Album Review: Cruising With Jane McDonald (Absolute)

Wakefield's Jane McDonald seems to have a uplift in her career recently with her own TV variety show and the current Cruising With Jane McDonald programme on Channel 5.

Her popularity appears to be due to how she has an appeal that touches the ordinary man or woman in the street: she is like your best friend with a down to earth touch.

The 13 songs on this album have all been performed on her BAFTA winning Channel 5 TV series Cruising With Jane McDonald.

It is not ground breaking and it is not challenging but it will appeal to her fans and anyone who has watched the TV shows.

Her version of the Wham! hit, Club Tropicana is better than you might think whilst she does do a cracking version of the Ultravox hit, Vienna.

The Abba track, The Winner Takes It All displays her strong vocal. If you saw her singing the song when she visited the Abba museum when she visited Stockholm you will know what I mean.

Lost In France is up there with the Bonnie Tyler version and the Kylie track, Step Back In Time is pretty good. Her version of California Dreamin' is one you will either love or it will have you up in arms whilst her version of (Something Inside) So Strong is a good rendition.

I rate the album 3 out of 5 and it is released on 22 June.

She is currently on tour with some of the shows already sold out. Tickets though are still available for:

Halifax, Victoria Theatre Thursday 28 June. Box Office 01422 35118

Leeds, Grand Theatre Sunday 2 September. Box Office 0844 848 2700