Barbara Streisand

[crp2000]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 11:44am

Okay - for the last few days a coworker of mine has been trying to convince me that Barbara Streisand has an UNBELIEVABLE voice. I've been hearing comments like this for YEARS and have yet to hear what everyone else is hearing.

Could someone please recommend 'the cd' I should purchase that could possibly put me in Barbara's AMEN corner? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!

[robbiej]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 11:45am

Cue Voicanth.

I would say to understand what the big deal is about, you get her early stuff. I'm not much of a collector, so I can't even begin to offer suggestions.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 11:59am

Her first three albums are where you will find the best of her - and even at that, its not so much about the voice as it is about the risks - the choices she makes and the wonderful arrangements...she was a HUGE risk taker long before it came into fashion - hear her early stuff and see what you think.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 12:16pm

How can you not appreciate the unbelievable goddess like voice that is La Barbra?!! Anyway I would suggest Getting the Essential Barbra 2 cd album that came out a few years ago. It has her music ranging from her starting years to her peppier disco stuff to present. If you don't see the big deal after that then there is just no hope.

Posted: 3/9/04 at 12:18pm

It depends on which stage of Barbra's career you are listening to.

If you are listening to any album she has made in the last 8 years then what your hearing is indeed farshtinkener!

Overproduced, over analyzed and in most cases not well sung.

However....

The recordings that Barbra Streisand did in the first 10 years of her career remain some of the greatest recordings done by a vocalist, male or female, classical or pop, of the last 80 years.

Listen to the "My Man" off the "Funny Girl" soundtrack.

Listen to "Never, never will I marry" off of "The Third album".

Listen to "Spring can really hang you up the most" on "Off the Record"".

The list goes on and on.

..and in my humble opinion, the way Streisand sings the words, "..the skies above" in the legendary duet of "Happy Days/Get Happy" with Judy Garland, remains as one of the 10 most gorgeous sounds that has ever been recorded.

Updated On: 3/9/04 at 12:18 PM

[crp2000]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 12:19pm

LOL! I hope there's hope for me - I really wanna hear this. If you really think this essential collection will do the trick, I'll grab a copy today or tomorrow.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 12:23pm

or - instead of spending the money - just borrow a copy from a friend or go to the listening station at the library or even Barnes and Noble and see if you like anything you hear before purchasing. I am a great fan of her early years so I hope to add all those recordings to my collection eventually. But I can see how she is not for everyone. I actually love the version of I Am Calling You (from Bagdad Cafe) on her newest CD - there are additional lyrics I hadn't heard before and it's very haunting and a great arrangement. But as for most of her more recent ventures, I am with Voiceanth on this one.

Posted: 3/9/04 at 12:25pm

Red hot, glad you think most her recent stuff is farshtinkener too.

LOL!

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 1:34pm

ooooo I agree...Calling You from her Movie ALbum is so gorgeous and haunting. I have had it on repeat for a month.

[COLT!!!]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 1:36pm

Rent the VHS Video of Streisand's first Television special "My Name Is Barbra;" it is Streisand at her best (which is bizarre since she is 22 years old and at the commencement of her astronomical career) and is still vulnerable (a quality which quickly disappeared upon her meteoric rise). She has (in my opinion) never been in better form or more emotionally connected than she is in the final "concert segment" of this special, especially her spellbinding rendition of "My Man." Also of note is an incredible turn on "The Judy Garland Show" (Televison---and also available on VHS & DVD) where she performs with Garland as well as solo versions of "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered" and "Down With Love."

[COLT!!!]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 1:40pm

"The Essential Barbra..." CD has a lot of crap on it. Once Streisand moved to Hollywood it seems her tastes soured (exception: "The Way We Were.") The early stuff is prime. Rent "My Name Is Barbra" VHS.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 2:04pm

Colt - I love your logo and I agree with you completely!

[crp2000]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 2:10pm

Great responses! I'm looking forward to hearing/seeing some of this stuff!!

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 2:22pm

I agree about getting the Essential 2 disk cd. It's great to listen to how she's grown vocally, and you can decide if you like any/all/or none of her work. Another great album is "Just For the Record..." But, there are 2 different kinds. One is a thick, 2 disk set, and the other is one cd and it's titled, "Highlights from Just For the Record..." I recommend the Highlights version. That is actually the cd that started my fantastick Barbra CD collection.

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 2:23pm

Check out the album variously referred to as "The Way We Were" that features the fabulous Scavullo portrait of her with her head wreathed by a black scarf, with fire-engine red lips, nails and ring.

Play the "My Buddy/How About Me" medley.

When she sings "You'll FIIIIIND somebody new, but what am IIII to do?!" that is the definition of a 'cri de coeur' - She sings like a knife of pain and loss has sliced right through her.

It's my personal single favorite Barbra cut.

DAMN, she used to be SO GOOD.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 7:01pm

Better to listen to Linda Eder who is Streisand without the attitude problems

Posted: 3/9/04 at 7:11pm

If ever there was case of a pop singer coming close to the range, voluptuousness and girth of voice of an opera singer.....

It's Streisand singing, "When the Sun Comes Out" off of the second album.

She throws in everything from pianissimos to octave jumps to guttural tones to high notes in alt and all the while maintaining the basic integrity of the song.

In - freaking - sane singing.


Updated On: 3/9/04 at 07:11 PM

[MusicMan]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 9:19pm

I second all the recommendations above, particularly THE WAY WE WERE album (not the soundtrack), where's she's dressed in a black turban and schmatta and caressing a pillar with her vermilion, lacquered fingernails (guess it made an impression on MasterLCZ and me) and the BARBRA:THE CONCERT album as well. A brilliant career retrospective, superbly performed and very moving.

[starlight2]

Posted: 3/9/04 at 10:42pm

ok, she is the MOST incredible singer, nothing anyone says changes that, but i have a qustion...so many people were out in L.A. this weekend paying tribute to her...why? any one know the reason?

[COLT!!!]

Posted: 3/10/04 at 12:41am

Yeah. "The Way We Were" Album is my personal favorite of any of her recordings post her move to "LA LA Land." Her voice is in amazing shape. Full, Round, Clear, Easy tones: does anything she wants it to do; effortlessly. Especially evident with the ending of "The Best Thing You've Ever Done." Confident, and relaxed, and the material is very good (i.e.- "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?") I have a lot of her never-released recordings, one of which is an alternate take on "The Best Thing You've Ever Done" which I think is actually better than the one they chose for the album. Also, catch Babs on "INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO" on BRAVO, on March 21st at 8:00pm.

Posted: 3/10/04 at 3:01am

She is on Inside The Actors Studio in 2 weeks.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/10/04 at 7:05am

I agree with most here that the early material is the best. For me, anything from the Butterfly album onward is pretty much hit or miss. I really lost faith around the time of the album that she did a duet with Don Johnson (sorry can't remember the name), what happened?

My personal favourites? The Barbra Streisand Album, Simply Streisand and the aforementioned The way We Were.