5 comments about Scrooge: The Musical (1992 Birmingham Cast).

1. This is rather a labored effort. Anthony Newley is not well-cast. The extra songs are nothing else but extra and take away from the story.



2. For all of you who carry the memories and the magic from the 1970 original musical film of Scrooge, this "production" will destroy that magic. Anthony Newly is indeed, wrongly cast, and is an absolutely horrendous, egotistical and overdone [his style] obscenity to the gorgeous songs of Leslie Bricusse and to Albert Finney's characterization of such.



3. The reason for all the negative reviews isn't necessarilly a reflection on the Birmingham cast. It's because the FILM was so wonderful and the songs were spectacular and memorable as done by THAT cast, and everyone is looking for a recording from THAT!!!
   
   Unfortunately, unless you get the DVD and hook it up to make your own bootleg recording, there isn't any soundtrack from the film available.
   
   This version isn't misleading - it clearly identifies itself as the STAGE soundtrack. But most likely, it isn't what you were looking for.
   
   Let us all know when the Albert Finney film cast version is ready! It's long overdue for release.



4. Scrooge the movie is my absolute favorite Christmas movie. Apparently, you can't get the soundtrack on CD because of some kind of legal hangup. Until they make a real version of this CD, go to http://falalalala.com/?p=129 and make your own Scrooge the movie CD! That website has everything you need in one place. If you love the movie, like me, go download it now. Then life will be fine, good, and just as it should be.



5. I bought this CD originally because my 7 yo son was cast in a local production. I figured it would help him learn the words. For that reason, the CD did its job. It's turned out to be one of his favorite Christmas CDs.
   I must admit that the Albert Finney version of Scrooge has always been my favorite, even as a child. I had to listen to it a few times to digest it. Eventually it grew on me. First off, Track 1, A Christmas Carol only played for about 1 minute and then would go to track two. That was a disappointment because as someone else said, the first song is wonderful. I liked all the songs and the added one, Good Times, that the Cratchit family sings.
   What surprised me was the quality of some of the voices. Some of the ensemble actually go flat (off key)in a few of the songs, especially in the Entr'acte (I Like Life Reprise), Bob Cratchit in Good Times, and some Cratchit Family members when they all sing with Tiny Tim in The Beautiful Morning.
   Anthony Newly does a great job on some of the songs where there's talking and singing like in I Hate Christmas and It's Not My Fault. I find I don't like when he sings the higher or sustained notes in some songs such as I'll Begin Again or A Better Life. I feel he uses too much vibrato at the end, instead of having a full and solid voice.
   Overall, I would recommend this to others.

5 comments about Christmas with Boney M.

1. Have been waiting to get this cd for many years. Upon getting it, I was surprised that it had 18 songs plus a 'surprise' medley. Upon playing it, I could only hear "14" (fourteen) of the songs & could not get any of the remaining 4 or 5. So, I was naturally very disappointed!



2. Boney M has a fresh and vibrant sound. It is a great addition to my Christmas collection of CD's.



3. 
   Christmas with Boney M is one of the most enjoyable holiday cd's I've
   ever listened to. This cd has some great selections and renditions of
   Christmas music. I didn't realize this group was so talented. They
   harmonize so well. Included is the popular and hard to find version of
   Mary's Boy Child. Excellent!



4. If you like Boney M, then you will like this CD. I usually like basic Christmas music, but this CD is fun. Lots of good songs that you will recognize and some new ones too.



5. A CD for collectors and especially fans of Boney M! I was looking for it for many years. Excellent condition with fast shipping!

5 comments about Marshmallow World & Other Holiday Favorites (with Bonus Track) - Amazon.com Exclusive.

1. I bought Marshmallow World because Raul's voice is simply amazing and I thought his Christmas CD would be an excellent addition to my Christmas collection. I was right!! Raul's Marshmallow World did not disappoint and it even made my mom into a fan!!



2. This CD made me smile and even laugh at times. Without a doubt, Raul Malo has a beautiful voice, no matter what he sings. Some of the songs were soulful, some spiritual and some put you right in the toe-tapping holiday mood! You can purchase this CD along with "After Hours" for a discounted price. Get it! Again, no matter what he sings, you like. Some more than others, but always worth the price.



3. This is a Jazzy/New Orleans Style Christmas Music - Christmas Music tends to be so repetitious so I am always looking for "Different" Christmas Music! I only gave this a 3 because I did not like all the songs, just some of them.



4. Having been a Mavericks fan, I knew his voice would be perfection (as always). However, his original "Not So Merry Christmas" is a great tune that has so many 1960s influences that its scary. You can almost see Phil Spector behind the board. He has some interesting takes on classics (most work, but they are different) and other tunes he stays pretty traditiional. I love the use of the guitar on this. I think if you have diverse tastes in music, you will love it. If you are purely traditional....you'll love about 70%.......if you are a total lunatic, you probably won't like it. *ha, ha*
   
   Seriously....really, really good



5. As a huge Mavericks and Raul fan, I was delighted to see a Christmas CD! But I was disappointed that several tunes sounded like mere Dean Martin impersonations. Raul should just sing! I don't know who produced this CD, maybe Raul did. But the concept was off on several tunes. I can recommend this to big fans of his, you'll find several songs you love. I hope to see a second volume released with more Raul, less Vegas.

5 comments about Handel - Messiah / Vyvyan · Sinclair · Vickers · Tozzi · Royal PO · Beecham.

1. We live in an era when purity of intent and respect for composers' works is at an all time high. Not only are we blessed with superb 'authentic' performances on period instruments and with small choruses and countertenors and state of the art bel canto singers for Handel's evergreen "Messiah", there are many superlative recordings that are as polished as any one work on current recordings. Supposedly we are hearing Messiah the way Handel envisioned it. Perhaps so, but who is to say that had Handel the resources available today he wouldn't have jumped for joy at the drama of the old British Choral Societies version that Sir Thomas Beecham conducts on this anything but dusty recording from many years ago. The 'Old School' had its good points.
   
   Beecham goes all out with an orchestration, while attributed to Sir Eugene Goosens is also probably some of Beecham's own inimitable tinkering, that adds instruments not only in numbers but also in color and depth of sound. Winds double strings, percussion includes the full battery instead of just tympani, the big cello and viola sound stand equally with the big violin sound, etc. The chorus is huge, and while this allows the big dramatic moments to be intense, the fine diction Beecham demanded remains solidly intact.
   
   The soloists are in an operatic class of their own. Jennifer Vyvyan and Monica Sinclair were major singers when this recording was made and their singing is big and well ornamented. Jon Vickers and Giorgio Tozzi bring Verdi into the room and he is a welcome visitor to Beecham's vision of this work.
   
   For this listener, who prefers the 'correct, authentic' performance, this recording and others even older that celebrate the BIG Messiah are a delight. And that just proves that performance standards, no matter the interpretation of the conductor, are paramount: Beecham gives a solid, convincing interpretation to the operatic Messiah. It is lush, and huge, and absolutely wonderful to hear again! Grady Harp, December 06



2. Here's the famous Messiah from Thomas Beecham and forces that uses crashing cymbals, enhanced timpani and brass to make it sound like a collusion between classical forces, a rock band and Canadian Brass. Listen to second CD excerpt from "Hallelujah!" for the opening cymbal crash to get an idea of what's going on.
   
   Fans have debated for almost 50 years whether this performance is musically adept, musically correct, an exemplar of the English choral tradition, or just a big old batch of romantic fun at Handel's expense. I first owned this during a time when I also owned a recording Handel's "Royal Fireworks Music" featuring 40 woodwinds. The two made roughly an equal amount of noise.
   
   There isn't much question this performance is completely out of step with the way Handel is performed in most venues today. Check out the wonderful Jon Vickers' highly operatic opening aria, "Comfort ye", then compare that to any leaned-out period group you've heard. You'll get another idea of the dimension of Beecham's project.
   
   While not on the agenda of the Flat Earth Society, the main interest in a performance like this -- especially having to pay for three CDs when just about everyone else puts it on two -- is nostalgia or history, whichever happens to be the case for you.
   
   My personal favorite is Paul McCreesh's version on DG; I also enjoy the 4-CD box of "Messiah" and "Israel In Egypt" where Andrew Parrott leads his Taverner Choir & Players and some of the best early music singers. These are both historic versions that don't directly compete with Beecham or his style. If you like Sir Thomas's high cholesterol romantic approach, you surely will not enjoy the two I recommend.



3. If you want a Messiah as big as the planet, but with style, get this famous Beecham version done with romantic ornamentations. It's awesome!



4. While I am not by any means an original instrument/performance purist, even I find myself balking at the leisurely swagger of so many of the tempi adopted here (although Sir Thomas scampers through "For we, like sheep" as if he cannot wait to be rid of the embarrassment of it) and the rather disconcerting woodwind twiddles, flutey noodlings, lush horns and timpani bashings with which the Goossens orchestration (or was it more the work of Beecham himself?) graces us - yet I will readily admit that I really enjoy this rendering of Handel's inexhaustible masterpiece, done con amore as only Beecham could do it. The slow tempi certainly allow a clear articulation and a grandeur of utterance which are not unbecoming to such theologically elevated music.
   
   The soloists are very fine, especially the men; Vickers obviously has a heroic tenor very different from the rather hooty, throaty tenorino so often wheeled out these days for this music (I mention no British tenors whose weedy sound is so inexplicably prized...) and he articulates the recitative with real depth of feeling. Tozzi, likewise, is a tower of strength - you can just luxuriate in the smooth treacle of that bass. The women are stalwarts of that era; fine artists both.
   
   It's not the only "Messiah" you will want to hear; there is room for a less reverential, more animated and generally more lightly sprung interpretation but in many ways it brings you closer to the emotional heart of this music than many an underpowered, chilly and spare "original instruments" version. (Actually, Beecham's orchestra and choir are not that big compared with the Victorian blockbuster style which preceded it; it's just the ponderous tempi and extra orchestration which create an impression of additional weight.)
   
   So buy this - it's very reasonably priced and beautifully recorded for its 1959 provenance - and enjoy it for what it is: Beecham's tribute to a master composer.



5. This is music from the angels! Perfect, perfect, perfect is all I can say - you won't be disappointed with this CD. Great to listen to all year, but especially at Christmas.

5 comments about Fresh Aire Christmas.

1. This is the first Mannheim Steamroller album I ever heard. I enjoy it quite a bit, but I have to say that other Mannheim Steamroller albums, especially the other Christmas ones, just don't do it for me. They often sound cheesy and plastic, perhaps it's just my taste. But I've always enjoyed this Christmas album regardless of my disappointment with their other music. I think it's a great blend of renaissance with electronic and choral music. In my mind it is truly enjoyable music, not just "fun" or "interesting". I also bought the piano sheet music and always enjoy playing the songs. Like I said before, I won't say this about the other albums, but I do think this one is a winner. So, coming from someone who is not a Mannheim Steamroller fan in the least, this is a great album and well worth listening to.



2. The name says it all! Never a bad choice with any of their music. I love them all, if you haven't tried a CD you MUST purchase one. If you don't you are missing out on one of the most fantastic experiences you can experience.



3. This is the first Mannheim Steamroller CD I've ever bought. It is exactly what I was looking for as far as Christmas songs. I highly recommend this CD if you love MS.



4. Mannheim Steamrollers Christmas music is at the top of my list to listen to at this special time.



5. Nice selections. Was looking for more hard driving music more of what I have come to expect from this orchestra. It was fine.

5 comments about Christmas at Home.

1. I just bought this cd this Christmas and fell in love with it. Donny doesn't get enough credit for his beautful voice. I could not stop listening to "Soldier's King". "Kid In Me" is such a fun and true song for so many of us. Kudos to Donny for this cd. He's still got it!



2. I love Donny Osmond songs and had heard this was a good CD. I was very impressed. I'm a traditionalist with Christmas songs. He had a spiced up flair but was not over the top. I usually don't like any version of "O Holy Night" if it is jazzed up, but Donny's was wonderful. This one is definitely a new favorite.



3. What a great CD. Donny's voice is beautiful and what a great selection of christmas music. Donny truly puts you in the holiday mood. Highly recommend this CD. This makes a great gift too.



4. The holiday music is very enjoyable but I purchased this CD to download to my IPOD and it will not download to iTunes and you cannot burn a CD from it.



5. I bought this CD several years ago. The first time I listened to it I was like a dog with it's head tilted to the side, because Donny puts a new twist into some old favorites. But, now I wouldn't be able to trim the christmas tree without this CD playing while I do it. Some songs are playful and upbeat (Kid in Me; I've Been Looking For Christmas; Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas) and others are hauntingly beautiful (Mary, did you Know?; A Soldier's King). If your don't get teary listening to A Soldier's King, then you don't have a heart. This is not the run of the mill make-over of oldies Christmas music. The arrangements are fresh and refreshing to listen to. I LOVE this CD and recommend it to everyone.

5 comments about Gates of Delirium.

1. Listening to this muscial masterpiece as I type this, I'm astounded to find that I have never placed my review of this Incredible CD on this page and I've owned it for years.
   
   Allow me to correct that mistake right now.
   
   Everyone...this is one FUN FUN FUN CD!
   
   Just listening to this music now, there is so much more freedom and artistic openness to the arrangements from the previous two CDs.
   Both Born of the Night and Realm of Shadows are Awesome CDs in thier own right and ANY Midnight Syndicate fan should have them in thier collection (if they can still obtain a copy seeing that both recordings have been discontinued) but there is an *oppression* present that I can't put my finger on.
   I can't explain it.
   But in THIS recording...Midnight Syndicate Band Mates Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka BUST LOOSE and become the Artists that they are destined to be. This musical tour relies VERY LITTLE on sound effects and those that are there are very well and appropriately placed. Never over done...never under done. Your imagination is ALLOWED to take over and see what it wants to see...and sometimes things that you don't, but your brain takes you there anyway! lol!
   The music is lush, darkly alluring and carries you through the asylum of scared, misunderstood and mistreated patients at the mercy of the facility's sadistic Dr. Haverghast! *Don't worry! you don't hear anything *BAD* but like I said, this CD-so good- your brain just takes you there!
   I have never tired of this recording. It's complete "Mind Candy" and carries you away to another time.
   This is why Midnight Syndicate are the Masters of the Genre that they created... Gothic Halloween CDs for the Imagination and they just keep getting better and better with time.
   
   Now....go buy this CD and let yourself be taken away....
   down the hall, dragged, screaming for your life as the metal door slams shut behind you as your helpless screams die away in the distance.....



2. 
   The dark magic faded fast after this album was released. Everything they did afterwards just seemed to become redundant. No newer album ever merited any improvements or aroused any special new nuances. Their newer material just started to sound like previously rejected filler material that they started to release afterwards as whole albums. So, I guess, nowadays, Midnight Syndicate is just sitting in limbo hoping to conjure up some new fresh ideas. Probably just licking their wounds from last years backlash of discontinuing the availabilty of their best albums, and releasing a shoddy re-recording of key tracks.
   
   When I first started buying the CD's of Midnight Syndicate, I was pretty excited about having this dark moody classical outlet to add to my music library. Before the Midnight Syndicate, I only use to find small episodes of the kind of music that the Midnight Syndicate does.
   
   There are other artists such as Cradle of Filth, Yello, Vangelis, Rick Wakeman, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and Jean Michel Jarre and various types of horror soundtracks (John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, Goblin, etc.) that would give you one or two really cool dark classical instrumentals that just made you wish there were more. When Midnight Syndicate came out with "Born of the Night", that was the album that represented all that I was looking for in a complete sound concept that captured and embraced my more sinister side but in a subtle way. Just like when Hitler had Wagner, and Alex (A Clockwork Orange) had Beethoven, the Midnight Syndicate gave me that atmosphere that empowered my darkest moods and made me feel that there was a kind of music out there that understands me.
   
   This album of "Gates of Delerium" is their fourth project and probably one of the easiest ones to buy. Their first three CD's are discontinued and out of print. It's unfortunate because "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" were their best two albums. I got them, Thank God, but new fans will never know their most creative years. After "Gates of Delerium" their appeal really began to drop because their music wasn't really growing or going anywhere new and adventurous. They started to record dull uninspiring stale classical passages which all sounded all alike all through their albums. Each album just started to get even more boring from one album to the next. Their last respectable project was "The 13th Hour". So if you get "Gates of Delerium" and "The 13th Hour", that is all you really need from the Midnight Syndicate. Their other albums (including their retrospective CD) are just so bland and uninteresting. But, of course, if you see them "used" somewhere selling for about the price of an empty jewel box, that may be worth it. If you see "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" used somewhere (but I doubt it, nobody would give them up), definitely jump on them. And check out Nox Arcana too if you want to check out more music similar to "Gates of Delerium" (and especially the sound of "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows"). They haven't released anything since their "Out of the Darkness" CD. I guess they are still suffering from the repercussions of that major mistake. I sure hope they'll bounce back with something new soon.



3. the midnight syndicate's "gates of delerium" is an amazing album; this is perfect for all haunters and anyone who enjoys the dark gothic classical music that is the midnight syndicate. the haunted house i work at will be playing this album for our 2007 season, we have contacted the midnight syndicate and recieved posters for the haunted house; these guys fully support the haunt community. I have friends who are classical piano players who love this album for it's amazing musical quality.
   
   please, do yourself a favor, buy this album. if you have never heard the midnight syndicate, i recomend you look at their myspace page and listen to their music.



4. While Midnight Syndicate has probably done better albums ("Born of the Night" and "Symphonies from the Crypt" come to mind), they haven't done one that's any creepier! By now it's hardly a secret that while there were asylums in Queen Victoria's day (usually for the wealthy) where the inmates were treated with at least some compassion, often Victorian asylums and sanitariums were simply "snakepits", warehouses where people dumped mentally ill friends and relatives (and sometimes inconvenient spouses and children who were sane but unable to defend themselves) so they'd be out of sight and out of mind. In such places, the inmates were often treated brutally, given unsanitary food and water and virtually no medical care, and at times chained up and left there to die to free up the space for someone else.
   
   It is this world that Midnight Syndicate has re-created, adding to their excellent Gothic music the screams, howls and meaningless babbling of the terminally mad. The result is good background music for either reading ghost stories or for the more Gothic varieties of role-playing (e.g., World of Darkness or Call of Cthulhu), as long as you don't think too much about the fact that places like Haverghast Asylum not only really existed, but were, until the early Twentieth Century, almost the norm for care of the incurably insane in some states and countries.



5. A nice mix of creepy sound effects and darkly themed tunes. Great mood music for a horror themed party or playing RPGs.

5 comments about Frank Sinatra Christmas Collection.

1. Don't miss it if you like Frank and you want to live the Christams atmosphere. Good sound quality, fantastic Frank. I recommend it.



2. Frank Sinatra is my favorite singer of all-time and I have everything he ever recorded, so I am probably biased, but REALLY, I am PICKY about Christmas albums! They have to be good for me to enjoy them, and this one is great!! I am chiefly a fan of Frank's 1950's output, and this features mostly his later recordings, so that should be a strike against it there; however, this is a very tasteful collection that hits the emotional strings beautifully. BUT, DO NOT OVERLOOK Frank's 1957 CLASSIC Christmas album, *A Jolly Christmas* - It is as great as this album - not as diverse, but Frank is in better voice throughout. Check it out. It has the sexiest version of Jingle Bells ever! Also highly recommended: *Christmas Songs By Sinatra* from the 1940's (charming!). (All 3 of his Christmas albums are excellent, for different reasons.) Thanks for reading!



3. I have never found Sinatra's version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on any other CD. Since 2005 that song has been played at a banquet that is held at the kickoff of the Christmas season with I club to which I belong. Some of the songs include Sinatra and his kids singing together. "A Holly Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra" includes most of the other songs you would want as well. This album includes most of the songs forgotten on the other albums.



4. GREAT Christmas music. Very upbeat and great to play at your Christmas parties. Or simply listen to it while haning out w/ the family around the Christmas tree. There is nothing like a little Sinatra at Christmas.



5. i love frank Sinatra, and this cd is a collection of the best christmas songs, and he sings them so well!

5 comments about Christmas Songs.

1. Your wild Christmas party is starting to slow down, everybody's is getting over their party mood, and starting to settle down, maybe they're feeling the Christmas love, maybe they're taking in the festive atmosphere. You just finished your new Relient K Christmas album, so what do you put in for your quieting party? What do you put on to set a mood for love, reflection, peace, and some time with God? Christmas Songs by Jars of Clay.
   
   As with any great Christmas album, this is mixed with a few of new tracks, along a few old classic that set your clock back to the day of ole, and there's a quite a few classics that you won't remember, but this album changes that.
   
   The first classic is "Wonderful Christmastime" originally done by Sir Paul McCartney. You know you've heard it, it kind of has a electronic flavoring? Well this version differentiates itself by having a more piano flavoring to it. But what really makes it a classic version is Dan Haseltine's amazing, soothing vocals. It also smoothly integrates "We Three Kings" into the song.
   
   "Love Came Down At Christmas" is a great original tune with it's folk feel, and great instrumental work. "Hibernation Day" is the highlight of the album with it's soft musical style. A sweet snow-day lovesong, this is a great piece of work by Jars of Clay, both vocally, and musically. "Peace Is Here" is another amazing song, with it's epic type buildup, leading up to a magnificent chorus. In fact, the whole song is epic in it's nature, lyrically, vocally, musically.
   
   It's from this point on that the album really starts slowing down, especially with tracks like "Evergreen" which are great for sitting in a comfy chair drinking hot chocolate, and enjoying a nice crackling fire.
   
   Remember the excellent "Drummer Boy" album that came out about ten years ago by the band? The one that built up the anticipation for this album so much? Well the track are here too, but reinterpreted. "Drummer Boy" now has a constant drum sound throughout the song, giving a whole new feel to the song.
   
   With a label change, Jars of Clay enters a whole new era for the band. And what a way to kick it off, the album is simply amazing. A array of emotions fill the album, but as in songs like "In The Bleak Midwinter," the focus is never taken off of God.
   
   This album is really about the finer things of the Christmas season, not about presents, and food, but of love, peace, reflection, and God. You could even say this album's theme is the true meaning of Christmas. So when looking on the shelves of the music store, and you're clouded with the fragments materialism, commercialism, party planning, and other things, just look for the album with the shining star in a Rockwellian portrait. The cover says it all.



2. Jars of Clay have done it again! Produced a CD that ignites the spirit and
   awakens the soul.



3. Good CD with a variety of Christmas songs -- not the typical Christmas CD. Had some original works.



4. Definitely has the Jars of Clay sound to it. A mix of traditional and original Christmas songs, so a nice addition to your collection if you (like me) have a bunch of different people/groups recording the same old songs. A bit mellow (or perhaps melancholy) sounding for some of the songs -- very peaceful to listen to but not a dancing CD (to my little kids' disappointment). If you like Jars of Clay I think you would like this.



5. With each new album that Jars of Clay has released I have always found myself quite pleased with the results. For the first time this is not the case. I was quite disappointed with this release.
   
   I believe most, if not all, of this disappointment came from an expectation that Jars would use their talents to create new contemporary takes on classic carols. What I found was a collection of carols so changed from the originals that with out the familiar lyrics I would of had no idea that these were well known Christmas carols that I had heard throughout my life.
   
   I have no problem with a group taking age old songs and reworking them and making them there own, but what I do expect is that I should be able to recognize the songs from melodies. When it comes down to it these are really just new songs that borrow the lyrics of classic carols.

5 comments about Dr. Demento Presents: Greatest Christmas Novelty CD.

1. Dr Dementos Greatest Christmas Novelty CD was entertainingly funny for my whole family. Its fun to have a little non-traditonal Christmas music at the holiday season. Pure fun, fun, fun.



2. Great novelty CD. Had this one for a long time and lost it, so I had to get a replacement.



3. Good product for a child in Elem School. It arrived promptly and was what I expected.



4. product suited the need and reason for purchase. pleasantly surprised by some of the other novelty songs on cd.



5. I honestly bought this CD for one song and that was "all I want for x-mas is a hippotamus". I love that song and Alvin and the Chipmunks. For me the rest of the songs sucked and they arent worth anything to me. But I couldnt find the song I wanted as a single at the time. Just make sure that you read the songs included list before you buy.