BOLTON BOWLS OVER CROWD WITH VOICE HIS FANS LOVE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 26, 1992                   TAG: 9201270016
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: E6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
BOLTON BOWLS OVER CROWD WITH VOICE HIS FANS LOVE
If there weren't so much hype surrounding Michael Bolton, he might be a more impressive performer.
After all, his voice does tend to make him stand out among the men of Top 40 radio. It's strong, soulful and has incredible range. But Bolton, who is subject to over-singing and what sometimes amounts to vocal grandstanding, isn't a flawless singer.
However, if you tried telling that to the crowd of 7,982 at theRoanoke Civic Center on Saturday night, you might not have made it out alive.
From the moment Bolton walked onstage until he ended his encore, he owned the audience. Less than a minute into his first song, "Soul Provider," a parade of female fans made their way to the stage to give him flowers - mostly red roses, of course.
Long before he appeared, a pair of underwear was thrown on the stage, only to be not-so-daintily removed by one of the concert crew. Throughout the night, women of all ages found ways to get as close to Bolton as they could. A touch of his hand was enough to thrill most of the admirers. One woman had to settle for brushing her hand on one of his black cowboy boots.
Even with all the adulation, Bolton seems to have a hard time being charismatic - or even charming. But maybe he believes his voice speaks for itself. And sometimes it does.
His cover of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" was one of the evening's best songs. It had heart, but Bolton kept it from being heart-wrenching, something he doesn't always do. He may not capture the intense loneliness that's at the core of the song, which Otis Redding did so memorably, but you can't say Bolton's version lacks soul.
The last song of the night, his remake of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves a Woman," had more of a spark and less vocal strain in concert than it does on record. But why add squealing rock guitars, as Bolton did? They didn't add anything, and Sledge's version remains far better.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB