The Summer Sizzle installment of Rhino's successful Instant Party series is a 14-track collection designed to provide a soundtrack for hot summer evenings. This, of course, means A LOT of songs with summer in the title -- "Summer in the City," "Summertime Blues," "Cruel Summer," and, best of all, Style Council's unacknowledged classic "Long Hot Summer" -- plus songs that sound like a summer afternoon ("Groovin'," "Dancing in the Street," "Spill the Wine" (which my dad hates because he heard it as "Erlewine," funnily enough), plus Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy," which doesn't sound good in any context, much less a summer album. Does this make Summer Sizzle an essential listen? Of course not, especially since anybody that owns more than 20 albums will likely have at least one of these songs, but it's all fun, and if the track listing looks good to you, it'll certainly satisfy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide