Barry Manilow - If I Should Love Again (1981)

Note: this release was originally received as a 1981 Christmas gift (from my mother) as a cassette tape, later replaced by a 1998 reissue of the CD.

I'll admit it: I am a "Fanilow". In the mid-70s, I fell in love with the sappy ballads and the predictable, cheesy modulations at the end of almost every song. By the time this album was released, Manilow's star was fading, although he desperately tried to stay up-to-date with a disco cover of The Four Season's Let's Hang On which would have been great if it had been released 3-4 years earlier. In fact, the entire album seems to be in a time warp. I wasn't a very discriminating listener when I was 15, so I never noticed that Manilow isn't very strong vocally on this release - he would have benefited greatly from today's autotune technology. Overall, however, I'm glad I bought the reissue because it provides a nice soundtrack for a stroll down memory lane.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "an impeccable set of romantic ballads"
• Stereo Review: "you have to admit he has the true pop touch"
• Record World: "Manilow has hit the pulse of pure romance this time around."
• CashBox: "a strong collection of true songwriter's songs"

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #14
Peak on CashBox album chart: #14
Peak on the Rolling Stone chart: #26

Tracks: I like The Old Songs and think Somewhere Down the Road is one his better singles. By the way, both these tracks were written by someone else. I think Manilow had to continually fight Arista for the inclusion of his own material on his albums. The title track could possibly be one of the most overwrought ballads of Manilow's career (think of what I'm saying there). Forgettable tracks included Break Down the Door and Fools Get Lucky. The reissue's bonus track, You're Runnin' Too Hard, wouldn't have fit on the original release so it's easy to hear why it was left off.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I remember listening to this cassette many times that winter before finally coming to the realization that I had no more need for newer Manilow. I was moving to the greener pastures of New Wave music. Indeed, this would be the last Manilow current release I would get.