Audio CD review:
Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John - Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony

Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John - Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony

Band: Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John Title: Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony Rating: Release Date: 28 September, 2004 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Just Arrived 2: Dancin' Fool 3: Who Needs To Dream? 4: Sweet Heaven (I'm In Love Again) 5: Bolero De Amor 6: This Can't Be Real - duet with Olivia Newton John 7: Copacabana (At The Copa) 2005 Dance Mix 8: Harmony 9: And What Do You See? 10: Every Single Day 11: This Is Our Time! 12: Where You Go 13: In This World 14: Stars In The Night

Editoral Review On this recording, he performs excerpts from two shows he wrote in collaboration with lyricist and book writer Bruce Sussman; overall he comes across a lot better as a composer than a performer. Like many pop artists of his generation, Barry Manilow has long wanted to find a home for his tunes on the theater stage---and as Bette Midler's longtime music director and arranger, he was more fitted than most. Manilow starts by letting loose on the seven tracks from the flashy Copacabana. Like the song of the same name, on which it is based, that show is an all-out cry for razzamatazz entertainment. "Sweet Heaven (I'm in Love Again)" feels Bacharachian, while "Bolero de Amor" uses Ravel's "Bolero" as a foundation and "This Can't Be Real" is a smooth duet with Olivia Newton-John. The second show, Harmony, strikes a different mood---after all, it evokes not a snazzy nightclub but pre-WWII Germany. The tunes are solid and sport lovely arrangements, though one gets the nagging feeling they would have been ever better sung by more versatile interpreters. --Elisabeth Vincentelli .. You can see a complete list of all Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John discography, or go back to the Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John tabs