Michael Franks- Backward Glance

If you haven't cottoned on to Michael Franks by now, it's time you wised up.Anyway, the Franks repertoire is cool, hip and sexy-smart. There's a hypnotic quality to the grooves - they seem familiar and you swear you've heard them somewhere else before. The lyrics are quirky, observational and intelligent - most of all intelligent.

If you've not traveled down the Franks road, then this greatest hits collection is a fair place to start.But there's a danger here. Once sampled, you may find yourself on the right side of a Michael Franks' addiction.Subtle vocals, understated instrumentation, warmth and intimacy...Michael Franks is the quintissential adult contemporary artist: clever enough to win jazz listeners and slick enough to lure pop fans. This wonderfully comprehensive compilation includes popular early work like "Popsicle Toes" and "The Lady Wants to Know" as well as later, radio-friendly fodder like "Your Secret's Safe With Me" and "When I Give My Love to You." Some tunes (notably "The Art of Love" and "Soul Mate") are missed opportunities for commercial success when viewed in hindsight, and the drop-dead gorgeous ballads "Tiger in the Rain" and "Hourglass" are attestments to the strengths of Franks' arrangements, and production, and songwriting prowess. Oddball tunes like "Baseball" and "When Sly Calls" are forgiven in the face of such beauty.

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