A Greatest Hits package signals the peak of an artist's commercial and critical success all too often. But Bryan Adams showed he still has plenty to offer on "18 Til I Die," his first release after his "So Far So Good" compilation.

The feel-good rocker "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me is You" and the slick ballad "Let's Make a Night to Remember" made well-deserved dents on VH1 and rock stations everywhere. Unfortunately, plenty of other deserving cuts were overlooked by the public eye. "Do to You" and the title track are among Bryan's best examples of crank-the-amps-and-let-'er-rip, and "I Wanna Be Your Underwear," however crass the title may sound, has clever lyrics, an infectiously funky backdrop and one of the catchiest choruses of the decade (not to mention endless possibilities for a music video). Elsewhere, "Star" features a sampled drum loop adding a fresh twist to a classic Adams ballad, while "I'll Always Be Right There" ditches rhythm and finds Bryan accompanied by a warm and elegant string section.

This isn't to say "18 Til I Die" is without fault. "It Ain't a Party if You Can't Come 'Round" is the sort of thing Adams has done a few times too many, and "Black Pearl," singing the praises of interracial sex, isn't so much a politically correct rocker as it is a pale "Brown Sugar" rewrite. But missteps are forgiven when we're treated to the inclusion of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman," Bryan's gorgeous, flamenco-influenced ballad from the film "Don Juan de Marco"...cynics leery of movie tie-ins be damned; this track is beautiful and one for the ages.

Throughout the album, the production of Robert John "Mutt" Lange is in top form, ditto for Adam's radio-friendly voice. In the hands of someone else, a title like "18 Til I Die" may sound like a midlife crisis, but with Adams it's a testament to his die-hard, youthful spirit. Rock on.

Brian Adams can really write great songs and this album is full of them. Now some of the songs may not be as honorable as others, but at least Adams is honest. This record will take you for a ride from its fast/fun songs such as "18 Till I Die" to the slower songs such as "I'll Always Be Right There". "Have You Every Really Loved a Woman?" is also a great song.

Mutt Lang did a great job producing this record. The flow of the record is incredible. When I listen to most records I skip around, but I don't with this one. The key is how the songs are spaced out. There is a silence of up to almost 10 seconds after the slower, more thoughtful songs and as short as less than a second after the fast songs. I'm not really sure about the science behind the timing of the album, but it is a great album. There is a song for every type of listener on Brian Adams' "18 Till I Die".

This CD is different than all of the other Bryan Adams' CD's. Bryan reaches out to teenagers of the 90's with a grungy sound. He still reaches out to adults on the ballads. He also brings out his sexual side. Back when this CD was released, Bryan had the Kurt Kobain look to match the grungy sound. I reccomend this CD, but don't expect it to sound like the older BA CD's.

Bryan explores new horizons, that's fine, but the result is not as good as we are use to with this artist. It is a good cd, there is few songs that I don't really like but I would say that I like 80% of the album and Bryan is still a very good signer and composer, good rocking songs, excellent ballads (Let's make a night to remember and Have you ever really loved a woman) and more...

this album is a must for any adams fan - it's his happiest, most honest and kickass album to date. the usual bulletproof ballads are there, along with some great dance/rock anthems. by the way, the inlay artwork (with photography by anton corbijn and andrew catlin) is pretty cool.