Varied CDs show love (and music) is in the air

Air Supply

Air Supply's Greatest Hits

Arista

It's Valentine's Day, a holiday of undisputed cheese and mush, and that makes it the perfect time to revisit a musical genre that seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle: easy listening. It enjoyed a fruitful peak in the eighties when the country was less angsty and more sugar-coated, but in the nineties, people got cynical and easy listening suffered a backlash. So there's nothing to do now except look to the past for lost favorites. Air Supply's Greatest Hits is one such album, and it just so happens that it is perfect for your intimate Valentine's night..

For those of you who have forgotten, Air Supply is that duo composed of a brawny blonde guy and an elfish brunette guy with a white man's afro who can sing octaves above many women. Given that their best tunes came out from 1980 to 1983, nostalgic appreciation for Air Supply may be lost upon anyone who is not at least in their twenties. Or you perhaps you may have gotten exposure by growing up with parents who listened to a lot of easy listening in the car.

Even so, who can deny such classic hits as "Even the Nights are Better," "Lost in Love," and of course their epic smash rock ballad, "Making Love out of Nothing at All?" A lot of acoustic guitar and strings, sweet harmonies and sensitive-guy lyrics. Laugh as you will, everyone likes to indulge in a little cheese now and again. So grab your sweetheart and give it a listen this Valentine's Day. It'll be our little secret.

- Michelle Chang

Various Artists

Body Talk: The Language of Love

1965 - 1995 Forever Yours

Time Life Music

Music has a tremendous effect on people. Certain people are moved by certain kinds of music. Some people are moved by classical music; others by opera. Me, I'm moved by hip-hop and soul. They say music is the universal language.

I can feel jazz and often types of non-verbal music - music does convey a mood. However, words are what do it for me. Words are what makes me feel this particular CD.

Classic love songs come from different genres and different eras. They can each convey a particular mood to the listener. The reason that they are all characterized as classic is that they have a soothing effect on people and will continue to do so for years to come.

The soul favorites are here, such as the Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets" and Harold Melvin's "If You Don't Know Me By Now." Perhaps the biggest accomplishment of this double CD is that the '80s songs collected do not come off as cheesy - as much of the popular music of that decade is often characterized. "Sexual Healing" from Marvin Gaye and Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" are good picks.

The one weakness of the compilation is that Time Life couldn't seem to escape putting at least one '80s song which comes off as annoying. The worst technique that defined popular music of the '80s was starting a song soft and melodic and then building to a loud, chaotic climax and somehow softening back to the way the song started at the very end. Luckily, the listener has to put up with this for only a few songs, like Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and Dan Fogelberg's "Longer." As a whole, the CD does come off as "the language of love," just as the title suggests.

- Jesse Cretaro

Various Artists

Country Romancin'

JCI

The first country song was written by some lonesome cowboy with a broken heart. Country romance is as old as the hills. Country Romancin', Ten Great Country Love Songs isn't.

The album makes the bold claim that a great country love song wasn't written until Lee Roy Parnell penned "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am?"

If you listen carefully, you can hear the distant strains of Hank Williams turning over in his grave. Yet the album is still satisfying to the listener who needs nothing more than, in the immortal words of contributor Neal McCoy, "a slow dance to a sad song."

Pam Tillis' song "One of Those Things," is one of those stronger songs on the album. Tillis' powerful delivery aims straight at the heart.

Some of the songs miss the mark. Even Cupid would be bored by the mediocre efforts of Little Texas and Holly Dunn.

There's remarkably little romancing on Country Romancin'. It's a lonely ode to the heart by a pitiful crew of abandonded lovers.

"Come back baby, just one more time, we'll have a good time," Highway 101 sings in Baby, I'm Missing You. "There's no comfort in a bottle of wine." Fortuantely, there is a bit of Southern comfort in Country Romancin'.

- Hannah Miller