BARRY MANILOW
''MY DREAM DUETS''
OCTOBER 27 2014
36:43
1 The Songs Gotta Come from the Heart feat: Jimmy Durante
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne 2:06
2 Goody Goody feat: Frankie Lymon
Matty Malneck / Johnny Mercer 2:15
3 Dream a Little Dream of Me feat: Mama Cass
Fabian Andre / Gus Kahn / Wilbur Schwandt 3:07
4 I Believe in You and Me feat: Whitney Houston
Sandy Linzer / David Wolfert 3:56
5 Sunshine on My Shoulders feat: John Denver
John Denver / Dick Kniss / Mike Taylor 4:38
6 Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart feat: Judy Garland
James F. Hanley 3:22
7 Moon River feat: Andy Williams
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer 3:37
8 The Look of Love feat: Dusty Springfield
Burt Bacharach / Hal David 4:14
9 The Candyman feat: Sammy Davis, Jr.
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley 3:07
10 I Wanna Be Loved by You feat: Marilyn Monroe
Burt Kalmer / Harry Ruby / Herbert Stothart 2:16
11 What a Wonderful World/What a Wonderful Life feat: Louis Armstrong
Barry Manilow / Bruce Sussman / Bob Thiele / George David Weiss 4:05
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
At 71 years old, Barry Manilow has reached the age when he can do anything he pleases, and what pleases him is singing along with old records by dead singers. That's all My Dream Duets is: Manilow brushing off his old cabaret routine so it can spruce up vintage records by Jimmy Durante and Judy Garland. He's not the only new element on these electronically rejiggered duets -- instrumentation, usually synthetic, sometimes as incessant as the drum loop that runs underneath "The Candyman," has been added -- but he's the notable addition, crooning full verses in addition to sliding in some corny asides. For all his showboating, he doesn't do much to distract from his idols. Time and time again, the singer who stands out on My Dream Duets is the original vocalist, the one who cut the track originally and stamped it indelibly with his or her own personality. Manilow recedes out of deference but also practicality: he's not duetting with a living singer; he's singing over an existing track and tailoring his performance to suit established contours. Consequently, there's not much dynamism here, but it's also not stiff because Manilow is so over the top. Perhaps that's Barry's natural response because there's nothing left for him to do but ham it up on the margins but, ultimately, that means My Dream Duets isn't much more than an exceedingly odd curiosity.
OFFICIAL SITE
''MY DREAM DUETS''
OCTOBER 27 2014
36:43
1 The Songs Gotta Come from the Heart feat: Jimmy Durante
Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne 2:06
2 Goody Goody feat: Frankie Lymon
Matty Malneck / Johnny Mercer 2:15
3 Dream a Little Dream of Me feat: Mama Cass
Fabian Andre / Gus Kahn / Wilbur Schwandt 3:07
4 I Believe in You and Me feat: Whitney Houston
Sandy Linzer / David Wolfert 3:56
5 Sunshine on My Shoulders feat: John Denver
John Denver / Dick Kniss / Mike Taylor 4:38
6 Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart feat: Judy Garland
James F. Hanley 3:22
7 Moon River feat: Andy Williams
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer 3:37
8 The Look of Love feat: Dusty Springfield
Burt Bacharach / Hal David 4:14
9 The Candyman feat: Sammy Davis, Jr.
Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley 3:07
10 I Wanna Be Loved by You feat: Marilyn Monroe
Burt Kalmer / Harry Ruby / Herbert Stothart 2:16
11 What a Wonderful World/What a Wonderful Life feat: Louis Armstrong
Barry Manilow / Bruce Sussman / Bob Thiele / George David Weiss 4:05
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
At 71 years old, Barry Manilow has reached the age when he can do anything he pleases, and what pleases him is singing along with old records by dead singers. That's all My Dream Duets is: Manilow brushing off his old cabaret routine so it can spruce up vintage records by Jimmy Durante and Judy Garland. He's not the only new element on these electronically rejiggered duets -- instrumentation, usually synthetic, sometimes as incessant as the drum loop that runs underneath "The Candyman," has been added -- but he's the notable addition, crooning full verses in addition to sliding in some corny asides. For all his showboating, he doesn't do much to distract from his idols. Time and time again, the singer who stands out on My Dream Duets is the original vocalist, the one who cut the track originally and stamped it indelibly with his or her own personality. Manilow recedes out of deference but also practicality: he's not duetting with a living singer; he's singing over an existing track and tailoring his performance to suit established contours. Consequently, there's not much dynamism here, but it's also not stiff because Manilow is so over the top. Perhaps that's Barry's natural response because there's nothing left for him to do but ham it up on the margins but, ultimately, that means My Dream Duets isn't much more than an exceedingly odd curiosity.
OFFICIAL SITE
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