Track Listing

1. Mandy
2. It's A Miracle
3. Could It Be Magic
4. I Write The Songs
5. Bandstand Boogie
6. Tryin' To Get The Feeling
7. This One's For You
8. Weekend In New England
9. Looks Like We Made It
10. Daybreak
11. Can't Smile Without You
12. Even Now
13. Copacabana (At The Copa)
14. Somewhere In The Night
15. Ready To Take A Chance Again
16. Ships
17. I Made It Through The Rain
18. The Old Songs
19. When October Goes
20. Somewhere Down The Road

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1068 in Music
• Released on: 2002-02-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
There's a cynical adage that argues if you stand still long enough, history will eventually catch up with you. It's tempting to say that about Barry Manilow, an artist whose stubborn, quarter-century dedication to old-fashioned song craft and musical melodrama has earned him few critical praises but a loyal worldwide following in the millions. When a cult of 20-something would-be lounge lizards tried to cash in on Manilow's shtick in the 1990s, they distanced themselves from its emotional potency with telling dollops of irony and retro-hip cynicism--anything to keep from looking too sincere. This album serves up the high points of Manilow's long, successful career, rightly focusing on the long string of '70s hits that built both his legend and record label. They're a body of songs whose solid craftsmanship is undeniable, but it's Manilow's sincerity that crucially sells them--indeed, he didn't write "I Write the Songs," but who could doubt him? It's an odd tribute that much here--"Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," "Copacabana," et. al.--has become the palette for a popular entertainment spectrum that somehow encompasses endless hotel piano bars on one flank and TV sketch-com parody on the other. Good to remember that kitsch, by definition, requires a deep and lasting impact on the culture. Manilow hasn't just embraced the "K" word; he's reveled in it with a smile--how could one frown through "Bandstand Boogie" and "Copa" anyway?--and elevated it to something approaching the transcendental through his sheer, joyous force of will. And if his latter work has been unabashedly nostalgic, how could anyone be surprised? --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Ultimate but not "complete"
After just writing a review for "The Essential Collection" and referencing this collection many times within that review, I figured I should write a quick one singing the praises of this CD.

I rate this CD 5 stars because it sounds the best of all of the Barry Manilow Collections I own ("The Essential Collection", "Greatest Hits", "Greatest Hits Vol. 2" and "The Complete Collection And Then Some")

There are quite a few tracks that I would include on an "Ultimate" collection that are missing here (New York City Rhythm, All The Time, Beautiful Music to name a few) but the record company can't give us everything we want on one collection, or we'd just buy that one. For the casual fan who wants a good starter CD, this one is perfect.

Sounds great, good cross-section of hits, there's not a bad track or bad version of a hit on this collection.

Great Singer but...
I know Barry Manilow is a great singer. But somehow the songs just didn't move me.

One best multi-talented performers of our time
he writes, arranges, plays, produces his music and does it for others. He actually has a voice and is geninuely a nice man from what I gather and have seen over the years and his music is distint and timeless. Keep it up Barry and thank you for all the wonderful songs.