No comments about Abriendo Puertas.

5 comments about A Regular Frankie Fan.

1. A well crafted, highly watchable documentary, "A Regular Frankie Fan" is enjoyable for both fans and non-fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The audience for the screening I attended was made up mostly of hard-core RH fans and they loved it, turning the evening into an audience participation event - much like one would expect at a midnight show. My guess is that all the RH fans will appreciate the way director Scott Mabbutt has sympathetically presented them and their particular "obsession."



2. . A Regular Frankie Fan is the creation of writer/director Scott Mabbutt whose most recent credit before this was a project with the rather promising title, Predators From Beyond Neptune. IMDB tells us that folks like Dean Devlin, Neve Campbell, and Jason Priestley cameo-ed in the picture, so that's coolsville, but Mabbutt has made a number of genre projects, fiction and in this case, documentary.
   In A Regular Frankie Fan, the focus is really on individuals who dress up as Columbia, Magenta, Riff, and naturally, Dr. Frank-N-Furter and why they do this. It goes into the history of the phenomenon, not so much of the movie, but of the stage performances that have turned quite legendary over the years in major cities across the country.
   No, it's not a Ken Burns-style piece that goes in depth into the origins of Rocky Horror midnight madness, but instead, analyzes people's motivations in wanting to be a part of the show today - either in the audience or on stage in full costume/make-up. They take a wide cross-section of audiences and cut together actors and actresses from a number of different troupes in oft-engaging interviews on topics ranging from their make-up preparation to what they think of the movie to one guy talking about getting stabbed by a pen in one showing and not realizing it until later (and yes, he shows the scar).
   If you've ever been to a Rocky screening and wanted to find out what everybody else in line waiting for the art-house losers in their barn jackets and mufflers to leave the final showing of whatever weepy European epic was showing at 9:55 was thinking, here's your movie.



3. I thought that this is a perfect addition to any Rocky Horror Fan, or movie history buff. I had to buy two! It dives right into the fan fare of what is happening today with this cult classic. The director really captures the whole Fan movement in this totally entertaining DVD. I especially enjoyed all the new music on the DVD. One band, Redeye, I especially enjoyed their version of "Time Warp" in Japanese. How unique and awesome! and translation true to the theme and words! I think they ROCK! and everyone will enjoy...
   Redeye you gotta play at my next party!
   We'll be READY to do the Time Warp again and again!
   Thanks!



4. OK first off the animorphic 16:9 displayed in 4:3 was a pain in the neck, this dvd looks like someone did it on their home PC and then released it to the world, the menu is awful, words are cut off in text that appears on the screen, although i have been a major part of Rocky for over 15 years i would not recommend this to anyone!



5. I too, was disappointed in this DVD. RHPS, I think, deserves greater serious attention than it has to date received: where else, in the entire history of theater, has the audience actually taken over the show? Experimental theater has for decades been pushing or deconstructing the "fourth wall", but here is an (huge, messy, glorious) instance of the audience doing the demolishing. The only similar occurance I can think of is the "call-and-response" in American Southern Baptist churches, and that's religion, not theater!

   The film also disappoints as film: case in point, Mark Tomaino's "bibles in the halls" story. Cute story, but where's the shot? Low angle, single-point perpective, SHOW US the little black squares marching away into the distance. It's a movie...show, don't tell!

   Speaking of perpective... I gained much more from the recent documentary "The Cockettes" about a troupe of acid-addled, cross-dressing hippies in the late '60s who put on live shows at San Francisco's now-defunct Palace Theater. The words "Rocky Horror" are not mentioned in it, but as a RHPS fan I felt as if I were watching a piece of my own history. Especially when they took their DIY show to New York in 1973, only to fail disastrously (The audience of '70s who's who hipdom FLED at intermission). Did the drugs-and-drag debacle of the Cockettes' show predispose the NY critical community to despise Rocky when it arrived later that same year?

   Perhaps, someday, RHPS will be given the respect it deserves. This DVD, alas, is not the place to look.

1 comments about Peter and the Wolf.

1. Peter and the Wolf -- a Russian children's story with both words and music -- is often used to introduce young people to classical music. If this is your main purpose for buying this work this is an excellent performance to choose because "Captain Kangaroo" (Bob Keeshan) did an outstanding job as the narrator. However, although this fact is often overlooked, Prokofiev's music for Peter and the Wolf is quite good and the great conductor Leopold Stokowski presents the music beautifully in this recording. This CD is unusual in that it presents two versions of this classic work, one with the well known narration and the same great performance as a purely musical work without narration. In either version this is my favorite recording of this delightful work. If you hear it, I think you may well agree with me. Please get this rare but outstanding CD while it is still available.

1 comments about Please, Mr. Santa Claus.

1. Talented, Tight, Tried, and Tejano = Treasureable. When you can sense the merry mirth in the songsmithing, no need for incense or frankincense. They have crafted some memorable melodies into jingle jammaceutical fixes for the winter blahhhs. You the lucky listner get that full ride aboard a sub-genre sleigh down various rock'n roll hills.I kinda got the impression these guys could have gone on much longer, I wish they had. ~~~Merrily Mix~ 1 $ , 2 $ , 3 #1\2 , 4 $ , 5 $1\2 , 6 $1\2, 7 %, 8 $ , and 9 # ~~~Post Script: Thanks to the mucky-mucks at Rykodisc for the national pick-up, how about a reissue or use in a comperhensive com"YULE"ation so that more merry seekers can again tune in to the twisted, tweaked and mostly orginal instru-tinsels which are always fun.***buyit*saveit*shareit*giveit***YULEridGEMality Factor = 7 1\2

4 comments about A Greater Vision Christmas.

1. Greater Vision captures the mood of Christmas so well with "A Greater Vision Christmas". There is a little bit of everything on this album; a little bit of acappella, some instrumental music, a few solos and of cource Greater Vision's incredible three part harmony supported by the seventy-two piece Budapest Pops Orchestra. Be listing especially for the songs "O Holy Night" and the "Carol Medley". Just those two arrangements are worth the price of this album. Then, to top it all off, Greater Vision can deliever an album with convincing passion because they truly love the Lord whom they sing about. If you only buy one Christmas album this year make sure it is "A Greater Vision Christmas".



2. I have had the privilege to follow this group and there music for years. They have always done a professional job at technique, sound, and desirability! This is another great triumph to add to there already; amazingly awesome selection!



3. ENCELLENT! GREATER VISION IS AWESOME! This project captures the "feeling" of a REAL Christmas! If you love Christ & Christmas, you'll LOVE THIS! The orchestrations are phenominal! it is traditional & classy! You will listen to this OVER & OVER! my fave's are= "Silent Night" (jason is GREAT!), "Cherish that name" (GORGEOUS & LUSH), & "Oh, Holy Night" (Gerald can sky! ) this project demonstrates the AWE we all feel because of Christ's birth. I'LL LISTEN TO THIS YEAR ROUND! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, GREATER VISION!



4. From a piano solo by Gerald Wolfe to raise the roof, heart-stirring melodies, this Christmas CD has it all!
   Good CD for a Greater Vision fan to have!

1 comments about Hip-Hop Holiday Cheer.

1. If you like hip hop this is the perfect CD for the whole family. The songs are positive and very catchy. My kids favorites are the 2008 song and The Longest Night Ever but they are all great.

2 comments about Music For All Seasons.

1. Trombone choirs! I love them. Everytime I hear this recording, I see again the church of my childhood and the trombone choir standing out in the snow near the front steps playing Christmas chorales during the hour before the Christmas Eve service. Why were they out there a full hour before the service? If you wanted a seat, you had to arrive an hour early, because late comers sat in folding chairs in the cloakrooms, or stood in the back. That church was filled to brimming only on Christmas Eve, because music lovers came from miles away to hear traditional Moravian Christmas music, and where else could one possibly hear it? Some of it is on this recording. The words sung to track 8 are "All my heart this night rejoices...", and that sense of anticipation and pleasure is exactly what Moravians feel as they enjoy a night of great music, sung mostly by the people in the pews, not just the choirs. It's all here. The great songs from Advent, Lent, songs of repentance, forgiveness, joy, for baptising babies and burying old people. When you hear track 19, Hosanna, think of a room full of singers on Palm Sunday, echoing back and forth to each other, the little girls and women singing back to the boys and men. My only criticism is that there are perhaps too many songs in minor keys grouped together. They evoke too much sadness and start to sound like endless dirges. The musical interpretation and masterful rendering of the chorales is absolutely delightful, not only for us who hold all the words in our heads and are singing along, but also for those who will assign their own meaning to the music.



2. This is a must for all trombonists and music historians!! The sound of these groups is just amazing! Nowhere else can you get a sound like you do with the instruments that these trombonists use. Where else can you hear a contrabass, bass, tenor, alto, soprano, and sopranino trombones all together? A great CD for a historical reference on the trombone also...tromobone chiors are one of the oldest forms of music, and THE oldest perfoming groups in the USA are the Moravian trombone choirs. This CD gives us a rare look into the past of how trombones were commonly used in centuries past, and how the tradition continues today.

No comments about Christmas: 1943 Live.

5 comments about The Christmas Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection.

1. This 90's recording is a worthy follow-up to the 1950's "Merry Christmas" album. Four decades has brought out the more mature warmth of Mathis' golden voice, while maintaining the charm he has always possessed for this material. While there are a few overlapping signature songs ('Silent Night', 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Sleigh Ride'), most of the numbers on "A Personal Collection" are whimsical originals, possessing a beautifully organic flow of sentiment. From 'Marshmallow World' to 'Christmas Waltz', and into 'We Need A Little Christmas' and the ubiquitious 'Most Wonderful Time of the Year', Mathis manages to single-handedly throw off the "Scrooge-iness" of the holiday hub-bub with a genuine outpouring of equal parts heart, mirth and sentiment. This, together with his earlier work, provides the perfect backdrop to decking the halls and lighting the yule log.



2. This CD has lots of favorite Christmas carols and is great to listen to while decorating or wrapping gifts.



3. Johnny is a great christmas music singer so this cd is one of my favorates



4. His soft,smooth voice perfectly reflects the gentle joyful subject of these songs. It's a lovely background for any Christmas gathering-- dinner, present exchange,reflection on the "Reason for the Season".



5. Johnny Mathis is a wonderful singer. His voice is so smooth. I wanted something with the song "We Need A Little Christmas." I got that and a whole lot more. I loved listening to the cd during the holidays. It was a great addition to my Christmas collection.

5 comments about Handel - Messiah (Complete) (3 CD Set) / Hunt, J. Williams, Spence, Minter, J. Thomas, W. Parker, PBO, McGegan.

1. I bought this recording of Handel's Messiah based on a recommendation made by a friend of mine, but I was a little disappointed when I heard it. In my humble opinion, the soloists are far from being great, although they do a fine job in almost all recitatives and arias. The choir has a beautiful sound but is very very weak: is it possible that we are talking about 40 people? The good point about this recording is, that it is REALLY complete: different versions of the same arias, recitatives and choruses, which lets you reconstruct Handel's original performances. Still, I would say: go for other renderings of this work if you are not interested in having 4 versions of the same arias (although I must say, it's really interesting to know them all).



2. This CD set is the most complete all versions of arias, choruses etc., and by simply programming your cd player, you can "recreate" various performances. Novel as it may seem it is not enough for me to recommend this set. I believe the Messiah should be really heartwarming, however McGegan create a really thin, cool sound. The orchestra and chorus lacks body -- a very small chamber choir doesn't help either. An interesting scholarly exercise. For those who really want a period performance should consider the excellent set by John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Chorus.



3. McGegan and rather his engineers do not feel the depth of the work. Unfortunately enough, because his name "sells" the disc, and people will be disappointed under the xmas tree.
   The completeness of it is stunning. A precise "higlight" CD containing all the alternative versions elsewhere unavailable would have been eloquent, however, would have made the complete one unsalable. There exists a single highlight CD, which is a trade-off between the ideal and a neglectible.



4. This recording of Handel's Messiah is not only my favorite of the oratorio --- it is my favorite baroque music CD of all. The recording is super clear, the performance is professional and uncluttered, and the interpretation is simply elegant. Sure, history buffs out there might like the extra tracks to investigate the various revisions Handel went through. Personally, I rarely use them. But I do find the vocal interpretations to be easily digested without the normal bravado which accompanies soloists who like to go "over-the-top". If you want a Messiah you can sing along to, or if you want to practice with your own choir --- this is the recording for you. Furthermore, I find McGegan has done an excellent job of finding the somber and reverent Handel among all the glitzy copies of this piece. No, this Hallelujah Chorus won't blow you away like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's version, but the softer, gentler moments are beautifully presented here with true baroque intonation and phrasing. For me, this performance sounds much more authentic and true to Handel's original score than others on period or reproduction instruments. Because of the 3 CD format, the performance isn't hammered and quick stamped like other 2 CD sets. You can actually play it on 3 successive evenings as was originally intended. The slower tempos allow the harmonies of the instruments to correctly marry with unrushed vocal solos. The Messiah is not about how loud you can blow into a valve-less horn or how duck-like you can make your oboes squawk; it's about whether or not the pastorale can transport you to heaven, ... and this one does !



5. I purchased a copy of this shortly after its release for an opportunity to hear the variants included. Having satisfied my curiosity, I've pretty much relegated it to the shelf. It's one of those recordings I respect without much enthusiasm. The much lamented Lorraine Hunt is the standout soloist. William Parker's baritone is well suited to the high lying tessitura of the bass part and his tone is nicely plush - and poignant given that he passed away not long after the recording from effects of a long illness. The other soloists are thoroughly professional. I have never cared much for the sound of the UC Berkeley Chorus in this or the other Handel oratorios McGegan recorded with them. There's nothing wrong with the choral voices as such, but I think glee club every time I hear them. The booklet makes much of the recording's engineering but the results are dry and lifeless. The conducting is pretty good, but I think the final "Amen" is a miscalculation. After the vigor of the penultimate chorus, the slow and soft singing is like stepping into mud. There are better historically informed performances available, but this is a unique opportunity to hear both Handel's original ideas, second thoughts, and response to necessity - like the secco recitatives substituted in Dublin because of singer limitations (for example, Who may abide). I've read elsewhere those those bits were lost to posterity, but that's a question for the musicologists.