Manilow Sings Sinatra  (Audio CD) 
by Barry Manilow

Awash in enough echo to swallow the band, Barry Manilow does what he can to honor the memory of Frank in a (commercially) timely manner. Unfortunately, his abilities are limited to straight renditions of 13 Sinatra-associated standards over karaoke-worthy string- and brass-laden arrangements. Not surprisingly, there's slim acknowledgment of the Chairman's improvisational sense and the sly humor that marks many of his greatest efforts. And the less said about Manilow's weak upper-register big finishes, the better. He's made poor homages to the past before this, but this one verges on the offensive. --Rickey Wright