Songbird

Performer: Barbra Streisand
Artist: Neil Diamond
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: A contemporary compile of trendy '70s songwriters. Notable for the inclusion of her duet with Neil Diamond, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" done solo! Pallid. ~ James Chrispell Songbird was a competent, professional effort from Barbra Streisand, typical of the soft rock style of her '70s work, but unexceptional. Gary Klein, who had produced Streisand Superman, guided a middle course between bombast and balladry, resulting in, for example, perhaps the least objectionable version possible of the frankly awful "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical Annie and a good reading of Neil Diamond's "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" that would help inspire the hit duet version a year later. But though Streisand now seemed to have access to the efforts of a raft of good songwriters, most of the material here was not memorable. The intended hit, obviously, was the title song, which was patterned after Streisand's recent string of hit ballads. But it was not as effective as its predecessors and didn't perform as well as they had in the charts, only breaking into the Top 40. ~ William Ruhlmann Recorded at bi-coastal sessions in December 1977, SONGBIRD is a personal and heartfelt record. The majority of the tunes here are soulful ballads. The leadoff track, "Tomorrow" (from Annie), works well due to Streisand's restraint. In contrast, "A Man I Loved" is a bluesy number that builds to a big ending. "Love Breakdown" is a funky, almost disco track that contains a melodic horn section. "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" is a solo version that was later coupled with Neil Diamond's version by inventive radio DJ Gary Guthrie to produce the chart-topping smash. It's clear that Streisand's voice was reaching a beautifully melodic maturity at this point in her career, as shown by the jazzy ballad "Deep In The Night" and the powerful "Stay Away." But it's the closing title track that shows Streisand at her best. It's a gorgeous acoustic tune that caps off an inspired record.

When she emerged in a 1960s pop scene dominated by rock & roll, Barbra Streisand was a breath of fresh air to those nostalgic for the great Broadway-oriented pop vocalists of the past. Her stratospheric range and (initially) anachronistic taste in material made her the new Grande Dame of non-rock pop music. Along the way she experimented with the flavors of the day, from folk-rock to disco, but she always returned to the Great American Songbook for inspiration.

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