Michael Buble Love

On the surface, the title of Michael Bublé's tenth studio album, 2018's Love, announces a swinging collection of standards and originals all thematically centered on themes of romance, fidelity, and desire. That said, it could also speak to two heart-wrenching years leading up to Love, during which time the singer's then three-year-old son was diagnosed with liver cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Prior to the release of Love, Bublé even intimated in an interview that, in light of his son's illness, he might be ready to retire. All these notions of love and the stakes that drive our passionate emotions are redolent on the album, whose brightly swinging and upbeat production via longtime mentor David Foster belies the personal turmoil of Bublé's private life.

Christmas is vocalist Michael Bublé's first full-length holiday-themed album since his 2003 EP Let It Snow. As with that album, Christmas features Bublé backed by small ensembles as well as his big band and orchestra, and includes a handful of classic Christmas songs. In that sense, the album is a rather old-school affair, with Bublé in prime Bing Crosby-meets-Dean Martin vocal style tackling such chestnuts as "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," "Silent Night," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." There are also some fine, contemporary, if still retro-sounding, pop moments here including Bublé's duet with the British female pop trio the Puppini Sisters on "Jingle Bells," and his inspired, slightly melancholy reworking of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Ultimately, Christmas is a warm and inviting album that showcases Bublé's impeccable vocal chops.

love is Bublé's first release of any kind in two years, following his eldest son Noah being diagnosed with liver cancer, which he has said made him consider "never returning to music". He later returned to write and record songs in the studio as his son's condition improved. On his approach to the album, Bublé stated: "My end game for the new record was to create a series of short cinematic stories for each song I chose and have it stand on its own." Once the rough outline of his album concept was formed he pitched the idea to his band members while they were visiting his Vancouver home for a casual jam session and video games.

Although it took more than a year of concerts and promotional appearances, Michael Bublé's 2003 debut disc of swinging pop standards finally ascended the Billboard album chart and landed at number 47. That peak may not seem impressive at first, but in a musical world dominated by rap or the latest flavor of alternative rock, Bublé's upper chart appearance was a real accomplishment and it sparked a renewed interest in music associated with great vocalists like Frank Sinatra. With his second studio disc, It's Time, Bublé builds upon the musical foundation he laid with his debut and demonstrates that he is much more than a flavor-of-the-month celebrity. Like his debut, It's Time mines the rich history of pop music as Bublé applies his own technique to classic standards and incorporates his Rat Pack sound into modern pop songs.

2009 five CD set. 101 Dinner Party Songs is the perfect collection for those intimate parties with family and friends. Featuring a wide array of genres and artists, there's something for almost everybody on this four disc set. Includes cuts from Julie London, UB40, Ann Peebles, Johnny Mercer, Bobby Womack, Eva Cassidy, Willie Nelson, Richard Thompson, The Beach Boys, Sigur Ros and many others. EMI.