Eight months after Motown/UTV released the excellent
Definitive Collection, the first truly comprehensive
Lionel Richie collection, they released another solid
Richie comp by giving him an entry in their
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection series. While this is not nearly as exhaustive as
Definitive, it does contain many of the basics -- namely "You Are," "All Night Long (All Night)," "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," "Dancing on the Ceiling" -- as well as three
Commodores tracks ("Zoom," "Lady [You Bring Me Up]," "Jesus Is Love") that were not on
Definitive, along with the fine solo hit "My Love," which was the one track not on the previous compilation that really should have been included. There are a lot of songs that should have made the cut if this was going to be a truly representative, excellent 11-track recap of his solo career -- "Running With the Night," "Endless Love," "Truly," and "Penny Lover," to begin with -- and the
Commodores tracks on
Definitive fit the soft rock vibe of his solo career better than those featured here, but this isn't bad for a budget-line compilation, since it's an enjoyable, concise sampler. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine