Customer Reviews

The Movie Album

5 star:		(113)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

Now I know that this album in particular has had really mixed reviews, and I know I may not be completely trusted in giving it five stars amidst many hideous reviews. However, I do believe music is subjectively reviewed, and my opinion may differ from others, so here it is.
This album, is undoubtedly one of my top five Barbra albums ever, if not my favorite, and it may possibly be the best pieces of music ever to reach my ears, heart and soul. I love almost every single song on the album, I love the song choice, the delivery, the orchestration and arrangement, mainly everything.
First things first. Let's settle this issue. Has Barbra lost her voice? Is it deteriorating, and will her next album be croaking? Well, Guilty Pleasures is out, and we all got the answer. But frankly, we didn't need Guilty Pleasures for the answer. Barbra's voice is a little different from previous albums, it's a bit deeper, and the album is in a low kew. However, Barbra's voice is the farthest it can get from deterioration. Its deeper and broader (and sometimes a bit huskier) quality give it a velvety feel which is just sublime. Her voice is still unbelievably beautiful, and in no way worse than any other albums. It is at some of the most emotional it's ever been, and obviously so since the song choice is greatly personal.
There, since we've settled that issue, we go on to the songs.

1. Smile: Before I begin, I am biased when I review this song, it being my favorite song of all time. So, if you want something completely objective, move on to track 2. This song is flawless! Wow! What orchestration, what delivery, what emotion! The violin solo is breathtaking, and the final note with the slight huskiness at its beginning makes me want to weep. I adore this piece, a great opener.
2. Moon River: I never enjoyed the Sinatra cover, but I loved this. Something in Barbra's voice makes this song amazingly romantic. Truly a beautiful number, what an orchestration!(Note: I do prefer this version over that in Just For the Record.)
3. I'm in the Mood For Love: Barbra at 61 can sound a million times sexier (in a beautiful way) than all these young girls singing today put together. This song is so beautifully done, so melodically perfected (even better than that of The Concert) that you feel so romantic you want to fall in love while listening to it.
4. Wild is the Wind: WOW! What a performance, what a song! I have never heard Barbra so emotionally captivated in a melody and lyric(what a lyric), and she becomes an instrument of her own. On a more technical note, watch for the beautiful 22 second final note.
5. Emily: Barbra may be the only singer alive who can make you visualize exactly what she's saying. The way she says Emily in this beautifully caressing way makes you wonder how it was ever meant for a man to sing. This song is one of my favorites, and the way it musically flows is just right. Also, can you think of anyone else who can pronounce the word "visualise" better than Barbra? What a performance.
6. More in Love With You: O.K. This song does take a few listens to understand and comprehend because of its complex arrangement. It takes time to fully get it, but I think it's very beautiful. The violin solo is heavenly. And what an interpretation! I do have one complaint, though. When Barbra's singing the high notes at the end, the music's a bit too loud. It really shouldn't cover up for Barbra's voice, we all know she can hit the notes well (which she does). Other than that, beautiful.
7. How Do You Keep the Music Playing?: This is perhaps, though very far from it, the most "pop" song on the album. I love its classical twist, and Barbra seems very at ease and loving the melody. And is there a more beautiful melodic line than "How do you not run out of new things"...and, hold your breath...."to say?". This line kills me, she sings it perfectly. I adore this song.
8. But Beautiful: I'm gonna burst a few bubbles here and say, I don't really like this song. Its lyrics are kind of.. blah! It just doesn't do it for me. On a more positive note, Barbra's vocals are especially beautiful here.
9. Calling You: Wow!Wow!Wow! I love this song. The melody is one almost none but Barbra can pull off (it is insanely difficult to sing), and it has some of the best lyrics ever! The bookend between the beginning and end is beautiful, and Barbra is obviously in love with this song. Her voice changes to give exactly the right mood for this style. Really, really awesome.
10. The Second Time Around: I'm also going to hated for this one: I don't like this song too much either. It's nice, but not as beautiful as the others. However, I am quite young and inexperienced in the love area, so I may not get this song as much as those who have been through what it talks about.
11. Goodbye for Now: A hint of The Broadway Album and Back to Broadway, but with a beautiful simplicity that wasn't there in the albums. The song is simple, straightforward, but unforgettable. The lyrics are clear but complex, and Barbra sings it as if she is really in the middle of a conversation. It really does come to show you that it also takes a great actress to sing these songs the way Barbra does.
12. You're Gonna Hear From Me: Showstopper! I love this sensational song, done beautifully. Classic Barbra! My one complaint is if it were more uptempo, it probably would have been more effective. It seems to be lagging a bit. However, Barbra is in her comfort zone, she knows exactly what she's doing, and the end growl is incapable of being a greater sign of Barbra's timeless vocal abilities.
I adore this album. It's quite slow, and may need to be listened to in small pieces because of its complexity, but it is undoubtedly one of my all time favorite Streisand albums and definitely some of the best music I have ever heard.

Barbra's back!

THE MOVIE ALBUM is excellent. Barbra opens the album with a ballad and closes with a showstopper. In between, Barbra does some of her best singing. THE MOVIE ALBUM is uniformly a success - every track is outstanding.

First things first: Barbra sounds fantastic. I'm amazed at the agelessness of Barbra's voice. Clear. Still flexible. She still has a way of coloring and exploring the sounds of words and phrases that no other artist does. Fresh. Beautiful.

On "I'm in the Mood For Love," fans will recognize the arrangement from her 1994 concert - a bossa nova beat, with a playful performance.

Anyone named 'Emily' will love how Barbra sings this Johnny Mercer song. The way she wraps her voice warmly around the three vowels of 'Em-i-ly' is creamy - dare I say like butter, er, 'buttah'? Seriously, "Emily" is gorgeous.

"More In Love With You," will get under your skin. It will take a few listenings to appreciate how complex the melody is. The Bergman's lyrics are outstanding as usual. The line, "and though the child in me was dazzled by your charms ; a woman was awakened in your arms" is so wonderful. Like "Smile", there is an excellent solo violin incorporated into the musical arrangement.

Finally, fans get to hear an official release of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" with an new arrangement and vocal.

Just when you get used to the classy orchestrations and smooth Streisand vocals on this album, she throws in a curve-ball: "Calling You." Barbra steps outside her comfortable box and does some soulful singing on this tune. Dare I say she "gets down" ? "Calling You" is my favorite track on the album ... it has a spooky, moody, electronic arrangement.

Barbra's showstopping final track, "You're Gonna Hear From Me" finds her in comfortable territory. With all the rigmarole that the press creates whenever Barbra takes a stand on her politics or issues, this tune is her new theme song! It is a showstopper in the vein of "Greatest Star" from FUNNY GIRL, both in tone and in orchestration (it includes a musical "quote" from that show).

To my ears, a majority of the songs have a smoky, film noir feel to them. There is a very sexy, late-night, black-and-white, old-time-movie feel to the album. Director Streisand's presence is definitely evident on THE MOVIE ALBUM.

THE MOVIE ALBUM rates up there with THE BROADWAY ALBUM, SIMPLY STREISAND and YENTL in the Streisand album hall of fame. She started talking about making this album in 1986. Seventeen years later, THE MOVIE ALBUM has arrived ... Barbra's best "role" yet.

I have spent the whole day reading all the reviews sent on this site. I divide them into three; 1)The severely loyal Streisand fans who would buy anything Barbra would record, even if it's as simple as sneezing 2)Just the normal people who have purchased this album and was simply moved by the experience of listening to The Singer's voice 3)Sadly, the sorry losers whose lives are spent putting down other people, and they are doing this to Barbra. Why?Because they simply don't get it. Barbra's unique voice and my God this is THE BEST voice God has ever bestowed to a woman is special, thus it is not for everyone to understand it. And I would like it to remain it this way, for in complete honesty, I dont want everyone to buy her album, play it and desecrate her.

I have been listening to Barbra for 16 years now and her voice is the benchmark of good singing. Everybody else's voice becomes inferior if you play it before or after playing Streisand and that is the truth. Singers come and go, there are pretenders such as Celine Dion and Linda Eder but Barbra's fabled voice will be music in our ears forever even after she's gone.

For these sorry losers who complain that the album is not upbeat enough, well Britney and Madonna are waiting for their albums to be bought then go for it!Why are you wasting your time on this site then?Barbra's voice has been cultivated in the arena of Broadway, it's beauty and beautiful layered texture is meant to flow inside our ears then touch our souls. Her voice is The Voice that has been heard for 40 years now and has been enduring as the Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon.

It makes me furious when some reviewers have to mention Bette Middler as better! Pahleaze! Its like comparing champagne with Coca-cola.The taste of humanity has really gone down the toilet, the fact that Kylie, Britney, Madonna top the charts is a proof of the sad state of the music industry. Even Barbra's upbeat Emotion album is much much better than the three combined.

Warm, humid, desert.A dilapidated, desolate cafe. Sunset. Barbra's hair disheveled, she's exhausted, slightly aimless and confused, but determined to find him. This is the way my mind saw Barbra while listening to "Calling You." Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, reminded me of long ago, whilst driving in a lonely motorway at dusk.I have forgotten this moment of my life but when she started to sing, it all came back to me.This song alone is worth the price of the cd for isn't just an album of movie songs but the songs are stories on their own. This is where Barbra is different from the rest of every female singer.She has the rare quality to give meaning by just inflecting or putting emphasis even to a single word. A breath, a sigh, her voice has colour and multi-layered texture which is so beautiful it can't be described by words. Just like looking at the Sistine chapel, her voice quenches our soul and gives us satisfaction in a most remote and moving way. When she utters words such as "once", "time", "home", "way", in a song, she utters it efforlessly but the effect on listeners is strange and so magical.

Her voice on this cd is a miracle. At 61, her amazing breath control, her trill so beautifully used, and her amazing pianissimo, is proof she is the BEST. I haven't warmed up to the other songs but I'm sure I will. I won't mention the title of the tracks, they all have been described by the other reviewers anyway.

In this album, she also explored the deep register of her voice. The result is so beautiful, whether she sings high notes, or let a word faint into a whisper, it's bel canto
i wouldn't agree that she couldn't reach high notes anymore. In "A Love Like Ours", her high notes in "If I Didnt Love You" was there,and it was only 4 years ago. And voice her voice has remained ever so youthful, creamy and tremulous it's like listening to a debut album.

Barbra is one of God's greatest gift to the world of music. So there you are Britney and Madonna. Next time you sing, be sure you lock yourselves in a dark room with neither food nor drink and listen to the entire Yentl Soundtrack!

Of all of the many veteran pop singers who have been recording albums of standards during the first few years of the twenty-first century (Rod Stewart and Bette Midler come immediately to mind), Barbra Streisand's THE MOVIE ALBUM is the only one of the group that doesn't feel like a Vegas-like attempt to grab some quick sales. There are several reasons for this. For one, Streisand has been recording standards her entire career, even before her stint as successful pop vocalist in late-seventies. Also, instead of relying on the same worn-out tunes and tepid arrangements that plague most of the other similar releases of the last few years, Streisand has chosen a set of terrific, mostly unfamiliar material, rendered with a refreshingly tasteful production that is neither too slick nor too overdone.

The entire track list consists of mostly neglected compositions, and there are some real undervalued gems among them. Andre Previn's theme from THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE is given lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergam, and the result (entitled "More In Love With You") resembles a meditative tone poem, the exact type of rarely-heard song that Streisand handles brilliantly (as fans of YENTL know very well). Streisand's interpretive powers are expertly showcased on quietly reflective numbers like "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" and "The Second Time Around," and her still-gorgeous voice glides into the haunting songs "Wild Is The Wind" and "Emily." Streisand's octave-soaring vocals are absolutely breath-taking on Bob Telson's "Calling You," while her intense delivery of Sondheim's "Goodbye For Now" makes the arguably forgettable song far more interesting than it would be in a less capable singer's hands.

Even when she does ventures into more familiar territory, Streisand always manages to make even the most worn-out songs feel new again. INSIDE DAISY CLOVER'S "You're Gonna Hear From Me" is transformed into a "Don't Rain On My Parade"-like show-stopper, while "I'm In The Mood For Love" is given a irresistibly jazzy arrangement, which makes one wish Barbra would consider recording an entire album of jazz. Barbra also provides a revelation in her performances of the overly-recorded standards "Smile" and "Moon River." Her heart-felt renditions will remind you of why these war-horses are considered classics. Throughout the entire album, Streisand sounds great. While her range and lung power have diminished somewhat (which is to be expected), her tone and timbre remain as gorgeous as ever.

While it may not be the obvious masterwork that THE BROADWAY ALBUM was, THE MOVIE ALBUM is the intelligent, elegantly performed and produced album that is rarely seen in today's crass market. The fact that the album peaked at #5 on Billboard's Hot 200 serves as a reminder that there still are some record-buyers who have good ears.

NOTE: THE MOVIE ALBUM was also released in a special package with limited-edition DVD featuring live in-studio performances of "Wild Is The Wind" and "I'm In The Mood For Love," as well as Streisand's seven-minute commentary on the songs she chose for the album. The two live performances, performed mostly in close up with occasional shots of the in-studio musicians and a few movie clips, are excellent testament to the still-thrilling power of Streisand's voice.

"The Movie Album" is not simply a showcase for Streisand's singing. The words and music of the song-writers are allowed to shine in what must count as some of Streisand's most unaffected interpretations in years. The mature Streisand is not a "belter" nor a histrionic diva whose objective is to impress us with her abilities. She is, as she has always claimed, an "actress who sings." And even when she departs from the standard score, such as on "Moon River", or alters the standard lyrics, such as on "But Beautiful", Streisand is not indulging in improvisation; her slight alterations are improvements that are faithful to the emotional truth of the songs she is interpreting. Other co-stars in this lavish production are the musicians: here, they are uniformly excellent. Although solo space is given to the talented Chuck Findley, William Galison, and Tom Scott, among others, it is the ensemble work of an enormous orchestra that really stands out. They create a cushion of sound that supports Streisand's vocals while also evoking the lushly romantic soundscapes that are an integral part of any movie musical. And, of course, "The Movie Album" also owes part of its artistic integrity to the extraordinary arrangments crafted by consummate professionals such as Johnny Mandel, himself an Academy Award winner and the composer of classic movie themes such as "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Theme from "The Sandpiper"), "Suicide is Painless" (Theme from "MASH"), and "Emily" (Theme from "The Americanization of Emily"), represented on this album. (Is it too much to hope that Mandel and Streisand might collaborate on an entire album of new songs, perhaps a soundtrack for Streisand's next movie musical?) These arrangements are, above all else, intelligent. For example, in "You're Gonna Hear From Me" there are quotations from "Don't Rain on My Parade", an early Streisand anthem; "How Do You Keep The Music Playing", by Streisand's musical alter egos Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, is graced by a coda that drives home the lyric's message that, where there is love, "the music never ends"; and "Smile" opens with dissonant chords that echo the bittersweet sentiment of the song. "The Movie Album" is full of elegant touches that evince Barbra Streisand's love of movies and music: her liner notes graciously put the spotlight on other great artists (Gregory Peck, Shirley Horn, Johnny Mathis) and the bonus dvd features, among other things, clips that pay tribute to the shattering screen presence of Anna Magnani and the wounded romanticism of Anthony Franciosa. "The Movie Album" is by no means a one-woman show: like the Cinema-Scope or Vista-Vision spectacles of Hollywood in its heyday, it features a cast of thousands, professionals all, and all intent on delivering an emotional experience. This is not just "movie music" -- it's moving music that evokes memories.

....she does it again. Of course we know there are the "Barbra-Haters" out there...their heads shoved far up their collective fundaments...bleating their mindless chatter, pretending what they blather is a "review" of a project. But...most know better...and are not fooled by such empty-headed meanderings.

It simply amazes me how this woman can continue to produce records with a vocal quality that defies her age. Come on...Mariah Carey is but a child compared to Barbra...yet Mariah's pipes are giving out as I write this...as are Whitney's...perhaps Celine will be Barbra's only equal in this regard. Time will tell.

Barbra continues to deliver with a set of pipes that ceased to age at around...oh...35 with "Songbird". Playing this recording side by side with that album and her albums of that era...the vocal quality is identical...the vocal delivery, lyrical interpretation...the power and artistic expression, phrasing and exquisite precision of each note and lyric...hasn't diminished one...single...iota. And any honest musician will admit this. It's rare to see this sort of purity in a voice over 60 years old.

Somewhere around the age of 35 her voice developed this lower register...enabling her to delve into the deeper portions of her voice, allowing her a place to growl and purr...delivering to the listener yet another new and delightful place to enjoy her music. It seems strange to say...but at this rate it's not hard to imagine 20 more years of recordings from Streisand. Again...time will tell.

I am a huge fan of her music before 1970...her voice then had this raw, intense, emotionally-charged quality...and you can hear that after she turned 30, it changed...but it never got worse...most would agree that it got better (decide for yourself)...her voice then was powerful and genius...but even she admits it was a bit shrieky and tinny and out of control at times...but I, for one, loved it. In no place does she sing better than on "When The Sun Comes Out" or "Never Will I Marry" or any song on her first 3 albums.

Now, for the past 30 years we've had the same voice we're hearing now...it's still in top form, no question...and she is still the most precise of singers...the most lyrically interpretive...and is so finely attuned to the musical experience that it's virtually impossible to get a bad song from her. There are no flat notes...as one "politically-aggressive" poster barked...Streisand is perhaps one of only about 3 vocalists with perfect pitch (yes, I realize perfect pitch doesn't indicate an ability to stay in tune) and a perfect ear for intonation. Even live, I don't ever recall an "off" note.

Simply put, Streisand is obviousy many years removed from being "retired" from singing...and that galls these "politically-aggressive" fools who make these ridiculous attempts at a "critique"...usually give themselves away by never actually saying anything *about* the project they are allegedly "critiquing".

I am delighted with Barbra's latest release...delighted to hear that her voice not only has not diminished...but in some ways has flourished and matured...and am secure in the knowledge that Barbra will continue to deliver to the world and to her fans new music that soars in the manner only achievable by a very, very select few in the annals of musical history.

Barbra Streisand is the greatest female entertainer of all time...and this latest recording only serves to underscore this well-known and observable fact.

The last three reviewers on this album should form a club of unhappy people. Why in the world would you use your valuable time to write about someone you obviously don't like?! Why waste other's time as well. And, truly no offense, but many musicals are not happy ones. I think amazon.com would be better served by reviews that are by people who have actually heard the product and have some insight to share, both good and bad. And by looking at some of the other reviews for this album, it is so obvious that many are just cheap shots at Barbra Streisand and her politics. Granted, this is not an "up" work, but the work is serious, it is thematic, and it is brilliantly sung. Streisand continues to be a treasure to many of us around the world, and her music continues to add to the soundtracks of our lives.

While Streisand's strong personality has always evoked strong reactions, some of the comments rating this superb jazzy, slower-tempo, less over-the-top, film noir CD are clearly not aimed at the CD but at the strong reaction that Streisand brings on, even after 43 years in the business. I found particularly offensive the recent review entitled, "Streisand is overrated". The CD and Streisand's work are not reviewed, but we are exposed to an outrageously angry tyrrany about the semitic look in Hollywood!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the review carefully and you will see that the reviewer asks for a call to times when movie and music stars resemble those that he/she actually names. They are all of one type - those that he degrades as pushy and whiny are clearly of a different type, both male and female. The message is clear. However, the reviewer completely misses the point of Streisand, In the 1960s, Hollywood did not go out of its way to create a different role model and try to find Streisand in her Brooklyn high school. Her unusual and remarkable talent and style quickly became wildly popular throughout all ethnic groups and most of the world - the point being that Hollywood did not look to change the way a star looks and acts - Streisand's talent led the change to easily accepted Sarah Jessica Parkers, Adam Sandlers, etc, that the reviewer disaprages but most of the world has made enormously popular. This is a country that fortunately allows all of us to have our opinions, and that reviewer's opinions are quite clear and biased. But, not to recognize that Streisand changed the face of Hollywood through talent and hard work, is to go beyond opinion and alter history. Examination of the popularity of Streisand's work over the past 43 years across all groups and awards such as People's Choice, box office star, most sales of albums by any female artist, etc, etc, should inform the reviewer in question that the landscape has changed and America and the world has embraced this change. Many, myself included, have found Streisand to be actually beautiful, even if in a unique and different way. Have the reviewer watch "What's Up Doc?' and see absolutely no beauty there - they would be wearing tinted/tainted glasses. As for Streisand and the current CD - bravo!! Thank you for maintaining your standards and quality with this different and soothing production!!!

This CD has certainly received an interesting mix of Amazon reviews - from total praise to horribly viscious... Having read these reviews, I figured I'd throw my 2 cents into the picture as well.

Do I think Streisand has lost her voice & should retire forever (as some have stated)? NO WAY. She still possesses a remarkable instrument - one that many, many female performers still try to emulate. True - she appears to be more comfortable in the lower register than she used to... True - the voice is huskier in places... True - she seems to be more "careful" in her singing... But she is still Barbra Streisand - and it is nothing short of amazing that after 40 years her voice is even remotely recognizable! (Compare her vocal state to any number of other female contempories of hers...) The woman is amazing.

The woman is amazing - the album is not.

There are a few cuts that stand out more than others (particular favorites: I'm In The Mood For Love, Wild Is The Wind, But Beautiful, The Second Time Around) - these cuts would have stood out even more if they had been surrounded by either better material or an uptempo song. As is, I'm sorry to say the album basically becomes "elevator music" - songs you can play in the background & wash dishes during, or talk on the phone, etc. Nothing draws me into the songs themselves. (A MAJOR contrast to her recording of "I Remember Sky" - on her Christmas CD. Whenever THAT song starts playing, I have to stop whatever it is I'm doing, go into the living room & listen to her every note, every nuance...)

I agree with the other reviews that expressed disappointment over the song selections - and arrangements.

The song selection IS disappointing, and the arrangements are, ultimately, boring. To tell you the truth, I wonder if it's because Streisand is too "into" the whole production... It would be a dream-come-true to have her reunite with Peter Matz (is he still around?), and let HIM take care of the orchestra/arrangements - and let HER just simpy sing... As is, she comes off as being too aware of what the strings are doing, etc. - as if she's signaling them to do something different AS she's singing...

Is the album worth getting? Yes - it's Streisand, remember?

Is the album a classic? No - afraid not.

(Hey - wouldn't it be great if someone could get her together with a small jazz combo - and record some good, ol' honest msuic... where she's actually enjoying singing - and you can once again "hear" the smile on her face?)

There a many slow songs, but it's really soothing. I like drinking green tea and just listening to it. Whether I'm studying, driving, or listening to it at work, it also gets me in a good mood. Although I must admit that it took a while for me to fully appreciate it, this album is her best.