Wet is the twenty-first studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released in 1979. It is a concept album of sorts with all the songs referring to, or expressing different interpretations of, water. Wet is also the first and the last word sung on the album.
The album was a major success for Streisand, propelled by the album's US No. 1 hit single, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", a duet with American disco singer Donna Summer which underwent a retitling and change of emphasis in order to fit the water theme. Streisand also scored a top 10 US Adult Contemporary hit with the follow-up single "Kiss Me in the Rain."[citation needed]
In his review for The New York Times, critic John Rockwell described Wet as a "predictable compendium of emotive ballads", noting that it was only partially redeemed by Barbra Streisand's "undeniable gifts as a vocalist". He praised her distinctive vibrato and emotional delivery but criticized the album's reliance on "syrupy strings and tired movie-music clichés". Rockwell observed that while most tracks adhered to the watery concept suggested by the title, livelier moments such as the duet with Donna Summer, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", and a playful cover of "Splish Splash" added some needed variety. According to him, these inclusions demonstrated Streisand's awareness of contemporary pop trends and her attempt to balance her trademark sentimentality with modern musical energy.[2]
Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone wrote that the concept of Wet—with every song centered around moisture—was clever but poorly executed, as Barbra Streisand "squanders it on mostly second-rate material". He noted that the only true standard on the album was "Come Rain or Come Shine", and while praising the lush arrangements by Lee Holdridge on Wet and "After the Rain", he described Streisand's performance on "Splish Splash" as "a hysterical fiasco". Holden further argued that Streisand's "trendiness" undermined her artistic judgment, calling the duet with Donna Summer, "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", "as low a piece of camp as she's ever recorded". Despite its commercial success, he concluded that the song's "cynical condescension to the mass market" tainted the reputations of all involved and added "a touch of slime to the overall sogginess".[3]
Commercial performance
The album peaked at No. 7 on the US, Canadian and Australian charts and has been certified as Platinum by the RIAA.[4] According to the liner notes of Streisand's retrospective box set Just for the Record..., the album also received a record certification in New Zealand.[5]
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