Aww ... I forgot one ... and that's THE BROADWAY ALBUM

You know what? I'm feeling tinges of shame for my comments about audio recordings from "back then". I gave your choices a spin today, and I got MAJOR goosebumps... STREISAND HAS ALWAYS ROCKED, AND HAS ALWAYS SOUNDED GREAT! I realize in many ways, the audio from "back then" is almost more electrifying, with an almost concert-hall live sound... Plus...these songs and albums have really stood the test of time... and probably better than most of today's recordings EVER will! I might have to update my list...

Oh, you mean studio-recorded albums as opposed to LIVE Concerts or musicals, such as FUNNY GIRL ?? Well, this is a tough one, I must say. Lord, I love SO many or I wouldn't be writing this to begin with ! I adore "Simply Streisand" and "People" from the early years. Barbra's passion is well-documented in her choice of songs. "The Nearness of You",well, I've tried to imitate it MYSELF (Barbra's got NOTHING to worry about from ME..ha-ha); it's quite dramatic !! Her "sound" is totally different than any one I'd ever heard before, so MATURE, yet still YEARNING to go the distance, to find MORE within herself. I was thrilled that she sang "Will He Like Me?" at Madison Square Garden in '94. It was always a favorite of mine and one I could DEFINITELY relate to as a young girl ! Moving on, I think "Stoney End" and also "WET" have some wonderful "offerings" in "There is No Easy Way Down" and the absolutely exquisite "After the Rain". What gorgeous arrangements and the lyrics are pure poetry, very powerful, indeed. Gee, I can't believe I only have one FAVE left to mention, so it'll be a 3-way tie between "Back To Broadway", "Higher Ground" and "the Movie Album". I wasn't familar with the song "Speak Low" (and its origins) beforehand; coincidentally, I heard it sung by Janet Leigh and John Payne as they danced together as old show biz pals on a 1970's re-run episode of COLUMBO ( after the album's release.) I heard the melody and said to myself "Gosh, I know that song, from Barbra's 2nd b'dway CD" ! One thing for sure, you always learn something new from her, such as "Wild is the Wind" from the movie of the same name. She does the most wonderful rendition. And last but not least, I find "Higher Ground" to be one of the most inspirational collection of songs I've ever heard from any artist. I love that she chose music that has the ability to "heal our hearts and souls". And her duet with Celine Dion is just icing on the cake !
Good night, all...Fran from NJ