The Love Songs

At first glance, The Love Songs Album is a smartly-assembled collection of Chris de Burgh's biggest ballads and soft-rock hits, featuring such staples as "Missing You," "Here is Your Paradise," "Much More Than This" and "The Lady in Red." Upon further inspection, the collection begins to fall apart. There are re-recordings of favorites like "If You Really Love Her" and "Separate Tables," as well as new songs like "So Beautiful," "It's Me" and "Forevermore." A few of the new recordings work well, but the fact is, The Love Songs Album would have worked better -- and would have been more valuable -- if it was a straightforward compilation instead of being half retrospective, half new material.