Donny Osmond

Packaged together as part of the 7Ts label's series of Osbros two-fers, Donny Osmond's fifth and sixth albums maintain the lightweight sheen that characterized their predecessors, but does one sense things toughening up around the edges? You bet. Old enough by now to have a loud say in the kind of songs he was recording, and steering further away from the lackluster ballads that he was handling so adroitly earlier in his career, young master Osmond turns in more genuinely heartwarming performances here than at any time in the past -- his version of "Twelfth of Never" is all but definitive, "Young Love" and "Tears on My Pillow" likewise. And then there is his vision of "Unchained Melody," which may not deviate from any previous version but does prove the power of the Osmond vocal chords, even as you're still recovering from his glorious hijacking of "Are You Lonesome Tonight." Of course, you can have too much of a good thing, and whoever handed him "Hawaiian Wedding Song" to croon through was not doing listeners' ears many favors. But 20 songs slip seamlessly by and, of all the albums Osmond recorded while fame was all around, these two are probably the best. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide