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Beautiful Ballads is every bit as romantic as you might expect. Every track here is soulful with a perfect blend of buttery vocals and magnificent instrumentals.
It opens with the delightfully catchy “That’s the Way of the World.” Next up is “All About Love.” The horns on this track are absolutely stellar. “Devotion” follows with a gorgeous mix of vocal harmonies that will make you want to close your eyes and breathe it all in. “Can’t Hide Love” is sultry, smoky and perfectly laced with some powerful horn stylings.
One of my favorite tunes here conjured a fond memory of one particular family road trip back when I was but a youth. Being a somewhat democratic family, our parents would allow my brother and I to choose a radio station that we liked for part of the trip. How long we got to listen to “our music” depended upon how long it took our parents to get a headache. “After the Love is Gone” is what once happened when John and I were singing along (a bit too enthusiastically) to Prince’s “When the Doves Cry.” I can still hear my father’s “I-don’t-know-why-the-hell-you-kids-like-listening-to-this-garbage” speech, backed by those soulful vocals and wailing horns.
There is no denying the immeasurable talent of this well-seasoned band. This delightful collection of classics will definitely bring you back. As the title suggests, it is a sweet and relaxing listen, perfect for a quiet evening with that special someone.
