Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Barry Manilow (piano); Barry Manilow; Michael Landau, Mike Landau (guitar); Nina Evtuhov, Nina Eutuhov (violin); Timothy Loo, Paula Hochhalter, Christina Soule, Trevor Handy, Jon Walz, Larry Corbett, David Speltz, John Krovoza, Roger Lebow (cello); Walter Afanasieff (keyboards, programming, drum programming); Chuck Berghofer, Drew Dembowski, Oscar Hidalgo (double bass); Dave Carpenter, ian martin (bass guitar); Jason Migas Morales, Jason Morales (background vocals); Ken Berry, Tim Pierce, George Doering, Mike Lent (guitar); Julie Berghofer, Gayle Levant (harp); Assa Drori, Alyssa Park, Lisa Dondlinger, Miran Kojian, Dynell Weber, Ron Folsom, Jennifer Munday, Brian Benning, Rebecca Bunnell, Jennifer Walton, Irina Voloshina, Songa Lee, Anatoly Rosinsky, Yan To, Cynthia Moussas, Paul Tseitlin, Johana Krejci, Audrey Solomon, Joel Derouin, Kevin Connolly, Patricia Johnson , Raymond Kobler, Margaret Wooten, Yue Deng, Neel Hammond, Darius Campo, Liane Mautner, Josephina Vergara, Miwako Watanabe, Ronald Clark, Samuel Fischer, Haim Shtrum (violin); Caroline Buckman, Ray Tlscher, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Harry Shirinian, Alma Fernandez, Samuel Formicola, Andrew Duckles (viola); Gary Foster, Greg Huckins, Sheridon Stokes, Brandon Fields (flute); Phillip OConnor (clarinet); Joe Stone, David Kossoff (oboe); Chris Gray, Larry McGuire, Warren Leuning, Gary Grant (trumpet); Paul Klintworth, Jim Atkinson, Dana Kelley, Steve Becknell (French horn); Steve Baxter, Charles Loper, Chauncey Welsch, Craig Gosnell (trombone); Scott Erickson (piano, keyboards, background vocals); Ron Pedley (piano, keyboards); Kevin Bassinson, Randy Kerber, Ron Walters (piano); Russ McKinnon (drums); Dan Greco, David Rozenblatt, Alex Acu¤a, Luis Conte, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Tyler Gordon (programming); Karen Harper, Angie Jeree Singers, David Loucks, Tiffany Smith, Ron Dante, Susie Stevens , Tim Davis, Randy Crenshaw, Bill Cantos, Mabvuto Carpenter (background vocals). | | Audio Mixer: Bill Schnee. | | Editors: Barry Manilow; Bill Schnee; David Benson; Koji Egawa; Scott Erickson; Greg Bartheld; Tommy Vicari. | | Photographer: Jeff Katz. | | Arrangers: Barry Manilow; Walter Afanasieff; Russ McKinnon; Scott Erickson; Mike Lent; Kevin Bassinson; Ken Berry; Ron Pedley; Ian Martin ; Jorge Calandrelli. | | The logical follow-up to Barry Manilow's two previous volumes of favorites from the 1950s and '60s, GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1970S acknowledges Manilow's own contributions to the AM airwaves of the decade by including a six-song bonus EP of new, intimate acoustic recordings of a half-dozen of his biggest hits from the decade, including "Even Now" and a waggish reworking of the disco smash "Copacabana." The body of the album is a well-chosen selection heavy on ballads, including a lovely duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" and a warm take on the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." Containing tracks that would have fit comfortably on any of Manilow's own 1970s albums, this is the most personal and effective of his decade-by-decade songbook sets. | | Barry Manilow not only lived through the '70s, but found most of his popular success during the Me Decade: he entered 1970 as a jingles writer and nightclub pianist but left 1979 as pop music's biggest star. While he was writing and performing the biggest hits of the decade, he undoubtedly was also admiring its best songwriting, from artists such as Paul Simon, Carole King, Elton John, Burt Bacharach, and Lennon/McCartney (the latter just barely fit in the '70s). And when the previous volume in his Greatest Songs series, The Greatest Songs of the Sixties, hit number two on the charts in late 2006, it was clear that a third volume would be just around the corner. The song selection on The Greatest Songs of the Seventies appears perfectly suited to Manilow's talents -- nothing too energetic, nothing rough or ragged -- and Manilow treats these songs just as he did on his albums of '50s and '60s classics, singing them straight while his band plays it smooth, with soft adult contemporary arrangements in the background. "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is among the best here, partially since it begins with Manilow and solo piano instead of the soft keyboard wash that marks most of the songs. Also, Manilow has a thoroughly good time on "It Never Rains in Southern California," but doesn't sound inspired by the most poignant ballads here ("The Way We Were," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"). As an added bonus, six classic Barry Manilow songs appear at the end under the title "Acoustic Manilow," although these versions are just as slick as what comes before; still, "Mandy" and "Copacabana (At the Copa)" are loose and relaxed winners. As on the previous volumes of Greatest Songs, what you see is what you get -- timeless songs sung by a familiar voice, with nothing but the most polished production values. ~ John Bush |
Producer: Barry Manilow; Eddie Arkin; David Benson; Walter Afanasieff; Scott Erickson; Ken Berry; Barry Manilow; Clive Davis; Eddie Arkin; Walter Afanasieff; Scott Erickson; David Benson; Ken Barry |
Engineer: Barry Manilow; Bill Schnee; Steve Churchyard; Chris Brooke; Bruce Botnick; David Benson; Koji Egawa; David Channing; Tawgs Salter; Scott Erickson; Greg Bartheld; Tommy Vicari; Paul Smith; Bill Schnee; Steve Churchyard; Chris Brooke; Bruce Botnick; Steve G |
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