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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fine Collection of Teena's Best Balladry on Epic, January 18, 2000
By A Customer
This collection of Teena Marie love songs is filled to the brim with heart-on-your-sleeve, majestic balladry that has long been a Teena Marie standout. While most of her hits have been the sweaty, dance/funk singles such as "Lovergirl," "Love Songs" presents an entirely different view of the singer, and a refreshing one for those who are unfamiliar with the grand passion of her ballads. Unlike her last compilation on Legacy, this collection was co-produced by Marie herself, and includes some liner notes by the singer. Also included is an essay by New York freelance writer Amy Linde. The CD begins with the brooding "Cassanova Brown," long-rumoured to be a description of her break-up with Rick James. The pain expressed in this song is breathtaking, and Marie has a fine way with a jazz ballad, as she phrases each line with a distinct tone that carries the heartbreak to dizzying crescendoes and deep lows. Further on, the stand-out cuts include her classic duet with Rick James, "Fire and Desire," which some critics (this one included) consider the most beautiful r&b duet ever recorded. A slightly different look at love is portrayed by Marie in her dedication to slain soul singer Marvin Gaye in the aching "My Dear Mr. Gaye," and also included here is a one-minute prayer dedicated to two of Marie's musical influences; Donny Hathaway and Minnie Ripperton, in which Marie's voice soars not unlike Ripperton would have herself. Also of note are Marie's classic ballad "Dear Lover," and her chart-topping, dilerious ode to new love, "Ooo La La La," as well as the poetic, dark, "Shadow Boxing." From Marie's 1984 hit album "Starchild" is the ballad, a duet with an unidentifiable male singer, entitled "We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This," in which Marie gives an impassioned performance. A surprise here (but a welcome one) are the two closing songs, from Marie's ill-fated but musically-adventurous 1986 album, "Emerald City." (This is particularly of note because though Marie has said she was proud of the album, she has, at least up to this point, refused to perform "Emerald City" songs live, and they were absent from her last Legacy album). Included are the exotic-sounding, intense "Shangri-La," and the closing number, and extended version of the beautifully-lyric jazz ballad, "Sunny Skies." This version is a fitting close for the CD, as Marie's juxtaposition of "Sunny Skies" (seemingly a "happy" image) with her hearbreaking delivery make for an interesting contrast. Marie, singing as a defeated lover, scats her way to the end of the song, and then just drops off. All that is left is the dark, moody jazz ensemble, including Branford Marsalias, who finish the song. This is a fine collection for those looking for top-notch love balladry by a voice whose passion knows no restraints.
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Collection..But why not go all the way & do it right!, December 14, 2003
Im a gigantic Teena fan, I own it all and it took me years and lots of $$ to find it all on CD again! Someone should have asked me for a compilation of her love songs thats for sure! How can you put out a Teena Marie "Love Songs," cd and exclude some of her best stuff! What they need to do is put out a 2 disc set of her "SLOW & MELLOW JAMS!" and it should include the following songs:
01. Cassonova Brown
02. Young Love
03. Irons in the Fire
04. Dear Lover
05. Tune in Tomorrow
06. Portuguese Love
07. Deja Vu
08. Aladdin's Lamp
09. Ooo La La
10. If I were a Bell
11. My Dear Mr. Gaye
12. Out on a Limb
13. You Make Love Like Springtime
14. Fire & Desire
15. We've got to stop meeting Like this
16. Can it be Love
17. Now that I have you
18. Latin Lullaby
19. Happy
20. Miracles Need Wings To Fly
21. Ivory
22. Sunny Skies
23. Opus III
24. The Air I Breathe
25. Yes Indeed
26. Someday We'll all be Free
27. Hypnotized
28. Opus III Pt 2
29. Cupid is a real straightshooter
30. I'm gonna have my cake & eat it too
31. Every Little Bit hurts
32. Turnin' Me On
33. Don't turn your back on me
34. Why did I fall in love with you
35. You make love like spring time (Reprised)
Now that's a Teena Marie smooth, slow, mellow and tasty compilation!!! Unfortunately for us FANS, it doesn't exist! Maybe, just maybe one day it will, but don't let that stop you!! Do as I did, purchase it all and make your own compilation! It's the only way you will get the full effect of this heavenly Angel!
If you haven't heard each and every one of these songs...please treat yourself to this humming bird! Although Tune In Tomorrow, Cassonova Brown and Aladdin's Lamp are very close to my heart..for specific reasons..they are all terrific! Blue-eyed, honey-blonde, deep-rooted soul! She's got the chops and as we know, she's not afraid to use them!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Great Lady "T", July 3, 2002
It never ceases to amaze me how little of Teena Marie we see or hear about. This woman has true talent. No other female entertainer can move you through the range of emotions that she does, espcially in this particular album. The BEST song on the entire CD is "Miracles Need Wings to Fly". I literally get chills and my heart aches and longs for my lover when I hear those lyrics couples with that awesome soprano voice of hers. If you are in love, the music on this album is definitely "lovemaking" material. Even her tribute to Marvin Gaye reflects the sincerity and love she has for this great artist, and you can't help but fall in love with our Dear Mr. Gaye too. Teena Marie is underrated and if you haven't heard one of her love songs, you are truly missing out. This is my favorite CD of hers so far.
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is one of Teena Marie's 
