18 Til I Die

by

Bryan Adams

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A Greatest Hits package signals the peak of an artist's commercial and critical success all too often. But Bryan Adams showed he still has plenty to offer on "18 Til I Die," his first release after his "So Far So Good" compilation.

The feel-good rocker "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me is You" and the slick ballad "Let's Make a Night to Remember" made well-deserved dents on VH1 and rock stations everywhere. Unfortunately, plenty of other deserving cuts were overlooked by the public eye. "Do to You" and the title track are among Bryan's best examples of crank-the-amps-and-let-'er-rip, and "I Wanna Be Your Underwear," however crass the title may sound, has clever lyrics, an infectiously funky backdrop and one of the catchiest choruses of the decade (not to mention endless possibilities for a music video). Elsewhere, "Star" features a sampled drum loop adding a fresh twist to a classic Adams ballad, while "I'll Always Be Right There" ditches rhythm and finds Bryan accompanied by a warm and elegant string section.

This isn't to say "18 Til I Die" is without fault. "It Ain't a Party if You Can't Come 'Round" is the sort of thing Adams has done a few times too many, and "Black Pearl," singing the praises of interracial sex, isn't so much a politically correct rocker as it is a pale "Brown Sugar" rewrite. But missteps are forgiven when we're treated to the inclusion of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," Bryan's gorgeous, flamenco-influenced ballad from the film "Don Juan de Marco"...cynics leery of movie tie-ins be damned; this track is beautiful and one for the ages.

Throughout the album, the production of Robert John "Mutt" Lange is in top form, ditto for Adam's radio-friendly voice. In the hands of someone else, a title like "18 Til I Die" may sound like a midlife crisis, but with Adams it's a testament to his die-hard, youthful spirit. Rock on.