Boasting twenty songs and nearly 80 minutes of music, Ultimate Manilow presents fans with a single disc collection that contains every major hit from 1974's "Mandy" to his last Top 10 hit, 1980's "I Made It Through the Rain." In addition, you get Manilow's update of the "Bandstand" theme song and a couple of his early-Eighties minor hits ("The Old Songs" and "Somewhere Down the Road") and his attempt at a more jazz-influenced sound on "When October Goes" from 1984's "2:00 AM Paradise Cafe."

Never the critics' darling, Manilow had a non-stop string of hits through the Seventies, including three No. 1's and five million-sellers. Billboard archivist Joel Whitburn listed Manilow at No. 12 among the Top Artists of the Seventies--based on chart position and weeks spent on the chart.

Michael Jackson might have been the King of Pop, but Manilow was the King of the Romantic Ballad. [Trivia footnote: Manilow's coproducer and sometime background vocalist on his first nine albums was ex-Archie Ron Dante.] If you were a teenager anytime during the Seventies, these songs have been burned into your brain. This is everything the casual fan will want or need. RECOMMENDED

Barry Manilow has had a lot of great songs,unfortunately they have not been captured on "best-ofs" very well. Finally though someone at Arista came up with this. All of his major and most important top 40 hits are here. The notable ommissions are

"When I Wanted You", and "Some Kind of Freind", but no greatest hits album is ever perfect. Barry Manilow is one of the most underrated musicians in the history of the music business. I hope maybe this will help to end that. Bravo! to Arista.

This collection bridges the gap for people who love these songs,but don't neccesarily consider themselves hard core Manilow fans. Some people can't handle the abuse that comes with loving Barry!(At the concert is New Orleans on Feb.2 Barry thanked us fans for our love and support."I know it's not easy to be a Manilow fan!" he said.)

This compilation is Barry's last for Arista. A label who served him well for many years, but if you think Barry is resting on his larels and riding on his early hits . . .You are very mistaken!

Barry has indeed moved on. Check out his new album for Concord Records, "Here at the Mayflower". Phenomenal!! Barry hasn't lost a step I assure you. If anything, he's even better.

So, hopefully "Ultimate Manilow" will lead the hesitant to discover how talented Barry truly is. There are 30 albums availabe to back it up. Thanks Barry!!!

The man has outdone himself! This is a noteworthy compilation of the all-time best music of Barry Manilow. His music just lives on and on...bringing joy and tears and just about every other emotion in that spectrum. This is for those who aren't afraid to feel...aren't afraid to remember and appreciate life at its fullest. If you appreciate Barry's many talents - buy this CD. And if you aren't a Barry-believer yet - you will be once you listen to this.

Thank you, Barry. You have touched so many...said so much... What would the world be like without you?...we just can't smile - or cry or laugh or sing - without you!

while i don't agree that the CD should have been called "Ultimate Manilow" (that honor goes to "The Complete Collection and Then Some...") i am glad that Arista has compiled 20 of the essential Manilow hits on one CD and now i don't have to listen to 1989's three-volume set of "Greatest Hits" and i can give them a rest.first things first. it has always annoyed me that Barry's critics and naysayers never really say what irks them about Barry. one reviewer simply lists a bunch of his songs as "poo"(?) and never really says the reason they think they're "poo", whatever that word means. secondly, i am a big fan of comedy songs and comedy in general (i'm a fan of Ray Stevens, Stan Freberg, Jack Benny, Fred Allen, and Bob Newhart among others). i think it's cute when Barry sings "Copacabana", "Bandstand Boogie", "Daybreak", or a 1980 hit that isn't on this collection: the U.K. smash "Bermuda Triangle". getting to the point, what's wrong with a pop singer having sincerity and care for lyrics? who said that pop singers have to prance around that morons ( Metallica, Aerosmith, Kiss, REM, etc.) and sing about killing their wives/girlfriends or glorifying America's obsession with material items? (Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Augueilra or however her name's spelled, Avaril Lavigne, etc.). what's wrong with a singer simply singing songs about reality? you know, nobody has the right to tell someone that they're too sentimental or mawkish. fine if such things make you vomit, but remember that you're not the only ones who listen to music, either! get this CD and you'll be amazed at Barry's wonderful vocals and his trademark 'power ballads'. all 20 songs are excellent. my favorites are "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again", "Ships", "I Write The Songs", "Mandy", "Looks Like We Made It", "Even Now", "The Old Songs", and "Can't Smile Without You". the only drawback is the omission of his brilliant 1979 hit "When I Wanted You" and several mid '80s rockers: "Read 'Em and Weep", "I'm Your Man", "You're Lookin' Hot Tonight", and "It's All Behind Us Now". the CD's liner notes are small excerpts from a TV interview on a show called 'Musicians' that coincided with the release of this Top-10 ranked album (it reached #3)!