Fifties' stylings of mostly quiet romantic pop...
William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 06/19/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Because it is Clooney singing, and she was a world class artist, this is worth at least the four stars. Because these tracks are from the '50's, several from forgettable films, it does not quite rate the fifth star. More fun is the re-release of her RCA LP with Bing Crosby, "Fancy Meeting You Here" (even though its bonus tracks are worthless, the original record is a superb 35 minutes.) More sophisticated is the Legacy compilation "Jazz Singer." If you are new to Rosemary, try those other two items first. Still, "Love Songs" has its good points, for sure. There are some classic songs on here, although most are more popular in versions by other great singers. A few of the lesser-known lyrics are captivating, too. The CD lacks an informative booklet, unfortunately, and could have been improved if a few of the tunes promoted "lively love" rather than wistful romance. That's a common failing among all these compilation CD's generically titled "So and So Sings Love Songs" or "So and So...for Lovers." I've been in love a few times myself, and it ain't all sad or slow. Sometimes "Love" zaps one with high energy and a zest for life itself, but these reconstituted compact discs seldom reflect that side of the emotion."