Customer Reviews

Barbra Streisand: Guilty

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

All tracks are newly remastered from original master tapes. The DVD side contains the entire album in *LPCM Stereo with an interview of Barbara and Barry Gibb on the original recording of "Guilty", filmed in 2005 during the recording of Barbara's new album. There is also a video performance of one of the songs ("Stranger In A Strange Land") from the new album included exclusively on this disc as a preview of the new album. There is also the video of "Guilty" from Streisand's TV Special "One Voice" filmed in 1986. A photo gallery of the original studio shots/outtakes is also here on the DVD side.

It is amazing that after over 25 years, "Guilty" is still Streisand's largest selling album. Barry Gibb and his brothers have worked wonders with many female artists, but this is probably their best writing and production work (Grammy winners). Garnering 5 singles with 2 going to #1, this is Barbra's essential "pop" album. From the R&B laden title track to the softly, sultry "Run Wild", Streisand's voice is relished. The Gibb's really know how to focus on Barbra's strengths. The two duets are some of Barry Gibb's strongest vocals to date and all the songs are bouncy, pop masterpieces. Finishing off nicely with the extravagant "Make It Like A Memory", you'll just hit the 'play' button again. Great album. Great songs. Great memories.

* The official term (sometimes abbreviated to 'PCM') for the high-quality stereo soundtrack found on most music DVDs. It refers to the most common digital recording process, first introduced with CD. In fact, DVD supports higher-resolution versions of LPCM than CD, the most common of which is 48kHz/16 bit (as opposed to CD's 44.1kHz/16 bit). It should be noted that LPCM Stereo is 'uncompressed', offering higher quality than such 'compressed' alternatives as Dolby Stereo (commonly used for feature films).

On September 23, 1980, Barbra Streisand released Guilty, the most successful and arguably the most satisfying pop album of her long and legendary recording career. The album spawned three top ten singles; the first release, "Woman In Love," topped the pop charts for three weeks in October 1980, the second and third singles were smash duets with collaborator Barry Gibb, the infectious mid-tempo "Guilty" and the power ballad "What Kind of Fool." The fact that this celebrated duo teamed up and made history is almost as interesting as the music he wrote and produced and the songs she performed. Upon its initial release in 1980, "Guilty" was quickly certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and, within two months, achieved Platinum status. It has gone on to be certified 5x's Platinum, with sales exceeding 5,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone and 12 million worldwide. It is one of Streisand's record-breaking tally of 49 Gold, 30 Platinum and 13 Multi-Platinum albums. According to the RIAA, she is the industry's #1 best selling female recording artist...and the only female in the top ten.

On August 30, 2005, 25 years later, Guilty was re-released not only in LPCM format, but also as a Dual Disc. Side One contains the original songs dusted off and tweaked so meticulously, you'll hear notes and instruments that you've never heard before. Side Two is the real treat. It's a DVD that consists of a brand new interview with Barbra and Barry on the recording of Guilty - taped June 2005, two live performances, "Guilty" and "What Kind Of Fool" from Barbra's legendary 1986 "One Voice" concert at her Malibu home, an excerpt "Stranger In A Strange Land," one of the eleven new songs from her upcoming September 20 release, titled Guilty Pleasures, a preview of the new album and a Photo Gallery of the sessions with Gibb.

The reason for all of this fanfare is of course to promote the most anticipated album of the upcoming fall music season. Before I jump ahead to her upcoming release, "Guilty Pleasures," let's go back to where it all began.

By the late 70's, the Bee Gees were the hottest act around, coming off of Saturday Night Fever and six consecutive Number One singles. Meanwhile, Streisand had become the ultimate pop princess-- scoring a dozen Top 40 hits in the decade, including four Number One's which included "The Way We Were," "Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)" (both winning Grammy's and Best Song Oscars), and two historic duets, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Neil Diamond and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Donna Summer.

In August 1980, the first single, "Woman in Love" written by Barry & Robin Gibb, was released to radio and began a swift rise to the top of the charts. The song was like nothing that Barbra had ever attempted in her then 18-year recording career. The hooks were pure Bee Gees magic and the backup vocals were gorgeously ethereal. It was one of the best pop songs of Streisand's career. With the mounting success of the single, the anticipation for the album rapidly increased. Five weeks later, the suspense was terminated. Within three weeks after the release, Streisand owned the top of Billboard Hot 100 and Album charts with "Woman in Love" and Guilty, respectively.

The title cut kicked off the album, which was a mid-tempo duet with Gibb. It was an absolute joy to hear Barbra using her voice in such a playful way. She and Barry complimented each other beautifully, as they did on the album's only other duet, the power ballad "What Kind of Fool."

Another highlight on the album was "The Love Inside," which is a lavish song of lost love. Barbra's unique brand of quiet longing married to the lush arrangement makes this one of the finest in her repertoire, and proves that nobody can break your heart and sell a song like Streisand.

"Promises" is the closest that the Gibb Brothers came to delivering a disco song when disco was already on its way out. The song smartly used Gibb's dance element but slowed it down just enough to make it a mid-tempo romp with Streisand easily gliding in and out of the melodious hooks.

For those of you who prefer a more traditional ballad, "Run Wild" proved to be right up Streisand's alley for the familiar sound most people associate her with.

"Life Story" is a song that could have easily been used as a James Bond theme song. Nobody knows their way around dramatic chord changes like Barry Gibb, and this song is no exception. Streisand's flair for the dramatic intensified the atmosphere even more.

"Never Give Up" was also a departure for Streisand. This is the first song where the synthesizer actually complimented the songbird's voice -- and when you thought it was all studio trickery, the bridge came and Streisand sang it with all of her Broadway bravado.

The final track "Make It Like A Memory" is the most dramatic of the nine-song set. The sonata combines Streisand the actress with Streisand the singer, and what we get is close to a three act play with a jaw-dropping vocal and a wild guitar solo. Streisand coos at one moment and is belting the next with so much raw emotion, she literally takes you on a seven and a half minute roller coaster ride.

Guilty is the most unique album of Streisand's pop catalogue, and it's easily apparent why it was Number One in over a dozen countries and sold over twelve million units worldwide. The ingredients that Gibb cooked up for this album are so delicious that even non-Streisand fans ate it up.

For those who haven't heard this historic opus, I highly suggest picking up a copy of the newly remastered Dual Disc- it is absolutely phenomenal. The album may be titled Guilty, but the pleasure is anything but.

The 25th Anniversary Of "Guilty" Is Wonderful!!! Great Sound On Both The Cd & Dvd Sides, Great Fun To See The Unused Photos As Are The Two Performances From "One Voice"!! The Album Is A Classic From Beginning To End!!! Most People Know The Hits..."Woman In Love", "What Kind Of Fool" & The Title Track...But There Is So Much More To This Album, From The Dramatic "Life Story" To The Dynamic "Make It Like A Memory" To The Fun "Promises" & My Personal Fav..."Never Give Up" This Album Is A Treasure Trove Of Classic Pop Songs!!! Barbra & Barry Had The Magic Then & Still Do Today!!! Looking Forward To "Guilty Pleasures" September 20th!!!

Leave your politics and biases aside; this is a great album which has withstood the test of time wonderfully. Barbra has never sounded more relaxed and happy on any recording and this 25th anniversary edition showcases the Streisand "magic" at its best. More than that, it offers a preview of even greater things to come: the new Streisand/Gibb re-teaming on "Guilty Pleasures". From what I've seen on the preview featured on the DVD portion of Guilty 25th Anniversary, "Guilty Pleasures" promises to outshine its predecessor -- if that's possible. If you think you've heard Guilty before, try it again. It's even better the second time around.

just Bought the 25th Anniversary Edition of Guilty today and just finished Listening to it and watching it and it feels like brand new music to me(even if it is 25 years old). If you have the regular Guilty CD and you think you dont need the new Dual Disc, TRUST ME, YOU DO! First Off, Listening to the Songs on the DVD player is so much better, the Sound is Awesome, almost like Barbra and Barry are in your living room. Secondly, the DVD side is PACKED with Goodies, such as Barbra and Barry in an Interview talking about when they first did this Record and the upcoming 'guilty pleasures" cd's. Also featured are two Duets of Barbra and Barry performing from her "Once Voice" concert back in 1986. Her one voice video is NOT scheduled for release in that 5 Pack DVD of her First 5 tv specials, so , so far, this is your only chance to get these two cuts(guilty/what kind of fool) on DVD. There is also a photo gallery of the Guilty photography sessions back in 1980 and many of these photos are being seen for the first time. I am SO EXCITED about the upcoming "GUILTY PLEASURES" CD, that this Special Edition of Guilty s the perfect companion for the new release! Barbra, you keep getting better and Better! I Love You!

I just came back from a trip to the USA where to my absolute delight I happened to see 'Guilty' on a music stand. Although I had already placed my order with Amazon for 'Guilty Pleasures' I had no idea that the original was to be reissued. I could not wait to get home and so I played it en route on my car CD player. It still sounded amazing and brought back such happy memories. I was only 17 years old when I first heard this album and was introduced to Barbra by a guy I was dating at the time. The relationship lasted only a few months but my affair with Barbra has lasted and gotten stronger as the years have passed. I still think that every album and every movie are events and always look forward to the next with eager anticipation. This album sounds as great now as it did all those years ago although I think that the DVD footage could have included a more in depth interview and less cheesy back slapping. That said, it was great to see the 'One Voice' duets and the teaser for the 'Guilty Pleasures' release that is set for Sept 20th 2005. Great marketing and as always GREAT BARBRA.

I have been listening to this special edition CD non-stop since it arrived from Amazon yesterday! This is the quintessential Streisand classic. Released in late 1980, the CD is written and produced by Barry Gibb and the result is nothing less than magical. From the opening chords of the title track (a duet with Barry) to the closing powerhouse vocals and orchestrations on "Make It Like A Memory," it is easy to see why this is Streisand's best selling album to date.

A new listen reaffirms that these songs are true pop classics. Well written, nicely structured, with the most amazing vocals. As Barry says in the DVD interview, writing for Barbra is like writing for an instrument rather than another voice. Her range is astounding.

The classic singles are here ("Woman In Love," "What Kind of Fool") but "Run Wild" is, in my opinion, the best track on the CD. This song is classic Barry, a well written pop tune made all the more amazing by Barbra's performance.

Barry's production is top notch. Structurally, none of Streisand's other albums (none) come close. (An aside: Techincally this is not a "Bee Gees" production. While Barry wrote some of the tracks with Robin and Maurice, it is Barry alone who produced and Barry alone who provided stellar background vocals.)

Barbra and Barry make the ultimate team. Their work here makes the ultimate CD. I look forward to "Guilty Pleasure."

To think 25 years has past since this great album was orginally released doesn't seem possible. The sound is incredible! The DVD side is so much fun, as well! The interview with Barbra and Barry is short but still full of timeless moments. Plus for the first time on DVD one gets to dive into Barbra and Barry's once in a life time performances from the "One Voice" concert! Then enjoy the preview of Guilty Pleasures with "Stranger in A Strange Land". Guilty is a classic work that with this dualdisc is even better than before. From where this fan sits, he plans on being Guilty Forever!

Let me get my kvetching out of the way before I start gushing so much that I make Linda Richman look like a casual Streisand fan. It's great to have the additonal photographs and a much improved repackaging after the dismal CD packaging that has been in circulation for years now. As for the DVD extras, the Barbra/Barry interview is a little longer than what was featured on Entertainment Tonight on Aug. 30, 2005. I would have liked for them to have gone more into a more in depth discussion about the making of Guilty.

Also, when the albums Dusty in Memphis and Pearl were reissued, the record companies opened up the vaults and included bonus tracks. It would have been interesting to have had some of the discarded songs included here. Im' guessing that Barbra and Sony are saving those for a package somewhere down the road. I liked seeing the One Voice performances again. It's great to see them again.

Listening to the album again, one can't help but realize that Barry's production and songs served as vehicles to continuously take Barbra's voice soaring into the stratosphere. The album was the pinnacle of Barbra's pop albums, a foray that did not start off very promisingly with What About Today? Yet, over a decade later, she had the biggest hit of her career when she teamed with Barry for this album. It still holds up magnificently a quarter of a century later.

The songs range from the breathtaking Love Inside, to the playful dance oriented tunes Promises and Never Give Up. There is the amazing Woman in Love. How did Barbra NOT win the Grammy for that one??? Jeez! Guilty is a playful Carribean shuffle between her and Barry and their What Kind of Fool is nothing short of majestic. Make It Like A Memory should be ranked alongside Eric Clapton's original Layla and MacArthur Park with it's great 3 minute instrumental coda, not to mention some of the bluesiest singing ever from our Barbra. (That's also a weakness of the track - the coda still isn't as thrilling as Barbra's voice!!!) Too bad she never closed out a concert with it. It would have been incredibly dramatic, not to mention serve as a great exit music in lieu of Happy Days (soory for the heresy!) Fortunately with the technology of today you can play the songs in any order you want and even edit them if that coda really bothers you!

On the Linda Richman butter scale it's Land O'Lakes all the way!!!

I bought "Guilty" in 1980 on vinyl, then on CD the moment it came out. It was always in the top ten favorite list of Barbra albums.

Now I have the newly minted 25th Anniversary Edition, and it has moved up to the top 2! "Guilty Pleasures", though not yet released, will be the other one in the top 2.

Barbra's vocals teamed with Barry's production are pure heaven. Every song is like buttah.

"Woman in Love" is perfection. I get goosebumps when she hits and holds that looooooong note.

"The Love Inside" was never a favorite for me back in 1980, but I have sort of rediscovered it, and I am amazed at the beauty in it. I find myself listening to it over and over again these days.

"Life Story" is another WOW track. So dramatic and surging.

"Make it Like a Memory" is to die for. Truly takes your breath away.

I would have given the CD 10 stars if there were room to add more, but I'll have to settle for the 5 alloted. If you never heard this CD, I strongly suggest you buy it NOW! If you had the original LP or CD, I still strongly suggest you get it - the newly spiffed up version is worth every cent!

Great work, Barbra & Barry!