Rating ***
In just over three years, Jane McDonald – the entertainer who shot to stardom on hit TV series The Cruise in the late ‘90s – became the surprise star of Friday night TV with her hit series, Cruising with Jane Mcdonald.
After riding the waves of success with a decade-long stint on the Loose Women panel, the star had taken a step back from her TV commitments to focus on music, with a number of successful albums and tours across the UK – before, in 2017, she returned with her latest venture.
The format, fronted by the Wakefield-born singer, saw Jane return to her cruising roots as she travelled the world on various luxurious ships, taking viewers along for the ride as she explored the onboard entertainment, documented excursions and ventured to every corner of the globe in what would become Channel 5’s biggest show.
With consistently strong ratings, Cruising went on to earn Jane and the network its first BAFTA and spawned a UK Top 10 album – the star’s first in a decade. Now, she’s hoping to recapture that success with a second volume of cover versions that’s music to the ears for fans of the programme.
Opening with Jane’s take on Jennifer Lopez’s Gloria Estefan-penned Let’s Get Loud, the track sets the tone for a record that not only showcases her vocal chops, but also her irresistible sense of fun which characterises the Cruising series.
It’s a proven formula that works again the second time around, with INXS’ New Sensation, ABBA’s Mamma Mia and Glenn Frey’s The Heat is On among the several highlights on the 16 track set.
Woven in amongst the uptempo tracks, though, are a number of ballads, which not only give Jane a chance to show off her versatility as a vocalist but also add some heart and soul to the album.
A rendition of Madonna’s Another Suitcase In Another Hall draws on Jane’s musical theatre experience with a stage-worthy vocal, while Brenda Russell’s Get Here strips the instrumentation back to piano and vocal for the bulk of the track. The subdued moments serve as a reminder that, first and foremost, Jane McDonald is a vocalist – a premiere one at that.
That’s not to say the album’s several camp moments aren’t our absolute favourites… The highlight of this set is unquestionably the three-track run of Kylie’s Spinning Around, Madonna’s Ray of Light and the Pussycat Dolls’ Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny), all of which are pop perfection but, with Jane in command, just become all the more brilliant.
Make no mistake – Cruising with Jane McDonald Vol. 2 isn’t in the canon of Jane studio albums. It’s a soundtrack to the series and, for casual fans who have yet to tune into the show – what have you been doing with your Friday nights?! – will no doubt be a departure from the norm.
However, the end result is a fabulous collection of recordings, inspired by Jane’s travels around the globe, that perfectly encapsulate the essence of the star.
Jane McDonald is a national treasure – no doubt about it – and, as the Cruising chapter comes to an end, we couldn’t have asked for a better travel companion, with both albums the perfect mementos to revisit again and again.
