Collin Raye - Love Songs (2000)

Collin Raye built his career on romantic ballads, and a couple of his most popular ones -- "Love, Me" and "In This Life" -- are included on this ten-song budget anthology. But for the most part, the compilers have steered clear of Raye's country chart hits, no doubt fearing to cannibalize sales from his full-priced The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits collection. Instead, he is heard on album tracks that were hits for others, such as "Let It Be Me" (the Everly Brothers) and "Dreaming My Dreams With You" (Waylon Jennings). He has also cut one new cover just for this release, Don McLean's "And I Love You So" (Perry Como). Raye is, as ever, achingly sincere, but this is more a sampler than a real selection of his best love songs. © William Ruhlmann