What works once should also succeed twice, Arista must have thought of record boss Clive Davis. The albums that Rod Stewart recorded under his direction, with songs from the American Songbook, became huge sales successes. The voice of Barry Manilow, who once scored huge 'middle of the road' hits with Copacobana and Mandy, seems to lend itself perfectly to a similar formula. Manilow became a big star
… in the 1970s, but still attracts full concert halls decades later. On The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties he sings simple songs from the rock 'n roll era, which are provided with rich arrangements for the occasion. No expense has been spared to make this project a grand comeback for Barry Manilow. The question is whether he will win new fans with it. The music remains too close to Manilow's well-known work from the seventies for that. (MS)more
