Michael Bublé: Crazy Love

Michael Bublé, the Canadian crooner, returns with a new set of standards and modern songs, proving that he can handle both quite easily. Crazy Love also contains two new songs co-written by Bublé.

Crazy Love was co-produced by David Foster, the pop-producing master. While jazz enthusiasts might think working with a jazz producer who would opt for minimal arrangements to showcase Bublé’s voice might have been better, here, Foster was the right choice. After all, the 34-year-old Bublé wants to entice the adult contemporary audience as well as the pop one. Some of the jazz covers have a big band arrangement, which is actually a good thing, as popsters don’t have the patience for the quietness of jazz. A prime example is the first song “Cry Me A River,” with a dramatic opening and heavy musical arrangement. “Cry Me a River” needed a fresh rendition and this one is quite good.

The second and third tracks are standards that Billie Holiday and Ray Charles mastered, “All of Me” and “Georgia on My Mind” respectively. Here, “All of Me” is done quite well. While it’s hard to duplicate the song that Ray Charles made all his own, Bublé does pretty well. Perhaps a more elaborate arrangement would’ve made it stand out a bit more, or maybe not. The other standards, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You” and “ Stardust,” receive traditional treatments on Crazy Love.

Bublé’s contemporary covers include songs from the rock, pop, and R&B genres. His rendition of Van Morrison’s 1970 “Crazy Love” is a good one since his voice is more soothing than Morrison’s. The R&B group Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings appear on “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes).” Bublé and Jones play off each other quite nicely. Ron Sexsmith and Bublé’s voices blend nicely on the cover of Sexsmith’s “Whatever It Takes.” Billy Vera and the Beaters’ melancholy “At This Moment” gets a strong rendition from Bublé. It’s still sad and still gets you right in the heart. Finally, “Heartbreak Tonight” from The Eagles gets so jazzed up, that it took this listener a little while to figure it out. And in the end, didn’t find it as enjoyable as Bublé’s version of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” on his debut.

The two original songs on Crazy Love are “Haven’t Met You Yet,” the first single, and “Hold On.” The first is too poppy and out of place in this album. The second is a sweet song and should probably have been the first single. It’s almost as nice as Buble’s “Home” from his second album It’s Time.

Crazy Love is another winning album for the smooth-singing and swinging Bublé. It’s another testimony to Michael Bublé’s ability to tackle different genres with ease. Fans will definitely fall in love with Crazy Love.

Crazy Love

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