Ultimate Collection
Back in the early '80s, this Michigan family act was dismissed  by some as a poor man's version of the more successfulJacksons. Yet in El  DeBarge's quavering tones (a clear influence onBabyface), DeBarge  had a singer who eschewed soul pyrotechnics and went straight for the  pathos, which colored even DeBarge's uptempo songs such as "Rhythm of  the Night" with a sadness and yearning that still resonates today. They  may never have become megastars, but DeBarge had incredible songs,  chief among them the haunting "Time Will Reveal," the soaring "All This  Love," and one of the most beautiful and passionate songs in recent  memory, "In a Special Way." With early solo work from El as well as  li'l broChico(never part of the family act), this is a well-compiled set that gives  some love to a group that never quite got its due.--Amy Linden