Barry Manilow decided to follow the success of
Singin' with the Big Bands with an album saluting another great lost era --
The Summer of '78. Even on the newly written title song, it's never quite clear why
Manilow chose the summer of 1978 out of an entire decade of summers -- after all, the album is comprised of songs written throughout the '70s -- but the exact reason doesn't matter: as much as its predecessor, this is an exercise in nostalgia, pure and simple. Of course, it's very entertaining nostalgia, as
Manilow has chosen soft rock songs (
Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch,"
Leo Sayer's "When I Need You,"
Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight") that perfectly suit his style. It's a minor entry in
Manilow's catalog to be sure, but
The Summer of '78 is a perfectly executed and entertaining slice of nostalgia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine