5 comments about The War Of The Worlds (1978 Studio Cast).

1. This Cd has been one of my favorites for years. My father has the LP of War of the Worlds and so I grew up listen to it. There are great artist who worked on it, one of them being Justin Hayward from the Moody Blues. Richard Burton does a wonderful job as the main character as he tells you one of the most famous martian invasion stories of all time. Jeff Wayne adds great music to the story. It is a great buy.



2. A friend bought this for me for my birthday, as I was such a fan of the Orson Welles version. I really liked the music, continually interrupted by Burton's trillingly-told tale of an extraterrestrial invasion. Burton made it sound as though he was inviting old friends over for tea. Nice musical take on the tale, but for my money, the Orson Welles version makes me scared - this one just makes me want to boogie down!



3. Like another reviewer, I dug out my vinyl and copied it over to my computer after seeing the Speilberg movie. I remembered how much I liked the album as I heard the opening bars again. But then.....disco hell takes over. The basic musical theme is great, Richard Burton really brings the story to life, but the constant disco beat really dates it. Maybe the remixes get rid of the disco beat??



4. Plot:
   Martians invade late 19century England shown through the eyes of a journalist.
   
   THE GOOD
   
   This is without a shadow of a doubt the best adaptation of War of the Worlds. It captures the spirit and the letter of the book perfectly, the music sets the mood for each part. And who would've thought it? I mean, if anything WOTW's wouldn't at first come off as something that would lend itself to a musical but as I said, no other adaptation has come this close(especially not that bloated effects, no substance Spielburg film which is more a Tom Cruise movie than a WOTW film). WOTW's is part science fiction, but also part horror as well and this captures it, it's genuinely scary at times. It also improves a couple of areas from the novel,the intro of the artillerman and the journalists first sighting of the tripods, changing the order in which these two happen add more punch.
   
   THE BAD
   
   Just a minor thing, the journalist is basically sidelined for a bulk of disc2. The two longest tracks(Spirit of Man and Brave New World) he's hardly present during. It really isn't until Dead London that he's back front and center again.
   
   THE UGLY
   
   That that scream at the beginning of Red Weed part2 is without a doubt the most disturbing scream I have ever heard.



5. I remember as a kid hearing this score for the first time on the radio(Halloween Eve)and running out to purchase the audio cassette the next day.My original tape was lost numerous moves ago and I was happy to see it being available on CD.The narration runs a chill through you.The musical score is timeless. Give this one a listen. You will not be disappointed.

1 comments about The Girl Singer.

1. Rosemary Clooney may be better known by most people for her movie and TV roles than for her long and outstanding singing career. It's hard to top her role in 1954's White Christmas, made when she was only 25, and being an aunt to George Clooney she got an Emmy-nominated guest role on ER forty years later. But before White Christmas she was already a successful singer, with her first recording for Columbia Records in 1946, at age 18. After TV she continued singing until her death in 2002.
   
   Clooney has a fine, versatile voice that is always in service of the song rather than vice versa. She has perfect pitch for a lyric. Like her good friend Bing Crosby, she likes to play with rhythm, occasionally lagging the beat a bit to good swinging effect.
   
   This CD collects cuts from Clooney's RCA albums from 1958 to 1961. It's a blast, literally and figuratively, partly because of the trademark RCA Living Stereo recordings. RCA was making some of the best stereo recordings ever made at this time. Everything is bright and clear, with a balance between vocals and instruments that's fairly realistic, meaning that the brass on some cuts is exceptionally crisp and up front, possibly too much for some tastes.
   
   There is quite a variety of songs. There are the expected pop ballads, show tunes and humorous songs with Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Bob Thompson orchestrations, including three duets with Bing Crosby. But there's also the unexpected country with Floyd Cramer, Western/cowboy songs, and Latin pop with Perez Prado. I don't think she makes a very authentic cowboy, but it's all great fun.
   
   If you're any kind of fan of Rosemary Clooney's singing, you're bound to enjoy this. If you've been lucky enough to come across this CD despite not knowing much about Clooney, think Sinatra from the same period for the general mood, and you're not likely to be disappointed.

2 comments about Jerome Robbins' Broadway: Original Broadway Cast Recording.

1. This is a terrific review of some great theater moments, all at the helm of the great Jerome Robbins. Every song was faithfully re-created from the originals. It was a great oppurtunity for some amazingly talented performers to strut their stuff. Jason Alexander (yes, George from Seinfeld!), Faith Prince, Scott Wise and Charlotte D'Amboise, have a romp in assorted singing and dancing roles from such shows as Fiddler, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Forum....etc. Though it was far better on stage (The Small House of Uncle Thomas from The King and I doesn't really work as a recording), this is still a treat to hear alot of classic numbers from these wonderful musicals.



2. If, like me, you were to pick up this album from a friend, without liner notes nor knowing anything about it, you may listen to it a few times, enjoying the music and wondering what seems familiar about it. I know-that guy playing Tevye from "Fiddler" and Pseudolus from "Forum" sounds really familiar. Now where have I heard that voice before? I've got it-Costanza! It's George!

   Once I realized that I was listening to Jason Alexander sing-and well!, I could really get back to enjoying the music instead of having that nagging question first in my mind. And what I hear is a lot of fun. The show translates to soundtrack surprisingly well for what is mostly a dance show. Fiddler, Forum, On the Town, West Side Story-what a great and somewhat underappreciated legacy in this day and age of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Disney. I wish I had been there to see it-the reason I gave this 4 stars rather than 5 can be summed up in "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" which I can just see in my mind, but which does nothing for me as a song absent of Robbins' genius staging. All in all, a nice collection of Broadway songs.

No comments about Great American Songwriters: Irving Berlin.

5 comments about Oklahoma!.

1. After reading the history of Oklahoma!, and learning of the immense struggles it took for the Theatre Guild, along with Rodgers and Hammerstein, to bring that show to the stage, I am thrilled to know that we are able to honor those extraordinary efforts some 65 years later! No, this is not a quality recording, but it is historic is so many ways and worthy of a listen.



2. I thought I was buying the film soundtrack and it turns out it's just a subset of the tracks.
   
   This is the one you're probably looking for:
   Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)



3. There is no question but that "Oklahoma!" broke musical comedy ground in a number of ways. From the moment Curly was heard, offstage, singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," the integrated musical took over the Broadway stage. Instead of the songs interrupting the plot, as the pattern had been, they moved it along. And, from the moment the original cast went into the recording studio, a new day in reaching a vast audience began.
   But, "Oklahoma!" and this recording are valuable for more than historical reasons. The new collaboration of Rodgers and Hammerstein ushered in a wealth of great, and semi-great, and not-so-great, musicals. The variety of music in "Oklahoma!" is astounding. The melodious "Many a New Day" and "Out of My Dreams." The wonderful duet, "People Will Say We're in Love." The for-fun "Kansas City," "I Cain't Say No," and "All Er Nothin'." And the rousing title song (Of course, I like it; I grew up in Oklahoma).
   This recording is not without its weaknesses. As "A Customer" mentioned in his/her review, the orchestra is lost behind the vocals in most of the numbers. Is this a problem with the limited engineering capabilities of 1943? Could it not have been corrected in the digital restoration? For a fine recording of an orchestral approach to the musical, check out Morton Gould's "Oklahoma Suite." It is only on lp, but used copies are available through Amazon. Then, there is Curly, instead of Jud, singing "Lonely Room." And, Alfred Drake is one of the finest singer-actors who ever graced the Broadway stage; but he sounds too refined for this role--"mornin'" and "daid" do not come naturally from him.
   This is the third recording of "Oklahoma!" I have owned. I wore out a copy of the original lp, which was short of the complete score. I replaced it with an Oklahoma state special edition, recognizing one of the state's anniversaries. This lp, incidentally, sold quickly on e-bay when I replaced it with the current cd.
   No collection of Broadway musical recordings is complete without "Oklahoma!" And this original cast is really THE ONE to own.



4. My parents got this album when I was a child--on 78s no less. I used to listen to it over and over until I could sing along, getting all the words right. I was thrilled when the CD arrived and listened to it immediately. I still know all the words.



5. The Amazon review would have you believe that the cast, outside of Celeste Holm, is largely forgotten. There are many who will forget Alfred Drake only when Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, Gwen Verdon, John Raitt, and Richard Kiley are forgotten as well. It's like saying that one of the 5 first inductees in the Baseball Hall of Fame is not well known. Drake is a first round Broadway Hall of Famer.

5 comments about All American (1962 Original Broadway Cast).

1. ALL AMERICAN, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams' follow-up to their highly successful BYE BYE BIRDIE had everything going for it: a book by Mel Brooks (based on the novel "Professor Fodorski" by Robert Lewis Taylor), Ray Bolger ("The Wizard of Oz," WHERE'S CHARLEY?) in the leading role; support from the wonderful Eileen Herlie (Tony nominee for TAKE ME ALONG), Ron Husmann (Theatre World Award Winner/Tony nominee for TENDERLOIN), Anita Gilette (also a Theatre World Award Winner and Tony nominee), and Theatre World/Drama Desk/Tony winner Fritz Weaver. It had great Broadway-style orchestrations by Robert Ginzler and solid conducting by John Morris. But it ran for only 80 performances.
   
   So, what went wrong?
   
   In two words: Joshua Logan. Even though Logan was "the biggest director on Broadway with a string of incredible hits," his concept for the show clashed mightily with that of its creators. In his liner notes, Didier C. Deutsch remarks that "Many times, later on, he [Logan] told me he felt he had put his finger into the show in the wrong way. . . . [the characters'] physicality became more important than the satirical point of view we had initially envisioned."
   
   Too bad. It reminds me of other times "Directors with a capital D" applied their lead-footedness to light musical comedy, especially in films: John Huston's "Annie," Francis Ford Coppola's "Finian's Rainbow," and - although not a "light" musical - Mr. Logan's "Camelot."
   
   Also too bad because the score for ALL AMERICAN is really quite good and deserves an audience. From the opening immigration and naturalization rag ("Melt Us") through the final number ("Which Way?"), there's not a bum song in the lot. ("Have a Dream" is terribly dreadful, I'll admit, but I'm positive it's meant to be a parody of all the inspirational graduation songs ever sung by high school and college choirs and/or written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, like "Climb Every Mountain.") And the show boasts what is one of the finest songs every written for the Broadway stage, "Once Upon a Time," delivered impeccably by Mr. Bolger and Ms. Herlie. Oh, I could have done without "The Real Me" - likewise its counterpart from 110 IN THE SHADE, "Raunchy" - but it's kind of fun to hear Ms. Herlie let her hair down. I'll also admit I'm a sucker for immigration and naturalization scenes ("Moscow on the Hudson") and songs, ever since our son and daughter stood with other new Americans and took their vows in 1985.



2. ALL AMERICAN is a lesser known musical with book by the prince of comedy, Mel Brooks (BLAZING SADDLES, THE PRODUCERS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse. Though, it isn't the strongest musical (in terms of plot, or even music), there are some great songs featured here. What's more, it stars Ray Bolger (best known for his role as Scarecrow, in THE WIZARD OF OZ), as a newly arrived Hungarian professor, who has just set foot on the Southern Baptist Institute of Technology campus. There is a juxtaposition of sports analogies and science terminology, and Professor Fodorski (Bolger) must reach out to the athletes and the co-eds, to help them reach their potential, academically, as well as in terms of touchdowns and astroturf.
   
   The cast is a mixed bag here. While Ray Bolger shines in songs like "What A Country," some of the singers really should have been dubbed. Oh wait, they couldn't have been, since this was a "live" recording. Oh well. Also, this story isn't entirely about Fodorski. It's also about the young people he encounters, as well as an older (potential) love interest for him! I still think that this is worth a spin in your CD player. I first heard an old vinyl recording of this music. I can't honestly say I can really hum any of these songs, but they are pleasant to listen to!



3. Having seen the OBC tryout in Philadelphia in the early 60s, I felt a need to add this to my collection. It is not a memorable score, with the possible exception of "Once Upon a Time." Too bad the CD does not also include the dialog, as it would be fun to recall the Mel Brooks work of that time period.



4. As with their previous hit, "Bye, Bye Birdie", this show was a satire. Unfortunatley, this was not a hit. It may have been because of a newspaper strike, but more likely because of it's book. It tried to be too many things, and as a result the story telling became distorted.
   
   
   
   The score is a different story. From the great overture, to the wonderful comedy numbers, to the lovely ballads, the score always has your attention. Performance wise, it does have it's share of flaws. Ray Bolger (Wheres Charley?), does a good job, though it is nothing to get excited about. Eileen Herlie, who play the dean, has an annoying vibrato. Just skip through her tracks and the rest is smooth sailing. Ron Hussman was allowed to appear on this columbia record, but he did have a contract with capitol records. He gives a wonderful performance as the love-struck college student.
   
   All in All, a cd that would be worth your investment, because it looks like it is slowly going out of print. Pick yours up today.



5. I love the music in this musical!!! We did this for our high school musical in 2002, and it was fabulous!! The music in it is great! The songs are humorous and melodic. They go with the musical quite well. This cd recording of it is okay i wouldn't call it the best because the woman playing Elizabeth can't sing without an annoying vibrato. Other than that the cast does an excellent job of it.

4 comments about SOLITUDE LESSONS.

1. This CD --SOLITUDE LESSONS provides more than a glimpse of the polish and Poetry, later to blossom on Bucchino's most recent effort, ("GRATEFUL, The Songs of John Bucchino") SOLITUDE LESSONS, recorded at an earlier stage in his career and less produced than the GRATEFUL CD is an inspiring "prequel" of INTELLIGENT, and Unexpected Lyrics. Bucchino always offers more than "empty-calorie" songs which are pleasing to the ear,....As with the works of other great Singer/Songwriters (think Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, James Taylor, etc.)....it is in the cumulative effect of their work, that we experience the fullest appreciation of their Musical gifts. This CD,.. contributes an important, early chapter in Bucchino's consistently Brave and Brilliant Musical dialog.



2. John Bucchino does it again! "Solitude Lessons' is a beautiful -- and yet energetic -- compilation of this prolific songwriter's early works, bringing constant musical pleasure to every listener -- through ballads , upbeat tunes and other musical styles. You will want to listen this CD over and over again. Not to mention the always very intelligent lyrics... Bucchino, please, give us more albums!!!



3. If you love the Grateful album like I do, this album will be somewhat of a disappointment. It is a collection of older songs that John Bucchino recorded in a home studio environment with some artificial backup - I don't think it is newly recorded as all of the songs are dated 1991. It is an interesting album with some hint of the talent that would come to fruition in Grateful. However, this album sounds like a demo album in comparison. Some of the soft rock songs could be done without.



4. Beautiful expressive music, you WANT this CD!

5 comments about Louisiana Purchase - The Musical Comedy Smash Hit: 1996 Original New York Cast Recording.

1. Once again has a classic musical been professionally recreated after years of negliance. Berlin's score bubbles with his usual marvelous twists and the artists seem to enjoy themselves. Great listening all the way.



2. This is a sparkling and swinging recording of Berlin's long forgotten but very hot musical "Louisiana Purchase". Pure pleasure with plenty of songs that you will want to listen to again and again. Loved it.



3. and I have to agree that it's a marvelous surprise. Wow! As one of the other reviewers noted, this one ranks right up there w/ Annie Get Your Gun and Call Me Madame among Berlin's shows. Definitely better than Miss Liberty, which was no slouch of a score either. Here you have a man who had been writing songs and shows for almost thirty years by the time he did this (1940), and yet the score was right up to moment for that year. Swing, Latin, Ballads - it all sounds exactly like you'd want 1940 music to sound. My taste generally runs more towards Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hart. I've never fully appreciated what a master Berlin was, but this one has me sold. It makes you understand why Porter always professed to admire Berlin so much. Since I got this CD last night, I haven't stopped listening to it. In fact, I'm listening as I write.
   
   You'll know what I mean if you get this recording yourself. There's not a single clinker here - even the songs that were cut from the original production and restored for these performances are superb. All of the numbers are tuneful, charming, and bright, and most are very lively, to boot. You may have heard It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow and (if you're lucky) What Chance Have I With Love before. They're great. I've also heard the title song, also great, in the movie version. Unfortunately, for some unfathomable reason the movie version used almost none of the sparkling score, so I didn't hear the rest of it there.
   
   Among the songs, Latins Know How is a luscious and lush rhumba. Wild About You is another good latin-influenced song. Louisiana Purchase and You Can't Brush Me Off are great swing numbers - you want to get up and dance. Outside of That I Love You is a breezy love/hate comic turn, reminiscent of Rodger's and Hart's I Wish I Were In Love Again. It'll Come to You is a swingy ballad, and just dandy. The Lord Done Fixed Up My Soul is a stirring revival number. The real stand out song for me, though, is the ballad, Fools Fall In Love. The liner notes call it "exquisite," and I can't think of a better word. I can't believe that this isn't a standard. If this were the only good song on the CD, it would still be worth having.
   
   The cast is uniformly excellent, from the always incredible Debbie Gravitte to the very veteran George S. Irving. Mark McGrath and Judy Blazer are wonderful as the romantic leads. The New York Voices, recreating the tight harmony sound of the original Martins, give out with a real 1940's sound. All in all the singers are fully worthy of the material, and are clearly having a ball with it.
   
   It's true, not every lost show is an undiscovered gem. This one sure is, though. I'm glad I finally took the chance and got this CD. I'll be listening to this for years. Take a chance and you will be, too.



4. This CD is well orchestrated, played and sung. Unlike many undiscovered revivals, this one truly did not deserve its fate and is pure fun from start to end. If you're a Berlin, Porter, Gershwin or Kern fan, it's a must have.



5. Louisiana Purchase, which is often omitted from Berlin biographies, turns out to be a most pleasant surprise. With a musical score by Irving Berlin, Louisian Purchase provides theater-goers with delightful music. It is bouncy, often in the style of swing. There are some solid ballads with a haunting quality about them---"It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow", "Fools Fall in Love". A duo of Latin-like numbers prove to be top drawer songs as well, namely, "Wild About You" and "Latins Know How". Another fine melody shines through in "You're Lonely and I'm Lonely". "It'll Come to You" is another delightful number. This musical score ranks among the best ever by Berlin though the story line is a bit silly. However with the recent success of musical farces like "The Producers" and "Hairspray", Louisiana Purchase might just start reappearing on the American musical scene. After all it does have a lively score by the master himself. The recording has some interesting musical arrangements. Michael McGrath and Debbie Gravitte give winning renditions of the Berlin songs. Three songs cut from the show in l940 are included on the CD. They are "I'd Love to Be Shot from a Cannon with You", the aforementioned "It'll Come to You", and "Wild Bout You". Afficionados of musical comedy should enjoy this lost musical gem.

3 comments about Big Band Specials.

1. Just a note: The original vocal of "Skyliner" was a hit single on Decca by Carmen McRae. That aside, "Big Band Specials" was a big Capitol project for June and it's a bombastic production. Swinging' arrangements, great singing and propulsive start to finish. She's obviously loving what she's doing. Shorty Rogers' arrangement for "Prelude to a Kiss," incidentally, popped almost identically for a cut on Lena Horne's "Lena Like Latin" and was great both times. This album was recorded carefully so June would not be overwhelmed by the band. This album was followed by its exact opposite, "The Intimate Miss Christy." This is the Wow Miss Christy.



2. Of all the vocalists to have come out of the big band era, June Christy has always been one of my favorites. After she left Stan Kenton and went solo, she recorded a wealth of great music, and we are fortunate that so much of her repertoire has been reissued recently. Unfortunately, as a big band fan, I can't say that I have always been thrilled with the arrangements Pete Rugolo used in many of her Capitol albums. Too often, he would overuse the trombones to the near exclusion of the reeds. Now don't get me wrong; I think a trombone chorus behind a female singer can create a great contrast (and my brother plays symphonic trombone), but many of those recordings seem to be missing an element of the big band sound. Not so with this album, which has solid arrangements with a full band sound and outstanding sidemen. Except for "Prelude to a Kiss", which does lose a little of the intimacy that June had in the duet version with Kenton, none of these tunes are the common ones she recorded with other bands. I believe that this is the only vocal version of Charlie Barnet's "Skyliner" that I have ever heard, and I also enjoy Jimmy Dorsey's "Time Was". My complaint: many of the cuts are too short, particularly "Swingin' on Nothin'" and "Frenesi".



3. Listening to June is like hearing the Angles sing.The sweet tones coming from her vocal pipes is like the bitter end!

No comments about The Musicals: The Best Of.