Tryin' to Get the Feeling [Bonus Track] - Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow made it to number one for the second time during his first year as a hit recording 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 came back to work here with Manilow singing with a seriousness on "I Write the Songs" that is as determined as his voice is on the title track, David Pomeranz' "Trying to Get the Feeling Again." Both titles are light years beyond the rest of the album, including Bruce Sussman and Manilow's reworking of the American Bandstand theme, which was included on his Ultimate Manilow collection. Like the Four Seasons before him, 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. Co-produced by Manilow and Archies' lead singer Ron Dante, the quest for chart supremacy had a formidable team pooling their talents. Bette Midler, Miles Laurie, and Dick Fox are thanked for showing Manilow "Trying to Get the Feeling Again," the truncated three-minutes-and-fifty-one seconds missing the extra verse Pomeranz' original contained, something Manilow would sing live in concert. 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 with tunes like "She's a Star," "You're Leavin' Too Soon," and "A Nice Boy Like Me," material that might have gotten some Top 40 action due to Manilow's momentum, but without 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, with its lingering instrumentation, 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 Manilow 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 rough spots. [This 2006 edition of Tryin' to Get the Feeling features significantly updated sound remastering, new liner notes, a lyric booklet containing rare photographs, and the previously unreleased track "I'll Make You Music."] ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide