Simply Streisand

Simply Streisand is a fine Barbra Streisand CD with lots of great music and singing for her fans to enjoy! I disagree with reviewers who write that this album is just a fair effort; I think Barbra is in excellent form throughout this CD and it shows every step of the way. The quality of the sound is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done as well.

Barbra starts the album off with a sublime rendition of "My Funny Valentine." "My Funny Valentine" features Barbra in excellent form and her voice, clear as a bell, is also warm and very vibrant. The harp enhances the musical arrangement and the strings are used very well, too. Overall, "My Funny Valentine" gives us a strong start to this CD and it's also a personal favorite of mine. "The Nearness Of You" features Barbra's ability to handle complicated tempo and key changes as she performs her own rendition to put her own mark on this classic ballad. "The Nearness Of You" is easily a major highlight of this album.

"When Sunny Gets Blue" is a number many singers performed but Barbra's interpretation is definitely one of the better ones. Barbra is squarely front and center as the strings and the percussion really make the music great! The music fits in with Barbra's vocals perfectly to such an extent that this ballad is actually hauntingly beautiful. Great! "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" shines just as bright and Barbra delivers this with panache, heart and soul. Barbra delves deep into this song in order to perform it just right--and the result is very classy.

"More Than You Know" is another fantastic ballad that Barbra delivers with great sensitivity; and when she breaks into the main part of the lyrics this number truly takes off like a jet! "More Thank You Know" is very well done in Barbra Streisand's capable hands. In addition, "All The Things You Are" is a very pretty melody that Barbra aces easily; the elegant musical arrangement impresses me a lot. The drums, percussion and strings are brilliantly used and they complement Barbra's vocals perfectly. "All The Things You Are" is definitely another major highlight of this album.

"The Boy Next Door" puts Barbra straight into the spotlight--and that's OK by me! "The Boy Next Door" is a charming number first sung by Judy Garland in the MGM movie Meet Me In St. Louis; and I'm sure if Judy heard this she must have been very proud of Barbra's rendition of this number! The album also ends very well with Barbra Streisand performing "Stout-Hearted Man;" "Stout-Hearted Man" gets a sensitive interpretation from Streisand and the strings work so well with the percussion. "Stout-Hearted Men" has Barbra singing of the type of man she wants to be her one true love and it makes a fitting ending for this CD.

Barbra Streisand recorded many albums but I think this would be one of the better ones she released. I highly recommend this CD for Barbra's fans and people just discovering Barbra Streisand's talents will not be disappointed either.

This is my favorite Streisand cd. I usually give this cd as a gift, and everyone who get's it instantly loves this. This is Streisand at her best.

Great singer, great songs, great music. How can you go wrong?

I keep coming back to this album from `67. Barbra at 25 had a maturity and style that went far beyond her years. Too bad she "transformed" herself into a would-be "hippy queen" in the `70s, abandoning her superior musical instincts for a (now dated) pop sound. This earlier work stands as a timeless classic. Outstanding on an exceptional album are Barbra's recordings of "The Nearness of You" (She sang this song over the opening of the "Happening In Central Park" TV special: mesmerizing), "Make The Man Love Me" (from failed Broadway musical, "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"), and "Lover Man" (a rare and fantastic jazz-inflected track). Don't hesitate to add this to your Streisand collection.

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