Customer Reviews

Manilow Sings Sinatra

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Back in the 70's in college a fellow classmate of mine being a Sinatra relative, I noticed when we were at her cousins home who happened to be one of Sinatra's daughters, the prominent LP on display was a very early Barry Manilow!! As I scanned through the collection I noticed several other Barry LP's and when I inquired "who's the fan?" I remember my friend saying the whole Sinatra family starting with Frank being number one!! I found this very interesting and was not surprised when Mr. Sinatra released "I Sing The Songs" on a single release which is very stirring and soulfully sung. So when Barry recorded this great Sinatra tribute I felt it was fitting and something that I was not at all surprised about! More than anyone, I am quite certain Frank Sinatra would have loved this collection and be very proud that one of his favorites gave him such a great salute. Barry's vocals are rich and varied and each song is beautifully arranged. Anyone who has enjoyed Barry's masterworks such as "2 A.M. Paradise Cafe" or "Swing Street" will love this sophisicated collection!!! Thank You Barry!!!

First of all, let me say that I am a huge fan of both Sinatra and Manilow. To those of you who have bashed Barry and dismissed this CD as a poor attempt at covering the Chairman of the Board, keep in mind that it was Frank Sinatra who pointed his finger at Barry many years ago to the press and said, "He's next!" Frank Sinatra even covered some of Barry's songs. He did his own version of "I Write the Songs" and changed it to "I Sing the Songs." He also sang Barry's "See the Show Again" every night during one of his tours in the late 70s. For those of you claiming to have such respect for Frank, you should have a little more respect for what he stood for. The arrangements on this CD are in very good taste and are pulled off brilliantly. You may not like Barry or his singing, but please, give credit where credit is due. One person said that these arrangements sounded "Karyoke." Give me a break! You clearly don't know anything about the music industry. The arrangers on this CD are top-notch arrangers. These are not just people off the street. Like Frank Sinatra, Barry works with the best and produces albums he can be proud of. This one is no exception. "You Make Me Feel So Young" is my favorite on this album because its arranged to sound like a Sinatra arrangement, yet it's so different from Sinatra's version of this song. You have to hear it to know what I mean.

One more thing. Naturally, people are going to compare this to Sinatra but come one, that's not what this is about. This is a musician showing respect to another musician. And I would bet money on the fact that if Barry had done this while Sinatra was still alive, Sinatra would have praised it, and would have felt honored. I think then you Sinatra fans might be singing a different tune. Also, keep in mind, Barry writes a lot of his own music, plays practically every instrument there is (don't believe me? See him in concert or look at the credits on his album "Here at the Mayflower" Barry is his own band on that album!) produced a Diane Schurr record, and has even written a musical which makes its Broadway debut in January. Now, I love Sinatra, but he wasn't capable of half of this. He was a great singer/song selector. He couldn't write music, never accompanied himself on an instrument. My point: take it for what it's worth... Give credit where credit is due!

Of course the reviews of albums will vary, but sometimes people can go too far. Mr Manilow tried. "Manilow Sings Sinatra" is an excellent album. His voice is good and clear. The arangements are slightly different, not to the point of "a new Frank", so what's the problem? The CD shows great care to one entertainer from an other. Barry Manilow was a large fan of Frank Sinatra (as I'am) and he just expressed a tribute to him, like a lot of people do. Sure some can not record an album, like Manilow, but his efforts are genuine. Hey don't 'pick' and 'nag' over it, just listen to once or twice, the mood that is created is just great. Some pieces that stand out are "I've Got The World On A Sring", "Summer Wind", "Saturday Night" and "My Kind Of Town". Some of these songs weren't Sinatra signature's (Barry's pick), some old standards, they are all done well, just like all of Manilow's work.

There are several other Sinatra tribute cd's that are wonderful, Lou Rawls, Carol Sloane & Steve Lawrence that stay close to the arrangements that Sinatra used.. what I love about Barry's tribute cd are the arrangements!!!! Barry made these songs his own and still pays tribute to Frank.. when I listen to this fantastic cd, I don't think of Frank as I do when I listen to the other tribute cd's, Phil Ramone & Barry did a great job producing this cd! I feel the music is so rich!, I love the arrangement on 'Summer Wind' Barry's voice just flows...I really feel this cd has been unfairly rewiewed since it first came out...This is one of Barry's Best!!!

Like you, I was skeptical. Wasn't even sure I was going to buy the CD because I was so worried. Barry is my FAVORITE artist, hands down, but I didn't know whether he could pull this one off. When I received it as a gift, of course I couldn't be rude and own up to my reluctance, so I popped it in the CD player. From the first song...a voice I know almost as well as my own, plus lush, gorgeous arrangements...I fell in love w/ Manilow all over again (and this after a 25-year love affair -- how many relationships can compare...! ). Can't put it into words -- just do yourself a favor and DON'T pass this one up. It's NOT a shameless attempt at capitalizing on one of music's greatest, but a heartfelt tribute to someone who obviously made a difference in Manilow's life. You can just hear it in his voice. Trust me -- go on...steer that mouse up to the upper right hand side of your screen....that's it...now click the shopping cart button and throw this one in. You'll thank me later.

This is one of my favorite CDs of all time. I never get bored with this music. I love Sinatra and Manilow separately, but the combination is wonderful.

The King of AC covers the King of Pop. Manilow doesn't remake any of Sinatra's songs. Instead, he does them Manilow style but some require delivery as close to Sinatra as possible. The stand-out for me is "Strangers in the Night". this is 5-star material. i LOVE his voice!!! and this brings me to a sore spot and in answer to most of the pathetic, petty, and baseless reviews from several people here, by having your reviews printed and in the public domain, you are open to my criticism, i feel it necessary to declare Manilow haters as nothing more than skinless, cold-hearted cynics who hide from their emotions and or deny the softer sides of their personality to show for fear they'll be called "weak" and they make fun of everyone who are brave enough to show pain, hurt, and joy and want to hear it in music too. one review, by someone named "Anna", i suggest you skipping over all together because it serves no purpose only to showcase her anti-Manilow bias and her hatred of homosexuals. Her spelling should also have been checked too. I read her review four times and couldn't come up with anything remotely interesting about the CD she was suppose to be reviewing. i know that everyone HAS an opinion, but i've had it up to here with people who hate Barry because "everyone does", or so they think with that kind of warped thinking. i've never known of ANY artist in ANY format to cause such a vocal hatred...and he's done nothing to deserve it. he's harmless and he tries to inject good sounding music in a pop world dominated by loud garbage nobody can understand. i guess lyrics and arrangement isn't important in a world of breast-bearing music videos and Super Bowls, huh!?? Clay Aiken, be prepared for this same kind of GARBAGE from so-called music fans and critics.

and I am a ManiLoonie, but I'm going to have to admit that I'm not as passionate about this CD as I have been about others I've reviewed. (Number One spot being 2am Paradise Cafe) Yes, it is extremely enjoyable and of course Class-Act music, but Mr. Manilow is a legend unto himself as is Mr. Sinatra. I hate other people singing Barry songs. Not that I hate Barry Singing Sinatra songs, but it's like Barbra Streisand singing Celine Dionne songs. You have to ask, WHY? But then I gave it another listen while splashing around in the bathtub, (where I do my best singing along) and again while getting ready for work, and then again on the way to work, (all the while formulating my favorites, "You Make Me Feel So Young, In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, The Second Time Around") and again on the way home, and again while making dinner... You know what? It's just Barry, singing the songs he loves to sing, the way he loves to sing them! He's not trying to be Frank, he's just crankin' up an out-of-this-world band and having a blast! MAN I 'd love to belt out a Sinatra tune with THAT band behind me! Talk about Dream-Come-True!
So, in the spirit of that musical JOY, I have to tell Barry, "THANKS FOR SHARING"!!

I have never heard a better version of Sinatra's work than this album that Barry Manilow has produced, and he performs so well in Frankie's style making it his own...When my son heard this album he says it's the best he's heard Sinatra and my son a talented musician himself knows his music. The songs have been sung with a smooth unmistakable style and the band is authentic to that of the swing in Frankie's style. Barry, you did this well before swing became the fashion thing it has become today with stars like Michael Buble and Jamie Cullum..I think maybe this album started the trend...you deserve to sing at the Hilton Barry, the place was waiting for you to perform there.

What can I say; Barry is just the greatest entertainer of all time. Everything he touches turns to gold (and maybe even platinum!) It amazes me that such a mega-talent stays as humble and centered as he does. This album is a compilation of many of Sinatra's greats and is done beautifully well, as Barry always does with every song he touches. I love all the tracks, but my favorites are "The Second Time Around, All the Way, You Make Me Feel So Young, and Put Your Dreams Away." "You Make Me Feel So Young" is a great song to remind us all to stay young-at-heart. We may all age (like a fine wine, of course) but nobody needs to get old in their heart unless they choose to.

The songs are close to Sinatra's renditions but with that special "Barry touch". If you love beautiful music, this is a great one. Gawsh, they are all so purdy. Great to sing along with in the car and another staple for the Manilonian. I'm sure Frankie is listening to this CD and saying, "Ya done good, Barry M.!"

I honestly believe that Amazon's Editorial Review comment "He's [Manilow] made poor homages to the past before this, but this one verges on the offensive" is unfair, inaccurate, and downright incorrect!

I recently read something about Barry and the making of this album. He grew up listening to Sinatra and when Frankie died, Barry so loved his music, that he just wanted to honor his memory by making this album of the Frankie songs that Barry treasured. After he did the album, he hoped no one misunderstood and thought he was trying to compare himself to Frankie. But, some people apparently did. I have read a great deal about Barry and he appears to be very humble and sincere. This is a great album with great Frankie songs on it. If you loved Sinatra and you love Manilow, you cannot go wrong with this buy!