Customer Reviews

Guilty

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Her biggest selling album, GUILTY is easily Barbra Streisand's best contemporary pop effort to date. Barry Gibb's skilled production hand gives GUILTY an added sense of cohesiveness, something that was sorely lacking from many of Streisand's late-seventies pop efforts. Gibb (along with Albhy Galuten and brothers Robin and Maurice) also had a hand in writing every one of the nine melodic songs and even duets on two of them.

Their pairing produced a monster hit with the riveting title track (#3 Pop, #5 Adult Contemporary), however it's actually the other Streisand-Gibb smash duet "What Kind Of Fool" (#10 Pop, #1 Adult Contemporary) that proves to be the disc's show-stopper. Gibb's production and voice are an inarguable key to GUILTY's success, but it is Streisand's magnificent vocals that provide the album with it's soul - that's right SOUL! The chart-topping smash "Woman In Love" (#1 Pop, #1 Adult Contemporary) was the leadoff single and stands a slice of pure pop perfection, with Streisand's performance as thrilling as any ever captured on record.

Amazingly enough for a pop record, the remaining six tracks more than hold up to the three big hits. The restrained ballads "Run Wild" and "The Love Inside" are absolutely gorgeous, while the seven minute-plus "Make It Like A Memory" plays out like mini-pop symphony. Barbra even ventures into dance territory with "Life Story" and the international hit "Promises" and really brings these tracks to life with a sexy exuberance. Even the slightly dated light funk of "Never Give Up" is a slinky delight. GUILTY was a massive hit upon release, hitting #1 on the Hot 200 and achieving Quintuple Platinum status in US sales and selling nearly 20 million copies worldwide. This success is hardly surprising as GUILTY is simply everything a pop album should be.

When this album came out in 1980, Barry Gibb was the 800-pound gorilla of pop producers--everything he touched turned to gold records and top ten hits, basically because every album he produced for another artist sounded like a Bee Gees record with someone else singing. "Guilty" is no exception. Barbra Streisand knew a hitmaker when she heard one, and the result is the best modern pop album she's ever done. Barry Gibb's wavering voice takes a lot of getting used to if you're not a Bee Gees fan, but "Guilty" and "What Kind Of Fool", the two duets between Barry and Barbra, are pure pop paradise. "Woman In Love" still blows me away after twenty years--it's the perfect match between singer and song (and I'm praying that some overblown diva doesn't decide to do a remake and ruin it forever). The beautifully arranged "Run Wild" will put a lump in the throat of a dead man, while "Promises" is a fun, danceable singalong. There are some down moments, like the oversung "Life Story", but overall "Guilty" has weathered the years well. And what's this about another pairing between Barbra and Barry? "Guilty II", perhaps . . . ?

She needs to produce more albums like this. Pure pop pleasure! Most of her recent albums have been so drab and unlistenable. Please, Barbra, return to making these great pop-oriented albums! Don't waste your beautiful voice and unique talent on the nondescript music that you've been recording lately. I miss the old Barbara! I hope she returns very soon.

It is amazing that after over 20 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.

still one of barbra's best efforts. cannot wait for the sequel this fall!

Guilty is an absolutely incredible album. The idea of Barbra working with Barry Gibb was pure genius and I would like to thank who ever thought of it!! Barbra's vocal is brilliant throughout the album, and the duets ("Guilty and "What Kind of Fool") are breathtaking. Barry Gibb is brilliant in using his voice to compliment Barbra's. Instead of trying to out perform her, Barry lifted her up and the outcome is awesome. I would like to take the opportunity right now to clarify any thoughts about Barry Gibb not having anything to do on the album, or anything about his lyrics being stupid or meaningless. There's a creative poetry in the lyrics in all the songs on the album that could only come from the creative genius that is Barry Gibb and his brothers. And anyone who thinks otherwise is clearly jealous because they obviously don't have and don't understand the kind of brilliant mind that Barry has. I think it should also be said that not many people are of the opinion that Barry didn't have much to do with the album, being since this is Mrs. Streisand's best selling album to date! My favorite songs off of the album, other than the duets, are "Woman in Love", "Promises", and "Run Wild". This is by far Barbra's best album.

This album is a very personal album for me in that I got it as a birthday gift for my 10th birthday in 1980. I think this is the best album of her career. The huge hits include "Woman In Love"(#1 for 3 weeks),"Guilty" (#3),"What Kind Of Fool"(#10) and "Promises"(#50). The whole album is just incredible. From the non hits of "The Love Inside" to "Life Story" to "Run Wild" to "Never Give Up" to the EPIC ballad " Make It Like A Memory" which I swear Guns 'N Roses copied for "November Rain"-- the songs and the vocals are very emotional. Just an incredible job by Barry Gibb. He went on to produce huge hits for Dionne Warwick,Kenny Rogers and Diana Ross but none feature the emotion and beauty as the Guilty album. Incredible.

By 1980 Barbra Streisand proved she was a tireless and intelligent performer. Wanting to stay current she hired the Bee Gees to write and produce her new album called "Guilty", Streisand's most successful album to date selling over 20 million copies.

Highlights include the title track, a duet with Barry Gibb, which was a #3 Pop hit and garnered them the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal By a Duo, the beautiful and haunting "Woman in Love" that went all the way to #1 for 3 weeks and became a Streisand standard, and another duet with Gibb called "What Kind of Fool" going all the way to #10. The CD only contained 9 tracks, but it is widely considered to be the record that made a comeback for Barbra.

In 2005 on the 25th Anniversary of the album's release Columbia rereleased "Guilty" with renewed audio sound. On the back of the CD came a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes footage on the making of the album, interviews, videos, and more.

In the same year a sequel album, which was far less successful than "Guilty", called "Guilty Pleasures" was released, but still managed to sell over 500,000 copies.

I have been a Barbra Streisand fan for many years now and about a year & a half of ago I finally bought one of Barbra Streisand greatest albums "Guilty". In the past before buying the album I had some of her Greatest Hits compilations with songs like "Guilty", "Woman In Love" and "What Kind Of Fool" on them, hearing them I knew that these were song classics. So a couple of weeks before "Guilty Pleasures" was released in stores, I came across this album, while looking for a Barbra Streisand album that at the time I might not have had. Well I bought the Dualdisc 25th Anniversay Edition, I put it on and fell in love with this album. Like always Barbra is great, always hitting high notes or doing long notes. The album features a mixture of the 1970's Disco and early 1980's music like on "Life Story". After the success of "The Bee Gees" in 1977-78, Barbra asked Barry to write a album for her. Even though the album is in "The Bee Gees" form with their type of music style, Barbra made it her own, since it's her album. It is her best-selling album to date with sales over 20 million copies. The song "Guilty" won Barbra & Barry a 1981 Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The song "Woman In Love" became one of Barbra's most successful songs and stood a total of three weeks at the #1 position on the Billboard chart. Not to forget but the album went Platinum 5x over and was number one in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The whole album is very memorable and never will go out of date. It's a Masterpiece for Barbra fans and in music history.

I can't wait for the Dual Disc of this cd! This is a classic pop album, and a classic from Streisand! She worked with the Bee Gees on this album, who produced and wrote the album. Two of the songs were duets with Barry Gibb. That includes the title track which was a big hit, and the ballad "What Kind of Fool", which was a #1 on AC. The biggest hit though was the first single, "Woman In Love", one of her biggest and best hits ever. The rest of the album is just as good, with nice ballads like "The Love Inside", as well as other pop songs like "Run Wild", "Promises" and "Life Story". The album closes with a 7 minute ballad called "Make It Like A Memory". Barry Gibb and Streisand have reunited for a new album due in September 2005, and the Dual Disc of this album comes out August 23 2005!