Wide Open (Michael McDonald album)

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Wide Open
Michaelmcdonaldwideopen.jpg
Studio album by
Michael McDonald
ReleasedSeptember 15, 2017 (2017-09-15)
StudioMetal Building Studio, Nolensville, Tennessee
GenreBlue-eyed soul[1]
Length1:10:55
Label
Producer
Michael McDonald chronology
Soul Speak
(2008) 		Wide Open
(2017)

Wide Open is the tenth studio album by American musician Michael McDonald, released on September 15, 2017 by Chonin Records and BMG. Shannon Forrest and McDonald produced the album. Wide Open is McDonald's first album of original material in 17 years since Blue Obsession (2000).[2]

Background[]

In an interview with Billboard, McDonald said many of the songs on Wide Open have to do with sobriety: "I realized that a lot of the songs, I put them in different context, storyline wise, but if they’re about anything, they’re about my coming to terms with my living out in the open and learning to live without substances to fill the hole, without self-medicating."[3]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars[4]

Allmusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine found that while McDonald "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."[4]

Track listing[]

All tracks produced by Michael McDonald and Shannon Forrest.[5]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hail Mary"Michael McDonald6:52
2."Just Strong Enough"
7:58
3."Find It in Your Heart"
  • McDonald
  • John Goodwin
5:47
4."Half Truth"
  • McDonald
  • Dylan McDonald
  • Grady Walker
5:41
5."Ain't No Good"
  • McDonald
  • Goodwin
4:25
6."Honest Emotion"
  • McDonald
  • Charles Fichtel
  • Goodwin
5:32
7."Blessing in Disguise"
5:56
8."Dark Side"M. McDonald5:53
9."If You Wanted to Hurt Me"
  • McDonald
  • Peter Leinheiser
5:14
10."Beautiful Child"
  • McDonald
  • Chiaravalle
  • Chuck Sabatino
6:09
11."Too Short"
  • McDonald
  • Russ Bono
5:22
12."Free a Man"Richard Stekol6:07

Personnel[]

  • Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals, Wurlitzer organ (1, 4, 9, 10), electric guitar (1), horn arrangements (1), acoustic piano (2, 8, 9), Rhodes piano (3, 7), harmonica (4), Wurlitzer electric piano (5), keyboards (6), acoustic guitar (6, 8, 10), additional synth pads and brass pad (7), clavinet (7, 9), synthesizers (8), string arrangements (8)
  • Larry Goldings – Hammond B3 organ (1, 3, 8, 12)
  • Tim Akers – synthesizers (3)
  • Jeff Roach – synthesizers (4, 10)
  • David Paich – synthesizers (5), Hammond B3 organ (5, 9, 10, 11)
  • John Peppard – synth sequencing (7), original arrangements (7)
  • Steve Porcaro – synthesizers (7), synth effects (7)
  • Mike Rojas – Rhodes piano (12)
  • Andrew Ramsey – electric guitar (1)
  • Warren Haynes – electric guitar (2)
  • Robben Ford – electric guitar solo (2)
  • Michael Landau – electric guitar (3, 7, 9, 11, 12), slide guitar (4), guitar solo outro (4), guitar solo (5), electric guitar fills (10)
  • Dann Huff – electric guitar (4, 8), acoustic guitar (4, 8), guitar solo (4)
  • Sol Littlefield – additional electric guitar (4), electric guitar solo (10)
  • Bernie Chiaravalle – 12-string guitar (4), acoustic guitar (5)
  • David Levita – electric guitar (5, 8, 10), additional guitar (7), acoustic guitar (11), additional electric guitar (11), rhythm electric guitar (12), "robot" guitar solo (12)
  • Ilya Toshinski – acoustic guitar (6), banjo (6), mandolin (6), additional guitar (8)
  • Danny Rader – acoustic guitar (10), bouzouki (10)
  • Craig Young – bass (1, 10)
  • Willie Weeks – bass (2)
  • Marcus Miller – bass (3, 9)
  • Lance Morrison – bass (4)
  • Tony Lucido – bass (5)
  • Tommy Sims – bass (7, 11)
  • Leland Sklar – bass (8)
  • Michael Rhodes – bass (12)
  • Shannon Forrest – drums (1-12), percussion (1, 3-7, 9-12), drum programming (3, 4, 6, 7, 8), brushes (6), synth bass (6), synthesizer (6), string arrangements (6), drum loops (10)
  • Mark Douthit – sax solo (1), saxophone (2, 11), additional horn arrangements (2), sax arrangement (11)
  • Ward Smith – tenor saxophone (2)
  • Tom Scott – sax solo (3, 12)
  • Branford Marsalis – soprano saxophone (7)
  • Scott Mayo – alto and tenor saxophones (9, 12)
  • George Shelby – baritone and tenor saxophones (9, 12)
  • Matt Perrine – sousaphone (2)
  • Barry Green – trombone (2)
  • Mark Mullins – trombone (2), horn arrangements (2)
  • Andrew Lippman – trombone (9, 12)
  • Bobby Campo – trumpet (2)
  • Steve Patrick – trumpet (2)
  • Michael Leonhart – trumpet (3), flugelhorn (3), horn arrangements (3)
  • Harry Kim – trumpet (9, 12)
  • David Frank – horn arrangements (9, 12)
  • Matt McCauley – string arrangements and conductor (2)
  • The Kris Wilkinson Strings – strings (2)
  • Amy Holland – guest vocals (1)
  • Drea Rheneé – guest vocals (9)

Production[]

  • Producers – Michael McDonald and Shannon Forrest
  • Production Assistant – Kathy Walker
  • Recorded and Mixed by Shannon Forrest
  • Additional Engineers – Jarad Clement, Jasper LeMaster, Grady Walker and Nathan Yarborough.
  • Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME).
  • Art Direction and Package – Jordan Fann, Joel Hoffner and Jon Romero.

Charts[]

Chart (2017) Peak
position
US Current Album Sales (Billboard)[6] 40
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[7] 12

References[]

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wide Open - Michael McDonald". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. ^ Reed, Ryan (1 May 2017). "Michael McDonald Preps First New LP in Nine Years, 'Wide Open'". Rolling Stones. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  3. ^ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7964607/michael-mcdonald-wide-open-interview-steely-dan-backing-vocals
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Wide Open". AllMusic. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Wide Open (booklet). Chonin, BMG. 2017.
  6. ^ "Michael McDonald > urrent Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "Michael McDonald Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2020.

External links[]

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