Jeffrey Osborne
's edition of
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
is an excellent summary of the smooth
quiet storm
singer's peak period -- namely, the years between 1982 and 1988, when he was constantly turning out hits for
A&M
records. The biggest of these hits --
"On the Wings of Love,"
"Stay With Me Tonight,"
"Don't You Get So Mad,"
"You Should Be Mine,"
and
"She's on the Left"
among them -- helped make him one of the most popular
R&B
singers of his era, and they remain some of the classiest, best
urban soul
of its era; they've aged remarkably well, thanks in part to the polished production, but mainly thanks to
Osborne
's supple voice. There may be more extensive compilations on the market -- such as 1999's
Ultimate Collection
on
Hip-O
-- but this provides a sweet, succinct, satisfying summary of his solo peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine