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The charm of this album lies in the list of evergreens. These were specifically written for the singles charts, at a time when strict division of labor between writers and performers was the norm. Accordingly, each piece aims to convince on its own in a few radio-friendly minutes, relying on harmony and emotional bombardment. Right – it’s almost exclusively about love, sometimes from the perspective of infatuated teenagers, sometimes from broken hearts, but mostly cheerful and in irresistibly optimistic naivety. This makes the CD an entertaining affair. There is also variety, as I was surprised by the incredibly sad song "Waterfalls," which the trio TLC practically clogged music television with in the 90s. Was it really that good? I compared it to the original and immediately knew why I didn't like it back then; a ballad with a hip-hop beat underneath. With this so-called R'n'B gimmick, one could quickly become a millionaire back then, although the connection to true rhythm 'n' blues remains a mystery to me. The Blues Brothers would kick your ass! No, Midler's version with piano and timbre is a clear improvement.
I believe I know one piece from a commercial, which has the unpleasant side effect for me that a scene with seemingly happy people starts in my head as soon as the melody begins. That's how you can ruin songs for the listener, dear advertisers!
Now one can question the purpose of such a recording, after all, the quality of the originals is undisputed. Just having this collection of pieces on one CD is certainly appealing. The execution is successful, the experienced artist Midler does not need to hide and gives each piece the certain something it needs. Of course, the spark of genius that made these songs special back then is missing. Nevertheless, it remains an entertaining portion of music, with a pleasing mix of swing, harmless rock 'n' roll, country, and ballads. A homage to a time when music for teenagers painted a naive and romantic picture of love. Sweet!
