fri 29/11/2024

Al Green & Michael McDonald, O2 Arena | reviews, news & interviews

Al Green & Michael McDonald, O2 Arena

Al Green & Michael McDonald, O2 Arena

Two veteran soul men, but who really has the golden voice?

The Reverend Al Green, displaying full cheesy charm (and sparkler)Christian Lantry
Looked at from a certain angle, Michael McDonald, who supported Al Green at the O2 on Sunday, couldn't be cooler. A key part of Steely Dan's notoriously virtuosic circle of session musicians, the man who turned the Doobie Brothers from hoary rockers to sophisticated R&B hit machine, and latterly the business partner of The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges – the Missouri-born McDonald epitomises a certain kind of laid-back but massively aspirational attitude. It's the attitude associated very much with 1980s Hollywood and mountains of cocaine, and is summed up in the phrase often used to describe his music: “yacht rock".

Looked at from a certain angle, Michael McDonald, who supported Al Green at the O2 on Sunday, couldn't be cooler. A key part of Steely Dan's notoriously virtuosic circle of session musicians, the man who turned the Doobie Brothers from hoary rockers to sophisticated R&B hit machine, and latterly the business partner of The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges – the Missouri-born McDonald epitomises a certain kind of laid-back but massively aspirational attitude. It's the attitude associated very much with 1980s Hollywood and mountains of cocaine, and is summed up in the phrase often used to describe his music: “yacht rock".

Closer to that other great 1980s smoothie Luther Vandross than to any more rockist contemporaries

Share this article

Comments

What a perfect yet unusual way to describe Michael McDonald’s band: "This was a man-machine band to rival Kraftwerk in terms of the erasure of personality in pursuit of the glossiest groove possible.” And it was an excellent review overall. I saw Al Green about ten years ago doing pretty much the act you describe, and he was breathtakingly amazing dressed in a white suit, white shirt, white bowtie, white shoes, all topped off with a very white smile. It made those red, red roses seem even more Platonically hallucinogenic. For ninety minutes I almost believed in God!

I see the concert 2 days ago,,, one word to describe concert and AL GREEN FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters