3 comments about This Is the Army / Call Me Mister / Winged Victory.

1. I would recommend this album only and exclusively to collectors and researchers on the History of Broadway. However, I don't think it will appeal a larger group of people. It includes a couple of old classics such as "I Hate to Get Up in the Morning", wich makes it worth getting. The sound quality is not the best and the songs are partially inspired.



2. "This is the Army" is the first, and by far the greatest. When the word historic has lost all meaning this revue truly was -- perhaps the biggest show-biz charity fundraiser ever (for the Army Emergency Relief, which exists to this day), an incalculable morale booster on two fronts, a show whose too-small number of black players nonetheless helped break down the military's color barrier. It also sired the first major-label musical cast album; Decca rushed it into production at the end of July, 1942 to beat the AFM's notorious recording ban. That (and perhaps some reticence with an untested genre) may explain why the public only got four 10" 78s, shorter than they should have been. (Victor rushed its own studio recording into print as well, with mediocre arrangements and Fats Waller.) The following year Decca atoned for its mistake when it declared peace with the musician's union to record "Oklahoma!", making the cast album a permanent part of our musical lives. If we got only a fraction of what must have been it must have been tremendous. On the evidence this was Irving Berlin's finest score to date, and after the slog through multiple continents with a war hardened company he dug deep and wrote "Annie Get Your Gun." The tragedy is that no one tried to revive this show when enough of the boys were still alive, say in the eighties; perhaps Berlin, by then a hopeless recluse, turned it down. As touching and as stirring as these songs are it is preposterous that this score has remained all but buried since the last production in 1945. That this show is inextricably tied to a war is no excuse; the memory of a brave generation deserves better.
   
   We go inevitably downhill from there, starting with the first track of "Call Me Mister", a postwar show with a lighter touch, and a lighter songwriter in several ways. Harold Rome could write a mean lyric, and he was good at the sort of situational humor that worked with topical shows, but despite his ambitions -- at the end of his career he foolishly adapted "Gone with the Wind" -- he just could not write the fine ballad that would have put him in the first rank. So where "This is the Army" can move the soul "Mister" just sits there, despite a haunting tribute to the "Face on the Dime." Its comic relief saves the day and it's pretty good as a recording too, as it's from 1946, and gives us a flavor of the old-time Broadway sound that makes these early albums so appealing. The four concluding sides of incidental music from Moss Hart's play "Winged Victory" are negligible. These are from David Rose, author of "Holiday for Strings" and patron saint of easy listening (until he wrote "The Stripper" and no doubt caused Red Skelton to swallow his kaddidlehopper). As might be expected from a man Spike Jones parodied he writes the most self-important music with the most showoffy grandiose charts, undercutting whatever patriotic feeling it had. His orchestral yelling even makes "The Army Air Corps" ("Off we go into the wild blue yonder") tiresome, a true negative achievement. It's easy to see why this has never been revived -- and never could be.
   
   Despite its shortcomings of production (and in the last two works of inspiration), this is a fine and valuable recording. Which brings us to Vivendi. When the company revamped its cast-album catalog it decided to price these completely amortized albums at full-line-plus. It's especially galling here as all the selections from "This is the Army" and "Winged Victory" and at least one from "Call Me Mister" have enough surface noise and distortion to indicate they're likely from commercial pressings. Maybe Mr. Bronfman Junior needed the money for his ultimately failed investment; but such gouging underscores the contempt the record business has for its customers, whom it sees as saps whose pockets will empty endlessly when it grabs them face down by the ankles. The public is now richly returning the favor by tuning itself out to the majors and its endless parade of tunelessness. For all the gold-chained clan's howls of denial it isn't good for the record trade -- and in the end, by eviscerating the one stable source for new music, it isn't good for us.



3. Having scored a triumph during World War I with his "Yip Yip Yaphank," Irving Berlin was a natural to be asked to create a similar revue for World War II, and the all-male "This Is the Army" did very well. An original cast recording came out in 1942. The very next year, the Air Force got its chance with Moss Hart's "Winged Victory." Four of the songs appeared in boxed set of 78 rpm discs. When it was all over, the returning GI was saluted in yet another revue called "Call Me Mister." That original cast album appeared in 1946. Now you can hear them ALL on a single Decca CD (BOOOO831-02).

   There is a soundtrack recording from the film "This Is the Army" that is extremely fuzzy, making this Decca release far preferable, all the more so because it does give us the original all-soldier cast that included Irving Berlin himself singing (more or less) his immortal "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning." Other songs include "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen," "How About a Cheer For the Navy," and "American Eagles."

   The focus here is how men made the transition from civilian to military life, and most of the problems they faced are mentioned in the opening number, "This Is the Army, Mr. Jones." We must also note with some sadness that the real problems of joining an army are never explicit, but the purpose of the show was to reassure and not to look at the "dark side of the force."

   "Winged Victory" originally contained only two discs holding four songs: "Winged Victory," "My Dream Book of Memories," "The Whiffenpoof Song," and "The Army Air Corps." That last one thrilled my generation whenever it was played over the radio and especially during the wartime films; and it has lost none of its potency over the years. (The line about going "down in flame" still chills.) This was also the first military revue that included women, a fact which makes it even more of an historical document.

   In 1946, Harold Rome lent his talents to putting together a revue for those returning to civilian life. Early in the war, Dinah Shore was able to praise "A Boy in Khaki," but Vaughn Monroe later in the war sang about looking forward to wearing "Just a Blue Serge Suit." I have a particular fondness for this set, because I owned a copy as a boy, played it to death, and eventually lost track of it. I never knew there was a 1950 LP version which included "This Is the Army," and I spent years trying to find the company that held the copyright that would get it onto a tape or (later on) a CD. So 57 years after the album first was released, my prayer has been answered!

   The first number, sung by Lawrence Winters (a great portrayer of Porgy, by the way), takes place aboard a "Going Home Train" and is replete with optimism. A sketch in which a group of men are waiting to be assigned work for the day included Winter's rendition of "The Red Ball Express" on which the Black GIs carried supplies to the troops. He is the only one denied work at the end of the scene. We had an even older enemy than the Nazis to face.

   A young newcomer named Betty Garrett delighted audiences with "Little Surplus Me" and "Yuletide, Park Avenue" in which many of the New York shops are mentioned in Christmas carol style. But it was her rendition of "South America, Take It Away" that brought down the house and raised her to stardom.

   You get the expected comic number, "Military Life," sung by Jules Munshin (remember him from the film "On the Town"?) and two other men, while Winters sings "A Face on a Dime," a song that needs some explaining to those who were born after the minting of the "Roosevelt Dime." "Along With Me" and the full version of "When We Meet Again" are the ballads, while the title song acts as a finale number.

   The press release announces, "Decca Broadway Salutes the Troops With the CD Release of Three World War II Musical Revues." The current situation, I am sure, helped prompt the release of this set; but whatever the reason, I am absolutely delighted it is finally available. The songs are mostly excellent examples of their kind, the lyrics for the most part clever and powerful, the historical value great. I really suggest that History Departments take notice and get a copy. All the textbook accounts of the war never give the human side of things, and this CD will go a long way to letting the present young generation know how we faced all-too-familiar problems back then.

5 comments about Emmanuel: A Musical Celebration of the Life of Christ.

1. I was looking for Christian Christmas music when I came across this. It sounded good and at least somewhat familiar so I ordered it.
   
   There is conviction in the singing of these praise-filled songs. It is sincere, powerful and beautifully done and brings a sense of Christ's passion year-round. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a loving celebration of Jesus



2. This is without a doubt my favorite CD. It is spectacular! The talent, composition, combined with the most inspirational story every told make this a one of a kind. Its got it all!



3. I waited untill I recieved this CD to be sure it was the same artists. I have had this album on Cassette for years. After I bought a new car, I was very disappointed that there was no tape player, and I had trouble finding this album on CD in the stores.
   
   This is Christmas Music, but I am usually burned out on it by Christmas, so after Christmas, I pack it away, but then about June I start craving the music in the album, so I dig it out and start the cycle over again.



4. Emmanuel is an excellent, upbeat, intense musical portrayal of the life of Christ. While it is intended for a Christmas celebration..I received it initially just prior to Easter and fell in love with the outstanding music, vocals and the most important portrayal of the message of Christ. I've heard so many and participated in choirs for years.. this one is special!! Don't miss it!



5. This is undoubtedly one of the best newer Christmas musicals ever recorded. I wish it were on VHS or DVD. The songs are amazing, as are the artists. I initially bought it because I was a fan of both Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, but all the other artists contribute a lot, too, and are just as talented. The instrumentation is great, and I highly recommend that this CD be included in everyone's Christmas collection!! In my opinion, this particular CD has the BEST version of the song Emmanuel that has been pressed to date. BUY IT!

1 comments about By Request.

1. Gloria Loring is a remarkably talented songstress, and over the years has brought us many memorable albums, most notably "Full Moon and No Hesitation," and "Is There Anybody Out There." This collection of requests solicited from fans of her web-site and/or e-mail is full of those songs you would expect Jane Olivor or Linda Eder to do in a smoky coffee house. Gloria sings her heart out, particularly on "Quiet, Please, There's a Lady on Stage," a song written about one of Judy Garland's last stage appearances. Starting out softly and quietly, the tune becomes a Broadway-type showstopper, up in tempo and such. It only works because Gloria's a pro. Her version of Kenny Loggins' "Cody's Song" is well done. In fact, they all pass competency and delivery. However, the production values are sparse and there are times when Gloria sounds tired or uninvolved. I'm a staunch Loring fan but I was disappointed in this set.

No comments about Songs from West Side Story (Accompaniment 2-CD Set).

5 comments about Symphonic Rock: British Invasion, Vol. 1.

1. This CD is truly incredible.I liked it much better than just about anything else the LSO has done. As many have already stated before me, I think this CD will appeal to a wide variety of audiences-and especially for those who are used to listening to rock and are now enjoying classical music. This CD deserves the"cult classic" status it has attained over the past few years, and amoungst rock symphonies is only surpassed by the "Door's Concerto".



2. This CD is very amusing. It reminds me of Radio Jordan - The English station Broadcasting from Amman Jordan & is recieved here & different cities around Israel & the PA... You see, they played these sorts of instrumentals all the time. Anything they could get their hands on - Yani, Kenny G, and lots of this stuff... so this is kinda like Radio Jordan... but in a good way! :-)



3. I love this cd, I found it at a thift store. I listen to it all the time. If you want awsome music BUY IT!!!



4. dear all ....words are not enough in this case .... i realy dont know how to thank you all for the great stuff you'r doing ......i'v ben searching for this albume for ten years .... it makes me feel that am in my own world .....thank you all .. and keep on beieng the best .... emad



5. First, these outstanding songs were performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, one of the BEST orchestra in the world!

   The LSO has a great reputation for playing Rock & Pop music, and they done it again with this album. I really love some tracks, like Night in White Satin, House of Rising Sun, Bohemian Rhapsody, Another Brick in the Wall and Layla. The atmosphere was grand, and that helped unleashed the spirit of the songs.

2 comments about Guys And Dolls (1976 Studio Cast).

1. There are several truly excellent recordings of GUYS AND DOLLS out there -- the original Broadway Cast album and the 1976 and 1992 revivals being three of them.
   
   But this album (a 1964 studio recording) is possibly the best of the bunch. The "Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre" is a formal name for the Rat Pack -- Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin specifically. Throw in Debbie Reynolds, Dinah Shore, Jo Stafford and the McGuire Sisters, and you've got some of the most legendary talent of the mid-20th Century.
   
   It's more than just the talent, though. These folks take GUYS AND DOLLS to a new level of "hip." The arrangements are pure swing, the deliveries are pure Vegas, and you can tell they're just having a great time recording it. This is everything that GUYS AND DOLLS was meant to be, interpreted in the most appropriate way possible.
   
   The only thing that keeps this album from being sheer perfection is the lack of "Marry the Man Today." Why that song was left off is a mystery to me, as it's one of the true highlights of the show. But Dinah Shore's "If I Were a Bell" makes up for that shortcoming, as it's the best version of the song in existence.
   
   This CD can be hard-to-find, but it's well worth seeking out.



2. I don't know what hole the idiots at Amazon ended up pulling this one out of, but this is NOT the 1976 cast recording. This is the version Sinatra recorded with his buddies in 1963. The recordings include Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, among many others. It's out-of-print now, and in fine stereo, so if you are a Sinatra, and always thought HE should have played Brando's role in the movie, then this soundtrack is for you.

2 comments about The Rodgers & Hammerstein Songbook.

1. Brings back fond memories of broadway style music and the genius of composers of the pre and post WW2 era.



2. Overall, I really enjoyed the basic idea of this album. However, the Rodgers and Hammerstein Songbook CD is unlike other Songbook CDs of the other great American tunesmiths of the first half of this century in the fact that the songs never transcend out of their Broadway setting. Porter, Gershwin and Berlin all wrote great Broadway songs that soon crossed over into being standards on their own right, but Rodger's and Hammerstein's songs aren't allowed to do that on this album. Instead, it's just a compilation of tracks from Broadway soundtracks that have been previously released. Other than that, it's a good selection with first-rate songs.

3 comments about Change Partners.

1. I listen to many (re-mastered) historical recordings. Jeanette MacDonald is certainly one of my most favorite sopranos. For some reason, I haven't been able to find a decent, or even acceptable, re-mastering of her recordings.
   
   While this one certainly contains many valuable tracks, the re-mastering is horrid. The songs sound stripped yet still maintain a great deal of distracting noise. I conjecture that the re-mastering was done simply by increasing the bass and decreasing the treble.



2. This is an excellent collection of the Screen Sweethearts of the 30's, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, *not* singing together, in the 40's (except for a few of Jeanette's songs).

   For Jeanette, it has numbers from Up In Central Park: Carousel in the Park, It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream, Close as Pages in a Book, Fireman's Bride, The Big Back Yard, When You Walk in the Room. She and Robert Merrill sing these together and on their own, and very charmingly, too. There are also Love Me Tonight, Isn't It Romantic, and Beyond the Blue Horizon.

   For Nelson, he sings music from The Student Prince with Rise Stevens: Golden Days, Drinking Song, Deep in my Heart Dear, Serenade (which is BEAUTIFUL!), Just We Two, and Come Boys. He also sings all the songs from Northwest Outpost - thankfully, without Ilona Massey! Also, the Willie the Whale segment from Make Mine Music is on this CD - just as it is in the movie, with the narration and everything - it's great! (The Tristan und Isolde part is not included, however - not sure what the reasoning is behind that.) He also sings a duet with Jane Powell - Why Do I Love You? from Show Boat.

   I say this is a must for fans of Nelson and/or Jeanette, not to mention Rise Stevens!

   I particularly enjoy "When You Walk in the Room". It's a charming little tune, with ridiculous but adorable lyrics! "Fireman's Bride" is very funny also - Jeanette barely sounds like herself!

   I hope this will help others to choose this CD - it's a pity there's not a list of the titles here!




3. It's always a pleasure to find Nelson Eddy's wonderful voice on CD and this one has some of the harder-to-find pieces in it, including collaborations with Jane Powell and the wonderful mezzo Rise Stevens. The recording of "The Whale Who Sang at the Met" is a must for any collector as are the excellent recordings (better than on the movie) for "Northwest Outpost". The baritone singing opposite Jeanette MacDonald also has an excellent voice (though his name temporarily escapes me)

5 comments about The New Moon (2003 Encores! Revival Concert Cast).

1. It is so nice to see one of the old musicals being recorded where you get the whole score. This needs to be done with others like The Desert Song or The Merry Widow to name a couple. I bought it for one song and fell in love with the whole show. I could go into the artists and arrangements but I bought it for the music which is wonderful.



2. I can imagine the audience leaping to its collective feet and shouting "Bravo" at the end of each City Center Encores! Production of Sigmund Romberg's THE NEW MOON in March, 2003. Glorious music! Magnificent orchestrations! Superb singing from everyone: principals, supporting cast and chorus! THEY JUST DON'T WRITE (or produce) MUSICALS LIKE THIS ANYMORE.
   
   When was the last time you went to a Broadway musical and heard songs the likes of "Stouthearted Men," "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," "One Kiss," or "Lover, Come Back to Me?" How long has it been since the chorus numbered twenty-eight singers and the orchestra boasted 13 violins, 4 violas, 4 celli, a harp, and no drum machine? Oh, I lament the current state of the Broadway musical, highlighted by heavily-amplified, tiny voices. (Does the current theater-goer even know what an un-amplified, "legitimate" voice sounds like? Does he/she care?) I bewail the trend toward what NEW YORK TIMES critic Ben Brantley calls "bloated spectacles." Give me a City Center Encores! presentation any day: no bloat, no spectacle - just a Broadway score performed the way it was meant to be performed.
   
   Call me a romantic fool, but I yearn to ". . . journey back to a time when audiences came to hear how high the tenor and soprano could sing, how lush the romantic ballads could sound, and how stirring the ensemble numbers could be. . . . a kind of musical in which music holds more sway, when fine singing, romanticism, silly heroic plots and swashbuckling characters take precedence over real drama and honest emotion. They [the audience] knew there would be a happy ending, and they assumed there would be some trouble along the way." (adapted from Ted Chapin's liner notes) A hundred years from now audiences will still be stirred by the melodies of Puccini, Verdi, Romberg, Kern, Porter, Berlin, Richard Rodgers. But Duncan Sheik? Marc Shaiman? Laurence O'Keefe? Mel Brooks?
   
   THE NEW MOON is an essential recording for everyone who cares about the American musical theater and for those who long to hear great singing once again: Christiane Noll, Rodney Gilfry, Brandon Jovnovich, Burke Moses. When's the last time any of these fine singers headlined a Broadway show? When was the last time that ANY new Broadway musical used "legitimate" voices? Whatever has happened to Broadway?
   
   So, get this recording. Support the little record companies (Ghostlight, P.S. Classics, et. al.) who are willing to take risks with non-mega hits. You'll be very glad you did.
   
   Very Highly Recommended.



3. Good music never goes bad. Romberg was of another generation, yet modern musicians and entertainers do perform his music with quality and heart. Buy this album while it is still available.



4. I had been "hooked" on The New Moon, ever since seeing the NY City Opera do it in the early '80s; while over the top, it still is musically thrilling, and while corny, you can not help but be "hooked" when the corps of men line up along the stage for "Stouthearted Men".
   
   I don't think there had been a full score recording available (lots of extracts) until now and the music crackles from the opening bar of the Overture.
   
   I withheld the 5th star, not from the recording, but that in including everything, there are a few dead spots in the operetta (often cut out), but I would rather have too much of a good thing than not enough.
   
   All singers are remarkable, the pacing is good, and the sonic qualities are to die for.
   
   Best of all, this virtually entire score, has been preserved now for generations to come. Bravo!!



5. I suppose THE NEW MOON with its lush melodies and simplistic lyrics will baffle younger listeners - the ones who are just now discovering Broadway through shows like WICKED and AVENUE Q.
   
   But THE NEW MOON was as big a hit in 1928 as PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was 60 years later and PHANTOM has equally lush melodies and even more simplistic lyrics and it has run for 17 years, so perhaps there is still a market for old fashioned operetta.
   
   Older listeners are probably already familiar with many of the hits songs in Romberg's score: "Marianne", "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise", "One Kiss", "Lover Come Back to me" and "Stouthearted Men" have been frequently recorded over the years. But until now the complete score of NEW MOON has never gotten a full recording.
   
   It almost didn't this time when plans to record the 2003 Encores Concert staging fell through, but thanks to the perseverance of Joel Moss, Kurt Deutsch, Ted Chapin and Jack Viertel the cast was re-assembled and the tracks laid down in July 2004 and the resulting CD is a pure delight.
   
   As the heroine, Marianne, Christine Noll has a glorious voice that is perfectly suited to Sigmund Romberg's romantic melodies. She is paired with a robust Rodney Gilroy as Robert and their duets are passionate indeed. The rest of the cast is filled out with some of today's top musical theater performers handling the light comedy and offering full choral support to the grand finales. Rob Fisher does his usual masterful job conducting the Encores orchestra, respecting the original tempos as they play the original orchestrations.
   
   Previous highlights recordings have concentrated on the love songs and duets, but here you also get a taste of the 1920s musical comedy style invading the operetta with a comic scene titled "An interrupted Love Song" in which the hero attempts to woo the lady fair only to be constantly interrupted.
   
   The booklet includes a detailed synopsis and offers a link to a website where one can download the lyrics but the cast sing with such crisp precision that it is hardly necessary.
   
   This is a terrific CD and a chance to explore an authentic operetta from a time when this type of music and theatre defined Broadway.

3 comments about Song & Dance.

1. The performance by Sarah is five star top-notch. I have been waiting years to hear this 80's performance. Not taking anything away from Ms. Peters' either (as I own and LOVE it) , but Sarah has always been a guilty pleasure....BUT..........this disc is absolutely ruined by overly-annoying applause in between nearly every track. And it is as if the producer's said "Okay , clap as LOUDLY as you can for 2-3 seconds".....forget about individual track listening , each one now starts with applause from the previous track. I realize that this disc is a live taping of a live performance , and the sound is gorgeous.......but with all of the technological digital advances......couldn't someone have done something to eliminate the applause ?



2. Sarah Brightman's voice is a delight. Get this CD, it's fantastic!!!
   
   There's no other superstar like Sarah.
   
   She IS Emma.
   
   Terrific actress, terrific singer, she can hit any note. A real goddess.



3. If you really want to hear this music, get the Bernadette Peters recording or if you can't find that, the Marti Webb recording. Ms. Brightman's shrill, tinny voice is a matter of taste which this writer leaves for others.