| Reviews & Columns |
|
Reviews DVD TV on DVD Blu-ray 4K UHD International DVDs In Theaters Reviews by Studio Video Games Features Collector Series DVDs Easter Egg Database Interviews DVD Talk Radio Feature Articles Columns Anime Talk DVD Savant Horror DVDs The M.O.D. Squad Art House HD Talk Silent DVD
|
 DVD Talk Forum |
|
|
| Resources |
|
DVD Price Search Customer Service #'s RCE Info Links |
|
Columns
  
 
|
|
|
Barbra Streisand - One Voice
Rhino // Unrated // September 12, 2006
List Price: $19.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
Aguably one of the finest voices to grace any venue in the last fifty years, Barbara Streisand's status as one of the most successful singers of her generation is even more remarkable when one takes into account the fact that she mostly veered away from rock and roll, staying with picture perfect ballads and show tunes. Also notable is the fact that Ms. Streisand used her voice as a springboard for a endeavors such as stage and film actress and director.
One Voice is a concert film that first saw life as an HBO exclusive; Streisand used the event- her first live concert since 1972- to vocally protest against nuclear arms buildup in the Reagan era, at a time prior to the conclusion of the Cold War. Erecting an elaborate stage in her own backyard (which opening comedian Robin Williams tags as "Camp Barbara")with tickets going for $5000 a pop. Planned at the time as a fundraiser for Democratic candidates, the concert has raised more than $7 million in profits that have been channeled through the Streisand Foundation to charities committed to anti-nuclear activities, human rights, civil liberties, and the preservation of our environment. Footage of the attendees make it clear that some considerably big show business names were willing to shell out the cash in order to be a part of the event; stars such as Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer-Sager, Bruce Willis, Glenn Close, Don Johnson and Goldie Hawn are shown in the audience as well as arriving and gushing excitement over getting to see Babs performing live.
Hest is a setlist of the show-
Robin Williams: Camp Barbra with various celebrities
Barbra's Invitation
Somewhere
Evergreen
Something's Coming
People
Send In The Clowns
Over The Rainbow
Guilty (with Barry Gibb)
What Kind Of Fool (with Barry Gibb)
Papa, Can You Hear Me?
The Way We Were
It's A New World
Happy Days Are Here Again
America, The Beautiful
The song lineup is pretty safe. I'll go so far as to say I've heard Streisand better, but seriously, does Barbara EVER sound bad? She does seem a bit tense at the onset of the show but relaxes as she reacqaints herself with the process of performing live. Some people may not care for the duets with Barry Gibb- coming from the 1980 album "Guilty", (they have since done a second 2005 album, "Guilty Pleasures") but I grew up in the era and was particularly fond of the more upbeat, looser material she released in that period. Give Babs a break- after all, this is a concert that took place in 1986, so the material is timely given it's vintage. Also on display here is a fine take on "Papa can you Hear Me?" from her wonderful film, "Yentl"- wrongfully snubbed come Academy Award time, she nails the theme song here. The same goes for the Marvin Hamlisch written theme song from "The Way We Were", a hit that became her first number one single and won an Oscar.
Say what you will about Barbara, her radical politics and the fact that she has on several occasions used her notoriety in order to voice her personal opinions, mostly anti-Republican in leaning. There are many hostile to her because of her outspokenness, and in the years since this concert that has only flourished. Babs came to this stage after many years away from live performance, and gave us a night worth her considerable vocal renown.
Does she get preachy here? To a point, certainly- that was the reason for the concert to come to be to begin with. To Streisand's credit, her opinions never get in the way of the music nor her performance throughout the hour. One could hear far less majestic voices than Barbara Streisand's one could hear closing out a show with "America The Beautiful".
Video-
Aspect ratio here is 1.33:1 fullscreen; for the most part the picture is good, if not exceptional; a bit softer than I would like to have seen, but colors appear to be well represented.
Audio-
Again, while the audio track is nothing to write home about, there is a sufficient degree of depth and clarity and it should please most listeners.
Extras-
No extras.
Final Thoughts-
A curious period piece clocking in at 68 minutes,One Voice is a decent showcase for Barbara Streisand and her song catalog up to that date. While there could easily have been more material, it was Babs' first foray back to live performance at the time, and the pieces she does perform here are for the most part splendid. If you're a fan of Streisand's work, this is a no brainer to add to your collection. Recommended.
One Voice is a concert film that first saw life as an HBO exclusive; Streisand used the event- her first live concert since 1972- to vocally protest against nuclear arms buildup in the Reagan era, at a time prior to the conclusion of the Cold War. Erecting an elaborate stage in her own backyard (which opening comedian Robin Williams tags as "Camp Barbara")with tickets going for $5000 a pop. Planned at the time as a fundraiser for Democratic candidates, the concert has raised more than $7 million in profits that have been channeled through the Streisand Foundation to charities committed to anti-nuclear activities, human rights, civil liberties, and the preservation of our environment. Footage of the attendees make it clear that some considerably big show business names were willing to shell out the cash in order to be a part of the event; stars such as Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer-Sager, Bruce Willis, Glenn Close, Don Johnson and Goldie Hawn are shown in the audience as well as arriving and gushing excitement over getting to see Babs performing live.
Hest is a setlist of the show-
Robin Williams: Camp Barbra with various celebrities
Barbra's Invitation
Somewhere
Evergreen
Something's Coming
People
Send In The Clowns
Over The Rainbow
Guilty (with Barry Gibb)
What Kind Of Fool (with Barry Gibb)
Papa, Can You Hear Me?
The Way We Were
It's A New World
Happy Days Are Here Again
America, The Beautiful
The song lineup is pretty safe. I'll go so far as to say I've heard Streisand better, but seriously, does Barbara EVER sound bad? She does seem a bit tense at the onset of the show but relaxes as she reacqaints herself with the process of performing live. Some people may not care for the duets with Barry Gibb- coming from the 1980 album "Guilty", (they have since done a second 2005 album, "Guilty Pleasures") but I grew up in the era and was particularly fond of the more upbeat, looser material she released in that period. Give Babs a break- after all, this is a concert that took place in 1986, so the material is timely given it's vintage. Also on display here is a fine take on "Papa can you Hear Me?" from her wonderful film, "Yentl"- wrongfully snubbed come Academy Award time, she nails the theme song here. The same goes for the Marvin Hamlisch written theme song from "The Way We Were", a hit that became her first number one single and won an Oscar.
Say what you will about Barbara, her radical politics and the fact that she has on several occasions used her notoriety in order to voice her personal opinions, mostly anti-Republican in leaning. There are many hostile to her because of her outspokenness, and in the years since this concert that has only flourished. Babs came to this stage after many years away from live performance, and gave us a night worth her considerable vocal renown.
Does she get preachy here? To a point, certainly- that was the reason for the concert to come to be to begin with. To Streisand's credit, her opinions never get in the way of the music nor her performance throughout the hour. One could hear far less majestic voices than Barbara Streisand's one could hear closing out a show with "America The Beautiful".
Video-
Aspect ratio here is 1.33:1 fullscreen; for the most part the picture is good, if not exceptional; a bit softer than I would like to have seen, but colors appear to be well represented.
Audio-
Again, while the audio track is nothing to write home about, there is a sufficient degree of depth and clarity and it should please most listeners.
Extras-
No extras.
Final Thoughts-
A curious period piece clocking in at 68 minutes,One Voice is a decent showcase for Barbara Streisand and her song catalog up to that date. While there could easily have been more material, it was Babs' first foray back to live performance at the time, and the pieces she does perform here are for the most part splendid. If you're a fan of Streisand's work, this is a no brainer to add to your collection. Recommended.
|
| Popular Reviews |
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Sponsored Links |
|
|
| Release List | Reviews | Shop | Newsletter | Forum | DVD Giveaways | Blu-Ray | Advertise |
|
Copyright 2024 DVDTalk.com All Rights Reserved. Legal Info, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use,
Manage Preferences,
Your Privacy Choices 
| |||||||