Celine Dion Love Again

There is no other subject we are driven to sing about as much as we do love, and whether the songs are about being in the sunshine or the shadows of the emotion, every era has had them and has been partially defined by them. This four-disc set covers the modern pop era, and includes such classic love songs as Luther Vandross' "So Amazing," Harry Nilsson's heartbreaking "Without You," Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," Bonnie Tyler's one-shot "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and Cyndi Lauper's gorgeous "Time After Time," among dozens of other forays into the heart of the matter.

For her 34th studio album, Anne Murray recorded a set of duets with many of her favorite female singers, from Nelly Furtado to Sarah Brightman. There are a number of country duet partners here, such as Shania Twain, Emmylou Harris, and Martina McBride, but there are even more pop-oriented women singing with Murray, encompassing the likes of Celtic Woman and Celine Dion. This makes perfect sense, as Murray's always straddled the pop-country fence effortlessly. Her singing on Duets: Friends and Legends is just as effortless. Now in her fifth decade as an active recording artist, her voice hasn't lost a beat, sounding just as pure and clear as it did on 1970s "Snowbird" (done here with a surprisingly relaxed, easy vocal from Brightman, sounding for all the world like a young Olivia Newton-John). The majority of these songs are ones which have been sizeable hits for Murray in the past, most of which work nicely recast as duets, or at least showcases for harmony singing.