A Love Like Ours

1	I've Dreamed of You 4:46
2	Isn't It a Pity? 5:22
3	The Island 4:37
4	Love Like Ours 3:59
5	If You Ever Leave Me / Vince Gill 4:38
6	We Must Be Loving Right 3:37
7	If I Never Met You 3:38
8	It Must Be You 3:29
9	Just One Lifetime 4:18
10	If I Didn't Love You 4:18
11	Wait 4:10
12	The Music That Makes Me Dance 7:05
13	[CD-Rom Track]

Barnes & Noble

Marriage agrees with Barbra Streisand. And the intoxicatingly romantic A LOVE LIKE OURS is the next-best thing to having been invited to the superstar's 1998 wedding to actor James Brolin. This is essentially a candy-colored souvenir of the event, and the cozy intimacy of the couple's bliss is reflected in the album's artwork, liner notes, and warmly satisfied music. Streisand's joy is palpable, and her voice hasn't sounded this relaxed and confident since 1985's BROADWAY ALBUM. The 57-year-old songbird is a blushing bride on "I've Dreamed of You," "Just One Lifetime," and the I-always-cry-at-weddings title song -- all of which were trilled by the diva at her Malibu nuptials. The disc's other highlights include "If You Ever Leave Me," a sultry duet with country boy Vince Gill, the Gershwins' "Isn't It a Pity?" (chosen by the pair for their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Brolin), and an exquisite re-recording of "The Music That Makes Me Dance," from FUNNY GIRL, which proves the vocalist's pipes are in better shape than ever. Mazel tov, Barbra David Cohen

All Music Guide

Barbra Streisand makes sure there's no doubt to what love she's referring to in the title of A Love Like Ours. On both the front and back covers, and throughout the liner notes, she's seen with her new husband, James Brolin. As a matter of fact, the album is no less than a celebration of her love of Brolin and their storybook wedding. To some, this may be a little too sentimental, but the emotions are genuine, as she makes abundantly clear in her gushing, track-by-track liner notes. Streisand tackles both standards and newly written tunes, including the Richard Marx-penned "If You Ever Leave Me," which she sings with Vince Gill. She claims in the liner notes that "If You Ever Leave Me" was intended to be a country song -- that's why Gill sings on the track -- but, like the Gershwin tune "Isn't It a Pity," the show tunes, and "We Must Be Loving Right," the other country song on the album, everything is given a measured, polished adult contemporary production. That's a little ironic, since Streisand claims nearly everything was recorded live with an orchestra. Nevertheless, it sounds as if it was assembled in a studio piece by piece, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, the absence of longtime collaborator Marvin Hamlisch is notable, since the arrangers on A Love Like Ours don't have much flair. Consequently, the album is a little subdued, which is appropriate for a romantic album. And, judged as a romance album, it works pretty well. Essentially, A Love Like Ours is a simple love album, a soundtrack to Streisand and Brolin's wedding that will work for other weddings. It's mood music that doesn't set the mood, but will compliment the mood quite nicely. Stephen Thomas Erlewine