AMG Review of Love Songs

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

Though they're best-known for their anthemic pop/rock and hard rock singles like "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Workin' for the Weekend," Loverboy did enough sweeping power ballads that their Love Songs collection is fairly substantial. "This Could Be the Night," "Heaven in Your Eyes," "When It's Over," and the Ann Wilson duet "Almost Paradise" are quintessential romantic rock ballads from the '80s, with searing guitars and synth washes conveying soaring passions. This being a Loverboy collection, however, lust is just as important -- if not more so -- than love, though it's possible that "Take Me to the Top" and "Lovin' Every Minute of It" could be seen as love songs to the group's raging libido. The group's occasionally silly lyrics ("Hot Girls in Love"'s "She's on a rainbow cruise all the way to my room" is a prime example) could be a mood-killer as well, depending on the mood you wish to set. Then there are the songs that just sound out of place, like the chugging, somewhat clunky "Lucky Ones" -- even if it's about getting lucky, the music just doesn't fit. Fortunately, "Always on My Mind," "Love Will Rise Again," "Lady of the '80s," and the seemingly *Dungeons & Dragons-influenced "Sword and Stone" have a better balance of raunch, romance, and humor. Despite the band's name, Loverboy isn't as convincingly romantic as, say, Journey or Foreigner, but Love Songs is still a pretty good collection of their more tender moments -- relatively speaking, that is.