Posted on: February 20, 2008 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Barry Manilow: Songs From The Seventies / 2008 Rhino / 75 Minutes / http://www.rhino.com /

Individuals that watch a lot of PBS likely saw the special that this DVD set chronicles. However, this DVD set has a great deal of material that never got off the cutting room floor. Three distinct tracks were excised due to time and other constraints: “Who’s Been Sleeping In My Bed?”, “The Way We Were Medley” and “All The Time”. The fact that these songs were cut but later restores is a great sign, considering Barry Manilow’s seniority in the music industry. Barry Manilow has been in the music industry for over thirty-five years, going back all the way to eir time spent producing two of Bette Midler’s songs.

The seventies were where Manilow really reached eir peak, and it should not be surprising to see that Manilow comes back to this well. The 17 tracks on the disc span Manilow’s efforts during the seventies, and this is not just limited to the tracks that rocketed up the chartsduring the period. After tracks such as “Mandy”, “New York City Rhythm”, and “I Am Your Child”, Manilow shows that ey has gusto and goes back to eir bread and butter pre-fame: jingles. In this little medley, Manilow goes through the jingles that ey penned for Band-Aids, State Farm Insurance, McDonald’s and Vicks. After this brief interlude, Manilow goes back into the biggest of eir hits – “Could It Be Magic?” and “Copacabana (At The Copa)” are next.

While there are a lot of tracks that someone of my age will probably not likely be familiar with (“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”, “One Voice”, and “Looks Like We Made It”), individuals that were alive and cognizant during this period will likely be singing right along throughout each of these cuts. Whil;e this is not a typical rock show, the camera work is not as important – aside from minor parts of this special, Manilow is seated. However, the shots of the audience, the different angles in which they capture Manilow, even the lighting present during the concert – everything contributes to what is an impressive concert and a more impressive special. For fans of the seventies and of Barry Manilow specifically, “Songs From The Seventies” is a must buy. The only thing I’d suggest is the inclusion of a second (audio) disc so that individuals can go out and listen to the tracks in their car or while exercising. Give it a go .

Top Tracks: Mandy, Could It Be Magic?

Rating: 7.0/10

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