Music review: Donny Osmond – ‘The Soundtrack of My Life’
The calendar may indicate that it鈥檚 2015, but treasured memories from the 1970s rush into my head after listening to the latest release from Donny Osmond.
As a youngster, I can clearly recall watching 鈥淒onny & Marie鈥� every Friday night with my parents. The weekly variety program ran from 1976 through 1979 and featured the talented Osmond brother- and-sister duo performing a family-friendly show with numerous special guests such as Chubby Checker, Chuck Berry, Farrah Fawcett, Lucille Ball, Don Knotts, Roy Clark, Gabe Kaplan and Jerry Lewis. Every episode would close with the squeaky-clean siblings singing 鈥淢ay Tomorrow Be a Perfect Day.鈥�
With 鈥淭he Soundtrack of My Life,鈥� Osmond offers a polished collection of classic covers that prominently displays his eternal boy-next-door charm and signature vocal style, making for yet another splendid day.
For Osmond鈥檚 60th album, each track selected represents a significant part of the 57-year-old singer鈥檚 personal and professional life.
In honor of the first record Osmond bought, the opening track features the versatile entertainer soulfully crooning Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淢y Cherie Amour鈥� with a harmonica solo provided by Wonder himself.
On songs like Steely Dan鈥檚 鈥淧eg,鈥� Michael Jackson鈥檚 鈥淏en鈥� and Elton John鈥檚 鈥淵our Song,鈥� Osmond makes each song his own by lovingly and respectively infusing his own stylish spin on the memorable tracks. Highlights include sparkling versions of Frank Sinatra鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檝e Got You Under My Skin,鈥� John Lennon and Paul McCartney鈥檚 鈥淭he Long and Winding Road鈥� and a moving duet with Laura Wright on the Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush number 鈥淒on鈥檛 Give Up.鈥�
Accompanied by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra on most of the arrangements, Osmond sounds smooth, sophisticated and satisfied as he pours his heart and soul into this stimulating soundtrack of his life.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.