Barbra: The Voice, The Actress, The Hag

[jetsetwilly]

Ok, I get the Kylie obsession, and the Madonna obsession. I can see where Liza and Judy fans are coming from, even if I'm not on board. And I can even understand Celine people. But Barbra? I really don't get it. I just don't.

I just listened to the bf's Essential Barbra CD and all I could think was:

1) This woman hasn't produced a decent song since around 1974.

2) Even then, she was phoning it in.

3) Even then, the song wasn't that good.

What am I missing? She's got a good voice, yes, but she sounds like she can't be bothered performing; her vocals always sound so half-arsed, like she did it inbetween choosing swatches for her new living room curtains. Never has the phrase "contractual obligation" sounded more apt. There's no heart or soul in her performance. Say what you like about Mariah Carey, and God knows I have (I've seen Glitter), but she always sings like she believes in the song, and is giving her all. The Essential Streisand's last few songs are actually Andrew Lloyd Webber covers, and is there any more lazy performance than that?

Even her films are tripe. I will allow the one, shining moment that is What's Up Doc?, but that's mainly based on the presence of St Madeline Khan, who is a much missed comic genius who manages to blow La Streisand out of the water in every scene. And she wasn't terrible in Meet The Fockers; Barbra is only as hammy as everyone else in that. Unlike Hello Dolly! or Funny Girl, which are just fucking awful, or A Star Is Born, which is embarrassing, or Yentl, which is so bad I don't believe anyone has ever got to the end of it. Barbra managed to piss of Jack Rosenthal on Yentl, and it's widely known that Jack Rosenthal was a lovely lovely man, so something was clearly going wrong there.

I just don't get the Barbra Streisand love from The Gays, and I'd love to hear what I'm missing. It's just something I don't get at all.

[fused]

And there was me thinking I was the only gay who never 'got' Barbra Streisand.

I don't mind her as such, and I think she's very talented, but I've never been that keen on her. I just find most of her songs quite boring and her style is a bit annoying.

The only song of hers I like is probably Left In The Dark, which I think is one most of her fans hate. It's a Jim Steinman penned song that he recorded and Meat Loaf later did, but was probably always intended for a female vocalist. I think it was turned down by Bonnie Tyler. Barbra Streisand sings it well, but the song really doesn't suit her at all.

[Bungle]

No I don't get her either. I sniggered when she charged ludicrus prixces for her O2 gig (£500, was it?) and it was apparently only half full.

What's Up Doc is amazing for reasons that are 98.7% Madeline Kahn related.

[Mike]

Jul 14, 2008 13:40:10 GMT Bungle said:

No I don't get her either. I sniggered when she charged ludicrus prixces for her O2 gig (£500, was it?) and it was apparently only half full.

Wasn't she charging $1 million a ticket for her Millennium Eve shows?

That duet she did with Celine Dion was hilarious - as was the video with the two of them over-emoting and grappling with each other. 'Love will be the gift you give yourself'....what does THAT mean?