Michael Bolton
The Hunger

Once upon a time there was Michael Bolton (Mr. Bolotin for the registry clerk), a long-haired rocker of Russian-Jewish origins who, before being swallowed into an inexorable whirlpool of countless cover albums, Christmas albums, duet albums, Thanksgiving albums, Mother's Day albums  and a whole series of creations that find their exact dimension and ultimate usefulness as background music for the cleaning of millions of housewives around the globe, had shown what he was made of, releasing 3 excellent works closely related to the AOR genre (acronym for Adult Oriented Rock). "The Hunger" is the album that closes the cycle generated by this virtuous triptych, following the eponymous album of 1983 and the superb "Everybody's Crazy" of 1985, which promptly became milestones of the aforementioned genre. "The Hunger"  was released in October 1987 and while not boasting the pure AOR pedigree of its predecessor, settling on softer and more pop-oriented sounds, it is a decisively accomplished work, which finds the squaring of the circle in 9 solid, inspired, and heterogeneous songs. An album that lays its foundation, as is evident, on Bolton's powerful, warm, and hyper-versatile voice and that reaps the excellent fruits of a series of spot-on collaborations with a plethora of well-regarded  songwriters and musicians, including Martin Briley (does "Total Eclipse of the Heart" ring a bell?), Bob Halligan Jr,  Diane "Queen of the Ballad" Warren, Eric Kaz, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain from Journey.

"The Hunger", although not managing to boast a skyrocketing chart position, eventually succeeded in selling a whopping 4 million copies, driven mainly by the first two of the three  singles released. The first, which at the time nearly reached the Top Ten, is an emotional ballad: "That's What Love Is All About", through which a caring Bolton, seated on a carpet of keyboards and introduced by an emphatic string section, strongly wishes us to understand what love is made of. But it is especially the reinterpretation of the immortal "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding where Bolton delivers a spine-tingling (in a good sense) performance that pushes the album's sales.

Putting aside the singles discussion, "The Hunger" is above all an album where genuine AOR gems are easy to encounter, gems that any band or solo artist would have wanted for themselves, starting from the exceptional opener where an accommodating seventies-style riff seems to welcome us to the wondrous crescendo of "Hot Love", and we realize that the first verse is actually the pole we cling to for a leap straight into a stellar bridge, where Bolton's inspired call and response, a true standing ovation, only shows us the way to a chorus that quickly takes possession of our mind and vocal cords, promising not to return them for quite a while. And it's also the case of my favorite song from the album, a song that borders on perfection in the realm of Rock FM, boasting a flawless construction and an impressive specific weight. A track that will cause you some trouble with your wives/girlfriends when they catch you, even in the most unexpected moments  evoking "Gina". "You're All That I Need" and "The Hunger" are no exception either, seeing all members of Journey from that era at work in writing, production, or as session men. If I have to criticize the album it's in the fact that it contains only nine tracks and that especially the conclusion is said in the hands of a ballad "Walk Away", where Bolton enjoys emulating Steve Perry. It would have been better to reach ten and close with another fine piece of guitar-oriented AOR.

History says that Bolton will refuse, despite the chemistry with Schon and Cain, to join Journey taking  the place of the resigning Perry, and as a true "hungry" man for success, he will pursue the formidable and fortunate career that we all know.