Julio Iglesias - My Life: Greatest Hits

The master of the love ballad--in at least six languages--has finally put his greatest hits, along with four new tracks, in a solid two-CD bilingual set. His early material from the 1970s is solid stuff that reminds us of Iglesias's initial allure--his voice, at once mellifluous, melancholy, and warm. His early magic is evident on such heat generators as the plaintive but ultimately uplifting "Hey," the haunting "Abrazame," and the moving "Manuela." He broke the U.S. market wide open in 1984 with the corny but impacting "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" with Willie Nelson. That song began a successful series of duets with other pop stars such as Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, and Diana Ross, all included here. Of poignant interest is "Summer Wind," sung with the late Frank Sinatra. --Ramiro Burr