The
Engelbert Humperdinck entry in the discount-priced best-of series
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection is a nearly foolproof brief consideration of
Humperdinck's recording career through some of his biggest hits. The 12-track, 38-minute compilation runs in chronological order, starting with
Humperdinck's first hit, "Release Me," from 1967, and going on to include 11 of his first 13 U.S. chart entries, through 1971. For its 12th and final track,
Humperdinck's 1976 comeback hit, "After the Lovin'," has been licensed from another label, producing a set that includes all of the smooth ballad singer's American Top 40 pop hits. He has a much more extensive discography, of course, but at a cheap price this disc includes most of the songs that his oldest fans will remember as radio favorites. ~ William Ruhlmann