Even Now (Exp) [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Barry Manilow | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 1978
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000F2CC2M
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,089 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

His star just kept soaring in '78, as this one shot to #3 with Copacabana (at the Copa); Can't Smile Without You , and Even Now leading the way. Includes the unreleased Make You Music and I'm Comin' Home Again !

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pinnacle of His Career, June 11, 2006

By 

Jim Kelsey - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Even Now (Exp) (Audio CD)

As Manilow's music goes, his fifth studio release, "Even Now" tops them all. I grew up on Manilow. Both of my parents were fans, so between Dad, Mom and myself, we owned his entire collection up through 1983. I also was a pianist taking lessons from the Eastern WA University professor. Instead of practicing as I should have, I spent many a weekend working out Manilow's tunes - some at Dad's request, some of my own choosing.

Having said this, I became well acquainted with his albums and after 20+ years, "Even Now" is still as fresh as it was when I first heard it in high school. It released four hits ("Copacabana" #8, "Even Now" #19, "Somewhere In The Night" #9, and "Can't Smile Without You" #3) and won a Grammy for "Copa." Each song is a work of craftsmanship, with memorable melodies and phenemonal orchestration. Manilow's vocals are strong and display his wide range. There is much variety on this album, from disco to his typical power ballads to just he and the piano.

Aside from the hits, a few of my favorites are "Sunrise," "Where Do I Go From Here," "I Just Want To Be The One In Your Life," and "Starting Again." The music is Manilow at his best and where I believe at the height of his creative process. The remaster includes one extra track, "No Love For Jenny," which is another fine ballad.

Manilow has gotten a lot of bad press over the years from his overly-sentimental (sappy) love songs. If one listens to this album in its entirety, one will discover that this is just not the case. To really understand his style, this album is a good starting point. Listen to it and you'll discover a wealth of top-quality music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Manilow Magic At His Best!, June 19, 2002

By 

Lorenzo M. in the Hollywood CA Area "Movie Wa... (North Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Even Now (Audio CD)

This was always my all-time favorite number one album of all of Barry's CD's. (That is until Here At The Mayflower!)

This album has many of the tunes you'll know including the Grammy award winning Copacabana, Can't Smile Without You (A crownd pleaser!) and Where Do I Go From Here?

My favorites on this album will always be Somewhere Down The Road and the title track Even Now. The arrangments of the strings and woodwinds on this album are the best I have ever heard.

The songs speak of Love, Hurt and Hope. Technically I think this and Mayflower are the best engineering for sound and mixing.

This is a must for every Manilow collection!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Barry's best, highly recommended, June 3, 2000

By 

Jeff Pearlman (Lakeland, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Even Now (Audio CD)

"Even Now" spun off four of Barry's best singles in 1978: "Can't Smile Without You", the title track, "Copacabana", and "Somewhere In The Night." "Copa" is the best disco song ever by a non-disco act. (This is high praise in my book. Everybody tried to get a disco hit in the late '70's and the failures make a fantastic tape.) It still sounds great today, and how can anyone get tired of that intense storyline? I've heard "Can't Smile" and "Somewhere In The Night" on other artist's records; the arrangements here run rings around them all. Proof of BM's skills as an arranger. The moody title track is also a highlight.

Most of the remaining tracks are worth the purchase. "Leavin' In The Morning" is catchy bubblegum-rock with coproducer Ron Dante's fingerprints all over it. "I Was A Fool (To Let You Go)" is an early example of the jazzy pop Barry eventually came to favor during much of the '90's. There used to be some intrigue as to whether "A Linda Song" was about our hero's real-life girlfriend Linda Allen. Or maybe not. And there are echoes of the Stylistics in the arrangement for "I Just Want To Be The One In Your Life," a pretty love song. On the down side, Barry's New Yawk accent is a bit too noticeable on a couple of songs; his phrasing definitely improved over time. The bonus track "No Love For Jenny" is average, but better by far than the album's worst song, "Losing Touch." Overall, one of Barry Manilow's best albums ever, and worth getting if you have any interest in him at all.