The Third Album

Performer: Barbra Streisand
Engineer: Frank Laico; Ted Brosnan
Producer: Mike Berniker
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel includes: Barbra Streisand (vocals). Includes liner notes by Sammy Cahn. On her first album, Barbra Streisand established herself as a singer who discovered or created new standards instead of one who revived or re-created old ones. She wavered from this commitment on her second album, and on her third gave in to convention completely. There was nothing wrong with her interpretations of such old favorites as "My Melancholy Baby," "Taking a Chance on Love," "As Time Goes By," or "It Had to Be You," except perhaps that they seemed a little tame for a performer of such demonstrated individuality. She was assured by going back to Harold Arlen's St. Louis Woman for "I Had Myself a True Love," using its bluesy tone for some emotional fireworks. The Third Album is another demonstration of the beauty of Barbra Streisand's voice. ~ William Ruhlmann On her first album, Barbra Streisand established herself as a singer who discovered or created new standards instead of one who revived or re-created old ones. She wavered from this commitment on her second album, and on her third gave in to convention completely. There was nothing wrong with her interpretations of such old favorites as "My Melancholy Baby," "Taking a Chance on Love," "As Time Goes By," or "It Had to Be You," except perhaps that they seemed overly tame for a performer of such demonstrated individuality. And Streisand was far less successful on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," betraying little understanding of Lorenz Hart's nuanced lyric, or on Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Make Believe," which had none of the playfulness the song needed, and of which Streisand certainly was capable. She did seem assured going back to Harold Arlen's St. Louis Woman for "I Had Myself a True Love," using its bluesy tone for some emotional fireworks. But The Third Album, while it was another demonstration of the beauty of Barbra Streisand's voice, also suggested that her interpretive abilities remained limited. ~ William Ruhlmann THE THIRD ALBUM is a collection of standards magnificently performed by the 22-year-old Streisand. "My Melancholy Baby" is a somber interpretation of the classic tune. "Just In Time" was written by Leonard Bernstein for Adolph Green and his wife as a wedding gift, and contains fantastic electric piano. The album maintains a slow, bluesy feel with tracks like "Taking A Chance On Love" and "Bewitched (Bothered And Bewildered)." "Never Will I Marry" picks up the pace to mid-tempo, while "As Time Goes By" slows things down again, with Barbra paying respectful homage to the original. Streisand's sweet, soulful rendering of "It Had To Be You" is perfect, drawing the listener in for the duration. "I Had Myself A True Love" closes the album, and you feel as if you've just seen her perform at a smoke-filled club. The album contains exceptional arrangements by Ray Ellis, Sid Ramin and Peter Matz. One piece of trivia: the cover photo was shot by actor Roddy McDowall at The Judy Garland Show in 1963.

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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