Having recently introduced some EMI-controlled artists to the ICON roster, Universal now incorporates some of those artists (and some of their most treasured R&B and country acts) into a new budget-oriented series, Ballads.

And while none of the artists covered here really, truly need more compilations on the market - and, one can assume, the assembly of these is as low-impact as the ICON series - there's actually some promise to be had here. The overall selection of artists isn't terrible, particularly on the EMI side; new sets from culled from the catalogues of Peabo Bryson and Freddie Jackson as well as The O'Jays three albums on EMI America in the late 1980s/early 1990s are all anthologized here, giving fans perhaps a lesser-seen side of these acts.

And that's the case throughout: from country crooners (Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill) to Motown acts (Marvin Gaye, New Edition) and other soul acts (Barry White, The Impressions, Kool & The Gang), there's not a terrible amount of "same old, same old" tracks. Some barely have any singles on them, making for a good "second step" if you've got any of these group's earlier compilations.

All titles can be found after the jump and can be ordered or bought in stores now.

Trisha Yearwood, Ballads (MCA Nashville/UMe B0018018-02, 2013)

1. How Do I Live
2. Thinkin' About You
3. Maybe It's Love
4. Walkaway Joe
5. I Need You
6. The Nightingale
7. Down on My Knees
8. When We Were Still in Love
9. You're Where I Belong
10. A Lover is Forever
11. I Would've Loved You Anyway
12. The Song Remembers When

Track 1 from (Songbook) A Collection of Hits (MCA Nashville, 1997)
Track 2 from Thinkin' About You (MCA Nashville, 1995)
Tracks 3, 5 and 10 from Everybody Knows (MCA Nashville, 1996)
Tracks 4 and 7 from Hearts in Armor (MCA Nashville, 1992)
Tracks 6 and 12 from The Song Remembers When (MCA Nashville, 1993)
Track 9 from Stuart Little: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Motown, 1999)
Track 11 from Inside Out (MCA Nashville, 2001)

K-Ci & Jo Jo, Ballads (Geffen/UMe B0018032-02, 2013)

1. All My Life
2. Don't Rush (Take Love Slowly)
3. How Could You
4. Tell Me It's Real
5. I Wanna Make Love to You
6. How Long Must I Cry
7. Wanna Do You Right
8. Crazy
9. All the Things I Should Have Known
10. Down for Life
11. This Very Moment
12. Love Me Carefully

Tracks 1-3 from Love Always (MCA, 1997)
Tracks 4-6 from It's Real (MCA, 1999)
Tracks 7-9 from X (MCA, 2000)
Tracks 10-12 from Emotional (MCA, 2002)

Kool & The Gang, Ballads (Mercury/UMe B0018033-02, 2013)

1. No Show
2. Broadway
3. Too Hot
4. Just Friends
5. Cherish
6. Love Affair
7. Special Way
8. Think It Over
9. Jones Vs. Jones
10. September Love
11. Strong
12. Pass It On

Tracks 1 and 12 from Something Special (De-Lite, 1981)
Tracks 2 and 7 from Forever (Mercury, 1988)
Track 3 from Ladies' Night (De-Lite, 1979)
Tracks 4, 6 and 9 from Celebrate! (De-Lite, 1980)
Track 5 from Emergency (De-Lite, 1984)
Track 8 from As One (De-Lite, 1982)
Track 10 from In the Heart (De-Lite, 1983)
Track 11 from Everything's Kool & The Gang: Greatest Hits and More (Mercury, 1988)

The Impressions, Ballads (Geffen B0018034-02, 2013)

1. I'm So Proud
2. Never Let Me Go
3. I'm the One Who Loves You
4. Can't You See
5. Just One Kiss from You
6. I Loved and I Lost
7. Falling in Love with You
8. Since I Lost the One I Love
9. Love's a Comin'
10. I Can't Stay Away from You
11. I've Found Out That I've Lost
12. As Long As You Love Me

Track 1 from The Never Ending Impressions (ABC-Paramount, 1964)
Tracks 2-3 and 12 from The Impressions (ABC-Paramount, 1963)
Tracks 4 and 11 from People Get Ready (ABC-Paramount, 1965)
Track 5 and 7 from One by One (ABC-Paramount, 1965)
Track 6 from We're a Winner (Curtom, 1968)
Track 8 from B-side to ABC-Paramount single 45-10761, 1966
Tracks 9-10 from The Fabulous Impressions (ABC-Paramount, 1967)

Barry White, Ballads (Mercury/UMe B0018035-02, 2013)

1. I've Got So Much to Give (7" Edit)
2. Hard to Believe That I Found You
3. You Turned My Whole World Around
4. I Love You More Than Anything (in This World Girl)
5. Love Serenade (Part 1)
6. Of All the Guys in the World
7. I'm So Blue and You Are Too
8. It's Only Love Doing Its Thing
9. Dark and Lovely (You Over There) (with Isaac Hayes) (Edit)
10. Put Me in Your Mix
11. Let Me Live My Life Lovin' You Babe
12. Love's Interlude/Good Night, My Love)

Track 1 from I've Got So Much to Give (20th Century, 1973)
Track 2 from Stone Gon' (20th Century, 1973)
Tracks 3 and 6 from Barry White Sings for Someone You Love (20th Century, 1977)
Track 4 from Can't Get Enough (20th Century, 1974)
Tracks 5 and 11 from Just Another Way to Say I Love You (20th Century, 1975)
Track 7 from Let the Music Play (20th Century, 1976)
Track 8 from The Man (20th Century, 1978)
Tracks 9-10 from Put Me in Your Mix (A&M, 1991)
Track 12 from The Man is Back! (A&M, 1989)

Johnny Gill, Ballads (Motown/UMe B0018065-02, 2013)

1. My, My, My
2. Lady Dujour
3. Let's Spend the Night
4. I Got You
5. Quiet Time to Play
6. Someone to Love
7. Let's Get the Mood Right
8. It's Your Body (feat. Roger Troutman)
9. I'm Still Waiting
10. Just Another Lonely Night
11. Giving All My Love to You
12. Maybe

Tracks 1-3 and 10-11 from Johnny Gill (Motown, 1990)
Tracks 4-5 from Provocative (Motown, 1993)
Tracks 6-8 and 12 from Let's Get the Mood Right (Motown, 1996)
Track 9 from New Jack City: Music from the Motion Picture (Giant, 1991)

Vince Gill, Ballads (MCA Nashville/UMe B0018066-02, 2013)

1. I Still Believe in You
2. Look At Us
3. When Love Finds You
4. Someday
5. Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye
6. If I Didn't Have You in My World
7. The Only Love
8. What They All Call Love
9. Nothing Like a Woman
10. Whenever You Come Around
11. You and You Alone
12. When I Call Your Name

Tracks 1 and 9 from I Still Believe in You (MCA Nashville, 1992)
Tracks 2 and 6 from Pocket Full of Gold (MCA Nashville, 1991)
Tracks 3 and 10 from When Love Finds You (MCA Nashville, 1994)
Track 4 from Next Big Thing (MCA Nashville, 2003)
Track 5 from Let's Make Sure We Kiss Goodbye (MCA Nashville, 2000)
Track 7 from These Days (MCA Nashville, 2006)
Track 8 from The Key (MCA Nashville, 1998)
Track 11 from High Lonesome Sound (MCA Nashville, 1996)
Track 12 from When I Call Your Name (MCA Nashville, 1989)

Marvin Gaye, Ballads (Motown/UMe B0018072-02, 2013)

1. The Shadow of Your Smile
2. My Funny Valentine
3. Piece of Clay
4. Yesterday
5. You've Changed
6. (I'm Afraid) The Masquerade is Over
7. Too Young
8. Unforgettable
9. There Goes My Baby
10. Night Life
11. Distant Lover
12. After the Dance

Track 1 from Vulnerable (Motown, 1997)
Tracks 2 and 6 from The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (Tamla, 1961)
Track 3 from The Master 1961-1984 (Motown, 1995)
Track 4 from That's the Way Love Is (Tamla, 1970)
Track 5 from When I'm Alone I Cry (Tamla, 1964)
Tracks 7-8 from A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole (Tamla, 1965)
Track 9 from In the Groove (Tamla, 1968)
Track 10 from Moods of Marvin Gaye (Tamla, 1966)
Track 11 from Let's Get It On (Tamla, 1973)
Track 12 from I Want You (Tamla, 1976)

New Edition, Ballads (Geffen/UMe B0018073-02, 2013)

1. I'm Leaving You Again
2. Lost in Love
3. Whispers in Bed
4. Tonight's Your Night
5. With You All the Way
6. (Hey There) Lonely Girl
7. Since I Don't Have You
8. Can You Stand the Rain
9. Superlady
10. I'm Comin' Home
11. I'm Still in Love with You
12. Home Again

Tracks 1-2 from New Edition (MCA, 1984)
Tracks 3-5 from All for Love (MCA, 1985)
Tracks 6-7 from Under the Blue Moon (MCA, 1986)
Tracks 8-10 from Heart Break (MCA, 1988)
Tracks 11-12 from Home Again (MCA, 1996)

Peabo Bryson, Ballads (Capitol 50999 912174 2 4, 2013)

1. I'm So Into You
2. Feel the Fire
3. Reaching for the Sky
4. What You Won't Do for Love (with Natalie Cole)
5. Let the Feeling Flow
6. Give Me Your Love
7. We Don't Have to Talk (About Love)
8. Tonight, I Celebrate My Love (with Roberta Flack)
9. Show & Tell
10. All My Love
11. She's a Woman
12. You're Looking Like Love to Me (with Roberta Flack)

Tracks 1 and 11 from Crosswinds (Capitol, 1978)
Tracks 2-3 from Reaching for the Sky (Capitol, 1977)
Track 4 from We're the Best of Friends (Capitol, 1978)
Track 5 from I Am Love (Capitol, 1981)
Tracks 6-7 from Don't Play with Fire (Capitol, 1982)
Tracks 8 and 12 from Born to Love (Capitol, 1983)
Tracks 9-10 from All My Love (Capitol, 1989)

Freddie Jackson, Ballads (Capitol 50999 912175 2 3, 2013)

1. You Are My Lady
2. Rock Me Tonight (For Old Time's Sake)
3. Love is Just a Touch Away
4. Have You Ever Loved Somebody
5. Tasty Love
6. I Don't Want to Lose Your Love
7. Hey Lover
8. You and I Got a Thang
9. Love Me Down
10. Do Me Again
11. Main Course
12. I Could Use a Little Love (Right Now)

Tracks 1-3 from Rock Me Tonight (Capitol, 1985)
Tracks 4-6 from Just Like the First Time (Capitol, 1986)
Tracks 7-8 from Don't Let Love Slip Away (Capitol, 1988)
Tracks 9-11 from Do Me Again (Capitol, 1990)
Track 12 from Time for Love (Capitol, 1992)

The O'Jays, Ballads (Capitol 50999 912176 2 2, 2013)

1. Serious Hold on Me
2. Friend of a Friend
3. Don't Let Me Down
4. Emotionally Yours
5. Keep On Lovin' Me
6. Somebody Else Will
7. If I Fine Love Again
8. Rainbow
9. Closer to You
10. Fading
11. Heartbreaker
12. Keep On Pleasin' Me

Tracks 1-2, 8 and 10 from Serious (EMI America, 1989)
Tracks 3-5, 7, 9 and 12 from Emotionally Yours (EMI America, 1991)
Tracks 6 and 11 from Heartbreaker (EMI America, 1993)