BWW CD Reviews: Masterworks Broadway's ROSLYN KIND: GIVE ME YOU/THIS IS ROSLYN KIND is a Pop Time Capsule

Imagine yourself in a 1960's egg chair. Across the room from you, the turntable on your living room Hi Fi spins a record. It's a lazy evening in 1969, and the airy pop styling of Roslyn Kind's vocals gently caress your ear drums. Just months before, shortly after graduating high school, she was recording music for her debut album GIVE ME YOU. Later in 1969 she also released THIS IS ROSLYN KIND. Now, with Masterworks Broadway's release of ROSLYN KIND: GIVE ME YOU/THIS IS ROSLYN KIND, a remastered re-release of these two albums, you can find yourself transported back to this bygone era again.

I must admit, I had never heard of Roslyn Kind or any of the songs contained on this release before the press release announcing this album landed in my inbox. Listening to the recordings, my mind instantly filled with images of mod dresses and platform go-go boots. While several of the songs have their roots in Broadway, the contemporary pop styling of the songs hides the trappings of the theatrical.

In essence, with ROSLYN KIND: GIVE ME YOU/THIS IS ROSLYN KIND, Masterworks Broadway has unearthed and re-released a time capsule of interesting music recorded by Barbra Streisand's lesser-known half-sister. They have reintroduced existing fans and even introduced a whole new generation of listeners to Rosyln Kind's charming voice. Unfortunately, the names of that era, such as Shirley Bassey, are still a cut above what is captured on this re-release.

Even if she might always stand in the shadows of the titans she competed with, this re-release of Roslyn Kind's first two solo albums has some delightful treasures that will become staples in my music collection. The gorgeous melancholy of "Can I Stop the Rain?" is mesmerizing, making it a beautiful ballad that takes root in your heart. In a life where it seems we constantly move from one performance of personhood to another, her wistful vocals on the ballad "Who Am I?" strikes a rich chord in the brain. The charismatic confidence on "I Own the World" is quite the pick me up. However, the best number on the album is the self-acceptance anthem "Make Your Own Kind of Music."

Masterworks Broadway's release of ROSLYN KIND: GIVE ME YOU/THIS IS ROSLYN KIND was released exclusively for purchase via MasterworksBroadway's online store on July 22 in a limited quantity of Manufacture-On-Demand CDs as well as digital download. The CD became available through Arkiv Music's online store on August 19. It can also be purchased from iTunes and other digital service providers.

For information about other theatrical recording releases, click here.

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