The Barbra Streisand Album

While I've talked about Ms. Streisand in the films Funny Girl, Hello Dolly! and Funny Lady, I haven't listened to any of her albums during my Year. Recently, a reader asked me to scratch her Streisand itch, and as coincidence would have it, a friend loaned me The Barbra Streisand Album. Yes, I had to depend on borrowing a Streisand album, as I don't own any. Is that like the another version of "Don't ask, don't tell?" Could I be drummed out of the corps for admitting I don't own any Babs?

The beginning seemed like a very good place to start, so...This was Ms. Streisand's debut album, and its contents come out of her nightclub act and precedes by several months her star-making turn in Funny Girl on Broadway. Its 11 tracks contain an eclectic mix of music, from standards, to Americana, to musical theater selections from the 30s to the 60s, to a song from a Disney film.

As I always hope to find in debut recordings of singers who go on to be stars, the singing on this album warrants the sensation it caused. A variety of styles, not only of music, but also of their presentation and arrangement, is well-done in every case. I have some issues with a couple of choices of repertoire, but they are too minor to even mention, and well, she'll go on to release many more albums. A few of the arrangements take some liberties that I don't appreciate, but as this is a nightclub act and not a Broadway musical, I can't complain too loudly. And in several cases, the arrangements are spectacle, so the balance is definitely weighted in the right direction.

What I appreciate about Ms. Streisand's singing is the range of dynamics she finds within each song. And she is able to rise from piano to forte without loosing the core of her sound. Or without the dynamic changes seeming put-upon; I mean they seem organic within the context of the song and arrangement. "Cry Me A River" and "A Sleepin' Bee" demonstrate that best.

My complaints with the packaging of this CD reissue are more numerous than any complaints I could have with the music itself. So this album was "restored and remastered" for the CD release. Great. Going back to the masters seems like a great idea. Doesn't it warrant some more extensive liner notes, though? There's nothing more about these selections than appeared on the original vinyl, I assume, maybe even less. You have to look at the actual disc to see who wrote each song. While there are at least 4 tracks that are from musical theater writers, only a short credit like "C. Porter" or "R. Rodgers/L. Hart" gives a hint of that. I laughed aloud when I realized that "Come to the Supermarket (In Old Pekin)" is from the Cole Porter television musical Aladdin, which I had previously discussed.

Maybe what I like the best is Ms. Streisand's eclectic mix of musical inspiration.

The Barbra Streisand Album
Columbia Records
Released in 1963