The early stages of Bolton’s career saw him flirting primarily with hard rock and even metal stylings; through the mid-seventies to early-eighties, he released a slew of solo albums in the above styles, in addition to a few records with the band that he was fronting at the time, Blackjack. The late eighties, though, saw a change in musical direction for Bolton, as he instead began to turn towards more standard pop rock balladry. The decision went on to pay massive dividends, both commercially and critically; Bolton can now lay claim to having sold no fewer than seventy-five million records worldwide, as well as having scooped a clutch of American Music Awards and Grammy Awards.
Bolton’s move towards easy listening began in earnest in 1987, when he covered Otis Redding’s ‘Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay’ to great acclaim. His next album, 1989’s ‘Soul Provider’, would go on to be his first U.S. chart-topper. His biggest hits are probably the two tracks that reached the corresponding summit on the singles charts in his homeland, too: 1990’s ‘How Am I Supposed to Live Without You’ and then his signature hit the following year – ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’.
I saw Michael Bolton at the Venetian Resort and Casino back in February 2013. The Venetian’s concert hall is gorgeous and designed with beauty and acoustics in mind. Michael had three backup singers; three beautiful women and a 5 member band aside from himself. The event was for the launch of his new album then, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.
I’d always been a fan of Michael Bolton thanks to my folks, who insisted on listening to him when we went on road trips. Truth be told, I wasn’t a huge fan until I went away for college and listening to his music made me feel homesick. But it also made me think of the great memories I had as a kid.
Michael wore a solid black suit that made him look more youthful than he would have with another colored suit. The concert was also attended by dozens of other musicians. It was an amazing experience seeing some of the legends of Motown there.
The crowd was so into the Michael’s singing that everyone would often get out of their seats and sway with the rest of the crowd at the lyrics and the beats. The experience made me feel as if I was high on top of the world, as cliché as that sounds. It’s the truth!