Search - Barbra Streisand :: My Name Is Barbra 2

David C. from SARATOGA SPGS, NY
Reviewed on 1/1/2010...

This is one of Barbra Streisand's best albums.

Barbra's star twinkles and shines !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My Name Is Barbra, Two... showcases the fantastic early singing voice of the great Barbra Streisand. Barbra's voice is, as you would expect, in perfect form all throughout this album; and the quality of the sound is excellent. The artwork is very nice and I always like it when they use the record album artwork when they release the CD.



"He Touched Me" starts the album off with a fantastic number about a woman's delight when her one true love wants romantic time with her alone. Barbra sings this to perfection and her passion works to make this a beautiful, unforgettable number. "He Touched Me" has great work by the strings; and the piano arrangement is very well done. Barbra handles complicated tempo and key changes like the pro she was and still remains; and this impresses me greatly. "The Shadow Of Your Smile" gets a `60s style Latin beat that enhances the natural beauty of this love ballad; and when Barbra sings this she truly takes this to new heights! I believe that Streisand's rendition of "The Shadow Of Your Smile" is THE definitive rendition of this song.



"I Got Plenty Of Nothin'" features Barbra front and center--and she doesn't waste a minute of her time there! Barbra sings this forcefully with lots of feeling and passion to make this sparkle like all the stars in the sky! I love it! The percussion is also very good on "I Got Plenty Of Nothin'."



"Second Hand Rose" is a playful tune about people who actually did, in real life, have to wear second hand clothing and "hand-me-downs." Barbra handles this wonderfully and I really like that line about the plumber she adores and wants to marry--only to be disappointed to hear from him that he's "been married before!" "Second Hand Rose" is a great number that is underrated because people think it's silly; but I think it's got lots of character and punch. In addition, "The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs" gets a most romantic treatment from Barbra who sings this with great sensitivity--and it all works very well.



"Where's That Rainbow?" features Barbra singing about the happiness she wants so badly in her life--will she ever find it! Barbra sings this so very well that you can't forget it after you've heard it only once. "No More Songs For Me" gets another fine arrangement; and the CD ends with Barbra doing a strong, solid medley of several numbers; she goes through parts and variations of "Second Hand Rose / Give Me The Simple Life / I Got Plenty Of Nothin' / Brother Can You Spare A Dime? / Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out / Second Hand Rose / The Best Things In Life Are Free" with panache and I know you'll like this medley very much.



Barbra Streisand certainly proves her talents with this album; and I heartily recommend it for her fans. Newcomers to Streisand will like this album very much as well.

"

She'll touch you.

R. Graff | South Windsor, CT United States | 11/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released as a sequel of sorts to her successful My Name is Barbra album, you do not have to hear or even like that one to enjoy this one. In fact, truth be told, this is a far superior collection of songs more essential to add to your collection than the previous.



"He Touched Me" is a very moving song, and not only gives you chills from her flawless vocal performance, but also from the easily relatable lyrics. I give it an A



"The Shadow of Your Smile" is an example of light jazz, similar to "In the Mood for Love" on her Movie Album. Stunning. A



"Quiet Night" is brilliantly arranged with understated music, and sung with Barbra's powerful voice. Very beautiful. A-



"I Got Plenty of Nothin," taken from her poor medley on My Name is Barbra, is the first song where she seems to "have fun." Nice song. A



"How Much of the Dream Comes True" is very pretty, but it's the first song on the album that doesn't capture your attention. Not very catchy. C+



"Second Hand Rose," a sort-of Barbra Streisand standard, is, like track 4, more campy and tongue-in-cheek than other tracks, but is very enjoyable. A-



"A Kind of Man a Woman Needs" is similar to the songs on her Simply Streisand release, where it's above average, sounds pleasing, but just doesn't compare to her at her best. But it's still a worthy track. B-



"All That I Want" is unsure what it is trying to be, a silly song or a show-stopping ballad. Because of that, it gets a C+



"Where's that Rainbow" is another smooth jazz song, which while a bit off-putting at first, but really takes you into those classic bar scenes in movies as it goes on. Not the best track, but not the worst either. B



"No More Songs For Me" is another lifeless song, which doesn't capture your attention much. C



The "Poor Medley" that concludes the album is pretty good. Admittedly, without the visuals from the My Name is Barbra special, it misses something, but for a souvenir of the special, you can't get better. It would have been more appropriate on the first album, though. B+



This is one of Barbra Streisand's best albums from the 60s after classics like People and Color Me Barbra. A must own."