Search - Michael Bolton :: Only a Woman Like You

Only a Performer like Michael...

fabio-italy | milan, italy | 02/12/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So, after 5 years Michael comes back with a new studio album of new songs.
Some changes occured along meanwhile: he switched from SONY to JIVE.
Do i consider that a smart move? No.
The guys at JIVE are mainly focused on teen boy bands and bubblegum pop artists (see: N*Sync and Britney Spears), Michael music and artistry has got nothing to do with that.
He should have moved on to some major label as EMI or ARISTA or VIRGIN...
Whatever, the choice is his and it's made.
Too bad that the album suffers from it.
Although he's been able to come up with a good product, this is definitely not what i would expect after a 5-year-absence from the music scene...
Apparently the A&R guys at JIVE must have lived on the moon, there is no sign of Diane Warren or David Foster (maybe it's not a moon matter, make it more a $$$$ one...).
Thanks God Michael kept some good collaborators such as Walter Afanasieff (THE CENTER OF MY HEART is probably the # 1 song for me on this album), Desmond Child (TO FEEL AGAIN is charged with emotions running wild as much as SLOWLY, co written by Dan Hill).
Richard Marx steps nicely on board and co-writes some 3 tracks, delivering a small jewel of pop music with ETERNALLY, which turns out to be one of the bonus tracks from this Japanese edition along with the Nile Rogers-produced cover of Stevie Wonder's AS and the Spanish adaptation of the lead single, the big bad ballad ONLY A WOMAN LIKE YOU, written and produced by Mutt Lange, wifey Shania Twain and Sweden's Max Martin.
Too bad the extra track included on the Italian version of the album, called ALL FOR LOVE and the Italian adaptation are not on the tracklist or anywhere else...but this edition is worth every extra cent you put in..
Of course there are new elements, some mid-eastern melodies used in LOVE WITH MY EYES CLOSED and Billy Mann (formerly known for great works with Anastacia) co-writing on a bunch of songs - his best here represented by I WANNA HEAR YOU SAY IT.Maybe this should be seen only as a transition album, with Michael accustoming to the new label offerings.
And hopefully next time we get Diane Warren back, if the A&R staff pleases.
If anyone of you guys reading this, take note!"