Streisand ‘Release Me 2’

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From The Second Disc —


theseconddisc.com/2021/06/04/be-aware-barbra-streisand-reopens-the-vaults-for-release-me-2/

[fabtastique]

Lots of chatter about this, much about the disappointing track list especially as superior tracks were promised in the liner notes of vol 1 nine years ago that aren’t on this release.

Also there are about 10 versions of the album, most with the same tracks - a couple with one bonus track - but with different coloured covers or coloured vinyl. Smacks of milking fans when surely Babs can’t need the cash that badly!

I personally am disappointed with the tracks list and the lead single, a rehashed duet with Willie Nelson from her Partners album not good enough for that album but included on RM2 - it doesn’t work for me. Barbra overpowers Willie’s croaky, weak vocals but repeats the same schmaltzy spoken “ad- libs” that appear on the track with Blake Shelton that appeared on Partners.

Supposedly more rare stuff is coming next year for Barbra’s 80th birthday ….. shame this one wasn’t better though …..but who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised on August 6th!

[fabtastique]

I actually love Babs, don’t get me wrong ! Check out my recently slimmed down CD collection …. Linda and Barbra taking pride of place and the most space.

I’m just disappointed how she’s played this release.

[rick]

Hi, Fab --

No one doubts that you are a Streisand fan. I understand that you're disappointed. There are tracks, including "Make Our Garden Grow," that I would have liked on "Release Me 2." Joe Marchese of The Second Disc lists others such as Barbra's unreleased takes on Laura Nyro's "He's a Runner," "Better" by Ed ("A Chorus Line") Kleban, Leonard Bernstein's "Make Our Garden Grow," along with "It Doesn't Get Better Than This," the cut song from her 1996 film "The Mirror Has Two Faces," and on and on.

I guess there are two sides to this. How much is cashing in on your fans too many times?

Here is just one recent example of various versions of Paul McCartney --


Paul McCartney Announces Remix and Covers Album “McCartney III-Imagined”

According to this post, there are 49 (49!) different physical iterations of "McCartney III."

Gosh, imagine if there were 79 different iterations of Linda's "Living in the U.S.A." ?

This is part of the commercial relationship between the music biz and the fan market. At the end of the day, fans can choose to buy, or not to buy, that is the question!

As I have posted here before, I'm a huge Motown fan and Diana Ross and The Supremes disbanded Jan. 14, 1970, and I am still waiting for Motown/Universal to release the expanded edition of "Reflections" (1967) with unreleased tracks. That's 54 years of songs in the vaults.

As you and others have said, perhaps with Irving Azoff purchasing the Linda Ronstadt catalog, we will start seeing more product moving. You know that Linda has been sitting on stuff for years that she didn't feel was worth releasing. Now that decision, I imagine, has cleared the hurdle of needing to be her decision. As for Streisand, I imagine that she has a lot of handlers around her, the people at Sony, marketing people, etc. who are trying to make $$$ when, as we know, the real money nowadays is in touring. Streisand is 79. I realize that Streisand's fan base, like Linda's fan base, isn't getting any younger.

Fab, I understand wanting these recordings to be released. I share that desire. But, as with Linda's recordings, those decisions are out of our hands.

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