Back in the 70's in college a fellow classmate of mine being a Sinatra relative, I noticed when we were at her cousins home who happened to be one of Sinatra's daughters, the prominent LP on display was a very early Barry Manilow!! As I scanned through the collection I noticed several other Barry LP's and when I inquired "who's the fan?" I remember my friend saying the whole Sinatra family starting with Frank being number one!! I found this very interesting and was not surprised when Mr. Sinatra released "I Sing The Songs" on a single release which is very stirring and soulfully sung. So when Barry recorded this great Sinatra tribute I felt it was fitting and something that I was not at all surprised about! More than anyone, I am quite certain Frank Sinatra would have loved this collection and be very proud that one of his favorites gave him such a great salute. Barry's vocals are rich and varied and each song is beautifully arranged. Anyone who has enjoyed Barry's masterworks such as "2 A.M. Paradise Cafe" or "Swing Street" will love this sophisicated collection!!! Thank You Barry!!!

First of all, let me say that I am a huge fan of both Sinatra and Manilow. To those of you who have bashed Barry and dismissed this CD as a poor attempt at covering the Chairman of the Board, keep in mind that it was Frank Sinatra who pointed his finger at Barry many years ago to the press and said, "He's next!" Frank Sinatra even covered some of Barry's songs. He did his own version of "I Write the Songs" and changed it to "I Sing the Songs." He also sang Barry's "See the Show Again" every night during one of his tours in the late 70s. For those of you claiming to have such respect for Frank, you should have a little more respect for what he stood for. The arrangements on this CD are in very good taste and are pulled off brilliantly. You may not like Barry or his singing, but please, give credit where credit is due. One person said that these arrangements sounded "Karyoke." Give me a break! You clearly don't know anything about the music industry. The arrangers on this CD are top-notch arrangers. These are not just people off the street. Like Frank Sinatra, Barry works with the best and produces albums he can be proud of. This one is no exception. "You Make Me Feel So Young" is my favorite on this album because its arranged to sound like a Sinatra arrangement, yet it's so different from Sinatra's version of this song. You have to hear it to know what I mean.

One more thing. Naturally, people are going to compare this to Sinatra but come one, that's not what this is about. This is a musician showing respect to another musician. And I would bet money on the fact that if Barry had done this while Sinatra was still alive, Sinatra would have praised it, and would have felt honored. I think then you Sinatra fans might be singing a different tune. Also, keep in mind, Barry writes a lot of his own music, plays practically every instrument there is (don't believe me? See him in concert or look at the credits on his album "Here at the Mayflower" Barry is his own band on that album!) produced a Diane Schurr record, and has even written a musical which makes its Broadway debut in January. Now, I love Sinatra, but he wasn't capable of half of this. He was a great singer/song selector. He couldn't write music, never accompanied himself on an instrument. My point: take it for what it's worth... Give credit where credit is due!

Of course the reviews of albums will vary, but sometimes people can go too far. Mr Manilow tried. "Manilow Sings Sinatra" is an excellent album. His voice is good and clear. The arangements are slightly different, not to the point of "a new Frank", so what's the problem? The CD shows great care to one entertainer from an other. Barry Manilow was a large fan of Frank Sinatra (as I'am) and he just expressed a tribute to him, like a lot of people do. Sure some can not record an album, like Manilow, but his efforts are genuine. Hey don't 'pick' and 'nag' over it, just listen to once or twice, the mood that is created is just great. Some pieces that stand out are "I've Got The World On A Sring", "Summer Wind", "Saturday Night" and "My Kind Of Town". Some of these songs weren't Sinatra signature's (Barry's pick), some old standards, they are all done well, just like all of Manilow's work.

This is one of my favorite CDs of all time. I never get bored with this music. I love Sinatra and Manilow separately, but the combination is wonderful.

There are several other Sinatra tribute cd's that are wonderful, Lou Rawls, Carol Sloane & Steve Lawrence that stay close to the arrangements that Sinatra used.. what I love about Barry's tribute cd are the arrangements!!!! Barry made these songs his own and still pays tribute to Frank.. when I listen to this fantastic cd, I don't think of Frank as I do when I listen to the other tribute cd's, Phil Ramone & Barry did a great job producing this cd! I feel the music is so rich!, I love the arrangement on 'Summer Wind' Barry's voice just flows...I really feel this cd has been unfairly rewiewed since it first came out...This is one of Barry's Best!!!