2006年VOA标准英语-Bolton Takes on Old Blue Eyes

By Doug Levine
Washington
10 June 2006  
 
  
  
Singer Michael Bolton is known for writing and recording¹ great songs.  But he also has a knack² for turning other people's songs into hits.  Bolton once again grabs the spotlight³ with one of his most challenging albums yet.

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Frank Sinatra has been gone for more than eight years, but tributes to the man who gave us such classics as "You Go To My Head" live on in Bolton Swings Sinatra.

For Michael Bolton, doing an album of Frank Sinatra songs was inevitable⁴.  Like Sinatra, Bolton achieved superstardom with a steady output of songs people couldn't help falling in love with.  Starting out as the lead singer of a heavy metal band in the late-1970s, Bolton skyrocketed in 1989 with his multi-million-selling solo album "Soul Provider," featuring the Grammy Award-winning single "How Am I Supposed To Live Without Out You." 

The early-'90s were also fruitful.  Bolton's album Time, Love And Tenderness sold more than eight million copies; he was a Top 10 Singles Artist of the Year in 1990; and he won his second Grammy plus two American Music Awards in 1992.  After that, there were more hit singles, more awards, and even a Number One classical album, an achievement that eluded⁵ Frank Sinatra.

Perhaps the idea of turning 60 makes one think a little more about the passing of time and the work left to be done.  Like Rod Stewart who recorded his first collection of pop standards when he was 57, or Barry Manilow who released his own Frank Sinatra tribute album at age 55, Michael Bolton, 53, felt it was time to take his shot at some of the greatest songs ever written.

Of course, having a flawless band always helps when performing the Great American Songbook.  On his new album, Bolton experiences what Frank Sinatra probably experienced recording with a world-class big band; 17 horns, 35 string players, and a crew of seasoned producers and engineers working out of the same studio Sinatra used at Capitol Records.

One slight difference, Sinatra never recorded a duet with his fiancée.  From Bolton Swings Sinatra, Michael Bolton teams up with his soon-to-be wife, actress Nicollette Sheridan, on "The Second Time Around."

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

5 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》