Release Day

It is finally here folks...the release date for Barry Manilow's new album, The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time (click the title to order your copy from Barry's website. I get nothing from you clicking the link, just trying to make it easier for you to get your own copy.  I have ordered from them many times and have never had a problem).

Ok, so you would think that just because I love Barry I would in turn love everything he has done.  That is not the case.  Take for example his 1982 release, Here Comes The Night (very bad) or last year's Greatest Hits Of The Eighties (not really good). While there were elements on each album that were ok, they just generally stunk.  Thankfully, that is not the case today!  "Love Songs" is one of THE best albums Mr. Manilow has ever done!  He sings these songs as if he has written each and every one of them.  He makes some of the most tired songs (meaning everyone has recorded them before him) and breathes new life into them.  In fact, Where Do I Begin? (Theme From "Love Story") has never sounded so amazing.  Barry really flexes his arranger muscles on this album and has come up with some of the most interesting string and horn arrangements I have ever heard. He crawled deep into each one of these songs, mined them for their gold and made them his own!

The album was recorded on a soundstage with a full orchestra and it has an almost live feel to it, like he is making it up as he goes and it is spot on perfect.  He goes from quiet intimate numbers like We've Only Just Begun (which I give him my stamp of approval on, unlike his awful treatment of Close To You but that's another story) to a BRILLIANT Mills Brothers inspired Nevertheless, wherein Barry sings with his favorite back-up group...himself, lots and lots of hims!  Outstanding. His big band sound on You Made Me Love You and It Could Happen To You is impeccable and it sounds like we are back in the 40s.  He ends the album with one of Nan's favorite songs, When You Were Sweet Sixteen, and it actually made me tear up a bit.  In fact, I think Nan would have loved this entire album.  Buy it, listen to it, you will love it.  I guarantee it.

Oh, so much music today!!!  From Barry to a brief Idol break to some REALLY great singles  Here they are folks, Tuesday's 10 Tunes.....

(Click here to listen to clips of these songs)

1.  The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of - Carly Simon 3:58 (Arista Records) This is such a completely brilliant song from one of Carly's best albums, "Coming Around Again".  This one has deeply personal memories for me.  Let's just say that it was the first and only time that someone gave me a song because of what it said and how it related to us. It is a moment that I will never forget for as long as I live. For anyone that is bored with their relationship or their own life, listen to this song.  Carly is telling us to take a new look at what we have and who we are, stop looking for something more because it is already right in front of us. It is a joyous song (and trust me, I don't use that word very often)!

2.  Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations 2:57 (Eric Records) "WHYYYYYY Do you build me (build me) buttercup baby just to let me down..." I love the vocal arrangement on this song.  The way the back-ups keep popping up and echoing the lead, so cool!  "oooooooooowoooo (ooooooowoooo)" the horns and the constant tamborine and this guy's voice all makes me so happy!!!  I played this song at every gig I ever had and you can hear the cue burn in the beginning of the song!  "Hey hey HEY" The one thing that has plagued me for years is why they did a key change (yay) at the end of the song and then fade out right away?  Very frustrating.  I wanted it to go on, only higher!!

3.  Right Back To Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale 3:16 (United Artists Records) WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO  I love this song!  It just starts off being happy!!! No slow build to the happiness, it just smacks you in the face right from jump! "Do you remember that day? (that sunny day) When you first came my way!"  I am actually typing to the beat of this song.  LOL STOP!  Maxine Nightingale's voice is so cool.  Bright, clear, soulful with just enough sass.  And you can just hear the joy in her voice!  Interesting to note that this song is not only similar in theme to Carly's song but both end in prepositions!  (Where the hell did that come from?  Oh this tired ole random brain of mine.  Better to just go with it folks, otherwise you'll get a headache) CHAIR DANCING and playing that one again.  BRB

4.  Ready To Take A Chance Again - Barry Manilow 3:01 (Arista Records) Did you really think I would let "release day" go by without hearing some Barry?  Come on people, I thought you knew me better than that by now!  This was the main title theme for the movie "Foul Play" with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn.  I love the message in this song...bored with your life - do something about it.  Scared (or scarred) from a past relationship - get over it and take a chance.  You never know unless you try, right?  This, like many early Manilow hits, just keeps building and building but the man always knew when to stop.  He never went overboard...just high enough (granted, sometimes it was nose-bleed high).  Genious!  Have I mentioned that....oh, yeh, well, I guess I have. (Oh Gawd, I can almost hear you all yelling at your computer screens! Relax!  Shhhhhhh.  Think calming thoughts.  See? I didn't say that I love this man!  DOH!)

5.  Livin' In Desperate Times - Olivia Newton-John 3:57 (MCA Records) Now, I know I have not had the chance to mention this yet (but most of you already know this) I ADORE OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN!  This song is from the soundtrack of "Two Of A Kind" with John Travolta and it got me through some really tough times. It was 1984, I was 20, living in NY, I had no friends (yet) and I had a chip on my shoulder the size of Nebraska. I thought the whole world was against me. I would just play this song over and over again and it gave me the balls to get up and keep fighting and not give into what I perceived was the bullshit out there. To this day when things get really tough I pull this one out!  It is one of Olivia's best!  Hard-hitting, brilliantly produced by David Foster with a GREAT video!  It also really showed off Olivia's vocal ability.  She uses that Olivia growl (which I love but Jeffrey hates) and her sweet, higher voice as well!  Ok, I am ready to take on the world.....BRING IT ON!

6.  Mellow Yellow - Donovan 3:42 (Epic Records)  Um, ok.  I guess I'll take on the world later.  Gonna Mellow out with muh boi Donovan first!  This is another one of my Mom's favorites! Another very happy song. Amazing brass throughout and ya just gotta love Donovan's voice. So cool so layed back and so in control at the same time.  Now, since this is one of my Mom's favorite songs and she hates when I tell her what these songs are REALLY about, we will let it go.  But let's just say that if this were a movie, it would have a triple X rating.  (I just read a very lengthy interview with Donovan and he confirms that statement!)

7.  Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted - The Partridge Family 2:43 (Bell Records) This is my number one favorite Partridge Family song! Somehow, even as a kid, I could relate to his feeling of being alone and wanting to be wanted.  Funny what a little kid can relate to without really understanding it.  Thing is, sometimes, I still feel that way.  Although David Cassidy hated having to record the spoken part of this song and he put up quite a fight over it, that is my favorite part of the song (sorry David).

8.  Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart 3:54 (EMI Records) Such a cool begininng...those bouncing synths.  I love Corey Hart's voice.  It is pouting, gravely and strong when it's needed.  This is a totally non-sensical song but man, what great memories....going to dances at NYU, going to Danceteria, making friends with some very cool DJs who would always play Olivia for me and going to Studio 54 with my friend Therry Delfino from Brooklyn College.  Good times that I was entirely too young for but hell, the soundtrack to the times was great!

9.  Sara (edited) - Starship 4:18 (Grunt Records) This one is on translucent blue vinyl folks.  So cool!!!  (See? I am still a geek, I told you!) WOW I forgot how great this song is.  It has so much going on in it and it all works...the bouncing drums, the synths, the "harmonica" and Grace Slick's backing vocals in the bridge are insane!! I also love that only Starship could get away with adding a whole other syllable to the word "happiness"!

10.  Energy Crisis '74 - Dickie Goodman 2:20 (Rainy Wednesday Records) I can not tell you how much I love Dickie Goodman "songs"!  For those of you who don't know who he was (he passed away in 1989) or what he did, here's a little history lesson for ya.  Simply put, he would take a hot political topic or a hot movie plot or whatever really was holding the public's attention at the time and, by using snippets of hit songs, he would create a commentary of the situation.  He was the first person to "sample" other artists work.  In most of his records there would be a reporter, hot on the trail of a breaking story and the people he would interview would answer with the sampled song.  Brilliantly funny and brings back soooo many summer memories from Battery Avenue.  Energy Crisis '74 is probably my favorite as it samples the Carpenters. Did Mr. Jaws?  I can't remember.  I've included the whole song on the music page. 

What a great day filled with friends, food and music, just the way I like my day to be filled. Got to spend some fun time with Dave today, went to Outback and had a great dinner, listened to Barry and spent this time with you guys!  Enjoy the music and the memories and I will see you back here tomorrow!  Gonna go listen to Barry again!