NEW RELEASE OF THE MONTH
SEPTEMBER 2014
BARBRA STREISANDPARTNERS [The Deluxe Edition]
Barbra Streisand has carved out her own place among the pantheon of greatest vocalists. Her duets too, have become legendary: "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Neil Diamond; "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" with Donna Summer; "Guilty" with Barry Gibb; "I've Got a Crush on You" with Frank Sinatra and "The Music of the Night" with Michael Crawford rank high among her finest collaborations. 
Streisand's newest album teams her dulcet tonsils with new male vocalists on 'Partners'. The album covers an array of styles and genres; revisiting some classic songs from her catalogue as well as new ones. It all fuses perfectly. 
'Partners' opens with Michael Buble' joining Streisand on the standard "It Had To Be You"; serving as the perfect entreatment for her latest project. Together, the 2 singers mesh magically, with the young Canadian sounding genuinely chuffed to be singing alongside the legend.
Stevie Wonder has worked with Streisand previously, and on the new CD the 2 veterans team up to re-interpret her signature song "People". The result is a fresh aural context that Wonder embellishes with his trademark skill on the harmonica. 
John Mayer's vocal works well with the new and bluesy arrangement on "Come Rain Or Come Shine". He manages to hold his own alongside Streisand's colossal performance. 
"Evergreen", 1 of the jewels of her songbook, is lovingly approached by Streisand with this album's co-producer, Babyface. His velvet vocals are almost as heavenly as Luther Vandross' remake in 1994. The decision not to alter too much proves wise.
Streisand covered Billy Joel's "New York State Of Mind" back in 1977. For 'Partners', the composer joins her for this re-recorded tribute to the state and their shared birthplace. This duet surprisingly meshes their 2 contrasting voices faultlessly and concludes with some cute dialogue between them.
On "I'd Want it to be You", Streisand goes country, but brings her adult contemporary credentials with her on the duet with Blake Shelton. The track helps provide more variety in the CD's sound, but it is the weakest of its songs. 
Tackling a song as iconic as "The Way We Were" is an arduous objective. Arguably no other song is so indelibly associated with Streisand. The new interpretation, with Lionel Richie, sadly fails. He seems dwarfed by Streisand's obvious ownership of the tune. The new arrangement sounds like an elevator muzak watered down version, trying to sound more like Richie's own "Endless Love" than the cherished 1974 version. Not only does the remake miss the mark, but it leaves Richie almost unrecognisable and unintentionally diminished to merely a background singer. 
All is forgiven as soon as the next track- "I Still Can See Your Face", Streisand's glorious duet with Andrea Bocelli -begins. Why these 2 titans haven't been matched previously is perplexing. This new song is majestic yet never indulgent. It left me wishing the Italian tenor would burst into some Italian to really carry this highlight track over the edge. 
If any listeners faced the duet with Streisand's son Jason Gould with trepidation, rest assured: the collaboration is well executed. Gould has talent and he certainly demonstrates it on the Irving Berlin standard "How Deep is the Ocean". The result sounds like Streisand duetting with George Michael- it's simply that good!
Shrewdly, this CD finds Streisand collaborating with celebrated performers as well as contemporary talents such as John Legend. He tackles "What Kind Of Fool", first recorded by Streisand as a duet with Barry Gibb on the 1980 album 'Guilty'. The soft keyboards draw the listener in and then Legend's velvet vocals make this new version irresistible. 
For me, the definitive version of "Somewhere" was recorded by Streisand on her 'The Broadway Album'. On 'Partners', she revisits the anthemic song from "West Side Story" with Josh Groban. The new treatment lacks excitement, but is a faultless reading. 
The album closes with a posthumous duet with Elvis Presley, on his ballad "Love Me Tender". The track leaves one pondering what 'A Star Is Born' would have been like had the 2 co-starred in the 1970s update as Streisand had originally planned. This new recording is Streisand's "Unforgettable". 
The deluxe edition of 'Partners'  includes additional tracks, most having been previously issued: with Barry Manilow, Sinatra, Gibb and Bryan Adams. The sole exception is a 2nd duet with Babyface. This new track is a re-visiting of the love song "Lost Inside Of You" (from 'A Star Is Born'); an underrated gem from her songbook. It is lovingly performed by the 2 singers. 
'Partners' shows Streisand is still in fine voice. This will definitely be a hit album for the legendary singer. Plans are afoot for a sequel, matching her with female singers; including a duet with Whitney Houston and possibly Beyonce`. Personally, I cannot wait!