It’s not getting much advance PR, but Barbra Streisand’s releasing a live album on Friday that should take her straight to number 1.
The timing is perfect because Columbia Records is in dire need of a chart hit right now. They’ve been dry for weeks except for Mariah Carey’s Christmas album. Streisand at number 1 will give the Sony label the shot of adrenaline it needs.
Streisand’s release is “The Music, the Mem’ries, the Magic,” the live audio part of her Netflix concert that’s already airing on the TV like platform. The deluxe version contains some songs she’s rarely performed, like “By the Way” from 1975. Streisand wrote it herself for the “Lazy Afternoon” album. She’s only sung it live three times, just for this tour and album.
The album is already sitting at number 58 on Amazon without much fanfare. The last time Barbra had a new release– her “Encores” album– she appeared on Jimmy Fallon and went right to number 1. Let’s see if she turns up on late night TV next week.
Meantime, U2’s new release, “Songs of Experience,” may only come in at number 2 this Friday with sales hovering around 100,000. Great reviews, I loved it personally. But maybe it’s backlash from the “Songs of Innocence” release that was forced onto iTunes accounts. This one has so many great songs, take a listen.
