Search - Barry Manilow :: Manilow 2

Old Barry was the best Barry

LOUIS R. LANHAM | San Antonio, TX | 03/10/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD to replace the vinyl copy I had that I could not play anymore[technology marches on]. This was the record that launched Barry Manilow into the flurry of Hits for the 70's and 80's. If you are a newcomer to Manilow this would be a good starting point. I am a true fan of the "Schmaltzy" Manilow type hits. I have enjoyed other Manilow CDs but this is one of my all time favorites. The best cut is "Avenue C". It shows the true range of talent of this underestimated performer. There many people that do not like Manilow and they won't like this CD either. BUT, if you "found" Manilow in the 80's you'll like his second album."

Excellent album - gorgeous melodies, great production values

LOUIS R. LANHAM | 12/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It may be unhip to like Barry Manilow but there's no denying that he writes gorgeous melodies and there's an abundance of these on his second album, the album which gave him his first smash hit, "Mandy". Perhaps unsurprisingly, my favourites are the non-hit tracks - "I Want To Be Somebody's Baby", "Early Morning Stranger", "The Two Of Us", "Sandra" (definitively covered by Dusty Springfield in 1978), and "Halfway Over the Hill" - rather than the singles which have become overfamiliar. The arrangements, production values and sound quality on "Barry Manilow II" are all pretty terrific. Where Manilow falters is on "My Baby Loves Me", a jazz influenced soul ballad which Martha and the Vandellas had a big hit with in the 60s. There's just no comparison. Still, "Barry Manilow II" is an excellent album". I'll be checking out "Barry Manilow I" next."

Barry's best voice

LOUIS R. LANHAM | 08/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barry himself calls this album a "milestone," and "Home Again" one of his all-time favorites (barrynet.com). It captured Barry's voice at its best, before repeated, large concerts and extended touring, and before he ended every other song by ratcheting up the key and volume. Some newer fans may not recognize the softer, gentler style, but the intimacy it creates between artist and listener is why this album made me a life-long fan."