A Love Song Collection

Performer: Kenny Rogers
Producer: Dan Huff; David Malloy; Kenny Rogers; Karl Richardson; Lionel Richie; Albhy Galuten; Barry Gibb; Brent Maher
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Additional personnel: Kim Carnes, Alison Krauss, Sheena Easton, Billy Dean. Liner Note Author: Robyn Flans. Because Kenny Rogers had such a lengthy career residing at the midpoint between soft rock and Nashville country, A LOVE SONG COLLECTION almost functions as a greatest-hits set for the bearded crooner; only his early pop hits with the First Edition and story songs like "The Gambler" are missing. The 17 tracks include classics like "Lady," "You Decorated My Life" and "Love the World Away," along with hit duets with Kim Carnes ("Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer"), Sheena Easton ("We've Got Tonight"), and Dolly Parton ("Islands in the Stream"). This compilation, released just in time for Valentine's Day 2008, isn't the most unnecessary of Kenny Rogers' career, but it's most useful if you're fairly new to Rogers and/or his love of love songs. If you own a decent Rogers collection, such as 2004's 42 Ultimate Hits, most of this ground is covered. However, due to the gaps natural to an album such as 2006's 21 Number Ones -- Rogers' best-selling album this decade -- this makes a tidy companion to that one, including as it does such smashes (but non-number ones) as "Love the World Away" and "Through the Years" missing from the earlier comp. There's natural overlap, of course -- what Rogers fan doesn't already own "Islands in the Stream," "Love Will Turn You Around," or "Lady"? -- but if you're looking for a solid collection of Rogers' love songs all in one place, you could do plenty worse than this. The liner notes by Robyn Flans are fine, there's complete Billboard chart data for all songs, and all 17 tracks have been remastered. The best reason to recommend A Love Song Collection, however, is the quality of what's contained herein; it's hard to argue with any album, however dubious its necessity, including the likes of the Kim Carnes duet "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" (those voices were meant to sing together), "Islands" (Kenny plus Dolly never gets old), and "Share Your Love with Me" (easy-lovin' early-'80s pop-country -- many did it, but Kenny did it best). ~ Thomas Inskeep

Kenny Rogers's career hit its monumental peak between 1977 and 1987, during which time his combination of soft pop production and country/western themes dominated the country and pop charts. In the preceding years, Rogers performed as a member of the New Christy Minstrels, then experimented with country-tinged rock with the First Edition (scoring a hit with the druggy "Just Dropped In [To See What Condition My Condition Was In]"). During his heyday, he scored an incomprehensible number of classic hits including "Lady," "Coward of the County," and his signature, "The Gambler." In later years, Rogers has branched out into such multifarious enterprises as acting, entertainment managing, chicken franchises, and livestock breeding.

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