Barbra Streisand and appliances . Why this album flopped !
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- Barbra Streisand and other musical instruments , a very ambitious and daring album for its time . Barbra sings with orchestras from around the world , toasters , blenders and dishwashers .
"I Never Has Seen Snow" is one of Barbra's best vocal performances.
I fully agree with you.
Yes. That is an absolutely stunning performance.
@@marcevan1141❤ stunning
I agree ❤
she seems to bring people together/she is way ahead of time or she helps people to see in a different concept. I love this lady
I watched it twice in 1973 original air date, and bought the record at Korvettes. Loved it and singing along as a 12-13 year old. A hit with me.
Judy Maxwell in concert! This album is a delicious pot-pourri of a gem. Her perfect comic rendition of Piano Practising segueing into I've Got Rhythm would have been enough but part two is a bonus. 'Snow' is obviously the moment but the timbre of her voice on the appliances line "...the heavens hum along!" gives me chills.
Love your analysis. Saw this TV special on DVD several times, but never understood the show concept as deeply until I heard your comments. I agree, none of the Streisand albums were of low-quality, but some albums just unfortunately were not well-received. Don't you feel that the timing of all the devices' sounds (in the Finale) was just RIGHT ON THE SPOT, and that the whole song was such a brilliant creation (to have been created in the 70s)?
However, I've always thought that this album lacked a completion of each individual song (except Never Has Seen Snow, Sweetest Sound, World Is a Concerto, and the Schubert Lied). I'm sure it would've been another successful album if all the numbers had been sung in completion.
Personally, I've loved to listen to this album a lot, though. In my opinion, all Streisand fans have good musical (& other) taste. Something like this album needs people with sophistication to enjoy it, I would guess.
Thanks for the video.
Thank you so much I completely agree with you , so many songs needed to be complete . Glad to be unhappy is magnificent and it is heartbreaking that we only get a snippet .
One of the highlights of this program was the last note of "I got rhythm". She held the note for an extraordinary amount of time.
I really liked this album. It was comical and lighthearted, and I love that she infused many different cultures into it.
I like this album because it’s different. Her effortless vocals are unmatched.
I could have done without the appliances. Marty Erlichman (her manager played on of the appliances - forget which one). "I never has seen snow" is masterful.
@sansone12 I completely agree ! How funny that Marty Erlichman one the appliances , I love that . Thank you for sharing .
I love this album, and she looked gorgeous in the TV special. "One Note Samba" is a particular favourite. The appliances number was an uncertain creative gamble - but I applaud her for trying something different.
Spot on review. You did highlight the best songs - Sweetest Sounds, I Never Seen Snow and Glad to Be Unhappy. I once spoke to a Columbia exec about this album stating they should fix it. It only runs like 35 minutes. Go back and add all the missing parts - the soundstage live version of Sweet Inspiration, Sing - the intro to the show, Sing. Make it a complete "soundtrack" of the show. Sure it duplicates Live at the Forum, but who cares. One thing that was missing from the show? Barbra and Marty were short sighted - they should have planned to have her sing The Way We Were. When I watched this as a teen back in 1973 I was so disappointed that TWWW was not included in the show - since the film was released around that time - or if soon - but the song was a huge hit - and it wasn't in Musical Instruments (side note, there wasn't a lot of confidence that TWWW film would be a hit - but of course it was). So looking at the future, Barbra, her team and, Columbia/Sony must now make some hard decisions with Barbra's catalog of albums. They have all been digitally remastered, which is good. But what about enhancing them? Revisit each album, add cut material or rehearsal takes. But then I suppose that is what the Release Me albums are doing - if they continue to do them. In an interview she did with Matt Lowe, it was relayed that she has enough unreleased material to fill up over 10 albums. So in 2026 it will be the 40th anniversary of The Broadway Album. Why not make it a two-album set that Barbra original wanted, although three additional songs have been released (Being Good, Home, I know Him So Well) there are still more, along with alternate arrangement takes of songs. Now THAT would be a great anniversary release!
She followed this up with The Way We Were movie, song and album. Not bad!!!!
Her duets with Ray Charles on this special were exceptional. It's too bad they weren't included here. I assume it had to do with his contract with his record label at the time.
Thank you for taking me back and for helping me understand "the one I never gave a third play!" You're a fun and informed commentator! Just wanted to add that both songs she has "in common" with Liza Minnelli are songs Diahann Carroll introduced in Broadway shows.
Thank you Robert, BSAOMI is a complex album. It is very experimental and sometimes a little overwhelming. But some of the songs are absolute gems, "I never have seen snow" and "the sweetest sounds" in particular. "Glad to be unhappy" deserved to be recorded in its entirety, it is so particular with its Japanese orchestration. I really think that because I discovered this album as a child, I dove right in to its madness.
That's a great point, and I love your observation that she was a forerunner in the movement to acclimate Western ears to "World Music." I listened to it soon after it came out, and I was just at that moment bucking the feeling that I needed to conform to the music tastes of my brothers, classmates, etc., and I was immersing myself in my school productions of The Pajama Game and Pirates of Penzance, and pulling out my parents' Ella Fitzgerald's songbook recordings, The 1st/2nd/3rd Barbra Streisand Albums, Simply Streisand, etc. It was like loosening my belt at that exact moment to admit that my lifelong obsession with MY FAIR LADY was just as valid as another pre-teen's passion for Aerosmith. I picked up BSAMI when my mother took me for a catch-up spree on the recent years' shows/revivals: Irene, No, No, Nannette, Of Thee I Sing (from television), and that shopping trip also included the soundtrack for ON CLEAR DAY. I hadn't seen BSAOMI or OACD on their respective big/small screens at that point so you can probably guess which of the two Streisand additions captured my fancy in a big way. I will add, though: a year later I was intrigued that two of the songs highlighted/discussed/analyzed in my first Musical Theatre course were on the album: GtbU and INHSS! (But alas, my further scrutiny of the songs leaned toward Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle and the public library for then out-of-print show albums.)
Its a wonderfull album
@MrTantris1 It truly is , and so ahead of its time !
This album is absolutely insane and I totally adore it, it's the only record I've heard that comes similar to the masterpiece Song Cycle by Van Dyke Parks. Avant-garde trad pop.
“World music album” I never thought of it that way, but that’s exactly what it is
❤Anyone who wants the whole show...
you will find yourself with no 🎵🎶 note.
It's the only album of hers that needs an explanation as to why it's so strange. I happen to love it.😁good review!
Thank you , I love it too 🙏🤩❤️
This is one of my favorite albums of Barbra's 1970's repertoire. I believe Columbia/Barbra misjudged where Barbra fit in with the changing sounds during the early 70's. Her previous 3 attempts (What About Today, Stoney End and Barbra Joan Streisand) had weak sales (one became platinum, one gold, and one had no certification) and indifferent critical reactions. Her last movie (Up The Sandbox) bombed too. The Way We Were instead, became a HUGE hit and just left this in the dust. TWWW was released 9/2/73 (the single) and BSOTM, Nov 2, 1973. It gave us a number of lovely moments and vocals (Never Has Seen Snow is one of her finest of all time).
I love Don't ever leave me...alas too short
To me, Streisand can do no wrong. Surprisingly, you neglected to mention that one long long powerful note.
You are absolutely right !