Stoney End

Barbra Streisand and producer Richard Perry did just about everything right on 1971’s Stoney End and reaped big rewards artistically and commercially. Streisand chose first-class songs for this album that moved her beyond her Broadway-rooted style into more contemporary idioms. She brings out the conflicted emotions in Joni Mitchell’s “I Don’t Know Where I Stand” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” with a subtle touch, while her take on Harry Nilsson’s “Maybe” catches the song’s piquant humor. Randy Newman sits in on piano as Barbra delivers wistful renditions of his “Let Me Go” and “I’ll Be Home.” But the major revelation here is Streisand’s affinity for the songs of Laura Nyro – she turns “Stoney End” into a tour-de-force (and a hit single) and dives into the unbridled joy of “Time And Love.” There’s a stirring gospel undercurrent running through the album, adding urgency to “Free The People,”” “No Easy Way Down” and other tunes. Streisand sounds confident and surprisingly loose throughout. First track to last, Stoney End is a nearly-flawless work matching of a great voice with outstanding tunes.