You can't imagine how many times I started this post. Greatest Love Songs of All Time has all kinds of good stuff from all eras - many of which I could never connect with. At all. Not for lack of trying. So how can I do the Standard Operational YBA POV on it? I couldn't.
The final track is the sum-total of the album. The "Greatest" anything is what stands the test of time without sounding "dated" or "old" or otherwise out of place. Barry has been saying in every interview that this song is over 100 years old, written by a composer that no one today has ever heard of. Doesn't matter who created it originally, because now it belongs to Barry. I had hoped he would take this approach when doing "another covers record" (Look at the last comment at the bottom of the post.)
The rest of GLSOAT seems to lead up to this track. Which makes it perfect. The other songs on the record "grab" me on TV or video. Especially the Today Show performances when he was reeeeeallllllly playing to the camera. I know he can't do "Sweet Sixteen" on a standard talk show because of the usual commercial PR: it has to be something reasonably familiar or people get bored, blah blah blah. But something tells me Barry's heart is in this song so it would be the best performance of all.
I'm not the only one who thinks so because it debuted at #5 on Billboard!! Congrats, Barry and Crew!!! Another top 10!!! ("Another" - can you imagine how many musicians would be happy with just one???)
The promotion of this record is better this time around too. Two words: Couch Time. On most American talk shows, Barry and his one number are shoehorned into the last five minutes of the show, often while the credits are running. Every show he's on now, the host actually chats for a while. (Twice on The Today Show.) Even if it's routine info that all serious fans know, it's probably new to a lot of people in the audience.
Rachel Ray was a very pleasant surprise. Never been a RR fan. Just annoyed the living hell outta me. But her use of Barry on this last episode was a perfect sequence: Get some couch (ok, kitchen table) time, have a nice chat, and get the audience involved. Plus, the questions from the audience were reasonably well-stated; ute but harmless anecdotes. Everyone seemed to be balanced between the ears. That could have been completely scripted but what the hell - it looked great. THEN put his performance on at the end. Teaser interview, then the goods.
Tonight Barry is booked for Jimmy Kimmel. He's on with Ozzy Osbourne.
Hehehehehehehhehehhe........................
Haven't heard this song yet. But I'm sure it's everything you say it is and more. Might have to use my DH's ITunes gift card and download it. He'll never know..hehe. And I'm all for him finding those obscure songs. Violets for her Furs is my favorite song on that album. That's when he works his magic by resurrecting those gems. He's a master at his craft and it peaks through on songs like that. If only Clive would just let him free to create...guess we can dream, can't we????
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