I don't LOVE this CD, but I don't HATE it either. Anything by Barbra Streisand is usually better work than most of what is on the market...even when it's odd. This is not one of my favorite CD's, but song #4, "I Won't Last A Day Without You," is one of my all-time favorite individual tracks of Barbra Streisand's entire catalog. This is one of the most intimate, heartfelt, really- feeling-the-love-energy-go-right-through-you songs (and vocals, for that matter) ever recorded. This song alone is worth the CD purchase price. I also like the calypso "Guava Jelly." I can't help but think of Barbara Streisand singing this song dressed like Mary Ann from "Gilligan's Island." Incidentally, folks, don't forget the early 1970's were an experimental/growth time. Very little lasting/quality music, film, clothes, or interior decor came from this time. "Butterfly" is like that avocado lamp, harvest-gold rug or orange-and- brown bean bag chair you come across in the attic. Once you're through making jokes about it, you pay attention and begin to focus on what you liked about it at the time it caught your attention.

This cd is the epitomy of all that is Barbra!! Especially liked "Guava jelly" and "Is there life on Mars" it gave me goose pimples!!She does it better than David Bowie.

When this album first came out in 1974, it was treated
as a joke among critics and music industry people,
simply because Barbra's current amour Jon Peters was
given the producer credit. Up till that moment he was
known as a successful hairdresser and businessman, with
apparently no musical talent or experience. Who knows
how much control or input he really had on the project?
Tom Scott, coming right off a very successful run with
Joni Mitchell on her "Court & Spark" album, was enlisted
as musical coordinator. I think it's safe to say that
Tom was Barbra's main musical collaborator on this project.
And in retrospect, this album is very underrated. Yes,
at times Barbra tries too hard to "rock out", particularly
on David Bowie's "Life On Mars", but she does a good job
nonetheless. A few of the tracks are absolutely first-
rate, particularly "Love In the Afternoon", "Simple Man",
"I Won't Last a Day Without You" (which is the closest to

Barbra's classic 70's fare) and "Let The Good Times Roll".
And some of the less successful tracks like her attempt at
soul on Bill Withers' classic "Grandma's Hands" are, seen
many years later, interesting attempts at growth on Barbra's
part. This album is much more interesting and enjoyable than
several of Babs' later "Adult Contemporary" snoozers like
"Songbird", "Wet" and especially "Emotion", the absolute
bottom of the barrel. Those albums have very few decent
songs on them. "Butterfly", on the other hand, is fun from
start to finish. If you're a fan, you'll probably enjoy it!

Leave your prejudices at the door...this album was savagely criticised when it came out in 1974, due mainly to the involvement of Jon Peters. Critics seemed to miss
the fact that Streisand was trying out different styles and textures in her voice and experimenting with a different type of song. "Love In The Afternoon" "Guava Jelly" and "Grandma's Hands" in particular are light years away from what she had been doing. The understatement of "Simple Man" is a great introduction for people who only see Streisand as a 'belter'. Her gentle interpretation of that song alone is worth the
price of the album. In my opinion the only substandard
track would be "Jubilation", which does sound a little Broadway Goes Gospel. Apart from that...enjoy.

The 1st time I heard Barbra Streisand's "ButterFly" I was in a dentist's chair with Nitrous Oxide on... an exceptionally receptive mood for "Love in the Afternoon" to float in on. Then "Guava Jelly" ups the tempo a bit and is a great fun loving song. Slipping into a bluesier and thoughtful "Grandma's Hands" and then into more familiar Lite-FM-esque "I Won't Last A Day Without You" and onto a refreshing "Jubilation". I was hooked, gas or not.

The 2nd half of the album is at least as good as the 1st. "Simple Man" is almost spiritual in it's simplicity and earnest appeal. Then the best cut of the album, Barbra's remake of "Life On Mars", the David Bowie classic. Many people have lamented her version over the years, unjustly comparing it to the original. Barbra's introduction is haunting, futuristic and daring and she makes great use of her acting style so often well-utilized in her Broadway songs, to give this rendition a multi-layered and deeper interpretation.

"Since I Don't Have You" and "Crying Time" are unique. Streisand can at times create an unusual sound with her range and stylizations. These songs alternately feel country and soulful, an odd and yet very satisfying blend. Listen for yourself. She would later perform "Crying Time" as a duet with Ray Charles on one of her TV specials.

The 70's laid-back feel and spoken intro of "Let the Good Times Roll" harkens back to a simpler time. Before all the great "causes" that would leave us all in a perpetual state of despair. When the strongest drug of choice was pot, when sex wasn't life threatening and feeling good and mellow was "in".

This was back when she wasn't afraid to experiment with contemporary sounds and I'm glad we have albums like this and "Lazy Afternoon", "Stoney End" etc. to remind us of better times.