AMG Review of In the Mood for Love: Classic Ballads

Cub Koda
All Music Guide

She can sing rockers and turn around and sing Hank Williams songs as well as anyone. But nobody can put across a ballad the way Brenda Lee can, and this 18-track collection proves it in a most musical way. Drawn from 11 different albums and recorded between 1961 and 1971, In the Mood for Love: Classic Ballads foregoes the usual hits and formulaic choices and instead concentrates on Lee's interpretations of standards and cover versions of then-current hits by the likes of Dusty Springfield and others. Perhaps it's Owen Bradley's uniformly excellent production that helps to band it all together around Lee's pipes, but everything on here works together as a whole concept, solid as a brick. Great songs, great singing, and production that still sounds crisp some 35-40 years after it was cut. A noteworthy addition to anyone's Brenda Lee collection, covering material not found on her box set anthologies.