Last week's post covered Barbra's early 70s transformation into a contemporary pop artist with albums like "Stoney End" and "Barbra Joan Streisand". While those gems certainly got the ball rolling, Babs' evolution into a modern pop diva was in full swing by the mid-70s. This is one of my favourite periods in Streisand's long and fabulous career. She started taking bigger creative risks (some paid off, others didn't) and explored a plethora of different musical genres. The results were mixed but never boring. This is definitely an era that newcomers should consider checking out - if only for her stunning Bob Marley cover! Reggae Barbra, anyone?
I finished off the last installment by examining 1974's "The Way We Were" (not to be confused with the film soundtrack). Barbra reverted to a more traditional mix of standards and power ballads on that album and scored herself a massive #1 hit. It would have been easy to repeat herself on the follow up but Babs was determined to be down with the kids. Encouraged by her then boyfriend (and producer) Jon Peters, the great diva embarked on what would be her most eclectic album yet. "Butterfly" is a gorgeous little oddity. I love everything about it from the witty cover art to the downright bizarre song selection. After four years of writing this blog, I'm ecstatic to finally have a reason to write about this underrated trash classic.
"Butterfly" probably qualifies as a covers album given that 9 of the 10 tracks have previously been released by other artists but I don't think that term even existed in the mid-70s. A fascinating part of researching this post has been discovering the extent to which songs were recycled back then. Barbra had thrown in a couple of unusual choices on previous albums but "Butterfly" is a veritable treasure trove of bizarre covers. The most infamous cut is probably her fabulous destruction of Bob Marley's "Guava Jelly" but my favourite has to be Babsi's haunting version of David Bowie's "Life On Mars". I love the simple production and think it holds up well against the original. Unfortunately, David wasn't as enthusiastic, describing it as "atrocious" and "awful". I'm surprised Babs didn't have him whacked! Other highlights incude the three R'n'B numbers (Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", Paul Anka's "Jubilation" and Ray Charles' "Crying Time") and Barbra's lovely interpretation of "I Won't Last A Day Without You" - made famous, of course, by The Carpenters. "Butterfly" doesn't get a lot of love from the Streisand faithful but I can't recommend it highly enough.
Her next project couldn't be more different to "Butterfly". Barbra packed away her flares to star in "Funny Lady", the tragically titled sequel to "Funny Girl". It's no secret that Babs was contractually obliged to make the film and you can tell that her heart wasn't really in it. In fact, I'm surprised "Funny Lady" turned out as well as it did given the strange cast (who really wants to hear James Caan sing?) and the uninspiring tunes. There's no doubting the genius of Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago etc) but this has to be the most underwhelming score of their illustrious career. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one brilliant song and that's the bittersweet "How Lucky Can You Get". Having said all that, "Funny Lady" was a box office hit and scored 5 Academy Award nominations. So what the hell do I know?
It's funny how time can change your opinion of an album. I always thought 1975's "Lazy Afternoon" was only good for two things - the hilarious cover photo and Barbra's first foray into disco. However, earlier this week I listened to the album (in full) for the first time in years and was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I still think "Lazy Afternoon" is wildly uneven and lacks direction but it contains some real gems. "Widescreen" is totally epic, while "My Father's Song" makes me teary every time I hear it. However, my favourite track is still Barbra's disco debut. "Shake Me, Wake Me" is glorious cover of an earlier hit by The Four Tops but it seems to have been largely forgotten by disco fans. A 12" single was released but I've never heard the extended version. I imagine it's pure disco heaven! "Lazy Afternoon" is also notable for the self-penned "By The Way" and the gorgeous "I Never Had It So Good". Unfortunately, the rest of the album is languid to the point of being stillborn.
Does anyone actually like "Classical Barbra"? I seriously hate to think how many gays are using the album to prop up uneven furniture. Just take my word for it and avoid this opera-lite debacle at all costs! As unfortunate as Barbra's classical detour was, I still admire her for trying something different. Happily, her next musical project was a completely different affair. I'm referring to her multi-platinum selling "A Star Is Born" soundtrack. While the film has its merits, Judy Garland's version is better and I usually find myself fast forwarding between the musical numbers - which are uniformly excellent. I love that they set out to make a rock musical and somewhat surprisingly, Barbra thrives in the genre.
There really isn't a bad song to be heard on "A Star Is Born", perhaps with the exception of Kris Kristofferson's "Hellacious Acres". However, I can forgive that because he was so fucking hot. The soundtrack will always be best remembered for "Evergreen" (below), which earned Babs a Grammy and an Academy Award for Best Song. I worship that gem as much as the next Streisand diehard but I actually prefer the tracks she performs with The Oreos (her backing singers in the film). "Queen Bee" is a funktastic jam of epic proportions, while "Everything" has to be heard to be believed. This camp ballad has some of the classiest lyrics ever committed to record. My favourite line is "I'd cure the cold and the traffic jam. If there were floods, I'd give a dam"! For a completely different side to Barbra check out the rockin' medley "With One More Look At You/Watch Closely Now". Phew! That's all for now. Check in for more Babs next week.
Last week I kicked off my Streisand guide for the uninitiated by summarising her fabulous achievements in the 1960s. The goal was to show the fun side of Barbra, a side that younger gays could relate to. While I love the early years of Babsi's career, I don't think it's a great starting point for new fans. If (like me) old standards, musical theatre and showtunes float your boat - you'll be in 7th heaven. I'd advise everyone else, however, to start with 70s Streisand. This is the decade in which the great diva started to pursue a more contemporary sound. I originally intended to wrap up the whole decade in one post but that wouldn't do any justice to the most fruitful and fabulous period of Streisand's career. So today I'm just going to focus on the early 70s when Babs got her hippy on, delivered three of her best albums, starred in one of the greatest love stories ever told and made what could well be the most heinously awful television special of all time.
Barbra had already tried to experiment with a more contemporary sound on her last (non soundtrack) album of the 60s, the underrated "What About Today?" That endeavour turned out to be something of a disaster, becoming her first studio album to peak outside the US top 30. Happily, Babs wasn't deterred from trying again. In 1970 Clive Davis (yes, he really has been around since the dawn of time) suggested she hook up with Richard Perry to have another crack at modernising her sound. The result was "Stoney End" - a sleepy little guitar pop gem with tinges of folk and alt country. In other words, it was a complete reinvention and an unexpected success. There's a lot to love about "Stoney End". I think the gorgeous title track (penned by the great Laura Nyro) is one of the best singles of Barbra's career and definitely one of her most atypical. Other highlights include her cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" (which Amber, Ultra Nate and Jocelyn Enriquez later record as the Stars on 54) and the sweet gospel of "No Easy Way Down". A lot of amazing people wrote songs for this album including Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Randy Newman and their influence is felt throughout.
While "Stoney End" is a justifiable favourite among fans, I actually prefer the slightly less successful follow up. In many ways 1971's "Barbra Joan Streisand" could be considered a sequel of sorts. Richard Perry was called back for production duties, a lot of the same songwriters re-appear and the album even features tracks that were originally recorded for "Stoney End". However, instead of simply covering familiar ground, "Barbra Joan Streisand" actually improves on its predecessor. It's more consistent, involving and experimental. In fact, there's not a single dud on this gem. If I had to choose a favourite it would probably be the 70s-tastic "Space Captain", which has more than a touch of David Bowie about it. Other highlights are the two John Lennon covers ("Love" and "Mother"), Carole King's gorgeous "Where You Lead", the Burt Bacharach/Hal David medley and the uplifting "I Mean To Shine". Everything about "Barbra Joan Streisand" is understated and beautiful, from the artwork to the song choices. This would definitely feature in my top 10 Streisand albums.
The experimental spirit of Barbra's music eventually crossed over into her film career. The early 70s produced the irresistibly cute screwball comedy "What's Up Doc?" and the surreal "Up The Sandbox". The former was a hit and even produced a camp duet with Barbra's co-star Ryan O'Neal (a fun cover of Cole Porter's "You're The Top"). The latter, however, crashed at the box office and really has to be seen to be believed. This is proof, if nothing else, that Barbra can laugh at herself. I love "Up The Sandbox" and consider it a trash classic but I don't think I've ever seen a more bizarre mainstream movie. Basically, Babs plays a bored stay at home mum who loses the plot when she discovers she's up the duff again. Her character escapes into an imaginary world where she hooks up with Fidel Castro and tries to blow up the Statue of Liberty. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore!
While "What's Up Doc?" and "Up The Sandbox" have their fans, Barbra will always be best remembered for 1973's glorious "The Way We Were". I think everyone over the age of 20 has seen this film at least once. It used to be repeated on television a couple of times a year when I was growing up and I'm sure I watched Katie and Hubbell's ill fated romance each and every time. This has to be one of the greatest weepies in movie history. The final scene with Barbra and Robert Redford gets me every single time. I hate to think how many chocolate biscuits and tissues I've gone through watching this tearfest! Despite the film's lofty place in pop culture, I was surprised to read that the original reviews were pretty brutal. It just goes to show that critics don't know shit. The famous theme song was a #1 hit and won an Academy Award. Strangely, it's never really been a favourite of mine.
Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, I guess I should say something about "Barbra Streisand And Other Musical Instruments". Don't be deceived by the fabulous title, this television special is seriously dire. I have a pretty high tolerance for Barbra's artistic indulgences (including recording duets with herself and the general fiasco that is "Classical Barbra") but I draw the line at this hideous world music extravaganza. The Turkish-Armenian version of "People" is a glimpse into the depths of hell, while the flamenco interpretation of "Second Hand Rose" should be a crime against humanity. The soundtrack to the special is the only Streisand album I consider to be completely without merit and that includes the cure for insomnia otherwise known as "Higher Ground".
I can't end this post on such a dud note, so I'm going to include "The Way We Were" despite the fact that it was released in the early days of 1974. This album should not be mistaken for the film soundtrack. In fact, "The Way We Were" was originally released with the rather clunky title "Barbra Streisand featuring The Way We Were and All In Love Is Fair" after legal proceedings were initiated by the film's producers. While the album takes a step back from the more contemporary sound of "Stoney End" and "Barbra Joan Streisand", this is still an absolute classic. I've always thought of "The Way We Were" as a concept album of sorts. Each song deals with relationships from a different angle, from breaking up to making up. This is an incredibly consistent effort but one track stands out for me. "The Best Thing You've Ever Done" is my favourite Streisand ballad. This is the ultimate break up anthem with its passive aggressive lyrics and astonishing vocal performance. I get goose bumps every time I hear it. Other highlights include the breezy cover of Paul Simon's "Something So Right", Barbra's classy version of Stevie Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair" and the drag queen anthem "I've Never Been A Woman Before".
I was invited to a dinner party recently, which was held by a lovely couple in their 60s. I had a great time chatting with the EOGs (Extremely Old Gays) about musicals, showtunes and Liza's upcoming Australian tour. As the night wore on, a slightly inebriated gentleman with a rather large nose put a fruit bowl on his head and burst into an impromptu rendition of "Hello Dolly" - which went down a storm with everyone except my friend who sat there with a blank look on his face. He wasn't being rude. He just didn't get the Streisand reference at all. When I explained it, he just said "who gives a shit about that old bag anyway?" Well, I was completely outraged. Call me a stereotype if you will but I think there should be a law requiring all gays to own at least one Babsi "Best Of"! Barbra Streisand is not only one of the greatest vocalists of all time, she's also one of our most enduring gay icons. Like her or lump her, it's hard to deny that Barbra is a part of our gay cultural heritage.
The thing is, I totally understand why younger gays find Barbra such a monumental bore. I would feel exactly the same if the only exposure I'd had to her music was dirge like "A Love Like Ours" and mind numbing collaborations with Celine Dion and Bryan Adams. Happily, there's so much more to Babs than boring ballads and dire duets. In her halcyon days, Barbra changed image more frequently than Madonna and experimented with every genre I can think of apart from death metal and rap. My favourite period is the 1970s when she dabbled in disco, soul, pop, soft rock, folk and classical music. I was going to focus on that decade to highlight her versatility but I wanted to give a brief overview of Barbra's career from the very beginning. However, I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the 1960s because most of her output from that decade simply doesn't connect with modern pop fans. I just know that sentence sent some aging tranny into cardiac arrest but as much as I personally love it, something like "Je m'appelle Barbra" is about as relevant to people who grew up listening to Britney and Christina as "The Best Of Bing Crosby". There are, however, more than enough highlights from the swinging 60s that resonate with gays of all ages.
Barbra started her career singing in nightclubs way back in 1960, making her the original Queen of clubs - sorry, Dannii! The struggling 18 year old gained enough notoriety to be invited to perform on a plethora of television shows and made a name for herself interpreting classics like "A Sleepin' Bee", "Nobody's Heart (Belongs To Me)" and "Moon River". The diva's first big break came in the 1962 Broadway production "I Can Get It For You Wholesale", where she played the hapless secretary Miss Marmelstein. That role led to a contract with Columbia Records and they released her debut album in 1963. As magnificent as her early recordings are (I particularly love "The Second Barbra Streisand Album"), I can't see them winning over too many new fans. This kind of music simply isn't made anymore. However, one performance from this era that everyone needs to see is Babsi's appearance on The Judy Garland Show. Talk about a clash of the titans! Imagine Kylie & Madonna - if they had really good voices - sitting down to chat and belt out a few of their favourite tunes. Their medley of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again" (below) is pure bliss and required viewing for everyone.
The next essential career milestone for Barbra was winning the role of Fanny Brice in the Broadway musical "Funny Girl", which ran for more than 1000 shows from March 1964. Babs reprised her character in the film adaptation and won an Academy Award for her scintillating portrayal in 1969. The movie is an absolute treat and very highly recommended. I've almost worn out my DVD! The title track is glorious, "People" never loses its shine but the undisputed highlight for me is "Don't Rain On My Parade", which has become part of popular culture and the subject of many a drag act. 1964 also saw the release of what could be described as Barbra's first pop album. "People" is very easy listening by today's standard but fans of beautifully performed ballads that haven't been overproduced to the point of being ridiculous should dig this out of their mother's record collection.
The rest of the 1960s was filled with television specials (check out the amazing "My Name Is Barbra" and the trippy "Colour Me Barbra") and movies - most notably the camp classic "Hello Dolly" and the Vincente Minnelli directed "On A Clear Day You Can See Forever". Both are considered sub par by critics. Even Barbra has expressed her distaste for "Hello Dolly" but I find it utterly joyous (particularly if you watch it after smoking a bong), While "On A Clear Day" is one of the most beautifully staged musicals I've ever seen. The score is lovely and the costumes are divine. Sure the storyline is complete rubbish but you can't have everything! By the close of the decade, Barbra was already Hollywood royalty but by the end of the 1970s she would be an icon. Stay tuned for that next week.
Last week's post covered Barbra's early 70s transformation into a contemporary pop artist with albums like "Stoney End" and "Barbra Joan Streisand". While those gems certainly got the ball rolling, Babs' evolution into a modern pop diva was in full swing by the mid-70s. This is one of my favourite periods in Streisand's long and fabulous career. She started taking bigger creative risks (some paid off, others didn't) and explored a plethora of different musical genres. The results were mixed but never boring. This is definitely an era that newcomers should consider checking out - if only for her stunning Bob Marley cover! Reggae Barbra, anyone?
I finished off the last installment by examining 1974's "The Way We Were" (not to be confused with the film soundtrack). Barbra reverted to a more traditional mix of standards and power ballads on that album and scored herself a massive #1 hit. It would have been easy to repeat herself on the follow up but Babs was determined to be down with the kids. Encouraged by her then boyfriend (and producer) Jon Peters, the great diva embarked on what would be her most eclectic album yet. "Butterfly" is a gorgeous little oddity. I love everything about it from the witty cover art to the downright bizarre song selection. After four years of writing this blog, I'm ecstatic to finally have a reason to write about this underrated trash classic.
"Butterfly" probably qualifies as a covers album given that 9 of the 10 tracks have previously been released by other artists but I don't think that term even existed in the mid-70s. A fascinating part of researching this post has been discovering the extent to which songs were recycled back then. Barbra had thrown in a couple of unusual choices on previous albums but "Butterfly" is a veritable treasure trove of bizarre covers. The most infamous cut is probably her fabulous destruction of Bob Marley's "Guava Jelly" but my favourite has to be Babsi's haunting version of David Bowie's "Life On Mars". I love the simple production and think it holds up well against the original. Unfortunately, David wasn't as enthusiastic, describing it as "atrocious" and "awful". I'm surprised Babs didn't have him whacked! Other highlights incude the three R'n'B numbers (Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", Paul Anka's "Jubilation" and Ray Charles' "Crying Time") and Barbra's lovely interpretation of "I Won't Last A Day Without You" - made famous, of course, by The Carpenters. "Butterfly" doesn't get a lot of love from the Streisand faithful but I can't recommend it highly enough.
Her next project couldn't be more different to "Butterfly". Barbra packed away her flares to star in "Funny Lady", the tragically titled sequel to "Funny Girl". It's no secret that Babs was contractually obliged to make the film and you can tell that her heart wasn't really in it. In fact, I'm surprised "Funny Lady" turned out as well as it did given the strange cast (who really wants to hear James Caan sing?) and the uninspiring tunes. There's no doubting the genius of Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago etc) but this has to be the most underwhelming score of their illustrious career. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one brilliant song and that's the bittersweet "How Lucky Can You Get". Having said all that, "Funny Lady" was a box office hit and scored 5 Academy Award nominations. So what the hell do I know?
It's funny how time can change your opinion of an album. I always thought 1975's "Lazy Afternoon" was only good for two things - the hilarious cover photo and Barbra's first foray into disco. However, earlier this week I listened to the album (in full) for the first time in years and was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I still think "Lazy Afternoon" is wildly uneven and lacks direction but it contains some real gems. "Widescreen" is totally epic, while "My Father's Song" makes me teary every time I hear it. However, my favourite track is still Barbra's disco debut. "Shake Me, Wake Me" is glorious cover of an earlier hit by The Four Tops but it seems to have been largely forgotten by disco fans. A 12" single was released but I've never heard the extended version. I imagine it's pure disco heaven! "Lazy Afternoon" is also notable for the self-penned "By The Way" and the gorgeous "I Never Had It So Good". Unfortunately, the rest of the album is languid to the point of being stillborn.
Does anyone actually like "Classical Barbra"? I seriously hate to think how many gays are using the album to prop up uneven furniture. Just take my word for it and avoid this opera-lite debacle at all costs! As unfortunate as Barbra's classical detour was, I still admire her for trying something different. Happily, her next musical project was a completely different affair. I'm referring to her multi-platinum selling "A Star Is Born" soundtrack. While the film has its merits, Judy Garland's version is better and I usually find myself fast forwarding between the musical numbers - which are uniformly excellent. I love that they set out to make a rock musical and somewhat surprisingly, Barbra thrives in the genre.
There really isn't a bad song to be heard on "A Star Is Born", perhaps with the exception of Kris Kristofferson's "Hellacious Acres". However, I can forgive that because he was so fucking hot. The soundtrack will always be best remembered for "Evergreen" (below), which earned Babs a Grammy and an Academy Award for Best Song. I worship that gem as much as the next Streisand diehard but I actually prefer the tracks she performs with The Oreos (her backing singers in the film). "Queen Bee" is a funktastic jam of epic proportions, while "Everything" has to be heard to be believed. This camp ballad has some of the classiest lyrics ever committed to record. My favourite line is "I'd cure the cold and the traffic jam. If there were floods, I'd give a dam"! For a completely different side to Barbra check out the rockin' medley "With One More Look At You/Watch Closely Now". Phew! That's all for now. Check in for more Babs next week.
