You might be able to think of, oh, 100 other singers better suited than this guy at "reinterpreting" some definitive songs of the 20th century.

 But George Michael - a pop diva trapped in a man's body - is the only one who's dared to do it, so I guess we're stuck with him.

 He does a fine job turning a strangely varied collection into perfectly serviceable easy listening fare. Awash in reverb and framed in mellow orchestrations, Michael brings a breathy, earnest sensitivity to the music. Taking pains not to show off - in effect, showing off his ability to not show off - he clearly loves this sort of material. Who wouldn't? There are gems here.

 Standouts include Brother Can You Spare a Dime? (the most passion heard on the album, as if it was "brother can you spare a record deal?"; George is now on his third label in 10 years) and a lounge version of Sting's Roxanne that fits surprisingly well. It's a great song whatever its context.

 The odd duck among such other classics as My Baby Just Cares For Me and Secret Love is U2's Miss Sarajevo. It's a mystery why the song is here and its acoustic guitar rendition just sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the oh-so-smooth, classic pop sounds on the rest of the CD.

 But when you're compiling the 10 best songs of the century - an absurd task at best - there's no accounting for taste.

Track Listing 1. Brother Can You Spare A Dime? (4.22)
2. Roxanne (4.11)
3. You've Changed (4.25)
4. My Baby Just Cares For Me (1.45)
5. The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (5.19)
6. Miss Sarajevo (5.11)
7. I Remember You (4.12)
8. Secret Love (2.39)
9. Wild Is The Wind (4.02)
10. Where Or When (2.43)
11. It's All Right With Me (Hidden) (3.26)
TOTAL TIME: 43.11
 

Top 25 CDs of 1999