One of the most rewarding projects on this blog — for me, anyway — has been the Deep Dive. I love digging through an artist’s discography, album by album, to understand the historical context and explore all the connective tissue.
So far I’ve given the Deep Dive treatment to Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Madonna, Bob Marley, Lana Del Rey, The Rolling Stones, and Jim Croce.
Throwing back to the week of February 16, 1974, we find Barbra Streisand atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘The Way We Were,’ the theme song from her movie of the same name.
In addition to topping the charts for three non-consecutive weeks that year, ‘The Way We Were’ took home an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and the Grammy for Song of the Year. Streisand was also nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Actress, the last time the Best Song winner was performed by a nominated actress until Lady Gaga repeated the feat with 2018’s A Star is Born.
I love the experience of seeing something I’ve heard of but never really known, something I think is one thing but find out is something else entirely. That was how I responded to 1968’s Funny Girl.
The William Wyler film is based on the Broadway show of the same name, and features Barbra Streisand’s film debut, reprising the role she brought to life on stage. It depicts the relationship of actress Fanny Brice and her high-roller husband, Nicky Arnstein (played by Omar Sharif in the film).
[Note: Guest blogger Amy finishes off the week with Glee…]
As I mentioned in yesterday’s SOTD, I appreciate American Idol for the way it enables me to learn about and enjoy music with my children. This year, a new show has arrived on the scene that not only enables any viewer to enjoy music but uses it as a kind of transfusion for passion, humor, pain, courage. That show, of course, is Glee.
Meet Me In Montauk 