Words come to mind: speechless, inspired, groundbreaking, phenomenal, passionate, real, intimate, awesome, exciting, moving, and more than expected. I have to say this special is Emmy material and one of the most finely produced and edited I have ever seen. The camera angles, the sound, the distance shots, the crowd glimpses, and the piece de resitance "One Voice" at the end catapult this special to number one in my book.
Highlights:Mandy, He Aint Heavy, Looks Like We Made It, and his monologues about his life in Brooklyn and his early career. This is the Barry we want to see over and over again. Not the showman, but the man. The guy that endears himself to us every show with his little quirky ways: his laugh, his expressions, his missteps, and his humaness.
Conclusions: Barry is so much more than "the showman of our generation". He is genuine. He wraps us up in his love and sends us to another world every time he steps out on that stage. If he could somehow find "this guy" from the PBS Special for every single performance, the world, and not just his fans, would realize that there's something about this guy from Brooklyn that sets him apart. When he was singing He Aint Heavy and One Voice, I had to say a prayer: that God would make him an instrument of peace for everyone who hears his "beautiful music".
Thanks Barry...and please...show us "this guy" in Vegas. We love you and will be forever in your debt for giving us your life-changing catalog of music.
Wishing and hoping for more of "this guy", Texas Fanilow
Listening to the 70's CD, of course, has made all of us nostalgic. It "seems like yesterday" that this journey began with our man and his music. Some things never change: the magic of Manilow, the music and the passion, and the shear joy he brings when we listen to his music and see him "live" each time. He said that recording Mandy caused him to "look back" and reflect. I think it's made all of us who have listened to it recently do the same. And I can't think of any more fitting words to express how that makes me feel:
They said we'd never last A week, a month, a year They shook their head Dream on they said Cause dreamers disappear But here we are no matter what they say It's you and me Forever and a Day We knew we had it right We knew we broke the mold They said have fun, it's kiss and run Then back out in the cold I could have told them we were here to stay To you and me Forever and a Day Didn't we show them aren't they blown away Cause whatever time they do our love is thru Forever Once our hearts were full And once we felt the flame Such hunger then much younger then But really we're the same And once the music played And once they lit the the light And years ago we felt a glow So very like tonight And now I know it will always be that way For you, for me, Forever and a Day
Thanking Barry for giving us so many years of music and passion. And looking back...what a privilege to spend my days, weeks, months and years listening to his music.
Looking back with fond memories, Texas Fanilow
P.S. To the voice...forever and a day...from the courier.
The long awaited "Greatest Songs of the 70's" has landed in the hands of the lucky fans that attended the recent shows in Philly and Boston. After an emotional concert in Philly, my friends and I popped it into the car stereo to listen to it on our way home. As we heard each song, we found ourselves saying, "that one was good"...."wow, that's even better"..."boy, he sure outdid himself with that one". It was a late night and the mellow tones of the CD were not the best to be listening to while driving. When it was over, we commented how great it was and didn't give it another thought for the rest of the evening.
The next morning we checked out of our motel and headed out to the airport, which was about an hour from where we spent the night. We put the CD back into the car stereo and this time we LISTENED. We listened to the words and him singing the words and cried for one solid hour in the car. Not so much tears of sadness, but tears realizing the message that came through loud and clear. It was a love letter from Barry...pure and simple. He hand-picked every one of the songs and the meanings in each of them pricked our hearts deeply.
When you get your hands...and I say WHEN...on this CD, listen to the words of every one of those songs. Listen to him singing those words. Listen to the message in this "love letter". You will never be the same.
Words come to mind: speechless, inspired, groundbreaking, phenomenal, passionate, real, intimate, awesome, exciting, moving, and more than expected. I have to say this special is Emmy material and one of the most finely produced and edited I have ever seen. The camera angles, the sound, the distance shots, the crowd glimpses, and the piece de resitance "One Voice" at the end catapult this special to number one in my book.
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