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The Complete Collection And Then Some...

Barry Manilow - The Complete Collection And Then Some... Audio CD

A fair review of the Barry Manilow "The Complete Collection And Then Some..." Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Barry Manilow reviews here, or go back to the Barry Manilow tabs.

Band: Barry Manilow
Title: The Complete Collection And Then Some...
Rating:

Release Date: 1992-11-10
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: The Best Of Me - Intro Only 1992 2: Sweet Life- Unreleased live performance-Barry's solo during 3: I Am Your Child - Unreleased live performance - Showcase At The Continental Baths - 1973 4: Could It Be Magic - "Featherbed" Featuring Marry Manilow - 1971 5: Could It Be Magic - From "Barry Manilow I" - 1973 6: Brandy - Original Scott English Single - 1971 7: Mandy - Unreleased Original First Take - 1974 8: It's A Miracle - From "Barry Manilow II" 9: Sandra - Unreleased Live Performance - Carnegie Hall - 1974 10: I Write The Songs - From "Tryin' To Get The Feeling" - 1975 11: As Sure As I'm Standing Here -From "Tryin' To Get The Feeling" - 1975 12: New York City Rhythm - From "Tryin' To Get The Feeling" - 1975 13: Tryin' to Get The Feeling Again - Unreleased alternate take - 1975 14: All The Time - From "This One's For You" - 1976 15: Ready To Take A Chance - From the "Foul Play Original Soundtrack" - 1978 16: Somewhere In The Night - From "Even Now"- 1978 17: The Old Songs - Unreleased alternate take - 1981 18: I Don't Want To Walk Without You - From "One Voice" - 1979 19: If I Should Love Again - Unreleased alternate take - 1981 20: Copacabana - Home cassette of composing the song - 1972 21: Copacabana (At The Copa) - From "Even Now" - 1978 22: Dancin' Fool - From the CBS-TV Special "Big Fun Of Swing Street - 1988 23: I'm Your Man - From "Manilow" - 1985 24: Hey Mambo - Duet with Kid Creole and the Coconuts - From "Swing Street" - 1987 25: Big Fun - From "Swing Street" - 1987 26: Riders To The Stars - From "Barry Manilow Live" - 1977 27: I Wanna Be Somebody's Baby - Unreleased "Barry Manilow Live" outtake - 1972 28: Daybreak - From "Barry Manilow Live" - 1977 29: Even Now - Unreleased live performance - Tokyo, Japan - 1983 30: Life Will Go On - Unreleased Live Performance - London, England - 1980 31: Memory - From "Live On Broadway" - 1990 32: Ships - From the Video "Live On Broadway" - 1990 33: If I Can Dream - From "Live On Broadway"- 1990 34: One Voice - From "Barry Live In Britain" - 1982 35: This One's For You - Unreleased demo - 1976 36: Lay Me Down - From "Tryin' To Get The Feeling" - 1975 37: Big City Blues - Duet with Mel Torme - From "2:00 AM - Paradise Caf�" - 1984 38: Somewhere Down The Road - Unreleased demo - 1981 39: A Little Travelling Music, Please - From "Barry Manilow" - 1989 40: You Could Show Me - From "One Voice" - 1979 41: Ave Maria - From "The Christmas Album...A Gift Of Love" - 1990 42: Look To The Rainbow - Duet with Barbara Cook - From "Showstoppers" - 1991 43: Joey - Unreleased demo - 1981 44: Please Don't Be Scared - From "Barry Manilow" - 1989 45: Baby, It's Cold Outside - Duet with K.T. Oslin - From "Because It's Christmas" - 1990 46: When October Goes - From "2:00 AM - Paradise Caf�" - 1984 47: Ain't It A Shame - Unreleased outtake from "If I Should Love Again" - 1981 48: Brooklyn Blues - From "Swing Street" - 1987 49: How Do I Stop Loving You? - Unreleased Demo 50: Just Remember - Unreleased live performance - Los Angeles, California -1992 51: I Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks - New Recording - 1992 52: Weekend In New England - From "This One's For You" - 1976 53: Give My Regards To Broadway 54: Send In The Clowns / Looks Like We Made It 55: Can't Smile Without You - Unreleased alternate first take - 1977 56: Beautiful Music - From "Tryin' To Get The Feeling" - 1975 57: Fugue For Tinhorns - Trio with Michael Crawford and Hinton Battle 58: My Girl / No One In This World - Duet With Melissa Manchester 59: Don't Talk To Me Of Love - Duet Mireille Mattieu 60: The Last Duet - Duet with Lily Tomlin - From "Barry" - 1980 61: Wild Places - Unreleased demo - 1981 62: Never Met A Man I Didn't Like - From "Showstoppers" - 1991 63: Who Needs To Dream - From the "Copacabana Soundtrack" - 1986 64: Read 'Em and Weep - From "Greatest Hits Volume II" - 1983 65: Let Freedom Ring - Unreleased outtake from "Showstoppers" - 1991 66: Let Me Be Your Wings - (from "Thumbelina") - New Recording- 1992 67: If Tomorrow Never Comes - New Recording - 1972 68: Another Life - New Recording - 1992 69: I Made It Through The Rain - Unreleased alternate take - 1980 70: The Best Of Me - New Recording - 1992

Let it Storm! I've Got this Collection to Keep Me Warm.
) I put the 4 CDs in the car the other day and took the 1 � hour trek up to Lancaster to shop. This 4-CD + 1-DVD + Book set is awesome! 70 arrangements of Barry s-s-s-s-o-o-o-ngs on CD and 12 more on DVD! (Sorry, I got so excited, I stuttered! Geeze! That's 82 songs!!! You can drive from here to Kookamonga with this set! By the way, you need a car, too. Had the CDs playing ALL DAY LONG, without a repeat. Went up to Lititz, Kissel Hill, and all around the cat's barn, dodging bad drivers on cell phones, and back home to Baltimore again. Had a great time with these Barry songs. This is a fantastic collection of so many great songs, even if you already have many other Manilow CDs.

There are many Barry classics and many Barry songs only found on a limited number of CDs, and some I haven't even heard before. Some of the classics or semi-classics are just a wee bit different from other arrangements on other Barry CDs.

This is the only place I've found "Ave Maria. " It's on Disc 3--absolutely beautiful--sung in both English and Latin. I also found a combo of "My Girl/No One in This World" on Disc 4, that is so very pretty. "How Do I Stop Loving You" is also another beauty on Disc 3.

On Disc 2, "I'm Your Man" always makes me wanna dance, and depending on where I am, I do just that! This version is extended, all the better to dance with, my dear. "Hey Mambo, Riders to the Stars, Beautiful Music," rev me up to do battle with the negative-ites of the world. "Memory" and "If I Can Dream" are beauties also found on Disc 2.

Disc 4 has "Let Freedom Ring," a patriotic song from 1991, also found on the "2 Nights Live" set. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a Garth Brooks Country Western song and is such a gorgeous song (If I don't wake up in the morning, would she know how much I love her?) I would have cried when I heard it, but I'm tuff (nah-try stay puft marshmello)!

I recently read a comment Barry wrote about "I Write the Songs," and Hey, I get it! I thought the song was beautiful before, but now, WOW! He basically said that the lyric's writer was referring to the Spirit of music as writing the songs (through a person), rather than a person writing them. Listen to this song in that perspective. It gives it very special meaning. You'll also hear reference to Spirit in "Daybreak".

Got some broadway musical songs here, too, on Disc 4 that are great and are also on "Showstoppers" CD.

Disc 1 also has some beauties, such as "As Sure as I'm Standing Here, I Don't Want to Walk Without You, and If I Should Love Again. "

And there are just so many other great songs here, all the classics and more, HOURS of great entertainment. Check out the list. There's also the DVD and a substantial booklet of nostalgic pictures and comments, including the stud-muffin picture of Barry on the inside cover. I'm guessing he was in his early 30s.

THE DVD
The DVD begins with a faded black and white clip of "Chapel of Love," sung by a very young Bette Midler and accompanied on piano by a very young Barry Manilow with glasses. "Very Strange Medley" is also a very young Barry, with shoulder length blond hair singing some commercial jingles he wrote, like "Doctor Pepper" and "State Farm is there. . . ," along with "You Deserve a Break Today, at McDonalds". There is also some funny kibitzing going on while he and the ladies are singing. Next is "Mandy," probably from 1973 or so, belted out on a shoulder length brown-haired Barry, playing a huge white piano. I believe this is the retro clip he uses a piece of in some of his concerts when he does a comparison Mandy song between now and then.

"I Write the Songs" is next, again with a young shoulder-length sandy-haired Barry. This song "just released" on his "new" album (coming out in about a week--at that time). He just stood up from the piano and he is wearing light gray pants on "Saturday Night Live". You can really see those long legs and the guy-heels from the 70s. Next is a clip of little Barry and grandpop that he plays when grandpop is trying to get him to record "Happy Birthday" on a record-your-own-voice studio in New York. The dialog is accompanied by pictures of an older man and young boy, simulating the duo (I don't think it's really B & grandpop. ) Those who have been to Barry concerts know that Barry often plays the clip and tells everyone about grandpop.

"It's a Miracle" follows from a concert by a brown, poofy-shoulder-length-haired, young, bouncy, blue-leisure-suited Barry with silver shoes. Next is B with a light blue denim jacket that really shows off those baby blue eyes while he sings the beautiful "This One's for You" with such feeling. The close-ups on this are great for watching the facial expressions on him. You can really see his heart in his eyes, as he sings this song. Then the camera fades in to pix of "grandpop and the boy". Barry is indicating "this song is for you, grandpop".

B's Emmy Award presentation for Best Comedy/Variety Special is next, showing a very surprised B winning and making a few comments.

Ooooo. Wait till you see the absolutely ADORABLE clip on "Daybreak". Oh, this is just too awesome. We have a light blue jean, purple Brooklyn sweat-shirted Barry singing and bringing in children singing it, then switching to senior citizens, and culminating with cartoon characters, like singing butterflies, and then everybody. He's maybe 35? in this clip. He's funny in this clip, too and in several others. Oh, his beagle "Bagel" is in this one, too. He even gets smacked in the head with a prop.

Now we have a red Brooklyn College sweat-shirted blue-jeaned Barry, with tinted aviator eyeglasses, shoulder length blondish hair, nicely styled, and a gorgeous smile singing Copacabana. The ladies come out later with awesome costumes. While you're watching them, Barry sneaks back and puts on a fancy outfit, dances back onstage and does a little comedy routine. He and the dancers magically change outfits and do a wild Latin dance. If nothing was on the DVD but this one Copa number, it would be great, but you have ALL this stuff. I am truly impressed!

"Weekend in New England" is next. Same time period, with Barry in curly blond shoulder length hair and a baby blue sweater. He;s singing his heart out on this one, Ladies! Oh, the pure PASSION, and some serious close-ups, too! "The Old Songs Medley" is next from a curly brown-haired Barry, in concert in England. This might be the Bleheim Palace concert. The audience is HUGE! The pix are so clear and close, you can see the sweat rolling down B's face. Oooo, here comes "I Don't Wanna Walk Without You"! One of my all time favorites. God! I LOVE it! He even does a little tap dance. "Let's Hang On" is next! GO BARRY!!!--and finishing with "The Old Songs" again. This medley, including the tap dance, is on a CD "Barry on Broadway" or something like that, which is out of print right now.

"When October Goes," lyric written by Johnny Mercer, is sung by B at a recording session and he explains how Mercer's widow gave him the lyrics Johnny had written.
B finished the DVD with another favorite of mine. "Keep Each Other Warm" is a beautiful song to play at a wedding. Barry is a little older in this last performance. I'll guess and say he's about 40ish? And looks like he might have been working out. God! What a gorgeous song and he is so animated in this wonderful performance!

This 58 minute DVD is a nice little added treat--a walk down memory lane. Although it does not encompass the whole 35 years of Barry, it does portray a period sufficient to remind you of his vast longevity. The change in clothing styles is neat to watch, too. Lots of great close-ups. The sound and visual quality are great. The DVD seems to have been actually made in 1992, obviously from 70s clips and later. I would have bought this DVD as a single package and never been disappointed. Geeze. I am so sorry I had this set for awhile and just watched the DVD in January 2008. Fantastic!

For all you get in this package, it is truly a PHENOMINAL buy! If you are a Barry fan, you DO NOT want to pass this collection up. If you're not a Barry fan, well, you just don't know what you're missin', man! The Showman of our generation? Heck, yeah!

People ask me why I'm so happy all the time and some ask "what I'm on. " I try to tell them my big secret is all that Barry music, but they just won't believe me. (Don't tell anybody, but it keeps me young, too. S-h-h-h-h. ) Hey, let the Spirit COME ON IN! Buy this set. It is well worth the price.
.

Absolutely Wonderful!
But I recently went to a Manilow concert in Philadelphia, and it was amazing to see the range of ages enjoying the show. I have to say that I was a "closet" Barry Manilow fan as a teenager (many moons ago) - afraid of what my rock-n-roll friends might think if they knew I loved this music. I would never have thought that teens today would like this music, but I saw many there, singing to every song along with their parents - It was great to see!

This particular CD collection is awesome! It includes all of the great Barry Manilow songs that we've enjoyed for ages, as well as some newer songs that haven't got much radio play.

If you grew up loving Barry, or just like to listen to some good love songs, this collection is for you!.

a must have
there are alot of out-takes
and rare recordings on each of the four discs. If you like Barry Manilow and are a true true fan

this collection is a must have. I paid alot
more for this in the stores when it came out and it has gotten quite a bit of play. there are some songs on here that
have never been released before. this is must have.

a good box-set; a wonderful booklet; a fabulous video
i didn't mind the demo songs that much because it was new material i hadn't heard from him. i give this box-set four stars because i too am a little upset that Arista filled the CDs with a bit too much alternate takes and demos. however, Arista tried to imitate the exhaustive box-set patterns of Bear Family by trying to have obscure songs and performances rather than the commercial hits. "Joey", "Let Me Be Your Wings", "Wild Places", "If Tomorrow Never Comes", "The Best of Me", and "Baby It's Cold Outside" are all excellant. The last song i mentioned is a 1990 duet with country singer K. T. Oslin. shame on that one reviewer who discarded her vinyl albums. why do such a thing? turntables are still being manufactured by the Crosley people. . . i still play vinyl all the time. but getting back to this box-set, you can fast-forward through the songs you don't want to hear. i taped whatever i liked from the box set onto cassettes and that way i can keep the playing of the CDs to a minimum. the booklet is a wonderful peek inside the career and mind of Barry. I love the analogy he makes in reference to his music: "my music is like anchovies. . . some like it, some get nauseous". he also rightfully doesn't make apologies for his selection in material during his biggest years in the '70s. he takes pride in being one of the few pop singers who cared more for lyrics than the "sound". he also, for the millionth time, explains the true story of the meaning of "I Write The Songs" and what the writer intended the song to be about. it's a marvelous book chock full of pictures and song information. the home video that also accompanies the box-set includes several vintage performances of Barry in concert at various times in his career. "Let's Hang On" is one of the songs performed in concert on the video during "The Old Songs Medley" segment. The video ends with a 1989 performance of "Keep Each Other Warm", a song from his then-new self titled Arista album. The box-set as i said is wonderful. . . but the alternate takes grow annoying when person wants the familiar versions and that's why i give it four stars.

Not Worth the Money
It was omitted from Ultimate Collection. When I discarded my vinyl collection, I lost such gems as Last Duet. Keep your money and try and find a used copy of the Barry album released in 1980.

You can see a complete list of all Barry Manilow discography, or go back to the Barry Manilow tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.