5 comments about Cry Baby: Original Soundtrack Album.

1. I bought this for my uncle. He absolutely loves it. He plays it over and over. I was so glad to find it on Amazon after he was unsuccessful finding it in any store. Great soundtrack from a movie!



2. I wish Johnny Depp was stuck in the year 1990, because it's depressing to know that he is too old for me.



3. I love this CD !!! i keep it in my car and on my IPod. My daughter and I know all the songs already, i can't get enough of the CD or the movie.



4. My daughter is a big fan of the movie, and we couldn't find the CD locally. So, I turned to Amazon.com! Great price, fast shipping, and my kid absolutely loves the soundtrack!



5. IN THE QUARTET IS JERRY BECKLEY FROM AMERICA, AND TIMOTHY B. SCHMIDT FROM THE EAGLES. VERY INTERESTING!

5 comments about Sinatra: Vegas (Box Set, 4CD/1DVD).

1. I purchased this cd/dvd set as a Christmas present and hit the jackpot. Thanks to this collection, you can watch Frank at the top of his popularity and get some real insight to Frank the performer. The viewer gets a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of Mr. Sinatra as the camera follows him around prior to going onstage for a Vegas show.
   
   He was at his best in Vegas and he "owned" that town for the better part of 30 years. Ol' Blue Eyes was one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th Century. Enjoy these incredible recordings!



2. This is a superb sampler of many of Sinatra's greatest hits, spanning decades of Vegas appearances ... the real gems in this collection are the extras, such as the DVD and mini-posters, with the 60-page full color 6x12" booklet that captures many behind-the-scenes stories and background stories.
   
   Superb Sinatra collection; well worth getting. Thanks for putting it together - highly recommended!
   
   -Ken Calhoun, Pres.
   DaytradingUniversity



3. This set is fantastic. I uploaded the entire collection to my iPod and I listen to it in the car all the time. It's great to hear him over the decades and sometimes it's hard to discern which is his older work and which is his newer! Definatly a must have for any true fan of Frankie. Oh, and the DVD was a really special treat to see him in person and remember what a GREAT entertainer he is.



4. I f you like good ole Franky, you will definitely enjoy the CD set, the DVD is a nice addition too, I' been playing it almost daily.



5. What great delivery and product. It is a wonderful Box Set and will be enjoyed for years to come.

5 comments about Ultimate Broadway.

1. A great compilation of Broadway hits with original performances that will be enjoyed again and again.



2. This is really a good selection. You can't go wrong with 'West Side Story', 'Man of La Mancha', 'Fiddler on the Roof', or 'The King and I'. I guess you can always argue why two songs from one show were selected, while another show may be completely omitted.
   
   My only real disappointment is with the selection of the Aretha Franklin version of 'I Dreamed a Dream'. The song is too stylized by Aretha, and sounds nothing like it is performed in 'Les Miserables'. I didn't care for this version in the least. I would have much preferred Randy Graff or Patti LuPone.



3. I am an avid fan of show tunes and this one is "Ultimate Broadway" and it is wonderful. The songs are performed by the original Broadway artists so you get to hear the music performed as it was meant to be. The sound is great and all in all I couldn't be more pleased.



4. I was pretty pleased with this cd. There were some songs that made it in this from a few musicals where there could have been much better choices, but all in all. it is a good two disc cd. I do not plan on buying the second one due to the repeats. I must agree with one other reviewer of the second cd, with so many great Broadway musical numbers out there, there is, truely, no excuse for repeats. Happy shopping all! q:-)



5. Great CD's set. My only disappointment was that there was no music from Jesus Christ Super Star. This, however, did not take away from the quality of the music selected. I hum the show tunes all of the time.

4 comments about The Best Of Broadway (Cast Recording Anthology).

1. It was not as high a quality of songs I had expected. It was a poor choice on my part. No fault to the seller. It was represented well. Just not what I had hoped for.



2. This cd combines some of the prettiest songs on Broadway (Don't Cry for Me Argentina; Music of the Night) with some of the best chorus songs on Broadway (Big Spender, Mame) with some of the funniest songs on Broadway (Sue Me). With additional songs like the Impossible Dream and the one and only Broadway anthem (There's no business like show business), whats not to love about this cd. I highly recommend it.



3. I got this cd just knowing it was going to be a favorite and I was right I love it.



4. I absolutely love this CD. It has a good mix of songs from several broadway plays. I play it constantly. I highly recommend this to any musical lover.

5 comments about Xanadu on Broadway (Original Broadway Cast Recording 2007).

1. Well, being a huge fan of the film and it's amazingly produced score, I was a little let down and shouldn't have expected a second coming. Obviously this is their own take on all the songs and it works well in that respect.
   
   Before I give comments on each song, I'd like to point out that although these are great, fun, and beautiful arrangements of each song, the mixing is TERRIBLE. Certain instruments are not prominent enough and the voices are WAY too loud. Kerry Butler has a beautiful voice live but it sounds so nasally and grating here. Even more so than the character calls for.
   
   I give the mixing a 2 out of 10
   
   On to each song:
   
   1.I'm Alive - Great tribute to the original. At the beginning when the guitar kicks in it sounded a little "Sesame Street does rock music" if that makes sense, but I understand the play is very campy. I am still very disappointed at how some of the synthesizer and keyboard detail is lost in the background because it's simply not loud enough. I LOVE the guitar solo. It's always been my favorite part of the song and it was the part I was most looking forward to in the song.
   
   I notice in Broadway everything is very pronounced and precise and campy. Even in the music, there's no free-form bass with slide or pop or interesting embellishments, so at times the music sounds a little robotic/karaoke. The vocal arrangements are great!
   
   2.Magic - One of my favorite songs. Very nice arrangement here. Dial it back a freaking notch on Kerry's grating voice though. Honestly. I love the guitarist's parts here and everything is very tight. I'm a musician so I really appreciate these kinds of things. As great of a voice that Kerry has, when the play comes to San Francisco I'd like to hope the new actress/singer doesn't have such a nasally grating voice. It really ruins the mood for me. I had to keep turning down my speaker to try and avoid her voice, and in the process the music kept getting quieter.
   
   3.Evil Woman - Campy Broadway at its best I suppose. I am still a little put off at how much of a comedy the play is. I took the movie as an actual love story with some amazing music even though most people consider it cheesy. Great to hear a couple other songs added to the soundtrack, that relate to the story.
   
   4.Suddenly - Well, one of the most beautiful songs of all time. I feel the speeding up and kind of flippant karaoke production didn't suit the song very well. Some more disco "wah" guitar and a slightly slower version would have helped. And the keyboard could have been vamped up like I saw it was during "Broadway in the park". Interrupting the song to speak is also a little annoying but I understand it's for the story. I never like when plays do this.
   
   I think it would have come off funnier if the actors actually took their parts seriously and tried to be dramatic and not overly campy. Subtlety obviously does not exist in the Xanadu universe that's been created for this play.
   
   5.Whenever you're away from me - Nice arrangement at the beginning but as it drifts off into a weird scatting contest with flashy drum fills and an even jazzier tune it loses the feeling of the song. A lot of songs that I considered to have a lot of meaning and emotion behind have been dulled down in this play, mainly due to being sped up. but I have to say again I'm thankful the play was produced at all and that it's become so successful. I'm a big Xanadu fan so it was super exciting to find out about. I saw rehearsal videos before the play officially came out where the music sounded much better. The ending from 3:20 on though is beautiful and brings a tear to my eye. The "better never stray" always emotionally gets me. Funny that the last 40 seconds of this song are probably the most emotional to me throughout the play. It's only because of the music though, I have no clue what goes on in the story.
   
   6.Dancin' - A classic Xanadu song. Hell, they're ALL classics. Seriously I've said it 2 million times and I'll say it again. Xanadu has the best songs ever produced for a musical film. Simply put. They would totally stand alone as successful songs even if there was no movie. Impressive recreation of the original on this track. Cheyenne Jackson has an AMAZING voice. That is the voice of an angel. The only unfortunate thing again is the mixing. Even professional studio headphones [which I switched out for my crappy ones halfway through the song] didn't improve the quality.
   
   7.Strange Magic - What can I say. It's a beautiful song. I'm glad to hear that [somehow] the voices aren't quite as overdone here. This is one of the better mixed songs I can actually hear the keyboard and other instruments. This song alone may give me a little of an opinion on the show. I know other fans will probably think I'm crazy with my views on this play so far, but I haven't seen it live. I've only heard the soundtrack and I'm waiting for it to come to San Francisco.
   
   8.All over the world - Cheyenne Jackson's voice freaking shines on this song. The mixing isn't too bad here but of course, it could have been adjusted. The voices are over all too loud on the entire album. I love how much of a disco song this sounds like in this version. It wasn't quite as disco in the original but I love it here! One of my favorites from this soundtrack. At 1:15 there is a drum skip which I think shows bad editing and possibly that the drums weren't even real in the recording. Whatever it's ok, this is an amazing version of the song. This is an example where a crazy ending works.
   
   9.Don't walk away - Amazing version of a beautiful song. Another showing off of Cheyenne's talent. Very nice guitar and keyboard work. I cannot see any other actor topping his voice when the musical tours. Not much to say about this one. Great production.
   
   10.Fool - What an odd addition. It's not a well known song from the film but I love that that much attention to detail was put into researching for this play. I really like this version! I'm glad they included. I'm disappointed that Kerry couldn't pull off Olivia's high note here.
   
   11.The Fall - I am very impressed with the attention to trying to recreate the original here. I'm surprised they were able to do such a good job. Never been one of my favorite Xanadu songs but maybe I'll change my mind. I love every single song so I can make an exception.
   
   12.Suspended in time - Oh boy. Sped up again. And sometimes I want to smack my head at how much Kerry Butler exaggerates her voice. It's beautiful on its own, does it really need that? I think I'd like this a lot more if Kira wasn't made so annoying in this play! She was more ethereal and soft spoken and mysterious in the film. And the whispering thing [displayed in suddenly, magic, and this] makes me cringe.
   
   13.Have you never been mellow? - What's this I hear? Mary Testa not overacting at the beginning? -Phew-! Finally! Actually I don't even know if that was her, but kudos to whoever it was. I'm just an honest Xanadu fan and I'm giving my feelings on this soundtrack. I love this Olivia song and I'm glad it was added. This, Evil Woman, and Strange Magic were clever additions.
   
   14.Xanadu - I've pretty much put enough energy into this review. What can you say about the title track? It's just a big pile of glittery disco magic. Any version of Xanadu can get you dancing so I don't have much to complain about here.
   
   
   
   Overall, I give this soundtrack a 7 out of 10.
   
   I'd like to see this in San Francisco and see what the new actors bring to it.



2. Broadway play: 4.5 Stars; Original cast recording: 3.5 Stars
   
   Let me state upfront that I absolutely loved the 1980 original movie soundtrack, featuring 5 ELO tracks on Side 1, and 4 John Farrar-penned Olivia Newton-John plus the ELO/Olivia title track on Side 2. The movie was horrible, but the music was great. Fast forward to 2007 when the news came that Xanadu was being worked into a Broadway musical. Well, I was skeptical, but no more. I was in New York recently on a business trip, and jumped on the chance to see it. Somehow the play works great where the movie didn't and it was a guilty pleasure all over for me.
   
   "Xanadu on Broadway" (14 tracks; 43 min.) is the original Broadway cast recording featuring Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson. This features the 10 songs of the original album, plus 4 added tracks, 2 ELO songs worked into the story line ("Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic") and 2 John Farrar songs, including the oldie but goodie Olivia hit "Have You Ever Been Mellow". In all, this is a terrific cast recording, with the best songs for me being "Suddenly", "Evil Woman" and, best of all, "Suspended in Time".
   
   The running time of this album is just 43 min. and that gives you an idea how they had to stretch it out to make this into a Broadway musical (which is 90 min.). But in all, this recording is a great memento to the fabulous experience that "Xanadu on Broadway" was.



3. XANADU, the original Broadway cast album, captures the spirit in song of the best musical on Broadway. Funny, fabulous, loving, it will make you laugh and cry. Cheyenne Jackson is the greatest singing star on Broadway since Barbra Streisand and this album captures the beauty of his incredible voice. Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa are a riot as the evil sisters and Kerry Butler will break your heart when she sings "Suspended in Time." The supporting cast are just incredible and I wish you could see their spectacular dancing as well as hear their beautiful voices. First rate!



4. Yah, I have no idea why you would review a musical's album without seeing the show...that's like rating a movie by it's radio commericial. Anyway, I love this movie b/c it's is so cheese-tastic and the music is a true guilty pleasure. The musical was one of the most fun I have had on Broadway! It is truely an interactive experience. The reason why this show survived is b/c of the way it makes fun of the original movie, the 80s, and musical theater in such a clever, fun, playful, and warm way, like how you would tease your little sister or something. So if you keep that in mind, you will like this cast album. Cheyenne Jackson and Ms. Butler are talented singers and great comedic timing. This show is not trying to break musical theater ground her...it's just trying to be fun and it succeeds. I hearted it.



5. For some reason, I love the damn CD even though I haven't seen the show yet...I love almost every single song and when Kerry Butler speaks with her Australian accent, it freakin cracks me up. I guess seeing all those clips of the show on youtube made me like the songs more...Great CD!!!

5 comments about Barney's Favorites, Vol. 1.

1. I have loved this cd for a long time and was very happy to find it on here.I am a teacher and my students love it as well. Thanks!



2. This is one of the greatest albums ever. The only reason I ordered it was because my 13 year old son wanted it for his 14th birthday. He loved it. I must admit I do listen to it once in a blue moon. (actually once everyday)!



3. As a toddler teacher and former preschool teacher, this CD was one of the best investments I've made for my classroom. The songs are not only keep the children entertained because of Barney and song recognition but also help their memory and lyric-recollection! The songs are upbeat and fun and the children enjoy it very much!



4. My baby girl loves Barney and I bought this CD for her and she loves it. She likes to dance and sing with the songs. the songs are very fun and enjoyable. I dance with my baby with the songs. I recommend this CD for all kids , especially if they like Barney!



5. Our daughter loved Barney for quite awhile so we purchased both Volume 1 and 2 of Barney's Favorites. We leave Volume 1 in the Car and Volume 2 in the house. Although she has now moved on to watching Elmo she still loves her Barney CD's and we don't go in the car without it. She is 19 months old now and this is the only thing that will appease her on a long car ride. She even sings along herself now.

3 comments about Super Hits.

1. Another compilation of Streisand hits from the beginning of her career to her marriage to Jim Brolin. Starting with her show stopping Miss Marmelstein to her stunning I've Dreamed Of You which she sang at her wedding. In between of hits from the Broadway and movie versions of her Oscar winning role in Funny Girl (People and Funny Girl), movie hits (The Way We Were, Love Theme From "A Star Is Born" (Evergreen) and The Main Event/Fight) up to selections from two of her top selling albums Woman In Love from Guilty and Somewhere from The Broadway Album. Also included is the lesser known If I Could. All at a great price to give you a new collection of Streisand tunes to listen to.



2. This is a great collection of "the greatest star."
   I like the fact that the selections are varied. Anyone who does not "marvel" at "Miss Marmelstein" needs to brush up on their Barbra 101...it is a remarkable testament to great music to come!
   I too would like to hear" Our Corner of the Night/He Could Show Me" included on some collections. Also: " Prisoner," and "God Bless America" (I bet dear Kate Smith is still applauding Barbra from the heavens!)
   In the meantime Streisand lovers, enjoy this fine collection, and be ready for more!



3. While the idea of the Superhits series, is a good one for the casual listener, some of the cds, are truly lost, not really hitting what it set out to do.
   This cd, doesn't really do it, either. But, for 5 bucks, and 10 BS songs, you really can't go wrong. It does contain of her biggest hits: People, Way We Were, Evergreen, and Woman in love. It also contains a few, that should have been hits :Somewhere, and If I could. Filling the disc out, are Main Event, a modest hit of the late 70's , Miss Marmelstein, a pretty bad, first vinyl appearance of Barbara, If I Could, a CD single, from the late '90s, Funny Girl, and I've Dreamed of you (also previously a single only release). So does it work? Yes. But, I would have preferred a few less hits and a few more rarities, but alas its title is Superhits. Hopefully, BS will get a vol 2, which SHOULD include the elusive single "Our Corner of the Night/He Could Show me", both great songs, which the masses should at least get to hear.

5 comments about Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.

1. If you liked the groovy educational kids show you will perhaps pick and choose through this decent sized compilation of mostly 90's alternative acts covering some learning fun, but few songs possess the power to transcend fanboy roots (most artists welcome the warm cheesy style found in the show) and simply stand on it's own musically ala Blind Melon's "Three Is A Magic Number", where even multiplication tables sung by Shannon Hoon sound sincere.



2. This is an extremely useful cd in teaching students their multiplication tables and parts of speech. It also has Science and Social Studies songs!



3. I bought this years ago, thinking it was the original. Recently I broke it, and that brought me to Amazon. What a great cd! I teach 5th grade, and most of what is on this album (can we call them that anymore?), I can use in our studies! Plus, when you drill in the original, then play these updated songs, you get some real interest! Highly recommend for educators and others who grew up on the originals...



4. The heartfelt/fun/educational twist is just lost in the souless renditions by these bands to fulfill some sort of contractual obligation. This compilation manages to make some non-involved advertising creep happy without giving anything to the kids. Trust your kids to find the heart of the originals. They'll be "practical" soon enough.



5. great covers of the unforgettable and educational songs from the 70's cartoons by rockin bands.

5 comments about Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1982 Original Broadway Cast).

1. Andy Webber and Tim Rice did this concept musical recording first, then produced "Jesus Christ Superstar" as a concept recording, and it swept the world. That was nearly 40 years ago. The success of Superstar led to the release of the Joseph score on Scepter Records, and the independent success of "Joseph" led to a stage version. While "Superstar" also has a stage version and was a popular movie, too, "Joseph" is more fun, and if you get a chance to attend a production, don't miss it. Its light tone and variety of musical styles make it a joy to see. The original Broadway cast version sounds just fine, although Donnie Osmond, who resurrected his career by playing Joseph, did not come along until later. Even after owning one version or another of this score for all these decades, I still enjoy an annual listen, because the writing is just so smile-producing.



2. This is an excellent version of Joseph. This is the standard to which all other versions should be compared!



3. I think "Joseph" is an enjoyable listen as a whole. I mean, obviously Webber and Rice were just beginning to find their stride, so it's not as strong as some of their later stuff, but it is a good start. As far as this CD goes, I personally think the 'Joseph" is a tad weak as a singer. I don't really know how to explain it. He isn't bad by any means, but it is only average. The 'narrator' is good though. It, as a whole, is a good interpretation of what I'm sure Webber and Rice had in mind.



4. I had just watched yet another production of "Joseph" and decided to purchase the DVD to keep the music going. I'm a happy camper!



5. I first met "Joseph ..." with a national touring company in the mid '80s, and was grabbed by it. The productions I have seen since have all been so "campy" that the story line was almost neglected. The production I saw first is proof that "Joseph ..." can be done as a real musical.
   It is, of course, a mishmash of musical styles. Almost everybody will like something in it; and almost everybody will dislike something in it. But altogether, it plays well.
   For me, the enjoyment comes from listening to the music, not from seeing the productions that are now being staged.

5 comments about The Last 5 Years (2002 Off-Broadway Cast).

1. What a change from the stock-standard Broadway musical! A unique concept, with the two characters travelling chronologically opposing paths over the same 5 year relationship, and some clever, catchy and at times complex music creates a compelling show. It bears listening and re-listening repeatedly, with new details emerging with each encounter. Fabulous characterization by these two talented leads also. Bravo!



2. Of all of Jason Robert Brown's works, this one must rank as the first. I loved how the recording works as if you are watching it on stage, with one song blending into the next. The songs range from hilarious (Shiksa Goddess, Summer in Ohio, Climbing Uphill) to heart breaking (If I Didn't Believe in You, Nobody Needs to Know). Although the story seems as simple as it gets(the relationship between two people), the music lifts it up over most typical love stories. JRB also explores all aspects of falling in love, from infatuation to resentment. Norbert Leo Butz (goodness, he's incredible) and Sherie Rene Scott are amazing. The one thing that bothered me was the random cuss words that seemed to be there just to take up space. However, they are few and far between and overall the lyrics are incredibly clever. After hearing it, I only wish I could've found out about this musical in time to watch it.



3. Brilliant musical by Jason Robert Brown. The music is lively and touching, and the lyrics are great.
   
   Highly recommended!



4. Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero in Wicked, Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scounderls, this fall's Is He Dead?, etc.) & Sherie Rene Scott (Aida, Rent, Dirty Rotten Scounderls, this fall's Little Mermaid, etc.) are so tender together that you loose yourself in the recording and you actully feel like your right there with them as Jamie (Norbert) explains the relationship from the start and Katy (Sherie) from the end. I just love it beyond words and highly recommend it to fand of modern musical theatre.



5. If you like Sondheim, you will like Jason Robert Brown. His music is more sophisticated than Jonathan Larson, and yet still akin to popular music for our generation! I feel this musical is his best-to-date, but I can't wait to see the new pieces in store. If you liked "Songs for a New World", you will not be disappointed in this work. It is a little more like a traditional musical with a plot that weaves between two parts of a couple, and how they move through their relationship together (the trick is, he is going backwards in time, she forwards--they meet at the wedding.)