Forever More
(Warner Music)
By Tricia Boey
Good, time-honored music never dies. Aside from getting endless airplay on oldie radio stations, they return on the soundtracks of movies, remixed as hip hop or even techno hits (or duds), as background music in TV commercials, and yes, as staples on Karaoke laser discs."Forever More"is a 19-track compilation of some of the best radio hit songs of the past few decades -- mostly the '70s and '80s. This collection of love ballads features a good assortment of artists, from '70s pop and soft rock sensations like the Bay City Rollers and Bread, to Motown and R&B moguls like The Commodores and Roberta Flack. It even has something by Filipino hit churner Freddie Aguilar.The tracks on the album are well chosen and complementary. Soothing tunes like"Just When I Needed You Most"by Randy Vanwarmer and"How Can I Tell Her"by Lobo mesh very well with the sweet vocals of Minnie Riperton in"Loving You,"and Debby Boon in"You Light Up My Life."These tracks, along with true classics by pop rock superstars Rod Stewart ("Sailing,""I Don't Want To Talk About It") and Billy Joel ("Just The Way You Are"); and country legend Kenny Rogers ("Lady") make this a great easy-listening album. And of course, what classic radio hit compilation would be complete without the ultra sappy"Sometimes When We Touch"by Dan Hill, which was featured on the soundtrack of the Dustin Hoffman movie"Tootsie."One song I can definitely do without on the album, however, is the original Righteous Brothers' version of"Unchained Melody."This is definitely due in part to the crucifixion of the tune by fervent Karaoke fans after the"Ghost"phenomenon a decade back -- some bad experiences linger.This CD can also acquaint kids who regard oldies more as moldies, than goldies that formed the roots of MTV-generation music. A very obvious association here will be the presence of the original soulful Roberta Flack version of"Killing Me Softly,"the song which launched the Fugees with Lauryn Hill into worldwide fame a couple of decades later. And after all, without good music from the past, where would artists like Puff Daddy acquire tunes for sampling in his music?
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