For those old enough to remember, there was a time when popular celebrities would show off their vocal skills either recording an album of current pop hit songs or simply appear on television variety shows performing in production numbers centered around top tunes. That day is long gone, but Barry Manilow's latest collection brings that feeling back.
Lushly Orchestrated Pop Classics
An album like The Greatest Songs of the Sixties must rely on stellar song choice and picture perfect orchestrations to carry the day. Fortunately, Barry Manilow has both here. Anchored by a trio of Burt Bacharach and Hal David classics along with "And I Love Her," one of the best Lennon-McCartney songs of all time, it's hard to see how the song choice could have been better. The "Cherish"/"Windy" duet with the Association and Herman's Hermits "There's a Kind of Hush" play up the schmaltz factor a bit, but they are also contagiously infectious.
In an unusual shift for Barry Manilow, there is very little piano up front in the mixes of these songs, but the orchestrations uniformly deliver a light, elegant, and warmly nostalgic touch. The piano is a stronger presence on "This Guy's In Love With You," and it helps this performance rival Herb Alpert's original with the Tijuana Brass.
Top Tracks From The Greatest Songs of the Sixties
- Can't Take My Eyes Off You
- Blue Velvet
- And I Love Her
- This Guy's In Love With You
- What the World Needs Now Is Love
Barry Manilow's Career Resurgence Continues
One of the most unexpected pop music stories of 2006 has been the resurgence of Barry Manilow as a top force in the album market. He has the possibility of being the only recording artist to generate 2 #1 hit albums in the US this year. Part of the credit for the resurgence must be given to the general maturing of our current forms of popular music. Variants of rock music have ruled popular music in the US for over 50 years now. Consequently, multiple generations have now come of age listening to music that is similar in its origins. The fortunate result is quality music to choose from by artists that range from 13-year-old Miley Cyrus to 63-year-old Barry Manilow. Welcome back, Barry, and we look forward to the songs of the seventies.
