Hell of a piano player. Hell of a musician. Music, like most art, can be brutally polarizing.

We love our lesbian musicians -- Melissa Etheridge's heart-pounding, gut-wrenching "Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart" absolutely stole the spotlight -- was the only thing worth having watched the Grammys for. The Indigo Girls rock -- wonderful music. KD Lang is mezmerizing. But gay men have to know their place -- Broadway. Right?

Actually, many of the songs the Manilow has done are really well-written both musically and lyrically. I tend to like more spare production in the recordings I listen to often. And lyrically, much of Manilow's music is very "Hallmark". But I'll confess it -- I like the Hallmark card ads. I think that they touch on universals in the human condition. As a steady diet, sentimentality in music will become syrupy sweet and a bit of aural listerine is in order, but it doesn't mean it's bad. Syrup is great. I rarely if ever substitute tabasco for it on my flapjacks.

I also like Mel Torme's music
ditto Jennifer Warnes
ditto Michael Johnson
ditto Michael McDonald
ditto The Pied Pipers

...none of which makes me like folk music less.