The music of Michael Bubl?(c) is like a breath of fresh oxygen for the airwaves being suffocated by melancholy.
Bubl?(c)'s new live CD "Caught in the Act," recorded during his PBS special earlier this year, arrives just in time for the holidays.
Listening to Bubl?(c)'s music evokes the same kind of bliss one might feel while kissing his or her soulmate for the first time. Even when the lyrics of the song struggle to line up with the music, his smooth voice can beat any repeat on a number-one-hit station.
Although the mention of Bubl?(c) won't stir up attention like the name Frank Sinatra, most people have probably heard at least one of his songs. Whether it is "Feeling Good," now the theme for ESPN's World Poker Championship coverage, or his most recent hit "Home," the singer has been in the back of the mainstream's choir for a few years.
Listening to the live album, it's hard for a listener not to think of musical icons like Sinatra and Elvis Presley, whom he credits throughout the recordings. Right from the start, Bubl?(c) gives the impression that he owes everything to such legendary singers.
Also included in the package is the DVD of the entire PBS concert along with some special features, most notably a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Regrettably, the majority of the DVD is made up of lackluster rendition of songs that weren't made for swing or big band. Watching Bubl?(c) try to perform Maroon 5's "This Love" is cringe-worthy and the sub-par covers may cause unfamiliar listeners to cast him off as another lounge performer.
However, the album also has some quality renditions, most notably Van Morrison's "Moondance," Stevie Wonder's "You and I" and the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love."
One common element that most live albums suffer from is the inability to project good sound in an arena setting. This release is no exception. Some of the songs are audibly worse than studio recordings such as "Home" and "Can't Buy Me Love."
To fully take in what Bubl?(c) has to offer, one might want to listen to his early works before purchasing "Caught in the Act."
