The death throes of the great American songbook

Pre-rock pop in all its surprising, sentimental variety is now a Vegas cliche of boozy bonhomie and cocktail-hour flirtationIt's hard not to have a good time with Duets II, Tony Bennett's new album. Bennett is a generous host, gently guiding varied collaborators through their turns. The songs are familiar classics, given a deluxe veneer by rich arrangements. But all the amusement can't quite cover up a whiff of embalming fluid. This is nothing to do with Bennett's octogenarian status – he's th...

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