Search - Barry Manilow :: The Greatest Love Songs of All Time

Bee-YOU-Tee-Full ! ! !

Kathy W | Baltimore | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OMG! What a wonderful way to start off the new year! Thirteen Bee-YOU-tee-full songs, sung just for you, by Barry. About 45 minutes of listening pleasure. He sings so pretty. He always sounds like he's singing right to you. I can feel every one of these songs right inside my heart. If you've been around long enough to remember these songs from before, you will certainly find yourself singing along. (Well, you might not have been around for #13 in 1898. I missed that one myself. But I bet you heard it sung before somewhere.) No kidding--the more I listen to this album, the more I love it!



1) (Our) Love is Here To Stay--I loved this song, and still do. It opens with a big orchestra sound, then eases into more of a night club sound with the background sax.. This is a song that has always felt so comfortable to me.



2) The Look of Love - soft cha cha



3) Where Do I Begin? (Theme From "Love Story")--another song that was very very popular and often played at weddings in the 1970s. B really gets into this one, too--so much feeling.



4) I Only Have Eyes For You--another song that I have always felt very comfortable with. It was also one we played often in the dance band.



5) I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby)--easy "Bop" or, I guess you could do a "hand dance" to it. Sung so "clean".



6) The Twelfth of Never--so beautiful--the words are so pretty.



7) We've Only Just Begun--another "wedding song"--played at almost every wedding in the 1970s as the first dance for the bride and groom. This one and "Close To You" had to be the most played wedding songs of that era.



8) Nevertheless--I would not have recognized it by its name but I did know it when I heard it. "Maybe I'm right, and maybe I'm wrong. . .but nevertheless I'm in love with you." Babababooooooom. Real nice group harmonizing in this one. Might have been done by the Mills Brothers before--not sure.



9) Love Me Tender--Elvis' big hit, among many. Yes, Barry does most certainly do it justice. Very simple. Very soft. Very pretty. I might get beat up for this BUT I like Barry's version better than Elvis'. It's sung with so much feeling.



10) You Made Me Love You--OMG! How many of us remember this song when Judy Garland sang it in that movie? I have been singing the heck out of it since I heard Barry promo it on QVC for this album. I remember Judy Garland singing it to Clark Gable in the movie where she was a teenager and had a crush on him.



11) It Could Happen To You--This is the big band style, like Sinatra type.



12) How Deep Is The Ocean?--My mother used to walk around the house singing this one. (sniff sniff).



13) When You Were Sweet Sixteen (1898)--Ohhh, this is just so pretty. I remember my mother singing this one too. OMG! Time for a good cry. BTW, I remember Barber Shop Quartets doing this on TV many years ago, too.



As I have said before, Barry is my absolutely FAVORITE singer and one of the few who can sing the songs just as good as or better than the original hit-maker. He not only keeps the integrity of the original version, but many times he enhances it when he puts his special spin on it. If you recently heard Barry perform some of these songs on QVC, this album is better than that performance.



The little booklet inside was a wash, but we won't hold that against him. It just gave the names of the songs, well spaced out. Might have been nice to provide a little background on each (period it was originally from and some verbiage about it).



This is a gorgeous album and it is full of many of the very special songs that we played in my days with the dance band. Most of them got an immediate "ohhhhh" when I first heard them on the album. For many of them, you can just immerse your heart into the music and the words. As in the Twelfth of Never, if you just listen to the words, they transport you into such a feeling of beauty and love. I heard Barry say he wanted to make sure these wonderful songs were never forgotten. I will always love these songs and I'm so very happy that Barry is re-circulating them. This is the type of music that lives in my soul. This is also a collection that transports me back in time, to a happy place where life at least seemed less complicated. Memories. Ahhhhhhhh. It's a great album to put on in the car, surrounded by speakers, in your own private sound box, where you can really get the most out of it.



Another wonderful collection of songs, made available by the Magic of Manilow!



(Side Note: You know, sometimes stress is intense for many of us, especially with so much going on around us. It is especially during those times of intensity that I reach down deep inside and touch the music in my soul, no matter where I am, and use it to keep going. This is the type of music collection that I have buried deep inside.)



Update: Jan 29, 2010--I had to run to McLean, VA for a meeting and I took this CD with me. The ride south down the Capital Beltway and around the Rockville area is the pits! With intermittent traffic backups and Kamakazi drivers down and back, this CD kept me at peace while playing dodge-em on the interstates. I sang along with "The Greatest Love Songs of All Time," arriving unscathed and at peace.



BTW: If you are in the area of International Drive and Chain Bridge Road, check out the Silver Diner. They have a "Summer Citrus Salad" to die for. It has fresh strawberries and mangos, dried cranberries, and walnuts on a bed of fresh spinach with a citrus vinaigrette dressing. Add grilled shrimp, chicken or salmon. Whenever I go to McLean, I stop by for it. Say hi to Roza at the counter.

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I love it!

Lori | Duluth, MN USA | 01/31/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful new album from Barry Manilow. I love the song selections, especially The Twelfth of Never, Love Me Tender, and When You Were Sixteen--I really think there is true emotion coming through on them. Barry's voice is as good or better than ever. I love this album and know that I will be listening to it often. I have always been a Barry Manilow fan--I saw him first in Evansville, Indiana in the 60's! He was just starting and my brother said we should go see this new guy that was supposed to be pretty good! I've been a fan ever since and find this album to be as good as any he has done."

Where Do I Begin?!

M. Cavacini | Philadelphia, Pa. United States | 01/26/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barry Manilow is one of the most underrated singers of all time. For decades he has wowed people with his booming voice, epic arrangements, and timeless songs. Unfortunately, many critics don't understand his talent. I discovered him through the beautifully produced Dionne Warwick song, "I'll Never Love This Way Again." Since then, I've had the opportunity to see him live, in Philadelphia, and appreciate his entire catalog of music. What shocks most people is that I'm only 24. I guess good taste doesn't have an age requirement.



Barry's newest album has been released and it is beautiful. My favorite Manilow songs have always been his ballads. This album is full of wonderful love songs. Some I knew and some I didn't. Let's go through them one by one.



1.) "Love Is Here To Stay" - I first heard this Gershwin classic sung by Rod Stewart. Barry has a much smoother voice and the arrangement is beautiful. This is the perfect song to set the mood for you and someone special.



2.) "The Look Of Love" - This Burt Bacharach and Hal David song has been made famous by Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield. Barry's version has a nice modern feel to it. The beautiful violins, in the background, really bring this song to life. It is the epitome of what a sexy song should be.



3.) "Where Do I Begin (Theme From Love Story)" - I had never heard this song before. I soon discovered it was sung by everyone from Johnny Mathis to Shirley Bassey. The first thing you'll notice is the powerful arrangement. Barry really sings his heart out on this one. The only thing I would have preferred was a "big finish." Instead, he opted to end it like the original with a soft note.



4.) "I Only Have Eyes For You" - This mellow 1930s love song slows things down a bit. It is a nice relaxing number to be listened to while cuddling by a fireplace.



5.) "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" - What a great song for Barry. He really excels when it comes to swing inspired songs. This reminds me of his Frank Sinatra tribute album. Really good stuff.



6.) "The Twelfth Of Never" - Another beautiful Johnny Mathis song. The lyrics are very well written and wonderfully interpreted by Barry Manilow.



7.) "We've Only Just Begun" - This song is one of The Carpenters' signature songs. Trying to cover this song is no easy task. It's a nice mid-tempo version of a song many people can sing by heart.



8.) "Nevertheless" - This 1930s love song is very interesting. It is Barry singing lead, with a guitar in the background. Barry also recorded the backup vocals. This makes it sound like a group of guys singing on the corner. A very simple and beautiful love song.



9.) "Love Me Tender" - This Elvis classic came out in 1956 and is from the movie of the same name. Barry Manilow knows how to emote like few singers can. He does a great job of interpreting the lyrics written by "the King."



10.) "You Made Me Love You" - This Al Jolson song was later sung by Judy Garland to Clark Gable. It was published in 1913 and Barry does a fine job with it. It is a playful and cute song about someone facing the fact that he or she is now in love.



11.) "It Could Happen To You" - This song, made popular by Jo Stafford in the 1940s, is another swing style number that Barry sings very well. The horn section is really impressive. Another great addition to this album.



12.) "How Deep Is The Ocean?" - In the 1930s, Irving Berlin wrote this love song which would go on to be recorded by some of the greatest vocalists of all time. Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald both released versions of this song, and now Barry Manilow has released his. The poignant and reflective lyrics are complemented by the exquisite arrangement.



13.) "When You Were Sixteen" - According to Barry Manilow, this is the first popular love song ever released. It came out in 1898 and it was written by James Thornton. It starts off nice and easy, then the soft arrangement kicks in. Barry takes advantage of his upper register throughout this song. It is a beautiful and moving way to end a fabulous album.



If you are looking for an album to play while you are having a romantic dinner at home, you can't go wrong with this CD. Barry Manilow is one of the greatest vocalists I have ever heard, and he continues to impress me.



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