The Soundtrack of My Life

Bought as Christmas gift for my sister and she loved it!

Donny Osmond is one of the most underrated singers in music today. "The Soundtrack of My Life" is Donny's 60th album in his almost 51 years in show business. I pre-ordered this CD months ago and I am not disappointed. I recommend purchasing the CD instead of just the audio files, so you can read the story behind each song and why Donny chose them. I also suggest the Deluxe version as three of my favorites are bonus tracks.For lovers of music, young and old, there is something for everyone. The songs are portrayed close to their original style, so songs from the 50s or 60s sound like they were recorded then, while newer songs are more similar to today's music. A full orchestra is used on many of the songs and vocals are not auto-tuned like many songs we hear on the radio these days. Donny sings the same live as he does on this CD, so if you get a chance go see him.Many people do not like to hear remakes of songs and it is risky to do them. Donny uses them to tell the story of his life and to pay homage to artists that he admires such as Stevie Wonder "My Cherie Amour", and those who shaped him as an artist like Andy Williams "Moon River" and Frank Sinatra "I've Got You Under My Skin". The arrangements are familiar to those who know the original songs, but changed to reflect Donny's vocal style. Songs such as "The Long and Winding Road" (Beatles) and "My Cherie Amour" stay pretty true to the originals, but "Moon River" has a different take from the original and a lovely sax solo. Stevie Wonder plays harmonica on "My Cherie Amour" and Donny was thrilled to have his musical hero play on it and this is one of my favorite tracks on the album.I love many of the songs on this album equally for different reasons. One of my all-time favorite songs is Elton John's "Your Song." I first heard Donny sing it in 1971, but he had never recorded it. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but Donny does a wonderful job changing it just enough to be a signature Donny Osmond ballad, but he does not stray far from the original.I have been following along as clips have been released on the Donny.com app and found myself liking each song more than the previous ones as they were released. I had not heard "Don't Give Up", "Nothing Compares to U", or "Survivor" until I got the CD. Donny co-wrote "Survivor" and because of the heartfelt performance, lyrics, more current sound, and Donny's strong vocals it is my favorite on the album. "Don't Give Up" (Peter Gabriel) sung with the lovely vocalist Laura Wright and "Nothing Compares to U" (Prince's version, also by Sinead O'Connor" both have a gospel flare to them. These along with "Ben" (Michael Jackson) represent songs of Donny's friends and colleagues that have been a part of his life or helped shape his career.My second favorite is "I Who Have Nothing" (Tom Jones) (Deluxe edition). No one can touch Tom Jones in his performance of this song, but Donny's vocals are so strong on this one that I get chills every time I hear it. Another strong vocal is on "Broken Wings" (Deluxe edition) and is complete with a nice guitar solo. Upbeat tunes such as "Baby Love" (Diana Ross and the Supremes sung in the style of Al Green) and "Peg" (Steely Dan) have me dancing or toe tapping.Two original songs "Gift of Love" and "Could She Be Mine" round out the CD. The first is in a jazz style and was written for Tony Bennett. The second an upbeat song of a young man's longing for a girl, which ended up being Donny's wife Debbie. Because of her encouragement, I'm glad Donny didn't give up, because Donny Osmond's music has been the Soundtrack of My Life. Buy it and enjoy!

To say Donny Osmond has made it in the music business because of his good looks is like saying Michael Jordan made it in basketball because of his height. This guy has real musical talent, and has been demonstrating just that (for anyone willing to listen) since the early 1970's. This album only adds to his very impressive body of work.As with the highly successful (at least in Great Britain) "Love Songs From the 70's" album, most of the songs here are good choices for Donny, as they're songs the majority of fans grew up with as well. The arrangements throughout are excellent, and allow Osmond to show off his formidable vocal phrasing talents, again demonstrating his talent as not just a good, but superb, interpreter of a wide range of musical styles, including R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, and Pop.Best song: "Survivor." Truth be told, I assumed this must have been a hit for another group, but a song I just wasn't familiar with, as it's just "that good." But after checking the liner notes, I see it's an original composition, co-written by Donny. Wow! Between this and "Breeze On By," this guy's unraveling even more musical talent, albeit now as a songwriter.Next best: "Could She Be Mine." Great song. The only real miss, although they do give it a nice arrangement: "I've Got You Under My Skin." It's just a tired song, and one that belongs to the era before Donny's. (As he points out, this was a favorite of his mother.)And while Donny's voice is still better than most in the business, it's not as full and resonant as when he was younger, with a slight buzz that sounds as though he may have nodes on his vocal chords. And when he modulates up and increases his dynamics, it gets rather pinched.And "Don't Give Up" is an excellent song, with an outstanding female vocalist (Laura Wright?) sharing vocal duties. (Just wish those stray piano notes had been fixed during her first extended section, as it ruins what would otherwise have been a superb cover. Can't believe no one caught this.??)And perhaps most shocking of all? I'm a straight, sports-oriented guy first drawn to Donny's music with his single "C'mon Marianne" back in 1976. (It's always been the R&B and uptempo songs of Donny's I've preferred over "Puppy Love," which if I hear him sing one more time I think I'll vomit. Seriously. Female fans: Can we let Donny give that one a rest?)And my musical respect and admiration for Donny only grew with the concert segments on the "Donny & Marie" Show (looking back at these via YouTube, why was Donny never allowed to record the songs he sang here, as his covers were truly exceptional), and such well-produced albums as "Donald Clark Osmond." (The best album of his career. Here's hoping it's finally released on CD, hopefully as a digital remaster, as well as the concert segments from the 1970's "Donny & Marie" show--perhaps in MP3 format--as this is still where Donny's tremendous musical/performance talents were at their peak.)Last rant: I always wondered why the Osmond Brothers didn't feature Donny's voice more on their albums. While Merrill did have a really good rock voice, not featuring more of Donny's voice was tantamount to the Jackson 5 going with Tito rather than Michael on their recordings. What was that all about?

My rating has nothing to do with Donny Osmond. He's got a terrific voice! I'm just not a fan of the arrangements of these songs. I get that it's fun to "mix it up", and I would've been fine with a few songs having new arrangements. But doing it to nearly every song on the CD is just a bit much. Another reviewer compared it to a "lounge act", and that's a good way to describe it. Again, it's not Donny, it's the music that's not so great. Just my 2 cents.

Didn't expect this to be like lounge music, though. Some songs I thought he could've livened up a bit but overall, he's still an amazing singer & performer. I did enjoy reading the reasons behind the songs he chose and & how they affected his life and/or reflected moments in his life. Hence the very appropriate title. I'll continue to buy his CDs!

He still sounds the same as when he was 17 yrs old. For 64 yrs old ..he's aging well! It's like going back in time!

I love Donny don't get me wrong, just not crazy on the choice of songs but it was his choice and I put it on when I am driving by myself late at night..

Donny's spin on some great songs we all know and love. Love his music. Great album but not very original.

I've been a fan of Donny Osmond since my teens. His voice continues to be amazing.