As if there were any doubt given the name of the disc, Barry Manilow: Songs from the Seventies is exactly that. The DVD is of the concert performed in Manilow's hometown of New York City, New York for a PBS fundraising campaign, and highlights many of the songs included on his recent CD entitled The Greatest Hits From the Seventies.
For his long time fans, this concert will be as much of a 'coming home' as it was for Manilow. He states part way through the show that he grew up literally around the corner, and these songs are all well known favorites. Tracks like "My Eyes Adore You" and "It Never Rains in Southern California" are given special treatment and delivered with that especially emotive way Manilow has. He sings more than the lyrics; he conveys the emotion.
The concert is a blend of both covers from the album and some of Manilow's biggest hits from that decade, including "Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It," and "Copacabana."
"Copacabana" is performed here as an altered salsa mix of the song on the center round stage with an acoustic accompaniment. While it was interesting, and by no means bad, I was slightly disappointed to not see a more traditional version of one of the biggest hits of his career. Even if it had been included as an extra on the bonus disc it would have filled an obvious hole in the line up.
A fun little addition to the collection of top songs from the seventies is a medley of commercial jingles that he sold to pay the bills while waiting for his songs to hit the top of the charts. Each was accompanied with a bit of commentary. While I knew the McDonald's tune was his, I was unaware the Band-aids and State Farm jingles were also penned by Manilow. When you think about how catchy they are, I suppose it shouldn't be such a surprise, as they burn their way into your mind much in the same way as the choruses to songs like "Can't Smile Without You" and "I Write the Songs."
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