Barry Manilow made it to number one again during his first year as a hit artist with a rendition of
Beach Boy Bruce Johnston's "I Write the Songs," beating out covers by
David Cassidy and
Captain & Tennille (who also released a version in Spanish). The modernized (read: no distortion) take-off on
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound was what made "Mandy" so very special, and it came back to work here;
Manilow sings with a seriousness on "I Write the Songs" that is as determined as his voice is on the title track,
David Pomeranz' "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again." Both titles are light years beyond the rest of the album, even including
Bruce Sussman and
Barry's reworking of the American Bandstand theme. Like
the Four Seasons before him,
Barry Manilow is known for his ability to take a song up the charts; the album tracks are secondary and reserved for his most devoted followers. This quest for chart supremacy had a formidable team pooling their talents. It was co-produced by the star and
Archies' lead singer
Ron Dante, while
Bette Midler, Miles Laurie, and Dick Fox are thanked for showing
Manilow "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again."
Peter Thom and
Phil Galdston's "Why Don't We Live Together" is nice enough, but indicative of the near-miss compositions
Manilow himself contributes -- "She's a Star," "You're Leavin' Too Soon" and "A Nice Boy Like Me" -- that might have gotten some Top 40 action due to
Manilow's momentum, but didn't have the staying power of the established hits. At least the co-write with
Adrienne Anderson, "As Sure as I'm Standin' Here," has a bit of a future, with the
David Pomeranz/
Manilow hit, "The Old Songs," something to look forward to. The problem with
Barry Manilow is also his strength -- that he skillfully mixes
Johnny Mathis' adult contemporary charm with
Liberace's flamboyance. Both
Mathis and
Liberace knew how to reign in the excesses, while
Barry could care less -- and he doesn't have to. By the same token, his fan base might be more prone to spinning
Ultimate Manilow and avoiding the few rough spots of this album. [This edition includes two bonus tracks.] ~ Joe Viglione