Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments (1973)

　　In Barbra Streisand…and Other Musical Instruments, the 'concept' this time is that a voice, her voice, is as much an instrument as a violin or piano or what have you—and in her case it really is. Again, she defies expe...展开ctations by performing some of her classic repertoire using unusual arrangements, like a medley consisting of "People" accompanied by sitar and a Native American version of "Don't Rain on My Parade." She also wraps her chords around country, gospel, and R&B with special guest Ray Charles. Her voice is definitely up to the task, but I must admit that it did make me a little uncomfortable watching her boogie in bellbottoms—kinda like catching your mom trying out moves in the mirror as she relives her heyday. The weirdest bit has Barbra performing "The World is a Concerto" accompanied by household appliances (we're talking washing machines and toasters here—and no, I'm not making this up). This show in particular has captured the fancy of Barbra Streisand aficionados who for years have been sharing bootleg copies with each other. So they should be floating on air now that Barbra Streisand…and Other Musical Instruments has finally been released to the home entertainment market.