I think it was 1979 - I was eleven at the time and my mother had just purchased a book of pop music called "Nice and Easy Feelings." I would play through the easier pieces and one day stumbled upon "Mandy," written in the not-so-easy key (at least back then) of B flat. Once Dad heard me playing it, it became a continual request and was my first introduction to Barry Manilow.

Over the years, I became a fan and accumulated several of his albums. When I was in high school and old enough to be responsible, Dad let me listen to his "Barry Manilow II" album and it soon became one of my favorites. Now, looking back with thirty+ years and a familiarity of all of his releases from 1973-1986, I believe that this album is one of his best. He was at the height of his creativity and attempting to prove what he could do on his own.

"Mandy" was Manilow's first hit single and was a rerelease of Scott English's "Brandy." Manilow reworked it as a ballad and, due to Looking Glass's hit by the same title, the title was changed. It climbed all the way to #1 - not bad for a first effort - actually, "Could It Be Magic" was his first effort - that's another story. His second single, incidentally not a favorite of mine, was "It's A Miracle," which climbed to #12.

Like his first album, this one has an immense amount of variety, including everything from Count Basie's "Avenue C" to driving rock - Yes! Driving rock on a Manilow album. The best rocker on the album is "Something's Comin' Up." Great drive and brass.

Other personal favorites include the ballads "Sandra," a great self-refection piece for any early mother, and "Home Again," a love song about a distant relationship. The ending of the piece is quite extensive, allowing Barry a chance to solo on the piano The album also includes a great latin-based bonus track entitled "Halfway Over the Hill."

It would seem that Barry's first four albums truly showcased his capability of mastering different styles and genres. As he began plugging out hits, it would appear that his fan-base, or perhaps his record label, began to pigeon-hole him, demanding more slick, pop ballads. 1975's "Tryin' To Get The Feelin'" saw what I consider the last of the "edgier" rockers and 1976's "This One's For You" the last of the fast swing numbers. If you enjoy Barry's music, you really owe it to yourself to listen to this album.

I'm showing my age here (well, at least in numerical years...I bought this album and Joni Mitchell's COURT AND SPARK the same day, and they both still resonate enormously.....)

aside from the mega-hit MANDY and to a lesser extent IT'S A MIRACLE, this Manilow release is filled with surprises. Manilow's vocals have a far less glossy edge to them than when he hit mega-stardom in the 70s, and the material choice throughout is pretty superb. The album slyly begins with "I Wanna Be Somebody's Baby" and it's a track that a masher could remix down to something pretty true and sexy. And the album's true long-term winner for me is 'EARLY MORNING STRANGERS" -- a smart, sad, true winner of a lyric. I'm always surprised that more attention has not been paid over the years to the "Early Morning" track. It certainly isn't from the peppy, happy "Daybreak" Manilow. This entire album has a clarity and edge (okay, a mild edge, but it certainly evokes those 70s years in a big city) to it, a real New York City feel -- well, at least if you're a gay man in your early 50s (that's me, I'll leave Barry to his own choices). There's a undercurrent of wistfulness and yearning throughout the album and again, Manilow's vocals have an entirely different feel to them here. Mike DeLugg, here as Manilow's engineer as he was/is for so much of Manilow's best albums, again shows his total prowess over the sound booth -- just as DeLugg did with all of Jane Olivor's best work, he really understands how to put some aural space around the vocals, and it's distinctive and sublime.

This past weekend, I saw this album in a vintage store (well, I guess it is vintage by now), but just holding it in my hands brought back waves of regret and nostalgia, thinking back at the young gay teenager (me) who bought this album the weekend after he had first had sex, and the incredible longing to break free of my parents, Kansas, and make it to the Big Apple. Indeed, I'm here in Manhattan now and this album still evokes all of that want and desire.

I bought this album back in the 70s on LP. I have played it so much that you can here that I have when it is played. Decided to buy the CD and therefore have this album forever and in good condition for as long as I look after it. This is one of my favourite albums of Manilow.

This CD is actually a replacement for the same one that I had in vinyl "back in the day".

It has some of my favorites like "Somebody's Baby" and in short the whole thing is just good Manilow. That instrumentation, vocal harmony, and Barry's distinctive singing style continue to come through on this album as it does on all the others. Aaah ... the memories. Nobody like Manilow. Enjoy!

Early Barry, from 1974, digitally remastered (whatever that REALLY means) in 2006. Now, of course it's a 5. I never met a Manilow album I didn't like. (Get it? "Never Met a Man I Didn't Like"--a Barry song. If you didn't get it, you have not been sufficiently Manilized. Back to the Processing Center! And don't come out until you. . . oh never mind).

Anyway, great album! Great sound quality. Classic songs are: "Mandy" and "It's A Miracle" and are the standard versions of these favorites. Even though I'm only a couple of years younger than Barry, I'm a recent Fanilow, but with a huge Manilownian collection. This is important to know because my perspective is different than some others who have been with Barry since Jesus was born in the manger. I do not remember these songs from 1974, so many are brand new to me. I'm hearing them like a child out of the womb :-). (OK, an older child. Rub it in!)

I've heard "Sandra" before. It's on one or two of my other BM albums. Low on my list of favorites. Sad song. "Something's Comin' Up" is a Barry oldie. So is "Avenue C" and "I Want To Be Somebody's Baby." "Avenue C" is a jazzy type song, if you don't know it already and a bit different than some of the later versions of it I have. This is a great version, too.

New to this little Polish Girl are: "Early Morning Strangers" is a kinda easy-listening song. It's like "we did the deed the night before but don't have nuthin' to say now. It's no good without love." "The Two of Us" is a slow song, not his best stuff but good. "My Baby Loves Me" is more peppy, with a lot of "yeah, yeah, yeah" in it. Kinda a song you wanna clap to. "Halfway Over the Hill" has a nice beat to it. I like peppy music you can m-o-o-v-e to, like this. Nuthin' wrong with the other stuff though. "Good News" is peppy too and "Home Again" is slow and pretty.

All great songs--12 tracks--42.22 minutes. (How'd ya like that number? 4-222!) There's a little booklet included with all the words, so you can sing along with Barry Blue Eyes if you want to. For those who know a little Barry trivia, there's a picture of Beagle or Bagel (Barry's Beagle)on the back cover of the booklet and CD case.

Although not one of my favorite BM CDs, this album is good if you either want some early Barry songs and/or if you want some songs that are not on any or most of the later CDs. If you have very little Manilow, try some of his other albums on my other reviews. The "One Voice" album is one of my favorites, along with the Complete Collection in the big silver folder (4 CDs + 1 DVD). I have many other favorites, too.