POP MUSIC REVIEW : Overdoing Just About Every Song : Gary Morris’ Crazy Horse show might have been more effective if he’d held back and used his striking vocal power only on key numbers.

Gary Morris’ unrestrained performance at the Crazy Horse on Monday night made one glad that he is an entertainer and not a cook. Judging by the way he tended to pour his whole cornucopia of vocal flourishes onto practically every song, he would be dangerous with a bottle of hot sauce in his hands.

Morris’ singing talents are so striking that he has not only scored a couple of dozen country hits but has also made his mark on Broadway, in opera as well as musicals (he played opposite Linda Ronstadt in “La Boheme” in 1984 and more recently sang the part of Valjean in “Les Miserables”). Morris’ dazzling version of “Bring Him Home” from “Les Miserables,” sung midway through his early set Monday, was a true showstopper. Had he unleashed his full vocal power only on such key numbers, his show might have been much more effective.

Indeed, during his first three numbers, he didn’t try to use his full range all the time and, as a result, when he did slide into his high register, it was pretty impressive.

But he tended to oversing almost everything else. On his 1987 hit “Finishing Touches,” for example, his melodramatics detracted from the story line and trivialized the lyrics. And his (excruciatingly slow) version of “Wind Beneath My Wings” was so overwrought that it made Bette Midler’s actually seem subtle in comparison.

Gilding a lily already dripping with gold, Morris topped off his one-hour-and-20-minute set of vocal histrionics with one of the most bombastic numbers imaginable, Mickey Newbury’s “An American Trilogy,” which was the “mature” Elvis’ favorite vocal showcase during his Las Vegas years.

But even though he sang almost every song as if he were fishing for a big ovation, he avoided predictable choices and other forms of pandering to the crowd.

The 13-song set consisted primarily of new songs and such lesser-known material as “Bed of Roses” from his “Faded Blue” album. He saved his big hits till the end, and even then omitted many of the biggest, including the No. 1 smashes “Baby Bye Bye,” “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” and “100% Chance of Rain.”

Between songs, he steered clear of canned jokes and prefab stories, opting instead for what seemed to be candid interaction with his audience (he seemed to have a genuine regard for his fans and at one point even took the trouble to shield one of his stage lights that was shining directly into someone’s eyes).

He also showed admirable restraint in his choice of musical accompaniment. Except for one ill-advised drum solo toward the end of the show, Morris’ four-piece band stayed in the background. On several numbers, Morris was accompanied only by his own guitar.