The 1996 rerelease of BARRY MANILOW II includes one previously unreleased track.

Personnel: Barry Manilow (vocals, piano); Dickie Frank, John Barranco, Bob Mann, Charlie Brown, Stuart Scharf, Sam Brown (guitar); George Young, Artie Kaplan, Stan Schwartz (saxophone); Don Grolnick, Ellen Starr (piano); Jon Stroll (electric piano, Clavinet); Bob Cranshaw (acoustic bass); Will Lee, Russell George (bass); Christopher Parker, Jimmy Young, Bill Lavorgna, Allen Schwartzberg (drums); Norman Pride (congas, percussion); Lee Gurst (percussion); Ron Dante (background vocals).

Engineers: Bruce Tergesen, Harry Maslin, Michael DeLugg.

Recorded at The Hit Factory and Media Sound Studios, New York, New York.

Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Wally Traugott (tower Mastering/Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California).

Personnel: Barry Manilow (piano, background vocals); John Barranco, Sam T. Brown, Dick Frank, Stuart Scharf, Bob Mann, Charlie Brown (guitar); George Young , Artie Kaplan, Stanley Schwartz (saxophone); Don Grolnick, Ellen Starr (piano); Jon Stroll (electric piano, Clavinet); Chris Parker , Bill Lavorgna, Jimmy Young , Allan Schwartzberg (drums); Norman Pride (congas, percussion); Lee Gurst (percussion); Charlotte Crossley, Robin Grean, Melvin Kent, Ken Williams , Ron Dante (background vocals).

Audio Remasterer: Wally Traugott.

Recording information: Hit Factory, New York, NY; Media Sound Studios, New York, NY.

Photographers: Joel Brodsky; Linda Allen.

Unknown Contributor Role: Clive Davis.

Arrangers: Gerald Alters; Barry Manilow.

Manilow's second album was essentially the one that defined him, at least in the eyes of the public at large. This is mostly due to the inclusion of "Mandy," Manilow's first megahit, and still one of his signature tunes. The romantic, introspective balladry also extended to such tunes as "Early Morning Strangers," and provided the archetype for '70s AM soft-pop. Meanwhile, "Avenue C" and "It's a Miracle" show that Manilow had a way with uptempo material as well. The grand-scale arrangements help push the tunes over the top, which is where they were destined to go, and Manilow's boy-next-door vocal style provides the intimacy that was a key ingredient of his early success.

Barry Manilow II proves a more focused affair than his debut album; he's refined the hallmarks of his style, the arrangements aren't so busy, and he's not trying so hard to show all the genres that he's mastered. "The Two of Us" shows how fast Manilow matured since the debut album; the stripped-down, intimate production suits his lovelorn lyrics. In fact, nearly all the songs cover affairs of the heart, giving the album a thematic unity that it might otherwise lack. "I Want to Be Somebody's Baby" and "Somethin's Comin' Up" glow with the sunny optimism for which Manilow is so rightly known (and viciously lampooned at times, too). Burt Bacharach's lyricist, Hal David, proffers his usual incisive contributions to "Early Morning Strangers" ("It's hard to make small talk when there's nothing to say"); the bright horns and bouncy tempo effectively contrast the mood. "Avenue C"'s giddy '40s-era swing forecasts Manilow's later moves into torch songs and jazz standards, but the most remarkable songs are two largely solo piano ballads that follow each other near the end. "Sandra" takes the voice of a lonely housewife looking back at missed opportunities, while "Home Again" looks at a couple who've fallen apart -- and want to make up for lost time. Both songs reflect yet another quality that endears Manilow to audiences -- the ability to connect with life's underdogs and give life to their feelings. "It's a Miracle" and "Mandy" are rightly the best-known songs, but listeners will find no shortage of rewards to divert them here. ~ Ralph Heibutzki

Manilow's second album was essentially the one that defined him, at least in the eyes of the public at large. This is mostly due to the inclusion of "Mandy," Manilow's first megahit, and still one of his signature tunes. The romantic, introspective balladry also extended to such tunes as "Early Morning Strangers," and provided the archetype for '70s AM soft-pop. Meanwhile, "Avenue C" and "It's a Miracle" show that Manilow had a way with uptempo material as well. The grand-scale arrangements help push the tunes over the top, which is where they were destined to go, and Manilow's boy-next-door vocal style provides the intimacy that was a key ingredient of his early success.