5 comments about With Love.

1. I bought this series of Crawford recordings in the early 90s under the alternate title, "The Phantom Unmasked."
   One does feel that Crawford's heart and soul are in every note of each song.
   "I Dreamed A Dream" --Fantine's musical lament in "Les Miserables" -- is given more masculine treatment, but the emotions expressed are ultimately just as raw.
   If I am uncomfortable about Crawford's rendering of "With You, I'm Born Again", however, it's because that is my general feeling about the song itself, and I remember the release of the original, which, if I had to make a judgement, I would say was a bit more intense.
   "Every Time We Say Goodbye", is sung with a sad smile. In it, Crawford combines wistfulness and nostalgia. I always enjoy the dip in his voice when he sings the line, "...from major to minor". He has quite a vibrato there. I have fond memories of listening to this version of the Cole Porter classic while traveling along country roads.
   Crawford's take on Neil Diamond's, "The Story of My Life", is driven, intense, and pleading, as his delivery of Sondheim's "Being Alive". On the latter, all his emotion explodes into a cresecendo at the end.
   Next comes Crawford's signature tune, "The Music of the Night", in which, of course, he is squarely in his element. He lends sensuousness to the song's alternate lyrics, taking listeners on a gentle ride and placing them down gently at its end. I've never had trouble figuring out this song's popularity among figure skaters.
   We move on to Crawford's soft lullaby, "When I Fall in Love". Whereas earlier versions by Doris Day and Nat King Cole were respectively sunny and effortlessly bold, and reverent but charismatic, Crawford mixes an amount of youthful-sounding uncertainty with a lightweight ending.
   "If", initially performed by the group, Bread in the early 70s, is now given a more stately, strident, and loving treatment.
   "On My Own", also from " Les Miserables" and introduced by Frances Ruffelle-- with whom Michael later performed a duet-- is given a more hopeful sounding slant as he sings it in a different key.
   "Come Rain or Come Shine" is brash-sounding, Crawford sounds like an insistant youth telling the lady of his already-won affections how things will be, painting a story with his singing and doing so quite vividly.
   At the end of this journey, we feel that we know the man behind the Phantom's mask quite well. He has led us to admire his artistry even as he aroused empathy for his most notable character.



2. More moving magic from our man Mike!!!!!

   His CD's keep getting more enchanting!!!




3. No one can sing a tender, sweet love song better than Michael Crawford. This CD has a nice showcase of his talent, highlighting both his soft voice and his "big" voice. The high points of the album are "The Story of My Life," "On my On," and "If." This is truely an album flooded with wonderful, romantic tunes.



4. I wish I could have given this album ten stars, it's so beautiful! Michael Crawford has such a beautiful way of expressing emotions. He is definetly my favorite singer of all time. All of his songs are song with such tenderness and love. I can't recommend this album enough! The title really suits it, it was surely done with love.



5. There are two songs in particular that will knock your socks off.The first one, I Dreamed a Dream and the fifth one,The Story of My Life, are so beautiful they will make you weep. Either of them is worth the price of the CD.

5 comments about Broadway Classic.

1. I bought this CD because of the beautiful picture on the cover. I've since fallen for Lisa Vroman's fabulous singing on the CD. The orchestrations are first rate. Get it.



2. This is truly one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. Absolutely clear and articulate, yet with lots of emotional depth. If you enjoy a soprano voice, you'll love Lisa Vroman, you couldn't ask for better.



3. The first time I heard Lisa was when I saw The Phantom of the Opera for the first time in San Fransisco (she played Christine for years)and she was absolutely amazing. Her voice is so incredibly warm and rich and posesses a genuine sweetness that makes you fall in love with her instantly. You will not regret buying this CD--it's a treasure. Also, I feel I must mention Franc D'Ambrosio's new debut album, Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway, as he amazed me just as much if not more than Lisa in his performance as the Phantom. Franc and Lisa have absolutely amazing voices that go so well together I think it would be a shame to own the album of one and not the other--I think anyone who has seen them together in Phantom would agree. I'm just waiting for the day when they come out with an album of duets!!!! However, the SF cast of Phantom of the Opera has recorded a CD of Christmas songs (it's called Christmas Center Stage) and Lisa and Franc do sing a duet on it! It's a lovely collection and very fun to listen to for those of you who are die hard SF cast phans like myself. Just a suggestion.



4. If you love Broadway tunes and want to hear them sung by the best voice today, you must have this recording. This simply is as good as it gets. The voice is stunning...and Lisa is as wonderful a person as is her talent.



5. For all you Broadway and opera lovers out there and even if you are not this cd is a must have!! Lisa Vromans cd is amazing, it does not disappoint. Her song selection is spectacular, with songs like "Think of Me" my personal favorite from her famous role as Christine in Phantom of the Opera. She is as good in the studio as she is live. Her voice is very powerful and she has a beautiful, rich tone. She is a jewel in this industry as she has a very powerful operatic-type voice yet she can sing other broadway material besides "Phantom of the Opera" very well. The orchestrations are well arranged on this album and her voice takes you away into the lovely world of broadway. I love opera a lot too and this album is so great as it brings a touch of opera to classic broadway hits. Her voice effortlessly flows into the high and low registers and is very crisp and though powerful also has a nice peaceful delicate quality to it. Her voice alone is such a gem to have on an album but this cd I think everyone will love as she covers some of broadways best loved songs, I will enjoy this album always. It is a rare gem in my collection and I will cherish it always!! Lisa Vroman's cd "Broadway Classic", will not disappoint it buyers and you will enjoy each song as she brings her own lovely style to old classics. They are so familar yet with her it is like you are hearing for the first time!!

2 comments about Irving Berlin: A Hundred Years.

1. Irving Berlin, the dean of American song- writers wrote over one- thousand published songs in his life. Yet as with everything most of these are not remembered today, and Berlin is known today for a few dozen major songs. Among those included here are 'Cheek to Cheek' 'Easter Parade' ' White Christmas' 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'.'I've Got my Love to keep my warm' 'Always' 'What'll I do'.
   However a number of his greatest songs are not included, and among them perhaps the most famous one of all, the song many have thought should be the national anthem, "God Bless America'
   The singers and the arrangements here are not in every case the best, but Fred Astaire in 'Cheek to Cheek' is unbeatable.
   The songs included are:
   Let Me Sing And I'm Happy - Ben Selvin & His Orchestra 2. Puttin' On The Ritz - Jan Garber & His Greater Columbia Recording Orch.
   3. Say It Isn't So - Connie Boswell
   4. I Love A Piano - Arthur Schutt
   5. Face The Music Medley - Victor Young And The Brunswick Orchestra W/Bing C.
   6. Mandy - Eddie Cantor
   7. Easter Parade - Gene Austin 8. Harlem On My Mind - Ethel Waters
   9. Alexander's Ragtime Band - Boswell Sisters With The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra 10. Cheek To Cheek - Fred Astaire Listen Listen Listen
   11. Let Yourself Go - Bunny Berigan And His Orchestra 12. Remember - Red Norvo And His Orchestra Listen Listen Listen
   13. This Year's Kisses - Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra W/ Billie Holiday
   14. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Red Norvo And His Orchestra W/ Mildred Bailey
   15. How Deep Is The Ocean - Benny Goodmman And His Orchestra W/Peggy Lee Listen Listen Listen
   16. Doin' What Comes Naturally - Dinah Shore 17. Always - Tony Bennett Listen Listen Listen
   18. You're Just In Love - Rosemary Clooney And Guy Mitchell Listen Listen Listen
   19. White Christmas - Johnny Mathis
   20. What'll I Do -



2. Well, it's just as I remembered it from my old cassette version, but now I don't need to wind the tape or flip it over! Otherwise, it's the same as the tape: great Berlin songs, brought to life by some of the most famous voices...Fred Astaire does his best version of "Cheek to Cheek", Dinah Shore for me *defines* the number "Doin' What Comes Naturally", and I much prefer Barbara Streisand's rendition of "What'll I Do"...this isn't some definitive collection, but it's a rock-solid introduction to one of America's most beloved classic composers!

No comments about Bobby Short Is Mad About Noel Coward.

No comments about Songs from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Little Miss Sunshine.

5 comments about Love Story.

1. This guy is just beyond words. Michael Ball's voice is unique, yet he can sing anything. If American Idol was around 20-25 years ago, Michael would be it (barring the fact that he is indeed NOT american). He could sing the ABCs and still make you cry or dance depending on how he does it. I only wish he's make more stops on his US gigs. How can you go wrong with Michael Ball, he is Perfection!



2. This is a great CD! And with Michael FINALLY coming to America to perform in concert in Salt Lake City, everyone on these shores will be able to hear the amazing VOICE of Michael Ball! His CDs are wonderful but you have to experience his voice in person!



3. While this is a whole different type of album it is absolutely fab. It tells the story of an affair from beginning to end and starting over again. Great songs by a variety of composers and sung with feeling and passion that only Michael Ball has. Almost a jazz feeling. Different but another hit for the fantastic UK Musical Theatre star.



4. I am NOT a michael ball fan. In fact, i find him to be overly self-indulging, and attempts to much to be a male Barbra Streisand. However, in this CD, it is nice to find out that he selected songs that would DEFINITELY fail, like Time in a Bottle. On some parts, Michael Ball could not hide from his over-acting style of singing-"acting". His use of his low voice register saved the recording. I just hope, that he minimizes his acting by 50%. This would definitely improve the quality of his recording. From this cd, i hope he would try to be a little subtle and sublime.



5. I love this cd. But let's face it , it is very different from any of his other cds. It tells a story of love. One that we have all known. He is not belting out the songs , but instead, caressing you as he tells the story of a failed love. Picking himself up. Starting again. A decidedly jazz flavor is instilled in some of the songs and the passion from God Give Me Strength is done as only he can do. As I said. Different but great

1 comments about Mood Indigo: Capitol Sings Duke Ellington.

1. If you like Duke Ellington's music, you will love this collection. The disc includes some very well known versions of Ellington's big hits.
   
   As expected from the title, all the versions are from the Capitol Records' vault. I miss Ella Fitzgerald. A few cuts from her would have made this album perfect. But that's a minor point as the overall collection of artists represented here is outstanding. The artists range from Duke's own orchestra to Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls and the King Sisters. The title track, "Mood Indigo" is performed by Nat King Cole - simply the best.
   
   The songs have been digitally remastered and the sound is as close to perfect as modern technology can make it. The music is as clean and bright on this album as it was when it was originally recorded.
   
   Great songs; great artists; excellent sound -- so, turn up the volume and swing the house!
   
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about Forever.

1. Lyrics with the word "rainbows" should be avoided. They make a song sound twee and as it's the first song on the CD, it sets a tone.. Over-lush at times- this is a bit of a Streisand-type thing, (her insistance on every song beginning with an orchestral opening before she gets to it..horrible.) Feinstein does the same.. and some of the songs he has chosen are aural-sugar..
   Not a great album from a great artist.
   
   Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins



2. OK, let's face it, Michael Feinstein isn't for everyone. Some people think he's too sappy, a weaker Frank Sinatra, and so on. That said, I think this album is for everyone. From his eloquent cover of Van Morrison's "Moondance" to his own "Half of April" each and every one of these songs is performed with heart and a gentle touch. This is very much unlike his "songbook" albums - where he takes one composer's work and does it to death - which is what generally comes to mind with Michael's work , here there is a more eclectic style that gives you a truer sense of the great range and talent he posesses.



3. All the songs on this album are fabulous, but Michael's version of MOONDANCE can't be beat by any other artist in any venue. He is sincere in his vocalizing and a "pro" who simply can't be beat by anyone alive today! His phrasing is as good as Sinatra's but Michael Feinstein is in a class all his own -- he's on a pinnacle, but not an "ivory tower." He is one of a kind -- the best in his field.



4. When i bought this cd, i had high hopes for it. After playing it several times, i realized that it was not the cd for me. It had some good songs, but not enough of them. It had a few outstanding arrangements. This cd could have been better with more selective song selection and better arranging. Maybe in the future we can have some of both. I love you Michael, but this cd doesn't work.



5. I'm not a Michael Feinstein fan. I think the work he's done with the Gershwin catalogues is incredible but I've always found Feinstein to come off as sounding arrogant. Perhaps he isn't in real life, but that's how he brushes off on me.

   However, I'm able to put my personal prejudices aside to say that I really enjoy this particular album. No matter what your mood may be at any given time, there's something here for you. There's the beautiful soaring melody in "My Romance" and the dreamy "Soon". The mischevious "Moondance" is how I always thought this song should be performed. Add in the energetic "Too Marvelous For Words" and the thought provoking "What Ever Happened to Melody" and you've got a quite enjoyable collection.

   As another reviewer mentioned, this pairs very nicely with Feinstein's "Isn't It Romantic" compilation.

   So long as Mr. Feinstein continues to produce cds like this one, I'll continue to buy them. It doesn't mean I'll like Michael Feinstein, but I do like his album!

5 comments about Miss Saigon.

1. Following the huge success of their grand masterpiece, LES MISERABLES, Alain Boubil & Claude-Michel Schonberg came out with MISS SAIGON. For those looking for the best version of the show on CD, this is the one you want. The show is basically a love story between an American G.I., Chris (Simon Bowman) and a young Vietnamese girl, Kim (Lea Salonga) just before the American departure from Saigon in 1975. The show attempts to address some similar issues from LES MISERABLE, such as the cruelty and injustice of unfair working conditions and timeless love, but these are basically camouflage for an ill-fated love story. My favorite songs from the album and show include:
   
   "Why God Why"
   "I Still Believe"
   "This Is the Hour"
   "Bui-Doi"
   "The Fall of Saigon"
   "The American Dream"
   
   The performances by the actors are very well done, especially Simon Bowman, Lea Salonga, and Jonathan Pryce (as The Engineer). LES MISERABLE, with a central story about the life-changing power of grace, is a stronger show than MISS SAIGON. However, MISS SAIGON does have its moments and is a grand musical story of tragic love.



2. I love Miss Saigon, but I bought this CD just because of Lea Salonga. I really love her, but I was a little disappointed in this performance. I watched her in Miss Saigon in 2001 and thought she was amazing. She sung the songs with much more power. I thought she was good in the CD, but not great. She was only 18 when she recorded this CD. I guess it was a mistake thinking she sung as well as she does now. I did love the CD, though, and I'm happy I bought it. The reason I keep listening to it is for the great songs and story. They lyrics really are amazing.



3. Great service. Product arrived 8 days earlier than promised. Well packaged and postage costs were reasonable. would buy from Amazon again. Cast not as good as the original Taped Set which features some of the original Australian Cast. This one was produced by Festival Records in Australia in 1995, Featuring Joanna Amphil and Peter Cousens, and is the best version I have heard. If anyone has a CD of this version I would love to purchase. Patricia



4. The 1989 Original London Cast Recording of Miss Saigon is absolutely amazing!!! I have never seen the show, but I have wanted to for a long time - I was actually supposed to see it with my family when I was about 12, but I ended up being sick so they went without me (and unfortunately, it is now no longer on broadway). Listening to this soundtrack, however, I feel like I am there. The music is so powerful and captivating. (And thankfully, the cd insert provides the storyline with the lyrics so I was able to understand what was going on when things were not exactly clear - I listened once through without looking at the cd insert and it was amazing, but then I listened again following along and it was even more amazing.) The storyline is heart-wrenching and powerful (very classic of Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg (at least in my opinion)), and it is brought home with the passion in the voices of the cast. It made me wish I could take a time machine to London in 1989 so I could see this live. I am now still praying that there will be a revival on broadway (and I can only hope that there will be a cast even half as amazing as the original london cast).



5. When I was a kid, Mom used to put on the soundtrack of Oklahoma!, turn it up loud, and clean house while she sang along. Eventually, my brother replaced her music with West Side Story... and then one day my daughter introduced me to the music of Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. I love both equally, though I can't say I'd ever clean house while listening; the music here is so deeply moving in terms of subject and lyric that I usually end up just sitting, staring, listening. And I've never even seen the actual production....

5 comments about The Fantasticks (1960 Original Off-off-Broadway Cast).

1. Ordered it, received it, and now it waits in the closet to be given as an Xmas gift and will make someone very happy!!!



2. From this beautifully remastered recording of the original 1959 cast album, it is obvious why The Fantasticks ran for 42 years off Broadway, making it the world's longest continuous musical run to date. In a time of Mega-Mega-Mega This or That, The Fantasticks stands as a testament to the simple beauty of the lyric and melody of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, and the simple poignancy of a tale about human relationships and lasting love without frills, big budgets, or preachiness. Those raised on musicals of the last 3 decades initially may be unable to process it. Extensive recording notes provide a background of the musical and full synopsis of the story, photos, and the entire lyrics and dialogue within the recording. The enchanting two-piano score jumps off the CD to life before you from the first note to the last. The listening experience is akin to sitting in the front row of the intimate Sullivan Street Playhouse where this modern-day Romeo and Juliet premiered and played for more than four decades. From the score, "Try to Remember" -- exquisitely sung by Jerry Orbach, and "They Were You" with Rita Gardner and Kenneth Wilson stand out as classics, though every song beautifully walks us through the lives of the characters. Also extraordinary is the opportunity to hear this wonderful cast, many of whom were appearing in first notable roles. Treat yourself to an experience of what theatre is truly all about.



3. What a treat to hear that piano begin another "Fantastick" review of romance and the ongoing battle between teens and their parents. Jerry Orback's invitation to "remember" aways anchors me to the joys of my life.



4. I was fortunate to see the production in 1962, early in its forty-two year non-stop run, and it has always remained one of my favorite musicals. I appreciated the opportunity of downloading a re-mastered original cast album in MP3 format....Fantastic!!! Easy download and just as easy to burn a CD of the download for playing in my vehicle. The sound quality is impressive, sharp, with accurate reproduction of the audible range.



5. I ordered the Fantastics record because I was interested in one song on it. Somehow, I had never heard of this very successful musical. And I enjoyed almost all of it. Good stuff!