Customer Reviews

Love Songs

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This compilation is, in a way, a good introduction to the soulful vocal stylings of Al Jarreau.
Intimate, sensual, and expressive, Jarreau's voice sounds as if it was created to sing love songs, as these 14 tracks attest.
Al proves perfectly suited to communicating matters of the heart.
The jazz content on this CD is rather slight, but this is actually not a bad recording.
Jarreau sings straightforward versions of some of his hits.
He really excels in the restrained setting, making this a superior middle-of-the-road pop recording.
For Valentine's Day market.
Love Songs
Love Songs
Greatest Love Songs

This is quite a stunning collection because it goes beyond the boundaries of the typical love song and gives you some insightful and perceptive perspectives on love and romance. The hits are here - "We're In This Love Together", "After All", and "So Good" - but this collection digs deeper and offers for some of his most interesting and original love songs, including wonderful tracks from his early CDs and some songs from CDs that listeners might have missed. A collection of love songs where not a single track comes off as sappy or overly sentimental is a rarity. These songs are beautifully written and approach love from a wide range of perspectives. "Wait For The Magic" is about waiting for the real thing and not settling for less, "Let it Rain" covers the trials and truths of maintaing a long term relationship, in concert, "Your Song" has always been his show-stopping show of love for his audiences, a lot of fans missed the intensely emotional "Heaven And Earth" because it didn't get the promotional push it deserved, so here it is as fresh as the day it was originally released, "My Foolish Heart" could make a die hard anti-romantic want to sneak a glimpse at the hearts and flowers and "Bright and Sunny Babe" is one of the most original, fun, and funky love songs ever written.

The press release comes on with the usual "turn the lights down and put this CD on" gambit but this is not your standard seduction soundtrack. These songs are wise, poignant, and perceptive, with melodies that get under your skin and well...Al is singing them! Long time Jarreauniacs will enjoy having these songs all in one place and new or casual fans will get a chance to catch up on some of the earlier gems and low-profile CD tracks that they may have missed.

Please... this is fantastic. This is the best collection of Al Jarreau songs, and I have them all, so I know. This was just a wonderful trip down memory lane for me, all these great songs on one CD.
Buy it... you won't be disappointed!!!!!!

Always his special touch on every song he sings. He can do not wrong. If you are a true blue Al Jarreau fan, you will love this CD. And get his "Christmas" CD for a new sound of Christmas!

Few singers convey the joy of romantic love the way Al Jarreau does. His distinctive voice is imbued with happiness and hopefulness. When he wraps his vocal cords around a love song, he fills it with all the optimism of a new infatuation and the contentment of long lasting love.

For this collection, released just in time for Valentine's Day, Jarreau personally picked his favorite Love Songs from his 30-year discography. There's not a clunker in the lot. "We're in This Love Together," one of his signature tunes, is an obvious opening choice that sets the stage for an hour's worth of sweet romance, elastic vocal note bending and oh-so-cool scatting.

The only performer to win Grammy awards in pop, jazz and R&B, Jarreau's versatility is on display here. Chestnuts from his hitmaking heyday in the `80s like "After All," "So Good" and "Teach Me Tonight" may sound dated with their electronic keyboards and Sanborn sax, but they contrast nicely with the Brazilian acoustics of "My Foolish Heart" from 2004's Accentuate the Positive and the Fender Rhodes with string section on Elton John's "Your Song" from back in '76.

A virtual "Greatest Hits of Love," this CD is the perfect Valentine's soundtrack, a sensual accompaniment d'amour for those special moments when the irresistible scent of romance is in the air.

Originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 2/19/08
copyright © 2008 Jim Newsom/Port Folio Weekly. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Considering that almost the whole Al Jarreau catalog of albums is currently unavailable (most of them were originally issued under the Warner Bros. label, and Rhino is now part of the Time/Warner group) the geniuses of Rhino/WEA should have considered to issue a 4-CD Box collection instead! C'mon...!!!!
This "Love Songs" collection, in addition with some re-recorded tunes, is really a very cheap one! Even one star is too much for it!

I have been a fan of Al Jarreau for many years and really enjoy this compilation of songs.

This is a compilation of all the love songs from different Al Jarreau albums. its OK but not fantastic.

I believe that if this album is indeed a "Love Songs" album, then it should include the theme from "Moonlighting", cause that is a love song in my mind.

unreasonable collection, missing one of the best love songs moonlighting theme, could do better with double cd, doesn't do Al Jarreau any fairness with his extensive discography, hope those record company executives read our comments