Barry Manilow
Here at the Mayflower
(Concord - 2001)
by Matthew S. Robinson
Name-checking the sadly late Tito Puente and the sadly early Dave Koz, as
well as many of his older personas (a young girl named "Mandy" comes to
mind), Barry Manilow opens his latest career leg with a square block of
interestingly varied yet impressively interconnected stories. Playing like
Jimmy Stewart's journal from "Rear Window," Mayflower tells the tales of the
all too real residents of a mythical hotel. From the smooth jazz loving
lonelyheart to the long-time couple recalling their younger days, Manilow
peeps through "so many windows,; so many locks" and reveals sides of his
characters and of himself that are both familiar and novel.
From the uptempo
beats of the "Stairway to Paradise"-themed "Come Monday" and the gangster
swing of "Freddie Said" to the "get up and dance" lilt of "Turn the Radio
Up" and the dramatic diction of "Talk to Me," Manilow manifests manifold
mannerisms. Which one is Manilow's true voice is debatable. But in laying
bare an entire brick and stone edifice, Manilow allows us to look into
ourselves while hearing a variety of voices which fall gently and
comfortably on the ears, even as they pick away at the locks on our hearts.
c. 2001, M. S. Robinson, ARR
