Ballads

by Thom Jurek

Anyone who was seduced by the slick, tight and wonderfully articulate songwriting of Richard Marx in the 1980s and early '90s will find something here to like. There are 12 tracks of what he actually does best: writing the soft and slow ones. Some of the best material here includes "Chains Around My Heart," "Keep Coming Back," "Children of the Night," and, of course, "Now and Forever."