Customer Reviews

Scores: Songs From Copacabana and Harmony

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just picked up a copy of this CD and love it. If you are a Barry Manilow fan, you will enjoy this album like I did.
The songs are on this album are from two of Barry Manilow's Broadway stage productions. Copacabana is a musical based on the Barry Manilow hit about a club. I loved the updated version of this song. It sounds fresh and upbeat. This song is definitely a major highlight on this album. Dancing Fool is a very energetic song that really makes you want to dance. Harmony is a musical about the first all boy band who broke up during World War 2. The title song to this awesome musical is included here. It is a light and pleasant song about trying to forget your troubles even though a war is going on. I also enjoyed the song Who Needs to Dream. This is a pretty romantic song that suits Barry's easy listening voice well.

Barry duets with Olivia Newton John on a beautiful song called This Can't Be True. The two pop music icons from the 70's sound great together here. Barry sounds very good on this song Every Single Day. The lyrics are so powerful and dramatic. This song is very moving, and I absolutely loved it. Bolero De Amor is a song about a dance. I really enjoyed this song, and I thought Barry performed this number with a lot of love and passion.

Stars in the Night is a song that reminds us to never give up hope even when things are tough. The message in this song fits the mood of the musical Harmony very well. I hope I get to see these productions on stage someday, because the music is truly delightful.

I bought the CD after reading so many positive reviews. I didn't think it made that huge an impression the first time I listened to it, but then the songs started to play in my head.

My favorites are In This World, which has such an incredible feel of the era that Harmony is set in that you can nearly envision it - I think it's completely charming and it's Manilow at his finest and as only he can deliver.

Stars in the Night and Where You Go are simply hauntingly beautiful and touching - they're masterpieces. Due to the time in which Harmony occurs, the lyrics and music take on deeper meaning and these songs did the ultimate for me - I FELT what they were writing about. As another reviewer said - you can envision the footage we've all seen of that horrible period of time being shown to this music - and I found myself reflecting on the horror of it all and feeling it in a way I hadn't before - thinking about the individuals and families whose worlds were torn apart. I don't know how you can listen to this CD without being deeply affected.

Every Single Day is a show stopper and vintage Manilow. I'd heard this song on a Manilow DVD from a live concert and have to admit I thought Barry's delivery on that was better (he's such an incredible performer) than the one on this CD, but they're both wonderful - and it's just a beautiful love song.

I enjoyed the COPA songs, especially Dancin' Fool, but have to admit I haven't given them the play I have the songs that called to me from Harmony - but I often played them afterward because they're so upbeat and happy that it's contagious. You Were in My Dreams has long been one of my favorites and is another classic Manilow at his finest.

One of the things I've always loved about Barry Manilow is his ability to not only write, but deliver music in a way that makes you feel it - and this CD is one of the finest examples of that. It also continues to showcase his versatility in the diverse styles of music he can write, sing and arrange (Mayflower is another example of this).

I think this is a wonderful CD and recommend it highly - it's a musical odyssey.

I couldn't wait to buy this CD! I had heard a few songs from the shows, since I'm a huge fan, but the one that I really love the most is "Just Arrived," or "Where You Go." Every song on this CD is superb! You can't go wrong with this CD.

"Just Arrived," is a perfect opener for this CD, and then takes you into "Dancin' Fool," which has an awesome and energetic beat, that hooks you immediately. You can find a different version on disc 2 of the Complete Collection and Then Some box set. The next song is from the 1985 TV movie, which Barry starred in... "Who Needs to Dream?" and I'm glad he didn't rearrange it... it's just beautiful and so perfect.
I adore the new arrangement of "Sweet Heaven, I'm in Love Again!" It has more feeling than the old one, released on the very rare, "Manilow" album. "Bolero de Amor," is romantic, and has such a smart lyric! A true treasure.
The duet with Olivia Newton John, "This Can't Be Real," is so beautiful, just romantic, and the lyrics are enthralling... one of the best love songs ever written.
The new remix of Copacabana is exciting and draws you in, though not as good as the original version of the song, it's a great addition to to the CD.

I sure hope "Harmony," makes it to Broadway! I love the score! The title song is so much fun, with Barry doing a lot of fun scatting. Then the ballad, "And What Do You See?" is a song that really does make you think and draws you into the emotion of the story. "Every Single Day," a song Barry performs in his concerts from time to time, is so passionate, so classic Barry... reaching the climax perfectly. "This is Our Time!" is great, got a fun lyric which we all need to hear. "Where You Go," is one of the most touching of all these songs, and almost made me cry... I love the melody and the smoothness and rich tones Barry applies. "In This World," is awesome, Barry does the background vocals and gives it charm the only way he can! "Stars in the Night," is powerful, is inspiring and is the best way to conclude a CD.

All in all, enough said... buy the CD... it's probably the greatest of Barry Manilow's CDs!

I own nearly every one of Barry's 43 albums, and this is one of the best. The arrangements of the new recordings are wonderfully done, and Barry's voice sounds better than ever. True to Barry's trademark during his LIVE shows, many of the songs on this CD feature the 'big ending', and Barry does it better than anyone around today. These songs have the definite feel of a theater musical perfomance, yet any one of them could stand on its own as a single. One of my favorite tracks is 'Bolero De Amor', and Bary also gives a powerful performance on 'Every Single Day' and 'Stars in the Night'. He wrote the music for all of the songs on this album, and his pride in that fact definitely shows. If you've never listened to Barry before, or you only know him for the hits, then give this CD a shot. I think you'll be impressed.

I was reluctant to buy Scores since it doesn't have any of his classics that I love - it's entirely scores from Copa & Harmony but I just had to have Every Single Day. I'm so glad I bought it! It shows how remarkably gifted this man is! Other great ballads are Who Needs to Dream and This Can't Be Real. You'll understand why Barry was the king of catchy jingles early in his career when you find yourself humming the upbeat "Sweet Heaven I'm In Love Again." Stars In the Night is a fantastic, dramatic "big finish" that makes you feel that you have indeed just experienced the conclusion of a wonderful theatre production. With all the emotion his voice conveys, Barry was born to do theatre music. Bravo!

I bought "Manilow Scores" the day it went on sale. I am familiar with Barry Manilows music having been a fan for 30 years. Never have I heard music like this. The songs from form Copacabana are fun and romantic. My favorite part of this cd is the music from Harmony. I had heard two of the tracks before,
the title tune and "Every Single Day". The other 5 songs just convince me more what a fantastic songwriting team Bruce Sussman and Barry Manilow are. I wouldnot hesitate to put them in the same catagory with Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Gershwins and such. If you are a fan of great show music, you owe it to yourself to give this cd a listen.

This CD is proof positive that we have not heard the Ultimate Manilow yet and God willing not for a very long time. I've known for some time that Barry Manilow has more magical musical moments up his sleeve than a conductor can shake a baton to. He is able to make older songs sound new and new songs sound vintage. He continues to thrill and delight me with his extraordinary discography and Scores is definitely a sparkling jewel of a studio recording. This set is chock full of multi-track recordings of Barry's vocals. I'm always amazed by these recordings and Just Arrive, Dancing Fool, Harmony, and most especially In This World left me breathless. A stunning performance was done on all of them. I was most touched by Where You Go, such beautiful music and lyrics in contrast to the very ugly time in history. Having read and seen clips of Jewish people leaving their homes and led to their unmerciful deaths brought tears to my eyes as I listened to Where You Go. Stars In The Night is the hope that always shine. As indeed, Sussman's lyric is so true, "The darker the night, the brighter their light becomes". I anxiously await to see the brilliant full production of Harmony on Broadway. I'm sure it will be a five hanky show.
Ann Marsh

As another reviewer has said, Copacabana and Harmony are two completely different musicals. But both contain great songs with beautiful orchestrations and powerful lyrics.

Copacabana is the lighter musical, with fun, uptempo songs like Just Arrived and Dancin Fool. The new lyrics to Sweet Heaven are neat, and Who Needs to Dream, though still the old recording, is a vintage Manilow ballad. Bolero de Amor is a wonderful sleeper, and the new version of Copa retains some of the old one while having its own addicting groove. The first half of this album should put a big smile on anyone's face.

Harmony is on a whole other level. The title song, along with This is Our Time have catchy beats and are a little lighter. The rest of the songs go straight for the heart. Every Single Day is already becoming a classic Manilow love song, and his emotion in this song is at an all time high. Where You Go and In This World are also beautiful love songs. The last song, Stars in the Night, is possibly Manilow's most deep and powerful song. IMO, it is a hopeful song, on a very profound level. It says to me that when hope is gone everywhere else, then you can always look up to the stars ("are we fools to see the hope that's gleaming in the sky, look, there's the light"). My favorite song on the album and worth the price of the cd on its own.

It's easy to see that one of Manilow's biggest strengths is in the Broadway area. Hearing these songs puts listeners in another world and makes me await Harmony's arrival on Broadway even more anxiously. Thanks, Barry!

AS USUAL, BARRY DOES IT AGAIN.....
COLLECTIVLY, THIS CD IS PACKED WITH ALL THE STYLES MANILOW FANS WILL LOVE...
ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM HARMONY, AND BOLERO DE AMOR FROM COPACABANA.
LOOKING SO FORWARD ON SEEING HIM NEXT WEEK OCTOBER 7TH AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN...
THIS CD IS A MUST FOR ALL HIS LOYAL FANS.....

JUST RECEIVED THIS CD TODAY, I'VE ALREADY ENJOYED IT A GREAT DEAL . BARRY MANILOW FANS , THIS CD IS ONE TO BUY!!!!!!