Released shortly after
Luciano Pavarotti's death,
The Duets is a star-studded compilation of previously released material oriented toward the popular music market. Each song finds
Pavarotti singing alongside a different pop star, most of them English-speaking Anglo-Americans. Some of this material is familiar from previous compilations, for instance,
Pavarotti's duet with
Frank Sinatra on "My Way" and his duet with
Andrea Bocelli on "Notte 'e Piscatore." Some of it is drawn from one of
Pavarotti's charity concert albums, for instance his duet with
Elton John on "Live Like Horses" from
Pavarotti & Friends for War Child (1996), his duet with
Bon Jovi on "Let It Rain" from
Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia (1998), and his duet with
Mariah Carey on "Hero" from
Pavarotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo (1999). There are also songs on which
Pavarotti was a featured guest, for instance his duet with
Céline Dion on "I Hate You Then I Love You" from her album
Let's Talk About Love (1997) and his duet with
U2 on "Miss Sarajevo" from their Passengers album Original Soundtracks 1 (1995). Other duet partners on
The Duets include
Eric Clapton,
Sting,
Zucchero,
Lionel Richie, Brian Adams,
Sheryl Crow, and
Eurythmics. There's definitely a lot of star power to behold, and there are more than a few awe-inspiring performance to be heard.
Pavarotti fans who favor his latter-day popular music side should find plenty to enjoy here. On the other hand, those who don't care for his popular music side shouldn't bother. There's no question that its greatest asset is the star power on display rather than the performances themselves. Consequently, if you're unimpressed by the guest list, you're left with an uneven compilation whose highlights are better heard elsewhere in a more fitting context. ~ Jason Birchmeier