Bette Midler Albums (19)
What The Critics Say
Well in advance of the Christmas season, Bette Midler, perhaps in her zeal to join the ranks of other artists like Bing Crosby, Elvis, and Johnny Mathis (the latter with whom she sings the duet here, "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!") with famed holiday work, has come out with her first-ever Christmas album, Cool Yule. Most of the songs are covers of seasonal classics ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," etc), though she does jump into the more religiously themed with the somber "O Come, O Come, Emanuel," which is then offset with the Hawaiian "Mele Kalikimaka." There's even a Christmas version of Midler's hit "From a Distance," which brings in elements of "The Little Drummer Boy," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Joy to the World" to the adult contemporary favorite. The Divine Miss M shows off her stuff (including a very able backing band/orchestra) on all the tracks, from the cover of Billie Holiday's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" to the jazzy title cut, and sounds good the whole time. Because she doesn't add much to the songs that hasn't already been done before, Cool Yule may not replace anyone's Mathis holiday albums yet, but it's still a pretty strong collection of well-done Christmas standards from a well-known and popular artist. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide
'Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook'
Release Date 10/25/2005
Tracks 10
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Bette Midler's first songbook album focused on songs popularized by Rosemary Clooney, and it became a surprising hit after being latched onto by vocal fans as well as adult contemporary audiences. Befitting her image, the record wasn't a reverent tribute; Midler and musical partner Barry Manilow modernized the arrangements of Clooney's bigger hits, recasting "Come On-A My House" as a swing-hip-hop number and reimagining "This Ole House" as a bluegrass song. Midler's 2005 tribute to Peggy Lee is a more conservative affair, perhaps due to Lee's larger status in the realm of American song as compared to Clooney. That's not to say it's a disappointment; in fact, it's a talented, affectionate record that may not add much to the cause but is a solid tribute. Certainly Lee's image as the bemused, world-wise, sometimes sensual siren fits well with Midler's, and both have exhibited an excellent rhythmic sense. And the material helps Midler flaunt as only she knows how, from "Fever" to "Big Spender" to "I'm a Woman." While all of these contribute nothing more or less than Lee's versions, Midler does noticeably improve "Is That All There Is?," one of the most eccentric songs in Lee's repertoire. Her studied boredom in the verses is good enough, but when she reaches the uninhibited chorus, she reveals a marvel of catlike glee. The arrangements, most of them by Manilow, are very good, although they reveal a close knowledge of the originals that contributes to the reverence on display. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook'
Release Date 9/30/2003
Tracks 11
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Cabaret icon Bette Midler reunites with her old piano partner Barry Manilow for the first time in over 30 years to toast one of their mutual idols on Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Clooney was one of the top jazz/pop vocalists of the '50s whose clear, bright tone, impeccable melodicism, and smiling, girl-next-door image came together to make classics out of tunes like "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" and "Hey There" -- both covered here. In that tradition, Midler's plucky blonde persona and genre-crossing style and Manilow's modern day blend of Mercer and Porter make this album work -- most of the time. Mostly what you get is the Divine Miss M and "Mister Manila," as Midler affectionately refers to Manilow, returning to their '70s New York roots on "On a Slow Boat to China," a solid and classy version of "Sisters" with Linda Ronstadt taking the Betty Clooney role, and a very Dixie Chicks-esque contemporary bluegrass reworking of "This Ole House." Least of all, you get limp, hip-hop-lite arrangements of "Come On-A My House" and "Mambo Italiano," which only serve to drain the songs of any swing and makes the twee-period lyrics all the more cloying. Nonetheless, Midler -- who can carry a tune on personality alone -- sounds elegant and alive here and Manilow's classy orchestral arrangements frame the proceedings with the urbane glow of nostalgia for a time -- be it the '50s or the '70s -- when a big band, a great song, and blonde with a nice voice were all you needed for a good time. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Using her regular touring band and employing Don Was, an expert on helping pop veterans reclaim the sounds that made them successful, Bette Midler makes an excellent album to tie in with the premiere of her network television show. Was seems to conceive of Midler as a kind of pre-rock, neo-Brill Building performer, frequently putting her into mid-tempo pop arrangements of old R&B ballads, here including Baby Washington's 1960 hit "That's How Heartaches Are Made," the Temptations' 1971 hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" (which here sounds even more like an old Drifters hit than it does usually), and a pair of 1980 titles, Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO" and the Manhattans' "Shining Star." The album's tour de force, a six-and-a-half-minute version of Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello's "God Give Me Strength," also recalls the Brill Building, as does the bouncy pop tune "Nobody Else but You," co-written by Midler and Marc Shaiman to be the theme for the TV show. Was and Midler also satisfy the need for up-tempo material with a trio of genre exercises, Latin pop in "In These Shoes," mbaqanga in "Moses," and dance in "Bless You Child." Bette is a tasteful album that showcases Midler's expressive singing but avoids her excesses. "In These Shoes" is an amusing novelty that does not play too heavily to the singer's broad comic style, while ballads like "Color of Roses" and "When Your Life Was Low" are striking for their restraint, not going for the maudlin extremes Midler has been guilty of indulging in the past. That means fans of the bawdy Bette and the bathetic Bette may be disappointed, but the rest of her followers will enjoy the balance and consistency of this collection. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Bathhouse Betty'
Release Date 9/15/1998
Tracks 12
Label Warner Bros.
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What The Critics Say
After a streaming flow of records for two decades, Bette Midler took a five-year hiatus. "Studio recording vacation" would make a better term, because the energetic entertainer never stays too still. She performed as Gypsy Rose Lee for a Gypsy television musical and performed the bulk of the soundtrack For the Boys, for which she also won a best actress Academy Award nod. If it seemed like Midler was straying in vast directions, she brought a very focused album together in 1995 with Bette of Roses. Said to have personally chosen the track listing from hundreds and hundreds of songs, Midler brings a very poignant and inspiring set this time round; with less emphasis on laughs, it almost works as an extension of 1990's Some People's Lives. It appears Midler is an admirer of singer/songwriter Maria McKee, who provides the demanding and grasping "To Deserve You" which spawned a club version hit remix, as well as "The Last Time" with charming vocal lifts which are as elastic as Midler herself. Andy Hill, who gave Celine Dion the spiritual gospel ballad "Call the Man," works a similar stylish ballad called "As Dreams Go By," which ranks among Midler's greatest. Bette Midler is the kind of woman who has the voice and charisma to carry herself through any song; so as long as her material is worth its weight, the album will succeed. There is a certain degree of sentimentality on Bette of Roses, but it never turns drippy. One of the best examples is "I Know This Town," which takes on a subject as heartaching as a childhood town (and especially the childhood memories) destroyed because of urban civilization. Playing mid-tempo, it works because of its core truth and doesn't manipulate with teary additions. Bette of Roses, like so many of the Divine Miss M's offerings, is cause for celebration. ~ Peter Fawthrop, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A film placing Midler in The Andrews Sisters' milieu of WWII was an inspired choice, and the soundtrack shows her abilities on period material as well as giving her a chance to sing a touching version of The Beatles' "In My Life." ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite Bette Midler's bawdy, cartoonish image, her albums are almost always classy A/C collections that are often buried under overproduction. So on Some People's Lives, one of the singer's strongest collections, it isn't surprising that the only hit, "From a Distance," a song of hope and peace, is in keeping with much of her material -- namely poor production that is buoyed by her sterling vocals and strong lyrics. Aside from that, however, Some People's Lives is a smooth collection of standards like Cole Porter's "Miss Otis Regrets" and contemporary cuts like Diane Warren's "Moonlight Dancing." Kicking off with the punchy "One More Round," Midler sets the stage for sassy up-tempo numbers, then slides into the title song, a haunting ballad of despair that shows she is on more solid ground than ever. This is Midler at her best -- playful, yearning, brassy, regretful -- and that is mostly because producer Arif Mardin surrounds his star with respectful production that matches her talent while accenting her strengths. Standouts are the title cut, "Miss Otis Regrets," "He Was Too Good to Me/Since You Stayed Here," and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." ~ Bryan Buss, All Music Guide
'Songs for the New Depression'
Release Date 6/22/1990
Tracks 11
Label Atlantic
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