Like most people, I’m partial to Love Songs. This compilation incudes plenty of songs that I enjoy like James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and Bread’s “Make It With You.” Many of the hits on Love Songs (1988) 2 CDs are what I would term “mellow.” Take Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram’s “Somewhere Out There” and Air Supply’s “Eve the Nights Are Better” for examples.
For those who prefer action over mere emotion, Rod Stewart provides “Tonight’s the Night” and Gregory Abbott’s “Shake You Down.”
Some classic songs are included here, too. “Never My Love” by The Association and Joe Cocker’s version of “You Are So Beautiful.” Do you remember these Love Songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
| 1-1 | Starship (2)– | Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now | 4:28 |
| 1-2 | Carl Anderson And Gloria Loring– | Friends & Lovers | 3:45 |
| 1-3 | REO Speedwagon– | Can’t Fight This Feeling | 4:48 |
| 1-4 | James Taylor (2)– | Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight | 2:33 |
| 1-5 | Bread– | Make It With You | 3:11 |
| 1-6 | Kenny Rogers– | She Believes In Me | 4:13 |
| 1-7 | Phil Collins– | Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) | 3:22 |
| 1-8 | Linda Ronstadt And James Ingram– | Somewhere Out There | 3:56 |
| 1-9 | Survivor– | The Search Is Over | 4:09 |
| 1-10 | Air Supply– | Even The Nights Are Better | 3:27 |
| 1-11 | Toto– | Rosanna | 3:59 |
| 1-12 | The Cars– | Drive | 3:53 |
| 1-13 | Billy Vera & The Beaters– | At This Moment | 3:30 |
| 1-14 | Fleetwood Mac– | You Make Loving Fun | 3:30 |
| 1-15 | Daryl Hall & John Oates– | Kiss On My List | 3:33 |
| 1-16 | The Jets– | You Got It All | 4:07 |
| 1-17 | Styx– | Babe | 4:00 |
| 1-18 | Doobie Brothers*– | What A Fool Believes | 3:07 |
| 1-19 | The Vogues– | Turn Around, Look At Me | 2:43 |
| 1-20 | Dan Hill– | Sometimes When We Touch | 4:00 |
| 2-1 | Rod Stewart– | Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) | 3:53 |
| 2-2 | Pointer Sisters– | Slow Hand | 3:51 |
| 2-3 | The Young Rascals– | A Girl Like You | 2:47 |
| 2-4 | Kool & The Gang– | Joanna | 4:06 |
| 2-5 | Firefall– | You Are The Woman | 2:35 |
| 2-6 | Bill Withers– | Lean On Me | 4:16 |
| 2-7 | Foreigner– | I Want To Know What Love Is | 4:59 |
| 2-8 | Patti LaBelle And Michael McDonald– | On My Own | 4:30 |
| 2-9 | Bruce Hornsby And The Range– | Mandolin Rain | 4:59 |
| 2-10 | The Human League– | Human | 3:36 |
| 2-11 | Player (4)– | Baby Come Back | 3:23 |
| 2-12 | America (2)– | Sister Golden Hair | 3:15 |
| 2-13 | Robbie Dupree– | Hot Rod Hearts | 3:24 |
| 2-14 | Billy Ocean– | There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) | 4:12 |
| 2-15 | Gregory Abbott– | Shake You Down | 3:42 |
| 2-16 | Joe Cocker– | You Are So Beautiful | 2:38 |
| 2-17 | Eric Carmen– | All By Myself | 4:02 |
| 2-18 | The Association (2)– | Never My Love | 3:06 |
| 2-19 | Leo Sayer– | More Than I Can Say | 3:09 |
| 2-20 | Linda Ronstadt– | Blue Bayou | 3:52 |
Can’t say there’s anything here I couldn’t live without—and some of these songs don’t even seem like love songs, more like heartbreak songs. A mish-mash with a couple songs of gems (“Blue Bayou”, “What A Fool Believes”—neither of which are love songs) thrown in.
Deb, as usual, I agree with you canny analysis. From Linda Ronstadt and Michael McDonald to Robbie Dupree and Leo Sayer is a steep decline.
Favorites: Lean on Me and You Are So Beautiful. Agree with Deb that Blue Bayou is a standout but not a love song. This compilation seems to include a lot of easy listening without that much meat on its bones. Still waiting for someone to come up with one that actually includes nothing but truly great love songs.
Jerry, I have at least a dozen more Love Songs compilation CDs. But I’m saving them until February and Valantine’s Day.
Yeah, what Deb and Jerry said – some good songs though not necessarily live songs.
Blue Bayou
You Are So Beautiful
A Girl Like You
Baby Come Back
You Make Loving Fun (which was NOT written about her husband)
On the other hand I would cancel Rod’s icky “sex with a virgin” song Tonight’s The Night.