Don't Cry Out Loud

by

Melissa Manchester

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Finally Arista/BMG Heritage is re-issuing some of Manchester's finest. This is the first, although Buddha re-issued "Melissa" with mixed reviews. Thank God Arista took over! Hopefully there will be a full catalog re-issue with bonus tracks. Perhaps if they sell well, Arista may be interested in releasing the material she recently recorded?!!

This 1978-79 release was 7th LP for Bell/Arista and considered one of her finest, next to Melissa and Better Days & Happy Endings. I heard that Don't Cry was previously released on CD along with Melissa Manchester (her 8th LP) back in the early 80's, but I was only able to find the later on CD. In 1996, Don't Cry was re-issued in Japan along with 6 other CD's with excellent results! The quality of this 2002 release is just as great as the Japan CD. Plus it includes the B-side to Don't Cry called We Had This Time. We Had This Time was also covered by Dionne Warwick and others at the time. The packaging is excellent with lyrics and other information. All original pictures are even better. It also contains an informative introduction by Michael Hill.

If you are just discovering the underated talents of MM, please start here~! She Shines Like She Should on this concept album. Marvin Gaye producer Leon Ware, produced this LP and wrote a couple of the songs with Melissa. The over all feel for this CD has warmth and soul. She glides through the optimistic dance tune Shine Like You Should and remakes The Supreme's upbeat Bad Weather (written by her idol Stevie Wonder).

Caravan is also one of my favorite songs with it's lyric of experience and growth. And of course, the big ballad title track about pride and self preservation.

We must Cry Out Loud for more re-issues like this!

Great work Arista! Fans and others...Enjoy!

Being familiar with most of melissa's other albums,I was dissapointed with DON'T CRY OUT LOUD.While the title track is a great cut,the rest of this album is basically 70's style R&B/soul filler.The production and arrangements here are horribly dated,sounding every bit like a late-70's period piece. On a positive note,it is good to finally see her old Arista albums being reissued on CD, and I am looking forward to the reissue of MELISSA MANCHESTER(1979) and HEY RICKY(1982)(which should be out by early 2003-with bonus tracks).These were 2 of Melissa's best albums.I would also recommend SINGIN'-which is currently available as a japanese import .