Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Barry Manilow II
by Ken Houghton
Here's their first mistake:
Even if you think of Manilow as a stylist, a masterful interpreter, and a brilliant stage presence, you would think so because of the modulation, the reaching of crescendo, the variation. To use the baseball analogy, Manilow (and Doris Day) are "finesse" pitchers--if they do the musical equivalent of throwing a fast ball, it's for effect. Treating the music as if it were Sabbath or AC/DC does neither any good--as the neighbors note:
Remember, this was supposed to be a Quality of Life Initiative. But it was spearheaded by people such as Rockdale Deputy Mayor Bill Saravinovski
I suspect if he were dosed with six months of "Fernando," "Dancing Queen," and "Power of Love"--not to mention "This Song Must Go On"--his appreciation for "Mandy" would be at least as high as the local residents's appreciation of his improvement to their Quality of Life.
It's time to check in on the Aussie Manilow Experiment; original post here.
Here's their first mistake:
the local council in Rockdale, in Sydney's southern suburbs, started a six-month trial of high-volume hits by Manilow and Doris Day to chase away car enthusiasts who were gathering on weekend nights at Cook Park Reserve.[emphasis mine]
Even if you think of Manilow as a stylist, a masterful interpreter, and a brilliant stage presence, you would think so because of the modulation, the reaching of crescendo, the variation. To use the baseball analogy, Manilow (and Doris Day) are "finesse" pitchers--if they do the musical equivalent of throwing a fast ball, it's for effect. Treating the music as if it were Sabbath or AC/DC does neither any good--as the neighbors note:
But some people living near the park are less than enthralled. They say the barrage of "Copacabana," "Could It Be Magic" and "Que Sera Sera," blasting from 9 p.m. to midnight every Friday, Saturday [sic] and Sunday is driving them crazy.
"I don't know how I will cope," said Moya Dunn, describing how the songs have invaded her house. "I just can't sleep when it's on, and to think there's going to be another six months of this."
Remember, this was supposed to be a Quality of Life Initiative. But it was spearheaded by people such as Rockdale Deputy Mayor Bill Saravinovski
"The initial reaction was that they found it irritating," Saravinovski said. "I'm not disputing what the residents are saying. I can't swallow some of the tracks like `Mandy.'
"We have tried to reduce the sound and we are reviewing the songs. I don't mind Marry[sic] Manilow, but I'm more of an ABBA and Celine Dion fan."
I suspect if he were dosed with six months of "Fernando," "Dancing Queen," and "Power of Love"--not to mention "This Song Must Go On"--his appreciation for "Mandy" would be at least as high as the local residents's appreciation of his improvement to their Quality of Life.
