8/10 VARIOUS ARTISTS – R N B  & SOUL CLASSICS (EMI) 
After listening to the first CD’s Closer by Neo and Kelis’ Milkshake, you might feel like dropping someone a scathing e-mail, defining the word “classic” to them, as these two tracks are misfits.

The compilation makes amends as it goes back in time – sufficiently –  with Boyz II Men’s A Song For Mama, Always by Atlantic Starr and Paula Abdul’s Rush Rush.

If you find that these R&B classics take you back to a time in your life where you used to write love letters to your girl, run up an exorbitant bill on your parents’ landline phone and wear what now look like a ridiculous  hairstyle, then you’re not as young as you think you are.

And if you relate more to tracks on the second disc (Kenny Rogers’ Lady, The Commodores’ Easy and Elvina by Beau Williams) then you can hand over the first disc to your grandchild.

 Soul music invokes feelings of just cuddling up with the nearest human around and what better way to express this than through collaborations that include icons like Soul II Soul and Caron Caron Wheeler (Back To Life), and Melba Moore featuring Freddie Jackson.

This is an album for young and old. – SM