MICHAEL BUBLÉ – … MEETS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

If you haven’t made your mind up about jazz-pop vocalist Michael Bublé, his latest release isn’t likely to make a convert of you. It’s a two disc, CD/DVD combo: the audio disc features a good set list of classics like Me and Mrs. Jones, World on a String, that big band version of Feelin’ Good, and a few of his co-written original numbers, which are pleasant but inevitably pallid compositions in-amongst a selection of standards as strong as these. Disc Two is a movie documenting the lead-up to Bublé’s “gig of a lifetime” – Madison Square Garden, New York. My recommendation to any Bublé virgins is to ditch the DVD. The live tracks are exactly what you’d expect – a big cock-rock intro, and tight, fun performances of all the songs, not unpleasant to listen to. But once you see Bublé’s egotistical, American Idol stage-swagger, whatever talent as a crooner you might have attributed to him is obliterated. Is it too much to expect him to be cool? His boring, frat-boy behaviour says “yes”, so why not just get out a Rat Pack movie and put on the Sinatra compilation CD you got for free out of the weekend paper? Madison Square makes no great creative leaps, and makes Bublé look like a bit of a tool; it’s a supplement for the fans’ collection and nothing more.

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