he felt the need to voice support for the downtrodden, not to mention threading recovery speak into "Find It in Your Heart," gives McDonald a vitality on record that otherwise feels like a proud throwback to his halcyon days. While he happily trades on the slow-burning R&B grooves and soft rock melodicism that made him a star in the '70s and '80s, there's not much of a feeling of pandering nostalgia here. Instead, McDonald seems to be integrating all his personas -- the soul true believer, the godfather of smooth -- in a record that not only feels true but, song for song, is sturdier than nearly all of the albums he recorded at his popular peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/13/2017
Label:	Bmg / Wea
UPC:	4050538311440
Rank:	106256

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Hail Mary
2. Just Strong Enough
3. Find It in Your Heart
4. Half Truth
5. Ain't No Good
6. Honest Emotion

Disc 2

7. Blessing in Disguise
8. Dark Side
9. If You Wanted to Hurt Me
10. Beautiful Child
11. Too Short
12. Free a Man

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Michael McDonald   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Clavinet,Harmonica,Keyboards,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Synthesizer Pads,Wah Wah Clavinet,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Synthesizer Brass
Michael Landau   Slide Guitar,Guitar (Electric),Soloist
Michael Leonhart   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
John Peppard   Synthesizer
Robben Ford   Soloist,Guitar (Electric)
Michael Rhodes   Bass
Tom Scott   Soloist
George Shelby   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Willie Weeks   Bass
Tommy Simms   Bass
Bernie Chiaravalle   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (12 String Electric)
Ward Smith   Sax (Tenor)
Andrew Lippman   Trombone
Lanice Morrison   Bass
Sol Littlefield   Soloist,Guitar (Electric)
Matt McCauley   Vocals,Conductor,Wurlitzer,Guitar (Electric)
Drea Renee   Vocals
Ilya Toshinskiy   Banjo,Guitar,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Amy Holland   Vocals
Steve Porcaro   Synthesizer
Branford Marsalis   Sax (Soprano)
Barry Green   Trombone
David Paich   Synthesizer
Mark Mullins   Horn,Trombone
Warren Haynes   Guitar (Electric)
Kris Wilkinson   Strings
Jeff Roach   Synthesizer
Leland Sklar   Bass
Scott Mayo   Sax (Alto),Sax (Tenor)
Mark Douthit   Soloist,Saxophone
Shannon Forrest   Drums,Brushes,Drum Loop,Percussion,Synthesizer Bass
Matt Perrine   Sousaphone
Bobby Campo   Trumpet
Danny Rader   Bouzouki,Guitar (Acoustic)
Drew Ramsey   Guitar (Electric)
David Levita   Guitar,Soloist,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Craig Young   Bass
Amy Holland-McDonald   Vocals
Mike Rojas   Fender Rhodes
Dann Huff   Soloist,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Harry Kim   Trumpet
Marcus Miller   Bass
Steve Patrick   Trumpet
Tony Lucido   Bass
Tim Akers   Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Michael McDonald   Composer,Producer,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
John Peppard   Composer,Arranger
Peter Leinheiser   Composer
Kathy Walker   Production Assistant
Grady Walker   Composer,Engineer
Bernie Chiaravalle   Composer
Joel Hoffner   Art Direction,Package Design
Jasper Lemaster   Engineer
Jarad Clement   Engineer
Matt McCauley   Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
Russ Bono   Composer
Dylan McDonald   Composer
Jordan Fann   Art Direction,Package Design
Charles Fichtel   Composer
Jon Romero   Art Direction,Package Design
Nathan Yarborough   Engineer
Steve Porcaro   Effects
Mark Mullins   Horn Arrangements
Mark Douthit   Horn Arrangements,Saxophone Arrangement
Richard Stekol   Composer
Shannon Forrest   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming,String Arrangements
Michael Landau   Fills
Beth Nielsen Chapman   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Chuck Sabatino   Composer
Gary Nicholson   Composer
Michael Leonhart   Horn Arrangements
David Frank   Horn Arrangements
John Goodwin   Composer