Back to Broadway

This album could have been great. Exactly how great is coming to light with the newly released 'unreleased' tracks from the original recording sessions for this CD. The tracks Barbra chose not to release are far superior to some of the tracks she eventually included. But as for the album at hand, both duets are forgettable, as are both tracks from Sunset Boulevard. All the Sondheim is excellent, as is 'The Man I Love" and "I've Never Been in Love Before", both of which boast spectacularly beautiful arrangements. As for the David Foster contributions, they are of lesser quality and bring the album's integrity down a few notches. I've heard all the unreleased tracks, including those that have not yet been officially released, and they are great. When they all come out, I will construct my own Back to Broadway and listen to that instead of this rather inferior mess.

Not as good as "The Broadway Album" but great nonetheless!

This cd debuted at #1, not bad for a so-so- disc (according to the opening review of this cd) and contains some of Barbra's finest moments. "The Music Of The Night" is a duet with Michael Crawford, whom Barbra worked with in the film "Hello Dolly" and according to a lot of critics the duet was a bit clumsy due to their Broadway vocal styles but I felt it was a great compliment to both singers and the arrangement shows the respect each had for the other. "As If We Never Said Goodbye" confirms my belief that Barbra would have been perfect as Nora Desmond in the musical version of "Sunset Boulevard." "Speak Low" is a jazzy song not normally associated with Barbra, on the other side of the musical pond Diane Schuur was just releasing her cd "Love Songs" produced by Tom Scott and she recorded a version of "Speak Low" as well and the arrangements are somewhat similar actually, Barbra scored a hit with her version. "Children Will Listen" was performed live and on television for the Democratic National Convention and Barbra brought down the house with her tender reading. "I Have A Love" is a duet with Johnny Mathis, this duet will be released on his upcoming boxed set "A Personal Collection." Johnny's voice sounds a bit fragile here but he's always sounded that way, he sings much better in a lower register and why he refuses to accept that he is not a Tenor I is beyond my comprehension. Barbra treats us with a glorious interpretation of Gershwin's "The Man I Love," this obligatory inclusion of a standard is reminiscent of her lp's of the 60's. Overall this is a terrific cd.

This and "Guilty Pleasures" are some of my favorite Barbra Streisand albums. She has a great voice and it suits her best with Broadway songs. I recognized a few of these like "Everybody Says Don't" and "Music Of The Night" but some of the others I don't remember. I ended up liking all the songs and I think it just a great album, one of her best. If you like Barbra Streisand and Musicals you'll like this album. It's worth the money!

I don't have this CD but I have the tape.She is the best Classical singer I have ever heard.When I get some iTunes cards I'm getting some Barbra Streisand CDs.

This album far surpasses Streisand's first Broadway cd, although the two together makes a powerful musical statement. The musical arrangement for this album is stunning, and the duets with Mathis and Crawford are beautiful. Not a second of this album feels as if Streisand is faking her emotions, and not a moment is to be missed. From the beautiful story telling in Sondheim's classic, "Everybody Says Don't", and the uncovered arrangement of "Children Will Listen", followed by Bernstein and Sondheim's West Side Story's "I Have a Love/One Hand, One Heart" this album creates stunning moments. Truly worth the buy.