Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Barbra Streisand, Brry Gibb, Neil Diamond (vocals). | | Producers include: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bob Gaudio, Gary Klein, Barbra Streisand, Phil Ramone. | | This is a compilation of earlier hits which includes a previously unreleased track from the show "Cats". | | Photographer: Greg Gorman. | | Arranger: Marty Paich. | | As albums go, Barbra Streisand's Memories made a great single. A compilation, but not exactly a hits collection, it contained two newly recorded songs, "Memory" from the musical Cats and the Top 40 hit "Comin' in and Out of Your Life," plus a re-recorded version of "Lost Inside of You," a song previously done as a duet with Kris Kristofferson in A Star Is Born, and seven tracks from the previous eight years, three of which were making their third or fourth appearance on record. In other words, Memories was a blatant consumer rip-off, highly unusual for an artist who usually gave value for money. That said, the album contained some of Streisand's biggest hits -- "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," "Evergreen," and "The Way We Were," as well as some excellent performances, such as Streisand's take on Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." Thus, it was a good collection thought of independently (which may help explain why it became one of Streisand's biggest sellers), even if in the context of her overall catalog it was an album of reruns baited with a couple of new songs. [In the U.K., the album was released with four additional tracks -- "Kiss Me in the Rain," "I Don't Break Easily," "Wet," and "A Man I Loved" -- under the title Love Songs (CBS 10031).] ~ William Ruhlmann | | What makes this album unique, and ultimately appealing, is that it's not your run-of-the mill "10 biggest hits." An example is "The Love Inside;" a phenomenal song from "Guilty" that was lost in the shuffle of the duets with Barry Gibb. Including it exposes the listener to an unseen side of Streisand. Another example of a great non-hit is "New York State Of Mind". Barbra's jazzy rendition of the Billy Joel tune is fabulous and clearly worthy of inclusion on this record. | | Also making MEMORIES special is the inclusion of songs recorded for the album. "Memory" (the theme from Cats) was previewed on this record before the Broadway run began and is an excellent leadoff track. "Comin' In And Out Of Your Life" was also recorded for this compilation and is one of Streisand's best tunes. Also included is an alternate version of "Lost Inside Of You," from A Star Is Born. Covering 1974-1981, this album is a superb collection of Barbra's work from that era and shows the superstar at her best. |
Musical Guests | | Neil Diamond | | Donna Summer |
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