Guilty As Charged

At the risk of sounding like your stereotypical 'mo, I have to admit that I absolutely love Barbra Streisand's "Guilty" album. I received the 25th anniversary "dual disc" version from Amazon yesterday and I have been listening to it non-stop since the mail guy at work dropped it in my box.

Produced by Barry Gibb and released in 1980, "Guilty" is Streisand's best selling album to date. The disc is filled with superbly written songs, from the opening chords of the title track to the powerhouse vocals and lush orchestral arrangements of "Make It Like a Memory." Gibb's songs are truly the perfect showcase for Streisand's beautiful voice. My fave rave? "Run Wild." Pure Gibb, powerful Streisand. That simple.

The DVD part of the disc includes an interview with Barbra and Barry, taped during this summer's recording of "Guilty Pleasures" (the new venture between the two), as well as two outtakes from the 1986 Streisand video "One Voice."

But the recommendation here is for the original album. Remastered for the anniversary, it is truly one of pop music's best written, best produced, and best performed albums.

Order "Guilty" or "Guilty Pleasures" here.