 "Premium Babs!!" | 2008-08-29 |
| - Reviewed By middlemoo |
| Barbra does justice and then some on this lovely collection of movie themes and songs. The arrangements are interesting and flattering to her voice. My favorites are EMILY and YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM ME, but all the other tracks have their merits. My only reservation is when she lapses into her Babs-isms, which sound self-indulgent to me. Otherwise, a very worthwhile album for Barbra's fans. |
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| " baked potato of perfection" | 2008-04-10 |
| - Reviewed By shaived |
This is an intense collection of music ..... Barbra knew exactly what she was doing in putting these songs together and housing them under The Movie Album. for my two cents worth, I would like to say this is one of the best Barbra recordings ever released. The arrangements are perfection. On the first listen, each song has a similarity; but - go below the surface and you discover nuances in each song that you realize they are vastly different. What an incredible range of emotion there is here.
To those of you who dismiss this as "boring", well.... you are missing out on an incredible gift of music here. To Barbra, I say thank you for this album, bless you for your strength and generosity and sharing your God-given talent with us all for the past 45 years. Your dad must be beaming up there in heaven. hugs, Ron |
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 "lacklustre" | 2008-02-04 |
| - Reviewed By hambletta-maud |
my initial thoughts of this album were that it's boring.
after several listens to it this remains my impression still.
there are two problems:
1. the song choices. they are dull. streisand needs to hold back and allow the album's producer and A&R guy do their jobs. that's what they are paid for.
2. the songs arrangements. they are dull. streisand needs to hold back and allow the song arrangers do their their jobs. that's what they are paid for.
it seems that this streisand vehicle suffers from that recurring problem: streisandisation. the woman has too much hold on the product and just can't let go, and there seems to be no one willing to tell her when she's getting it wrong.
now, if you want a DECENT streisand album, listen to "guilty pleasures"/"guilty too". in one is charge (barry gibb) know what he's doing and he does it very well. streisand's job is to do what she does very well and that is to simply open her mouth and sing. |
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| "It'll be hard to "keep the music playing"" | 2007-11-27 |
| - Reviewed By luckystar1771 |
Like The Broadway Album, Barbra Streisand had a very inspiring idea that, despite the odds against it, had the makings of being a huge hit, as well as a must have for the fans. But unlike The Broadway Album, it did not live up to its promise, and not only struggled to go gold, but many fans (as you can see with previous reviews) expressed their disappointment. And while I would like to say this album was unfairly treated, I can't.
One main problem is the terrible song selection. While the album begins promising enough, with a touching version of "Smile," a nostalgic version of "Moon River," a beautifully smooth "I'm in the Mood for Love," and a make-your-hairs-on-your-arms-stand-up version of "Emily." This is where, for a brief moment, her obscure selections (with the exception of "Moon River") are very wise decisions. However, she does not balance these with more well-known selections. Instead of songs along the lines of "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman, "Theme from Mahogany," or "Unchained Melody" from Ghost, we get songs from movies you either can't remember seeing, or more likely, movies you have never heard of.
The bigger problem here is that these songs are all the same in mood and tempo. Therefore, instead of hearing a bunch of distinct recordings, they all sound the same, and blend together, making you forget what you've heard. Also, there is no balance between more cheerful songs and more depressing songs, so all the depressing music here makes for a real downer of a listen.
In short, this here is an album that could have been great, but turns out to be mediocre (and I'm being really generous there). Only buy this album if you are a Barbra completest. |
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 "First off, I am a huge Streisand fan!" | 2007-11-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2X6GBJ4LXVBOO |
First off, I am a huge Streisand fan! I wanted to get that out of the way at the beginning of this review.
In high school, I used to announce her birthday at lunch time. I have every album and CD she has ever made, including the elusive soundtrack to "The Owl and the Pussycat" and rare demo recordings of "Yentl". I finally got to see her in person in Atlanta in 2006....a 37 year old dream of mine. Price was no object.
I love her obscure stuff. I want "Higher Ground" played at my funeral. I have seduced to her "Classical Barbra" album. (If you have not tried this, you should, regardless of your preference! Throw a few candles in for good measure and a massage.) As her albums were changed to CDs, I bought them again. As her videos were changed to DVDs, I also bought them again. I have purchased her personal artifacts at auction. I have every book and magazine that has featured her.
All this is to say, politics aside, I worship this woman. Luckily I married a woman who understands and accepts this and will sit through "The Way We Were", if only to see Robert Redford's chest.
I have to say that her "Movie Album" is my least favorite of all her works, including the french one that she did in the 60's. I made it through this once, and have not had the stomach to listen to it again. It rated right down there with Bernadette Peters' Rogers and Hammerstien CD....another one time listen, and another performer that I adore.
Don't get me wrong, there are bright spots in this offering, but all in all, with plethora of great songs that have come out of Hollywood, why did she pick these? "Emily"? Oh, please! (I think I really stopped listening with this track.)
I believe that there is a reason there are 122 used and new offerings of this CD starting at $0.99.
Barbra and Bernadette, if you are reading, I still love you!
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| "Movie Songs to fall asleep by" | 2007-05-09 |
| - Reviewed By hairdiscs |
Sorry Barbra, I think you made this CD after your overnight visit with Bill in the White House! Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am falling asleep just listening to the clips of each song. They are not necessarily bad songs as some reviewers have said. The voice is familiar and soothing and I don't see the dramatic differences as I do in her current Live 2006 CD. Even in the Somewhere with Il Divo video her voice strains is not the same as it was.
Hopefully this is the year of your final, final, final comeback. We have enough material over the last 40 years to keep us busy for the next 40 years! |
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