June 2006 Archives

As my reviews of Barry Manilow's newly remastered albums continue, I've spent the last few days listening to Even Now, Barry's fifth studio album. Originally released in February of 1978, it soon became impossible to escape the semi-disco beat of "Copacabana (At the Copa)" on the radio.

Arista has beautifully restored Barry Manilow’s 1977 album Live from the original 1976 concert recordings. The concert was recorded at the Uris Theatre in New York City in December 1976. Released as a two-LP album in May of 1977, Live was Manilow’s first number one album (his second was 2006’s The Greatest Songs of the Fifties), sold over 3 million copies and managed to displace Fleetwood Mac’s classic Rumours – one of the biggest-selling albums of all time – from the top of the charts. Live was also Arista’s first platinum-selling double-LP. The album would eventually score platinum status four times over. Barry Manilow was one of the biggest stars in the music business that year.

Neil Young: Heart of Gold is almost as perfect as any concert film can be. With recent films such as The Truth About Charlie (based on Charade) and a remake of The Manchurian Candidate, Heart of Gold director Jonathan Demme had been teetering on the edge of irrelevance for awhile. Neil Young: Heart of Gold reminds us once again of Demme’s directing skills and in this age of market-driven pop stars, Young’s tremendous talents as a musician, singer, songwriter, and storyteller.

The character of Frasier Crane was a fixture on television for 20 years. Actor Kelsey Grammer first played the role on Cheers in 1984. When Cheers ended its run in 1993, Grammer continued the role on Frasier, which premiered later that same year. Frasier was nominated for a total of 37 Emmys during the series' 11-year run, by far the most in television history. (The Mary Tyler Moore Show took home 29 during seven seasons.) Kelsey Grammer was nominated for an Emmy in the Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category in eight of the series' 11 seasons, winning three awards. Grammer was also nominated twice for an Emmy in his role as Frasier Crane when he was on Cheers and once for a guest spot on Wings as the same character.

Barry Manilow’s second album, 1974’s Manilow II has been re-released undoubtedly to capitalize on the success of his recent number one album, The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and his triumphant show Manilow: Music & Passion at the Las Vegas Hilton Theater that has been extended through 2008.