iie UPERMAN ."Barbra Streisand's newest. wich Observatory. The realization that she character Esther Hoffman] had been with a .3 features, among other goodies, several has this unanalyzable gift of being able to give man but now she's really enjoying living rear-view photographs of her in an abbreviat- thepublic whatitdoesn't quiteknow it alone.Well . . . for a whileanyway." ed track suit that permits an ample display of wants-yet-dawned on me as I watched her There's another leftover fromStarcalled An- tushie. And a very pretty and appealing tushie and Kris Kristofferson splash around in that swerMe,which is as mopey and garrulous it is too. Andalso probably aimed directly, for bathtub with all those artfully dripping can- standing on its own here as it might have been bussing purposes, at the critics (myself in- dles around them, necking and nuzzling and involving and dramatic within the whole cluded) who were so busy swinging incense, gurgling and getting it on. score. Roger Miller'sBaby Me Babygets a lighting tapers, and tolling bells for a career Okay, my first reaction was that it looked throwaway performance (aboutallitde- gone down the tubes after being exposed to like a HarvardLampoonversion of one of serves). and the central joke ofCabin Fever her version ofA Star_ls Born."She's gone those commercials for honeymoon hotels in (the put-upon American wife) falls fatally flat. too far at last" was the general theme of our the Poconos, the ones with the heart -shaped Bad enough, but the worst thing here has dirge, and I recall specifically comparing her sunken bathtubs. ThenInoticed the en- got to beDon't Believe What You Read,a Evergreento a wet dream by Brahms. Well, of thralled reaction of others in the theater: song Streisand wrote with Ron Nagle and

giving the public what it doesn't quite know it wants-yet

8 course, the film made millions, the album is mostly under thirty, they were glued to the Scott Mathews. It was inspired, if that be the still on the charts, and she picked up yet screen and to each other, experiencing Big word, by a stupid item in a gossip magazine another Grammy for Evergreen. Screen Romance for probably the first time in about just how many pet birds Ms. S. keeps in As usual, most of us show -biz analysts left their lives. About their only movie fare for the her house. Streisand, for some unknown star- out one thing in our musings: how thepublic last ten years or so has been "X" -rated scurf, like reason, took huge offense and went to the would react (Istill think it rather gross of horror and supernatural tales of the I -love - silly bother of writing a song about the hor- them to make it 'such anenormoussuccess). you -but -you're -strange variety, or the gorilla rors of being misunderstood in the public And Barbra herself can't resist a final chortle: attacks of the disaster genre. Now here, sud- press. (Look, you can't have it all, can you? her own liner notes for "Superman" start off, denly, were two reasonably plausible people Murmuring thunder in the background as a fa- "Hi. Just a few things I wanted to tell you in square, hokey, cornylovewith each other! miliar voice says, "Wanna bet?") about the album. but first-thank you all for From that point on I let the film carry me, and In any event, "Superman" is already an es- your tremendous support on 'A Star Is Born.' I saw what those around me were seeing in it: tablished success, and by the time you read You made all the hard work worth it!" Oh, a touching and poignant story of two people this its star may even have gotten a gold rec- snookums, you can say that again! I could who know they are going to be able to make it ord forDon't Believe What You Read.Matter probably live comfortably for the rest of my together for only a little while before one of of fact, she may just have a point in that title, life on the receipts from its engagement in them self-destructs. Rehearing the album af- at least as far as critical writing is concerned, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, or Klamath Falls, ter seeing the picture gave me another clue as for if the phenomenon that is Streisand could Oregon, alone. to why it sold and keeps on selling: the com- be finally explained, wouldn't we be robbing So, the Indomitable One is back, this time bination of MOR romanticism and sexy fatal- ourselves of a lot of future joy and amaze- with an album that had an immediate chart ism is hard to resist. ment? Better we shouldn't know. hit,My Heart Belongs to Me,almost from the "Superman" and its hit song My Heart Be- -Peter Reilly day of its release. One can't exactly say that longs to Me are more mining of the MOR Streisand is having a comeback, since she's vein. There isn't a single song of genuine BARBRA STREISAND:Superman.Barbra never been anywhere but at the pinnacle over quality in the album-but it couldn't matter Streisand(vocals);orchestra.Superman; the last ten years. But she sure as hell is still less. Streisand sings Lullaby for Myself (a Don't Believe What You Read; Baby Me pushing out blossoms long after most theatri- song Rupert Holmes wrote for Star; it was Baby; I Found You Love; Answer Me; My cal careers would have had to go through a dropped because of time considerations) with Heart Belongs to Me; Cabin Fever; Love winter or two. One reason Streisand stays the burner turned down low, but it is easily Comes from Unexpected Places; New York evergreen is that her timing of the public's the best thing in the album, almost bound to State of Mind; Lullaby for Myself. COLUMBIA mood seems to be as accurate and apparently be a classic. "I wanted it to be a defensive, JC 34830 $6.98, OJCA-34830 $6.98, 0 JCT- as infallible as the alarm clock at the Green - prideful song that would tell you she [the 34830 $6.98.

92 STEREO REVIEW