POP MUSIC REVIEW : Looking for Schmaltz in all the Right Places

Give Michael Bolton credit for improvement. A few years ago when he played the Universal Amphitheatre, his show was as lame as any you’ll ever see by a big-time recording artist. On all counts, it was a disaster, from musicianship to dynamics.

But Bolton has upgraded considerably. At the Blockbuster Pavilion on Friday, he got strong support from his band and backup singers and presented a slick, well-oiled production befitting his superstar status.

In the context of middle-of-the-road concerts, you couldn’t ask for anything better. In this genre, it’s a plus to perform a ballad in a way that flagrantly tugs at the heartstrings. Bolton wrung tears out of the audience on such songs as “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and “Ain’t Got Nothin’.”

Bolton is well aware that his audience loves to bathe in bathos, and gives them a chance to do just that. So if you’re looking for subtleties and nuances, don’t go to a Bolton show. But if you’re in the market for shameless schmaltz--then you came to the right place.

You can bash Bolton for many things but you can’t say he doesn’t have a powerful voice. In his big stab at humor, he sang a snippet from the opera “Pagliacci.” Maybe he’s not quite ready for the Met, but that bit still is a dazzler.

The biggest Bolton bashers are probably hard-core fans of black music. To them, all Bolton is doing is ripping off the styles of Ray Charles, Otis Redding and other R&B; greats.

They do have a point.

The secret to Bolton’s success is that he has taken this black style, modified it and made it palatable to his core audience--white females between 25 and 45.

Most of them probably aren’t that well schooled in R&B; and consequently are less sensitive to the derivative aspects of his style. You can bet they’re not hearing echoes of Charles and Redding. Judging from the screaming at Friday’s show, all they probably hear is passionately romantic lyrics being crooned by this dreamy-looking guy.

The whole evening was a ballad-belter’s delight, beginning with the set by opening act Celine Dion. When it comes to belting pop ballads, Dion is Whitney Houston II.

Even if you can’t stomach shameless schmaltz, Dion is impressive. Her blow-off-the-roof style works better live than on her albums. She’s a warm, personable type, which gives added impact to such songs as the “Beauty and the Beast” theme and “The Power of Love.” With all that talent, it’s a shame that Dion doesn’t use a wider variety of material or take an artistic chance or two.

* Bolton and Dion perform tonight, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., 7:30 p.m. $23-$48, (213) 480-3232.