Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

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

Notes: Personnel includes: Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond (vocals). Producers include: Phil Ramone, Barbra Streisand, Gary Klein, Charlie Calello, Bob Gaudio. Between the release of Barbra Streisand's first hits collection in 1970 and her second in 1978, she essentially became a different kind of recording artist. In the 1960s, she made a series of consistent albums devoted largely to show music material, but she scored precious few singles hits, with only one, "People," and reaching the Top Ten. But in the 1970s, she shifted to contemporary soft-rock and released a series of highly successful ballad singles, while her albums became largely inconsistent. For that reason, the hit quotient of her second hits album was much higher--"The Way We Were," "Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born' (Evergreen)," and the duet version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," sung with songwriter Neil Diamond and released on album here for the first time, all were number one hits, while "Stoney End" and "My Heart Belongs to Me" were Top Tens and "Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead," "Songbird," and "Love Theme From 'Laura Mars' (Prisoner)" reached the Top 40. That was enough material to make Volume 2 Streisand's definitive hits collection, so much so that later compilations like Memories and A Collection/Greatest Hits...And More would be forced to cannibalize it. It was also a genre-defining album in terms of the emergence of a post-'60s contemporary pop music that drew upon the rock revolution to redefine classic pop for a new generation. ~ William Ruhlmann For the Streisand completist, purchasing every album she's recorded is money well spent. If you want to cover just the more well-known material in her career, you can buy GREATEST HITS or the JUST FOR THE RECORD box set. But GREATEST HITS VOL 2 is in itself an excellent representation of her 70's material. Included is "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)," possibly Barbra's most endearing ballad. The song is worth the price of the CD alone. But every song on this disc is choice Streisand. The monumental "The Way We Were" is essential, while "Sweet Inspiration"/Where You Lead" is a good sampling of Barbra's live performance. Taking a break from ballads, "Stoney End" is a classic rock-oriented track. The standout on the record is definitely "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," a duet with Neil Diamond. After their respective solo versions were released, inventive radio DJ Gary Guthrie spliced both vocals together to create the smash hit version on this album. It's amazing how one artist can represent a period of time, and that's the case with this record as many of the landmark tunes here conjure "memories of the way we were".

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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