Barry Manilow enters Billboard LP chart at #3!

[Kym]

Just wanted to share the news that Barry Manilow's Ultimate Manilow CD debuted at #3 on the Billboard album chart! I'm shocked because I thought he was rather "unhip." I guess not!

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this his first Top Ten album since 1979's One Voice?

[Grant]

Where I grew up, and with us baby-boomers that listened to his music, Barry Manilow was always cool. Even hardcore rockers had respect for his music. Even "Copacabanna (At The Copa)" was different than most other disco records in 1978 because it actually told a story.

[Jeff H.]

Stranger things have happened. I've always had a soft spot for "Weekend In New England".;)

[Jim Ricketts]

I always enjoyed "Could This be Magic".....the long version if you know what I mean.

[Kevin Sypolt]

Has anyone "heard" the Ultimate Manilow CD yet? Any breath of life? I have not been very impressed with the sound quality of his CDs. The LPs were sooo much better sounding.

[Paul Chang]

I have to admit that I tried to pretend being cooler than my older brother by refusing to buy Barry Manilow's records. But I never covered my ears and ran away when he played Mandy on my father's stereo.

[pigmode]

Originally posted by Kym in Hawaii
Just wanted to share the news that Barry Manilow's Ultimate Manilow CD debuted at #3 on the Billboard album chart! I'm shocked because I thought he was rather "unhip." I guess not!

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this his first Top Ten album since 1979's One Voice?

It's not suprising, really. Didn't he put out one gold or platinum record after another throughout his career?

[Grant]

Originally posted by Paul Chang
I have to admit that I tried to pretend being cooler than my older brother by refusing to buy Barry Manilow's records. But I never covered my ears and ran away when he played Mandy on my father's stereo.

His albums aren't bad at all!

You do know that his producer or co-producer of most of the 70s stuff, Ron Dante, was "The Archies", along with a few friends.

Is it me, or is the single mix of "It's A Miracle" a very unusual sounding track?

[Kym]

Originally posted by pigmode


It's not suprising, really. Didn't he put out one gold or platinum record after another throughout his career?

No. His string of consecutive gold or platinum albums ended in 1981. He released another fourteen or so albums after that, with a few of them going gold here and there.

The point I was trying to make was that it shocked me how an "unfashionable" artist like Manilow could break the Top Three in a sea of J-Lo's, Ja Rules, and Britneys. In fact, it pleases me to see that someone as "old school" as Manilow could kick the asses of the young 'uns in this day and age!

Of course, The Beatles will prove this point time and time again. But imagine Carly Simon having a Top Ten hit today. Or Carole King.

[Grant]

Originally posted by Kym in Hawaii




The point I was trying to make was that it shocked me how an "unfashionable" artist like Manilow could break the Top Three in a sea of J-Lo's, Ja Rules, and Britneys. In fact, it pleases me to see that someone as "old school" as Manilow could kick the asses of the young 'uns in this day and age!


And talent prevails!

Of course, The Beatles will prove this point time and time again. But imagine Carly Simon having a Top Ten hit today. Or Carole King. [/B]

All they have to do is put out a new greatest hits collection and advertise it on TV.

I think one of the reasons the Barry Manilow set shot up is because the commercial I saw for it mentions that he has Parkinson's disease.

[BradOlson]

Although as a child, I didn't care for Barry Manilow but now I admire his talent, which is genuine. He's one of the greats in popular music.

[Sckott]

Me thinks the sales on average are quite thin on new music. But I'd rather have Barry on the charts than another pack of homies selling Gap clothing again.

It's now that I'd really like to see punk rock come back.

[TommyTunes]

Right Sckott, have you tried watching MTV in the last several years. I fight with my wife all the time about this music, she keeps telling me that I'm just to old and that I shouldn't pick on the kids' music but this is crap.

[PsychFan]

The double Barry Manilow Live album is a hoot ... I love his "Very Strange Medley," which includes snippets of some of the commercial jingles he'd written.

I keep seeing the LP in thrift-store bins for 50 cents ... One of these days I'm going to pick it up (I heard the cassette over and over again in my parents' car when I was kid in the late '70s ...).

[Beagle]

I admit to owning "Trying To Get The Feeling Again", both Canadian and US vinyl copies. I did listen to it quite regularly when it came out. I found it a very depressing album. It made me very depressed, there were a number of maudlin ballads on it. IT reminded me of Lou Reed "Berlin". This was back in the days when I bought everything, especially on ARISTA.

And there was a beagle on the back cover.

[Elton]

Manailow can be simply, but that's is strong suit. I took my sister (she is was a big fan) to see him 2 days after I went to see Fleetwood Mac on the Tusk tour. The one think I saw that night is a very talent man, working very hard at what he loves. I had to admire that, only in looking back over the last 10 years of music did I become fan enough to say he was good at what he does.:)

He is also a smart man (who a thought?) He's also going to be on that Musicians show on Bravo on Monday. It might not kill anyone!:o

[pigmode]

Sigh. I wouldn't buy his music, nor would I of my own free will, physically place one of his discs into my cdp. I might, however, hum along to something like Copacabana if I heard it in some shopping mall or something. :rolleyes:

[njwiv]

Can anyone tell me how the sound quality of this new disc compares to the 2-disc import collection, The Songs: 1975-1990? Barry is a guilty pleasure, as my first crush was named Mandy.