Wet (album)

Wet is the twenty-first studio album by American singer-songwriter 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."

There are two covers on the album: the 1940s standard "Come Rain or Come Shine" and the Bobby Darin classic "Splish Splash", which features background vocals by Toto lead singer Bobby Kimball.

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]

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]

• "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) {duet with Donna Summer}" / "Wet" (1979)
• "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) {duet with Donna Summer} (12-inch disco single)" (1979)
• "Kiss Me in the Rain" / "I Ain't Gonna Cry Tonight" (1979)

• Barbra Streisand – vocals
• Dan Ferguson – acoustic guitar
• Larry Carlton, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather – electric guitar
• David Hungate, Neil Stubenhaus – bass guitar
• Michael Boddicker, Ian Underwood – synthesizer
• James Gadson, Ed Greene, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Schaeffer, Rick Shlosser – drums
• David Foster, Michael Lang, Lincoln Mayorga, Bill Payne, Richard Tee – piano
• Alan Broadbent, Jai Winding – Fender Rhodes, piano
• Greg Mathieson – piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer
• Gary Coleman, Paulinho da Costa, Bobbye Hall – percussion
• Tom Scott – saxophone
• Gayle Levant – harp
• Bobby Kimball, Tom Kelly, Bill Champlin, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Luther Waters – backing vocals
• Lee Holdridge, Lalo Schifrin, Nick De Caro, Marvin Hamlisch, Charlie Calello, Greg Mathieson – arrangements, conducting
• Frank DeCaro - music contractor