Search - Barbra Streisand :: Till I Loved You

One of my favorite Streisand albums

R. Graff | South Windsor, CT United States | 06/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1988, Barbra released this CD as her first pop outing since her universally panned effort, Emotion, 4 years before. This time, however, Barbra recorded around the concept of making a musical album sound like the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship.



01. "The Places You Find Love" is one of the best songs on the album, reflecting on falling in love in general and how it comes unexpectedly. With an all-star group of background vocals, sometimes they dominate the song a little much, but otherwise this track is fantastic! A-



02. "On My Way to You" is a love song about someone finally finding someone they love. Definitely album filler, but still a lovely song. B



03. "Till I Loved You" gets a bad rap. Barbra's duet with then-boyfriend Don Johnson is actually a pleasantly romantic tune, perfect for weddings. Their chemistry may not be up to par with Barbra's duets with Barry Gibb, Bryan Adams or Neil Diamond, but it's still a good song. B+



04. "Love Light" shows the album changing direction, with the singer sounding more skeptical about the relationship. Not too catchy, and Barbra's soaring vocals sometimes clash with the background music. B-



05. "All I Ask Of You" is a flawless recording. Perfect singing and perfect music, it is probably the best track on the whole album. A



06. "You and Me for Always" is a beautiful song, with Barbra's vocal a little more whispery and less showy. Makes the song much better. B+



07. "Why Let it Go" changes the tone of the album again, with the lyrics describing hard times in a relationship, but not wanting to give up. Barbra didn't just sing this song, she acted it, which is what makes her so great and attracts her fans. A



08. "Two People" was written from some of the background music of her most recent movie at the time, Nuts. This song describes hanging on to a relationship even though things have gotten hard. Not too catchy at all, and doesn't even sound like it was written to be a song. C



09. "What Were We Thinking Of" changes the album once again, with the couple now being broken up, but still wanting to be together. Another great song on the album. A-



10. "Some Good Things Never Last" reflects on it being time to let go. It's a nice song, and easy to relate to, even if some of the lyrics are cliched. B



11. "One More Time Around" talks about going on to another relationship, and the singer reflecting on what she has learned. Perfect closing for the album, and very uplifting for those of us still looking for that special somebody. B+



Though most of Streisand's recordings following the Broadway Album are considered mediocre and featuring a singer past her prime, this album showed the public she still had a lot left to offer. Often given a bad name due to the title song, Till I Loved You is actually one of the best albums Barbra gave her fans, and one that each one should have."