The logical follow-up to Barry Manilow's two previous volumes of favorites from the 1950s and '60s, GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1970S acknowledges Manilow's own contributions to the AM airwaves of the decade by including a six-song bonus EP of new, intimate acoustic recordings of a half-dozen of his biggest hits from the decade, including "Even Now" and a waggish reworking of the disco smash "Copacabana." The body of the album is a well-chosen selection heavy on ballads, including a lovely duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" and a warm take on the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart." Containing tracks that would have fit comfortably on any of Manilow's own 1970s albums, this is the most personal and effective of his decade-by-decade songbook sets.
