The British double-disc collection
The Love Album: Classics devotes a disc apiece to contemporary and time-tested love songs. Each disc is surprisingly eclectic -- the first one kicks off with
Robbie Williams and
Nicole Kidman's charming mega-hit "Somethin' Stupid" and
Kate Winslet's treacly "What If." It also includes predictable choices like
Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart" and
the Corrs' "Breathless," but tracks like
Coldplay's "Trouble,"
Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," and
George Michael and
Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" offer a refreshing change of pace. However, disc two is almost worth the price of admission alone for its mix of '50s, '60s, and '70s love songs. Ranging from weepy classics like Nilsson's "Without You,"
Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," and
Samantha Sang's "Emotions" to smoldering declarations of passion like
Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" and
Al Green's "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?," the second disc includes enough classics to nearly make up for disc one's uneven quality. Overall,
The Love Album: Classics is entertaining and romantic enough for the casual pop fan, even if it is a somewhat unbalanced collection.
–
Heather Phares, Rovi