Customer Reviews

The Essential Barbra Streisand

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Wow! This is a masterpiece 2 cd set spanning Barbra's 40 years with SONY/COLUMBIA!! All of the biggest,and most be-loved hits are included and they never sounded better!!! They have been digitally re-mastered. The inclusion of 2 un-released songs are worth the price alone! The newly recorded "YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE" that Barbra performed with a full orchestra and choir at the recent EMMY AWARDS is chilling and one of her most brilliant recordings ever! You will LOVE this 2 set cd! A PIECE OF SKY never sounded more dramatic as it does re-mastered! It will bring fond memories hearing those poignant duet hits like YOU DON'T BRING ME FLOWERS with Neil Diamond, TELL HIM with Celine Dion and the disco smash ENOUGH IS ENOUGH with Donna Summer!! forty years of career hits on a 2 cd set is EXCEPTIONAL indeed! May Streisand look forward to many more successful years with SONY/COLUMBIA who have always done the best promoting this legend!! A++++++++++++++

THE ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND spans a 40 year career of one of the most talented voices in the industry. Finally there is a complete collection that spans her entire career without skimping on the songs. This 40 song collection includes some of her biggest hits. While listening to this, as a listener you can hear the many dimensions of Barbra Streisand. She did rock, she did adult contemporary, she did disco, she did broadway, the question remains, is there anything she didnt do? Streisand is one of the only artists to have a #1 album in each decade. Her voice brings songs alive with an emotion that is uncomparable, and a power that is chilling. The CD also features superstar duets, such as "I Finally Found Someone" with Bryan Adams, from the Mirror Has Two Faces, and "Tell Him", with Celine Dion. There is also extra tracks, "Someday My Price Will Come", and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Live from the 2001 Emmy's). I think its safe to say there wasn't a dry eye in that place, or of the viewers watching that stirring performance. Overall, this is an excellent representation of a great career, and a must have for fans and people alike.

ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND is a great product for the new Streisand fan. For the fan (like me) who already has all of her albums, the bonus tracks are the main reason I got this 2-disk CD. The CD package is very nice, and includes some rare photos that I've never seen before.

I'm sure everyone has ideas about what should or should not have been included. I'm happy with the choices, although at this point in my Streisand fandom I would appreciate more "live" or unreleased versions of songs rather than the same studio versions that have appeared on all of Barbra's "Greatest Hits" albums (I and II, Memories, A Collection, and Just For The Record).

It is truly amazing that Barbra has recorded in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and into the 2000's. ESSENTIAL BARBRA STREISAND proves that she achieves greatness when her material is good. She started with pop and theater standards and seems to be ending her career by a return to these standards. One could argue that the new version of "Someday My Prince Will Come" succeeds artistically as compared to "I Finally Found Someone (Duet with Bryan Adams)".

Barbra Streisand is my favorite recording artist. My wish for this year-long celebration of her anniversary with Columbia Records is to have a new CD that features unreleased and live recordings. I'd love to hear "official", pristine recordings of the Daniel Ellsberg concert, the abandoned Back To Broadway sessions, the abandoned Broadway Album songs, the various songs she's recorded but never released (like "When The Lovin Goes Out of the Lovin"), and all of her original singles from the 60's that featured different arrangements from the album versions. There's some more officially released singles, not on any albums, that we should hear too! As well as the French EP songs like "Les Enfants Qui Pleurent" and "Et La Mer".

Thanks for the new album, Barbra!

Well, here it is. The life and times of Barbra Streisand. If you're a long time admirer like myself, you already have 38 of these 40 songs under other titles. Additionally, many have been released several times under "Greatest Hits Volume I, Volume II, Memory,...a Collection, and Just For The Record" titles. Literally, this is a compilation that spans 40 years of recordings from "A Sleepin' Bee, through movie soundtrack items such as "People", "On A Clear Day," "The Way We Were," through the disco era, namely "The Main Event," "No More Tears," and finally, Miss Streisand's return to her 'roots' with ballads like "Memory," "Somewhere," and "Send In The Clowns." While undoubtedly the talent of our lifetime, Miss Streisand is also a shrewd business woman. There are two previously unreleased songs on this 2 cd set ("Someday My Prince Will Come," and "You'll Never Walk Alone"), which make it a must-buy for the consummate Streisand fan (face it, she's had us hooked for years...). The digital re-mastering of many of the older recordings greatly enhances the over-all listening experience.

It must be difficult for someone of Streisand's longevity to be able to put out an album that would appeal to everyone. Their will always be fans who want a somewhat different style Barbra. Some will want showtunes, some will want contemporary pop and others will want any one of a number of other musical styles that Barbra has done over the years... from rock to disco. Each listener will also have their favorite period of Barbra's voice, her reeed like quality of the 60's, her more controlled voice of the 70's, the even stronger and more commanding voice of the 80's or the slightly lower but incredibly beautiful and even more controlled voice that is Barbra in the 90's and now. One recent reviewer stated that he thought Streisand in the 60's was good but after that she "stinks". Well, that is one opinion. Clearly most people do not agree. No vocalist is going to sing every song better than anyone else but Streisand does have the unique talent of making many of her performances uniquely her own. Comparing artists to me always seems childish. If someone prefers another artist to Streisand, that's their perogative, but using this forum to vent insults against her is immature. Perhaps on some level it is a compliment though, I've read reviews of no other female recording artist who invites so much comparison to other artists. Perhaps Barbra Streisand is for them, the standard on which other artists must be judged against. Truly a great compliment.

Anyway, this "Essential Barbra Streisand" (recently certified Gold) is a treasure. Here we have many of her best songs spanning a 40 year period. From song to song you can see her voice evolve. You may find yourself liking it better at certain periods or you might, like I do, find that the voice has been great throughout. I love the fact that Barbra's voice did not remain the same over the years, how boring that would be. Instead I can appreciate and enjoy the differences between "He Touched Me" in the 60's, "Stoney End" in the 70's, "Somewhere" in the 80's and "You'll Never Walk Alone" in 2001.

For me, and I believe many of Streisand's admirers, her voice is as enchanting as ever. I have lost none of my excitement of hearing that a new album is on its way and in many ways her albums have become a kind of soundtrack to my own life. I can look back at almost any album from "Guilty" forward (when I 1st started listening to Barbra) and remember exactly where I was and what was going on in my life at the time. Her wonderful voice always being a positive and uplifting part of those times.

As Barbra recently said in an interview: "I've always considered myself a work in progress, so I'd like to think there are still a few more golden moments left.". I believe there will be MANY more golden moments to come! - Chris

Barbra Streisand's four decades of beautiful music are perfectly captured on this sterling two CD set. Disc One introduces us to 60's Streisand, a new star who would the standard for standards at a time when the prevailing taste in pop music was the Beatles. Her passionate and powerful renditions of "Happy Days Are Here Again", "He Touched Me" and "On A Clear Day" set the stage for America's most beloved female vocalist. The latter half of this disc captures Barbra in exquisite vocal form as her voice matures and loses its early "reed" like quality in favor of a more powerful and melodic vibrato. The 70's showcases her successful forays into various styles of music from light rock ("Stoney End") to disco ("The Main Event/Fight") and cements her status as America's premier interpreter of loved songs ("Evergreen").

Disc II captures Streisand at the zenith of her sales career with the songs from her brillant collaboration with Barry Gibb. From there her music finds a deeper & richer showcase in the songs from her film "Yentl". Barbra's best album of the 80's, "The Broadway Album" is well represented here and finds Barbra returning to her musical roots and reestablsihing herself as the ultimate interpreter of Broadway standards. Even the start of the 90's has Barbra continuing this theme with songs from "Back to Broadway". The latter half of the 90's teams Barbra with Bryan Adams and Celine Dion in memorable pop confections.

The two new songs included here ("Someday My Prince Will Come" and "You'll Never Walk Alone") both recorded in 2000 are superb. Her new rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" is in itself reason enough to buy the album!

Her fortcoming album "Duets" will feature performances with Josh Groban ("All I Know Of Love") and Barry Manilow ("I Won't Be the One To Let Go"). If reviews of her latest live performance on 9/30/02 are any indiction, Barbra is in "better than ever" voice and it would seem that there are many more golden moments for Barbra to come!

For those who choose to critique Barbra the photo or Barbra the person with childish and inappropraite remarks... all I can say is... are they running low on Zoloft or something? Get a grip!

Chris Sullivan

I never considered "A Piece Of Sky" an icky anthem, as the opening review of this project stated. "Yentl" is one of my favorite albums by Barbra, it tells a complete story just by the sequence of the songs and unlike other concept albums, the songs make sense out of context. I was truly excited about this release, Barbra's catalog is currently available, but not with this mastering. The engineering of this project is amazing. Knowing what the remastered product will sound like, choosing material as vast as Barbra's must have been exaustive. This is a carefully assembled anthology spanning her forty-plus year career with Columbia. In a two-disc set we witness her high point (the sixties), her low point (the seventies), her climb back up (the eighties), to her current level of legendary status. Some of the hits are missing (Prisoner, Make No Mistake, He's Mine, Emotion, Left In The Dark, Speak Low, to name a few) but what is here is why they call this project the Essential Barbra. All the big, big hits and a surprising cut from her excellent but overlooked album "Lazy Afternoon." The size of this two-disc set and the programming space of seventy eight minutes a disc could have made this a repeat of her three greatest hits albums remastered, repackaged and dismissed by Barbra, she clearly doesn't need the money. Instead this is a wonderful album sequenced by release dates, yes, but carefully chosen material beautifully performed. Enjoy this excellent work.

I know there are many "Barbra Fans" out there who probably have every LP or CD she ever put out. Even so, it's nice to have all her biggest hits and signature songs on one collection.

The "Essential Barbra Streisand" is the one CD set that every "Babs Fans" must and should own. Needless to say, listening to the these songs unfold in your player elicits one goosebump after another. Ms. Streisand is probably one of the premier female vocalists the past century has ever produced. Some will argue she may be the BEST ever. I am not going to argue with that notion after listening to this set.

For me, CD # 1 is the better listening experience and is PACKED with memorable performances. Beginning with a very young Barbra (barely 20 years old), it's really a thrill listening to her progression as a vocalist as the CD plays on. From her cabaret beginnings, we get the very young (and brash) Barbra on her early signature songs "Happy Days Are Here Again" "Cry Me A River" to her later 1960's hits like "People" and "On A Clear Day". You really get a sense how the 1960's unfolded for this fascinating singer/personality. Her voice has held up very well thru the years. Even when she is given second-rate material, she still makes her mark (i.e. "My Heart Belongs To Me"). With great material, she is simply on another planet, like Stevie Wonder's "All Is Fair In Love". Even after multiple listens, it's hard for me to keep a dry eye to that track. What a magnificent performance.

Sony has done a marvelous job with the Remastering of these tracks. The sound is crystal clear and Barbra's voice delightfully takes center stage. It is beautifully framed in the mix and you get a good sense of her vocal range and power on every track. I bet it was very difficult for the folks who put together this collection to decide which tracks to put in and leave out, but they pretty much came up with all her biggest hits and best album tracks on this compilation.

CD # 2 picks up in 1980 and probably doesn't give me as much of a thrill only because by the 1980's the music industry had changed as a whole, which dictated the songs Babs chose for her albums. But she still stuck to her guns to resist the music trends, and the resulting beauties "Broadway Album" and "Yentl" soundtracks pretty much take up CD # 2. Even though the tracks on CD # 2 are well chosen, they don't stack up against the thrilling listening experience found on CD # 1.

Still this CD set is A MUST for any Barbra Fan, and probably most of them already own this CD by now. But for the select few out there who still haven't bought this, please do yourselves a favor and rush order one very soon. You will be thrilled and glad that you did.

What's one of the many intriguing things about this collection of 40 classic songs? Listening to how her voice has changed over the past four decades. Her earlier recordings showcased a raw, comedic voice that grew to its richest sound by the time she recorded "Yentl" and "The Broadway Album". And now as she is turning 60, notice how her voice has gotten deeper, almost sounding hoarse at times, on the emotional track "You'll Never Walk Alone".

The remastered songs from the sixties are real standouts. You can definitely hear the technical improvements made on "Second hand Rose".

This is a must have for any Streisand fan, as well as anyone who appreciates this style of music.

Another interesting note: Inside the cover, many of her albums are pictured along with some other great photographs. I don't know if this was done on purpose or simply a mistake, but "My Name Is Barbra Two" is included twice on the same page.

I'll jump right to 1971 with her charted single "Where You Lead" which just charted at #40 on the pop chart, but, it's nowhere to be found on this double CD collection, and yet, oddly enough, the non-hit track "Since I Fell For You" (which was on the flip side of that single) is in this collection. But, I can live with that. Let's move on....

But four things that really bug me about this double CD collection is the lack of four very important songs for Barbra Streisand. Two of her Top 20 singles "Songbird" (#25) and "Love Theme from "Eyes of Laura Mars" (#21). Plus, from her 1983 soundtrack "Yentl," they took two non-hit songs from this album, "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "A Piece of Sky," which of course, are great songs, but my most absolute favorite song from Barbra Streisand is not on this collection from that album. Sure, it only charted at #40 in 1983, but "The Way He Makes Me Feel" is her most beautiful song ever written about a girl starting to discover her own raging hormones. And, because it did chart on the Top 40, I just think that it shouldn't have been overlooked.

But, I would think everyone's biggest compliant would probably be for the lack of one of her very few Top Ten Singles. In 1981, her shared single with Barry Gibb, "What Kind of Fool" is not in this collection. What kind of fool would choose to leave it out from an Essential collection while putting in so many non-familiar recordings?

I can see now why people just download individual songs to just make their own interpretation of someone's most essential songs.