Spun: Bryan Adams

By Nathan Atnikov

As the holiday season approaches, the real question on everyone’s mind isn’t ‘do they know it’s Christmas?’ but rather, ‘who’s due to release a best-of compilation?’ Among the many is Bryan Adams, who releases what seems like his millionth career retrospective with Anthology.

A two-disc affair, Anthology displays Adams at his best (“There Will Never Be Another Tonight”), his worst (“Straight from the Heart”), and his most questionable (“Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?”). At one point in his career, around the Waking up the Neighbours years, Adams could have fairly been considered a guilty pleasure, as his thoughtless stomp-along rockers are able to crack a smile on even the most hardened of music snob faces.

Late in his career though, Adams has become a caricature of himself. From ill-advised duets to crap soundtrack filler, Adams’ past decade has been spent entrenched fiercely in mediocrity, at the best of times. Sadly, it is this portion of his career which is over-represented on Anthology. The world really doesn’t need “On a Day like Today,” “18 Til I Die,” and “Cloud Number Nine” in one easy to access package.

Adams has always been bearable at best but this 36 song collection is just overkill.

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