Memories

iTunes Review

Packed with prime cuts, Barbra Streisand’s Memories (1981) works well as a survey of her career highlights from the mid-‘70s through the early ‘80s. The tunes included on this album document her full transition from Broadway-style chanteuse to contemporary pop artist, able to interpret everything from the high-gloss disco of “No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)” (a duet with Donna Summer) to the elegant piano rock of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” with ease and authority. The obvious big hits of the era are here, including such essentials as “Evergreen,” “The Way We Were” and the Neil Diamond duet “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.” Equally as impressive are such lesser-known tunes as “Lost Inside of You,” heard as a solo Streisand performance rather than in its original form as a duet with Kris Kristofferson. Adding extra impact are two newly recorded tracks: a gloriously heartbreaking rendition of the Cats aria “Memory” and “Comin’ In and Out of Your Life,” a billowing pop ballad in classic Barbra mode. Taken together, these recordings reaffirm Streisand’s pre-eminent position among the great singers of her time.