Duets [Original Soundtrack]

1	Feeling Alright / Huey Lewis 4:03
2	Bette Davis Eyes / Gwyneth Paltrow 4:20
3	Cruisin' / Huey Lewis 4:52
4	Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) / Babyface 4:10
5	Try a Little Tenderness / Arnold McCuller 3:36
6	Hello It's Me / Paul Giamatti 4:12
7	I Can't Make You Love Me / Maria Bello 4:22
8	Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) / Maria Bello 4:31
9	Lonely Teardrops / Huey Lewis 3:01
10	Copacabana (At the Copa) / John Pinette 3:46
11	Free Bird / Arnold McCuller 1:23
12	Beginnings/Endings / David Newman 1:59

Barnes & Noble

True to its name, the comedy Duets pairs real-life musicians and actors and plops them, microphones in hand, at the altar of karaoke. Surprisingly, the non-singers of the group hold their own, with special mention going to leading lady Gwyneth Paltrow. In her role as the daughter of a con artist played by rocker Huey Lewis, she proves to be an able partner to her dad on a sweet-sounding version of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" and also does justice on a duet with Babyface of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)." Both Lewis and Paltrow also take solo turns: Lewis covers both Joe Cocker (a brassy "Feeling Alright") and Jackie Wilson (a soulful "Lonely Teardrops"), while Paltrow serves up a raspy, techno rendition of Kim Carnes's "Bette Davis Eyes." Other thespians who come through with flying colors are former ER starlet Maria Bello, who turns in a techno stab at the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and a sultry version of the Bonnie Raitt ballad "I Can't Make You Love Me," and Paul Giamatti, who gives a straightforward reading of Todd Rundgren's "Hello, It's Me" but cuts loose alongside jazz singer Arnold McCuller on the standard "Try a Little Tenderness." They may not be pairings for the ages, but these duets offer lots more than the chuckles you might expect. Dave Gil de Rubio

All Music Guide

The original soundtrack to Bruce Paltrow's karaoke drama Duets follows up on the film's premise, collecting the actors' performances of pop favorites. Huey Lewis' "Feelin' Alright," Maria Bello's "I Can't Make You Love Me," and John Pinette's "Copacabana" may not equal the original versions, but they're still entertaining enough in the album's context. Similarly, Gwyneth Paltrow's duets with Babyface ("Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)") and Lewis ("Cruisin'") are as interesting for their sheer novelty as for the discovery that Paltrow has a surprisingly good singing voice. However, Paul Giamatti's sweetly awkward "Hello, It's Me" and Paltrow's guileless reading of "Bette Davis Eyes" go one step farther, imbuing their performances with the desperation and vulnerability that drives their characters. As with the film, Duets is a personal and occasionally captivating -- if not always successful -- soundtrack. Heather Phares