Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray] by Lawrence Jordan, starring Barry Manilow: DVDNear.com

Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray]

Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray]
by Lawrence Jordan

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DVD Cover Information

Actor: Barry Manilow
Director: Lawrence Jordan
Brand: Image Entertainment
Producer: Barry Manilow
Producer: Garry Kief
Blu-ray: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 115 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-09-09
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment

Movie Reviews of Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray]

Movie Review: The Best of All Manilow DVD Concerts
Summary: 5 Stars

The Best of All Manilow DVD Concerts

I own many if not all of Barry's DVD concerts and I think this concert is the best for these reasons:

1) He pulled out all the stops, reached into his bank account, and hired a full orchestra to accompany him. The sound is much better than the usual machine-based musicians who accompany him. Barry obviously wanted this to be a special night that he would put in the time vault, and I'm glad he did;

2) This was the most personal of his concerts. In many concerts, the performers play song after song with some brief chit-chat in between. It gets a little predictable sometimes and you tend to tune out. But Barry includes some backstory and a few personal touches that give you a sense of his life and career, and that gave the experience more depth.

For example, he includes an old 75 rpm recording of when his grandfather tried to encourage him to sing "Happy Birthday" to his little cousin at one of those cheap recording booths in New York City when he was around 9 years old. It was really cute the way the then-shy Barry refused to sing. It apparently sparked Barry's love for music, and "This One's For You" was heartwarmingly dedicated to his grandfather;

3) The song list was the most comprehensive and personal for hard core Manilow fans. There's everthing here: his biggest hits, as well as some Broadway show tunes, some Sinatra, some Latin rhythmns (Copacabana). I don't really like the latter type of songs, but Barry does them in his unique style that makes them enjoyable for me anyway. I'm sure this is one of the reasons why he's widely known as the greatest showman in music.

I would have to agree. His love of Broadway musicals obviously influenced his musical writing, and you can hear the build-up of his songs toward the final resolution just as you would watch the build-up of a play towards the third act resolution. By the end, he finally hits the payoff and you leap up onto your feet with rousing applause at the third-act climax.

On another occasion, Barry revealed his love for odd musical instruments. He did some funny bits with an accordion and another funny-sounding instrument. It was good for some comic relief while bopping along with some silly but catchy tunes.

What I really appreciated was his including his lesser-known but more personal songs, like the beautiful "When October Goes" and "I Am Your Child". These types of songs aren't usually included in his more commercial concerts for more casual fans, and I'm glad they were included here. His music is unique in that it is for lovers, not fighters, and I'm glad he gave us a little extra something to make us happier this time around. That was not always the case.

In the late 1970's when I was in high school, Barry was in and so was the "Sensitive Male", as portrayed by men like Alan Alda and Phil Donahue. Around the late 1980's, our society started to change and adopt a more "Gordon Gekko" type of personna which resulted in a big backlash against sensitivity. Alan Alda eventually took on villanous roles. Donahue couldn't find another gig anywhere while Jerry Springer flourished. And the Chicago White Sox hosted an evening where they burned Manilow's albums at their stadium during a game. It was like a Hitler book burning.

Manilow admitted that he went into hiding and then into therapy during that time to deal with all the negativity. Who can blame him--first they loved him and then they hated him. The people who have a chic dislike for Manilow feel that way because they are insecure about their masculinity. It makes them feel more like men to say "I'm a fighter, not a lover", like when their heroes bite the heads off bats onstage. That's surely why out of all his hits, the only one to win a Grammy was "Copacabana" - a song that would not tread near the dangerous waters of intimacy.

I always stuck with Manilow and his music throughout those lean years and I'm glad he made it to meet his loyal fans on the other side. Yes, Barry, it was them, not you. Manilow is probably the only artist out there who can give us a night of class, elegance, and heartfelt romance when we are sorely in need of it. And Barry - if you're ever in San Franciso, drop me a line so Chef Ted can say thanks with a great 5-course, 5- star dinner!

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Summary of Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray]

MANILOW LIVE - Blu-Ray Movie

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Barry Manilow: Manilow Live! [Blu-ray]