Pavarotti & Friends - Pavarotti & Friends For War Child (1996)

Elton John, Eric Clapton, Joan Osborne, Luciano Pavarotti, Sheryl Crow, Liza Minnelli, Jon Secada, The Kelly Family, Edoardo Bennato, Solis String Quartet, Paco De Lucia, Ligabue, Ensemble, Litfiba, Zucchero, East London Gospel Choir. Eclecticism, rendered with more good nature than real accomplishment, is the key characteristic of this mixed bag of performers gathering together in Modena, Italy, Luciano Pavarotti's hometown, for a benefit concert for Bosnian children. Actually, the pop stars, notably Eric Clapton and Elton John, come off better than the host. Sheryl Crow doesn't embarrass herself duetting on Mozart with Pavarotti nearly as much as Pavarotti does duetting with Liza Minnelli on "New York, New York." With plenty of Italian pop and competent but unexceptional Anglo-American hits to accompany the classical musings, there's something here to bore nearly everyone, though the idea, of course, is to have something to intrigue everyone enough to buy a copy and help the charity.