Corbin Times Tribune
May 11, 1991
The uses of music in people’s lives are as diverse as people themselves.
We are constantly bombarded by music, from commercial jingles to elevator music to passing car radios. In addition, most of us keep personal music for a host of different times. I hope that this, my third article on personal favorites, offers some suggestions for each
of those different moods.
Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Premier Collection: This is really nothing more than a greatest hits album with a fancy title. The songs come from the shows of Broadway prince Andrew Lloyd Webber; if the name means nothing to you, maybe show titles like Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Evita will. This is an extremely well done “Best of…” album.
Barry Manilow – Barry Manilow: I think a lot more people must be listening to Barry Manilow than actually admit it. he’s no artistic genius, but he writes some of the most romantic, tearjerking music you’ll ever hear. This album is one of the best, full of schmaltzy elevator music that made him a star. Barry Manilow is to the music world what Harlequin romances are to literature, and this album is Manilow at his catchiest.
Bette Midler – Some People’s Lives: Not long ago, I devoted an entire column to this, Bette Midler’s newest album. More genuine and mature than Her early camp albums, but catcnler and more fun than her Beaches soundtrack, this album is a nice mix of both sides of Bette Midler.
Billy Joel – Greatest Hit Volume 1 and 2: Billy Joel has the most incredible sense of rhythm and melody in modem pop music, and this collection showcases it all. From the classic, melodic “Piano Man” to the hypnotic “Pressure* to the rock and roll sounds of “Uptown Girl,” this albu m is priceless.
R.E.M. – Out of Time: This is one band that deserves a lot more attention than they get. While R.E.M. has had their share of chartbusters, they have been producing some good, thoughtful music that hasn’t had its share of the spotlight. Like the B-52’s, R.E.M. is part of the neo-hippie movement in pop music, and this album reflects all the fun and depth of the original hippie era.
Well, those are a few of my favorite tapes. I hope you like them, too.
