Search - Barry Manilow :: One Voice

Singing In The Darkness

Jeff Pearlman | Lakeland, FL USA | 06/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

""One Voice" is one of Barry Manilow's moodiest albums and ranks among my favorites. The album's black-and-gray cover suits most of these songs, which sounded especially good as the weather turned colder in late 1979 and hold up very well today. Ultimately hopeful, the famous title track starts with a stark, attention-getting a cappella intro. The first single, "Ships," featured the already familiar, starts-quiet-ends-big arrangement of previous hits, but the lyric (by veteran British rocker Ian Hunter) about a fading father-son relationship was different from what Barry'd done before. Fans aware of Barry Manilow's non-relationship with his biological father sensed that "Ships" was more personal than his other Top 10 hits. This is also true of "Sunday Father", about a divorced dad trying to make the most of his one day a week with his son..."one day to keep the two from turning to strangers." "Where Are They Now" is a lament to lost friends which sadly becomes more applicable each passing year. "Rain" is an excellent midtempo song built around Michael Boddicker's hypnotic synthesizer playing.The pace changes in the second half with two fast songs. The blistering, rock-disco "Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed" just kicks. I wish Barry had pursued this direction a little more; if you haven't heard it, this aggressive song will surprise you. "Sleeping" would have been a far better single release than either "When I Wanted You" or "I Don't Want To Walk Without You", which made the Top 40 but didn't reach many radio listeners outside the loyal fan base. "Bobbie Lee" is a well-done rock song that continued a series of young girls-for-hire-songs last seen with Even Now"'s bonus track "No Love For Jenny". Hmmm... The bonus track, "They Gave In To The Blues," was originally the B-side to "Ships." It's a good addition to the album, though it's not blues.Barry's singing is excellent here. (Phrasing much improved.) "One Voice" grew on me in disco-heavy 1979 thanks to the fine songs and fantastic singing. I hope more fans discover "One Voice" despite its relative lack of hit singles. P.S.: after this fine effort, the bottom dropped out for a short while with 1980's "Barry" album, which Arista skipped over in its late '90's reissue campaign."

The "One" and Only Voice....

nabbott6 | Scottsdale, AZ United States | 09/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm so grateful for CD's. Otherwise, I would already have worn a groove into "Why Don't We Try A Slow Dance", (swoony-romantic) "One Voice", (I always loved this one, try it loud in the shower) and the Just Plain Excellent "I Don't Want to Walk Without You." (Also fabulous shower singing as well as true cheer-you-up music)
I love this music. I love the way Barry wraps his voice around his song creations and lets it float out into the air the way roses send out their perfume.... OK, so I'm over the top but rediscovering Barry is so much fun! I DARE you to listen to "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" and not want to dance and sing along.
So... If you're looking for your "Happy Place", this will help you get there!"

Wonderful

Randy J. Littel | Monona, WI USA | 11/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Manilow at his best. An excellent piece of work from a master. The music in this CD flows with grace and energy. A true musical experience. It's a wonderful CD filled with music to melt your heart and charm your soul. I love it."