Michael McDonald - Blue Obsession (2000)

Working with producer Tommy Sims—the man who produced Eric Clapton’s hit “Change the World”—evidently inspired Michael McDonald, since Blue Obsession is his best record in nearly ten years. Stylistically, it is similar to every record he’s made since going solo in the early ’80s—namely, it is a combination of adult contemporary ballads and lightly grooving, adult contemporary pop-soul—but the difference is that the quality of the material is uniformly strong. In addition to two covers (“Ain't That Peculiar,” “Down By the River”), there’s a selection of new songs largely co-written by McDonald with other tunesmiths. While there are no crossover pop hits on the level of “I Keep Forgettin’” or “Sweet Freedom,” it’s a strong collection of songs with only a few slow moments. It is a record that shows McDonald maturing quite gracefully. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic)