And The Hits Just Keep On Comin' . Just by saying this has been quite a year for the veteran crooner would be an understatement in itself. Barry Manilow began 2006 with the predecessor to this time capsule by debuting at #1 last February with The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties. In between that album release and this, he has continued to sell out his Las Vegas extravaganza, Music and Passion, five nights a week. The show is so successful that the Las Vegas Hilton recently extended Manilow's contract through 2008. He picked up his second Emmy Award this past August for the live on tape broadcast of that event, and with the release of this album, he has his highest-selling tally in a debut week than he has for any other album of his 32 year recording career. Barry also holds the distinction of being the only artist of 2006 to have two Top two records in Billboard in one calendar year. When it came to recording his follow-up to the "Fifties," juggernaut, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what the concept would be. All it took was Clive Davis to help sort out the material and all systems were go. For the critics who have tarred and feathered Manilow since he hit #1 with his very first single, "Mandy" over three decades ago, you'd think by this time they'd cut him some slack. No dice. Manilow has even admitted he wouldn't know how to react if he heard a kind word from a critic, the Brooklyn-born writer, arranger, producer and crooner has always depended on the devotion of his fanbase. And it's not just any fanbase. These people are hardcore fans, dubbed "Fanilows." On this CD, we are treated to thirteen chestnuts that made the 60's one of the best eras in pop music history. The pop songs run the gamut of that decade offering everything from Bacharach to the Beatles and in between honest and original covers that include a sensational retooling of Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," which kicks the disc off into high gear. Other highlights among highlights include a duet with 60's supergroup, The Association, on their staples "Cherish" and "Windy" that Barry cleverly arranged as a medley. Elvis' gorgeous 1962 ballad "Can't Help Falling In Love" is lusciously delivered as is The Righteous Brothers 1965 anthem "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." Even the somewhat hokey #1 Dean Martin single "Everybody Loves Somebody" from 1964 fits in divinely as Manilow gives it as much warmth as Dino did over forty years ago. Sinatra's smash hit from 1966, "Strangers In The Night" is so effective, Franks' daughter, Tina, gave Manilow a thumbs-up for a sensational interpretation. Other pop staples included are the Herman's Hermits "There's A Kind Of Hush," Bacahrach's gorgeous song from '68 "This Guy's In Love With You,  as well as his '69 Oscar-winner "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." The Beatles shimmering 1964 ballad "And I Love Her" and Bobby Vinton's 1963 "Blue Velvet" is just as haunting as the original while the mood on the 1962 love anthem "When I Fall In Love" originally a hit for The Lettermen is optimistically heart-wrenching. The album ends on a positive note (pun intended) with the 1965 anthem for hope "What The World Needs Now Is Love." Never was that sentiment so true - never was a Manilow album this gratifying. Everything from song selections to Manilow's masterful arrangements to his honest readings, this record is easily ranked as one of the best of his storied career. Look for The Greatest Songs Of The Seventies inside a year. It doesn't take a fortune teller to figure that one out
Output: POS