Unlike
Frank Sinatra's album,
John actually recorded in the studio with his duet partners, adding a spark to his album missing on
Sinatra's
Duets, even if his choices are nearly as bewildering. Some of the material doesn't work in the duet format, and his partners occasionally don't mesh with his current adult contemporary style. All of this makes
Duets an ultimately disappointing record, even with the occasional successful track, like the kitschy number with drag queen
RuPaul. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine