1 comments about Streetcar Named Desire/Iva Zapata/Spartacus.

1. Certainly there is much more about Alex North than what is contained on this disc. What we get here is a brief concoction of mature writing styles from the Philadephia born, Russian schooled, film composer. Perhaps his greatest contribution has been to incorporate elements of jazz
   into dramatic film scores. With the exception of musicals, jazz wasn't even a consideration in a field previously dominated by the classically influenced Steiner, Korngold, and Waxman. North ushered in the next generation of soundtrack composers. This is most evident in his Ocar nominated(1951) " A Street Car Named Desire". It opens with a big piece of symphonic jazz. Swing for the piano and brass with undertones of the blues for the strings. Throughout North cleverly disguises his soundtrack. The audience is unsure if the music is coming from a nearby
   jazz club or is supporting the sleazy action taking place in the New Orleans slum flat. Interesting concept that only works while viewing the film. The 1961 "Misfits" (Clark Gable's last film by the way)uses a more subtle line of jazz. Romance between the Gable and Monroe characters carried by the soprano sax. For the 1956 "The Bad Seed" North really gets it right in this story of an 8yr. old unredemptioned psychopathic killer. He uses throughout a harrowing dissonant theme entwined with a an off key childlike French folk song for a chilling demented musical experience. Perfectly hiding the evil behind the innocence of a child. The single selection from 1951's "Viva Zapata" is derived from the rhythm of his followers clacking stones. They view the arrested Zapata on horse back, noose around neck, riding to his death, with a typical Mexican folk like theme buildup for full orchestra. North depicts the brutality of Rome in "Spartacus" through the ominous howling of brass, winds, and percussion. He does give us a beautiful love theme for Spartacus and his affection for a slave girl, North never forgetting his roots and gift for melody. The overall performance of the LSO is good, as with the engineers and annotators. Because the selections are generally short one feels the absence of continuity with the program.

No comments about Like Someone in Love.

5 comments about Comin' Home Baby!.

1. This estimation is not for the music or vocal, but for the sound of this
   CD only! The remastering was made with large damage for the sound. It is
   a very pity, that I did not read the review for this CD, which was written
   at July 27, 2006. That review is objective absolutely.



2. This recent re-release of this classic album was such a disappointment. Although the album was RECORDED in stereo, it has never been released on CD in full stereo. The first release, (on the Collectables label) has half the songs in mono, and the other half in stereo. The sound quality still left a lot to be desired. On this supposedly "remastered" release from Atlantic in England, ALL the songs are in mono, and the sound quality just as shoddy. There is distortion on the high and mid frequencies. Some instruments are too forward in the mix, while others are difficult to hear. In fact, i dare say it sounds worse than some of those early Beatles recordings which have not been remastered in 20 years.
   
   You might be thinking, "Well, maybe the recordings themselves are just poor, and they did the best they could." Unlikely. There was a great Torme box set from Rhino that came out about 10 years ago, which included 2 songs from this album. They were both in stereo, mixed fantastically, and sounded great. No distortion. All instruments were clear and defined. Those same two songs on this release and previous ones are either awful-sounding mono or awful-sounding stereo.
   
   So what gives? I know the quality could be better, as i've heard it. So why the crappy job on the sound? Ironically, the sister album to this one (Songs of New York), has been re-released alongside this one from Atlantic England. It certainly has been remastered. The sound is far better, clear, and all in stereo.
   
   Well, here's what DOES merit the two stars for this release. Like most jazz/pop artists recording a theme album at that time, he recorded 12 jazz selections for the album. Atlantic dropped 2, and replaced them with two rock/jazz/lounge numbers that don't fit the theme of the rest of the album at all. Well, although they didn't drop the unnecessary songs from this release, they DID add back on the two missing songs from these sessions. This is the first time they have been released on the album. Too bad they, too, sound like crap. Those 12 songs are good cool swingin' jazz... not GREAT...but good. Even if the sound on this album was impeccable, the album still would be several choices down in most Torme fans' lists of best albums.
   
   If you want some great Torme jazz from this time period, get ANY of the Verve CD's from the late 50's and early 60's...especially "Duke Ellington and Count Basie Songsbooks," and "Swings Shubert Alley." Both are in stereo, and sound great. If you don't mind mono recordings, there are many that sound GOOD. Go with "Lulu's Back in Town" and "Sings Fred Astaire," both on the Bethlehem label from the mid-50's. There's a lot of great jazz out there if you know where to look.



3. This fomat of songs puts Mel Torme right in the for front of modern cool. His voice + the back up orchestration makes this l.p. speak for itself.



4. The 1960's represented a very interesting time for musicians of all genres; three particular reasons began a trend for future generations of musical artists. The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones were the 3 reasons which permanently altered the musical landscape and basically made it impossible for stars of the past to remain economically viable in the present. The only 2 exceptions to the rule of course were Mel Tormé and Frank Sinatra.
   
   Tormé's classic album, Comin' Home Baby has recently been re-released; digitally remastered and cleaned up, one can hear the sweet sounds of the Velvet Fog in all of its glory the way it was intended to be heard.
   
   In early 1962 Mel Tormé had firmly come to terms with the fact that the musical landscape was percolating something in the clubs and bars where the people hang out. This new musical dynamo was going to act like a brick wall, on not only himself, but basically anyone from his background and genre unless change happened.
   
   Mel walked into the studio in 1962 determined to stay relevant and absorb the new and combine it to his big band swinging style. Frank Sinatra decided to do much the same thing in the 1960's. Comin' Home Baby was the 1st of 5 albums that Mel recorded and released in the 1960's that attempted to meld Rock `n' Roll with Jazz & Big Band.
   
   It was very much worth the work and effort; although many jazz purists dismiss this era of Mel Tormé's with a angry waive of a modern day puritan hand, why, I'm not sure to be honest. Being trapped in cage of the past is something that many jazz listeners are known for. The self titled lead off single, "Comin' Home Baby", from this album made the top 10 in the charts and acted as beacon call for jazz and big band fans that jazz still had a place in the charts only it needed to evolve into rock `n' roll to remain relevant.
   
   The highlight from the album is, "Lady's In Love With You", which showcases the most powerful Mel Tormé phrasing and vocal I have ever hard. The classic Tormé tracks, "Puttin' On The Ritz" and "Hi Fi" have a very similar vocal and phrasing technique as Lady.
   
   "Sing You Sinners" highlights the toe tapping phrase rapping Mel Tormé that so many of us have loved over the years. The Dean Martin classic tune, "You Belong To Me", has a gentle re-working which fits into the set as well.
   
   The album also has that rock and jazz tune, "Right Now" which was the B-Side to "Comin' Home Baby" that shows Mel Tormé stretching the jazz genre into rock `n' roll.
   
   Go out and buy this album, it has aged very well, and deserves a solid 5 out of 5 stars



5. Great to see this album re-released in the one package (plus the two extra tracks not on the original release).
   This is the album that converted me to Mel Torme, apart from the two "hits" comin home baby and right now it contains some fabulous arrangements of some of the emerging standards of the time. Until this album I was a presley and darrin fan. Never again. Along with undercurrent (Bill Evans/Jim Hall) and Ella in Berlin it changed my musical life for the better.

5 comments about A Piece of Sky.

1. Sean McDermott could have made a better choice of selections for this CD. His is a full, commanding voice, best used on dramatic, Broadway songs where the listener needs to hear each word. Anything resembling rock just doesn't work, and he should have skipped "Gethsemane" (Jesus Christ Superstar), "Elaborate Lives" (Aida), and "New York, New York" (NY, NY) (this one isn't rock, but the producers should have realized your last name has to be Sinatra or Minelli if you're going to record it). On the other hand, Sondheim's "Multitudes of Amy" is wonderful, "Music of the Night" (Phantom) is beautifully lyrical, and "Bring Him Home" (Les Miz) is darn-near perfect.



2. It's beyond words can tell, you must listen for yourself. Don't have the mention the rest of the album, just buying the title piece "A piece of sky" is already worth it. The power, the message, the emotion, and this is exactly what music is about!



3. I loved Sean McDermott's first album, My Broadway but this new album, A Piece Of Sky is even better. This is another great album from Mr.McDermott and anyone buying it will not be disappointed. 5 stars recommendation.



4. This is an okay album but not one I'd suggest you run out to buy. His choice of material includes some of the most oversung songs (if I hear one more person sing the 7+ minute song "Soliloquy" on an album...)but he does choose some less known songs. Having Matt Bogart on the album is a definite plus and you might consider purchasing his albums ("Simple Songs" and "More Simple Songs") before purchasing this one.



5. Why isn't Sean McDermott mentioned in the same breath as the best modern musical tenors? Perhaps he never had 'the' role in 'the' show. Never mind. This CD, along with the classic "My Broadway", is enough notice that Mr. McDermott has a fantastic set of pipes but is also a wonderful actor in each song. He understands that show tunes come from a character and a set of circumstances and emotions (a fact that some of our best singers, including Barbra, sometimes forget). And while we're talking about Barbra, the opening rendition here of "A Piece of Sky" is simply spectacular, with a final note held long enough to rattle the rafters. I won't go song by song praising Mr. McDermott's range and power (which has definitely grown from previous recordings), but only recommend that if you're either a fan of musical theatre, great singing, superb taste, and/or in need of a dose of simple charismatic show-biz magic, don't miss this CD.

1 comments about Goodbye, Blues.

1. 'Tis the rare double overview CD that is listenable back to back. Most of the tracks are backed instrumentally by the Mills brothers' mimicing instruments with their voices (although they had real guitar player as a permanent member). I've been listening to a lot of harmony groups from the swing era lately; none have been as chillingly ON in the harmonies or with the sense of fun. This one quickly earned a place of honor in the box ("my precious") where I keep my favorite 20 CDs out of a collection of hundreds. By emphasizing their 30's work, ASV has (as they often do) presented their most noble efforts, as opposed to most Mills Brothers collections which focus too much on their more commercial later work. This is much more of a jazz collection (with members "soloing" with their vocal imitation of instruments) than a pop music one.
   
   The first CD covers 28 tunes in a prolific period from their first 1931 recording through 1934. These are mostly swing numbers that were really ahead of their time. There is a comical overtone to several of the numbers, the massively politically incorrect "Shine" with interplay by Bing Crosby (featured on 3 tracks) being my favorite. "Diga-Diga-Do" where they blend their vocal "intruments" with the real ones from an early Duke Ellington band is another hightlight. The programming is roughly chronological, but sequenced for contrast and variety.
   
   The second CD mixes some of their more pop oriented efforts and hits, along with great guest star performances from Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Al Jolson, and the Tommy Dorsey and Cy Oliver orchestras. Overworked standards like "Stardust", "Jeepers Creepers", and "Lazy River" sound fresh and alive. The program finishes with their last huge hit from 1952: "Glow Worm". There really isn't a single track I left out when I made my road copy.
   
   The sound quality is remarkably good and consistent, given the age of these recordings, especially on the first CD. The one flaw is that some of the tracks are not at the same level as others, causing some temptation to fiddle with the volume control while playing. I prefer to listen to my copies, where the burning software could equalize the volume levels. But the whole program is just too delightful to dock a star for that.

2 comments about Animaniacs Starring In A Hip-Hopera Christmas.

1. I am an avid Animaniacs fan and was very disapointed with this cd. I was really being nice by giving it two stars. To those who are interested in this cd because of the Animaniacs Christmas Carol episode, don't be fooled. This is nothing like the show, which was a major let down. There is hardly a trace of the famous Animaniacs zany-ness we all love. If you want a hip hop version of the famous story, this may be for you. But to all those who had higher hopes, buy the Helloo Holidays movie and enjoy the season in a truer Animaniacs fashion.



2. This Hip Hopera song is da bomb! I love the animaniacs and im 14! This is cool!

No comments about Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.

4 comments about Songs from the Aristocats.

1. ORIGINAL CD BUT THE COVER WASN'T GOOD AND THE CASE BROKE DURING DELIVERY... PICES BROKE OFF



2. The movie "Aristocats" and its soundtrack were a little antique to me, but they're still so collectable, there were only 6 songs in its soundtrack, though. This soundtrack has been unavailable for several years. But luckily, I bought a Japanese Edition in a music shop near my school!
   I have never heard the bounus track in this album before, and I felt that it was good! The song "Everybody Wants to be a Cat" was sung in a extroardinary way, and it was even better than the original version. It felt just like one of my favourite music styles, jazz! "Scales and Arpeggios" was the cutest song in this album, although it was a little childish. I loved the sound of piano and the voices of little kids, but maybe it's because this was an old-recorded-song, then when I listened to it, I felt its timbre was not so good as my anticipation. The song "The Aristocats" was one of the best too, I loved songs of French style just like this, and the lyric was funny and beautiful.
   I think this isn't the best Disney soundtrack, but it's very very collectable, whichever the edition it is! If you're a true Disney fan or an Aristocats fan, don't miss this wonderful thing!



3. The "Songs from the Aristocats" CD has all of the 5 songs from the film. They are just as enjoyable as I remembered them, with their early jazz feel. The Aristocats movie, originally released in 1970, is special with Disney fans for the way the music and the story are combined. The title song written by the famous Disney composing team the Sherman Brothers, was sung by Maurice Chevalier. In fact the Shermans wrote all of the songs in the movie except "Thomas O'Malley Cat", sung by the great Phil Harris, which was written by Terry Gilkyson. "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat" is performed hilariously by Scatman Crothers and Phil Harris. And the quiet "She Never Felt Alone", was sung by Robie Lester.
   
   Now the musical score, or background music, for the movie was written by George Bruns, long time staff composer for Disney. What a shame that the underscore is not featured here, it was a good one. George included some french musette instruments, similar to an accordian, for some French color. He had his own band at the time, "George Bruns and the Wonderland Jazz Band", and he fell back on his strong jazz background in writing the score.
   
   At the time of the release of this CD in 1996, the soundtrack has not yet received the lavish special edition treatment that Disney producer Randy Thornton has performed for other classic Disney movie soundtracks. Some of these such as 101 Dalmations, Peter Pan, Bambi, Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty have restored tracks of the movie underscore, historical recordings, demos, and other extras we expect these days with a DVD. This CD has not been massaged by Randy yet, but he will get to it. Each of those editions can take a year to produce. This CD does have a bonus track that is not from the original movie, it is a remake of "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat", performed by Brian Setzer, formerly of the Stray Catz. As other reveiwers mentioned, this 1996 CD release is a bit short with only 5 songs from the movie, but that is all there was in the movie. A fun CD, you will enjoy while you wait for the longer version.



4. I would have to say I love the Aristocats movie. And this soundtrack does a great job of bringing those songs into a format you can listen to whenever you want! I know it's short, but it's ...(not very expensive) and I think it's a great cd - definitely worth whatever money you spend on it!

3 comments about The Rocky Horror Show (1995 Studio Cast).

1. When this version of the RHS came out, I was a bit uncertain, considering my life and times in the group (read my other thoughts on the show)...
   
   ...but this stage production had some great moments. The translation to stage to screen and back again sometimes has spotty results, but this was really not bad.
   
   The choice of Christopher Lee as narrator was a good one; that campy, b-horror movie voice was perfect edge to the some of the other performances. Aidan Quinn was a fine Riff (and that falsetto part got an interesting workout in one of my cast's preshows!), and Brian May blows you out of the water with that version of "Whatever Happened to Saturday Night."
   
   Quite an all-right production.



2. I own four RHS CDs. This one is second only to the Roxy cast. Individually, the singers on this CD are excellent, possibly the best of any version. But since this cast never performed a show together, it lacked that spark that makes Roxy the best overall. The arrangements are refreshing, particularly in contrast to the movie. Aidan Bell is outstanding as Riff-Raff. O'Brien may have originated the role, but Aidan mastered it. Brian May puts a brand new twist on Meatloaf's Hot Patootie.

   This CD also holds the distinction of being the most complete. Every song is included and most of the Narrator's dialogue has been added in.

   This CD, along with the Roxy Cast recording is a must have for any Rocky Horror fan. And if you've never seen the stage show or even heard an RHS cast recording, you don't know what you're missing.




3. I bought this CD, 1: Because I LOOVE "The Rocky Horror Show, and 2: I LOOVE Kim Criswell who plays Janet. Therefore the CD does not dissapoint! This CD is a studio recording of actors and singers from London and not a Cast Recording. Although "Howard Samuels (Frank), Tim Flavin (Brad) and Aidan Bell (Riff), repeat their amazing perfomances they have developed from appearing in the various productions of the show around the world and Anita Dobson shows a polish as Magenta also brought through much expereince in the show." (Linear notes from CD cover) Although it's not a "Cast Album" it has a few people who were actually in the show.

   The orchestrations sound exactly like the Original 1973 London Cast with Tim Curry. It also has strange sound effects added to give it a more "Science Fiction" feeling. All the songs are accounted for (including "Once and a While" and Super Heroes") and performed quite well I may say. Ofcourse NOTHING compares to the "ROXY CAST" recording!

   Anita Dobson's "SCIENCE FICTION.." is a little weak but fun. It's a mixture of Richard O' Briens rendition (FILM) and Jamie Donnaly's version (ROXY). Tim Flavin and Kim Criswell (of "Annie Get Your Gun" , "Anything Goes" , "The Slow Drag" , A WONDERFUL PERFORMER AND BELTER! ) both shine in the shoe boppin' "DAMMIT JANET", they play well as the All American Couple. "OVER AT THE FRANKENSTEIN'S PLACE" is also sung well, Brad gets to sing his second verse solo, which was cut from the film. "SWEET TRANSVESTITE" in it's original order of the show gets a new spin buy course voiced Howard Samuels. His voice is an acquired one, sounding a bit like Tim Curry but not quite. Nice to hear him finding new ways to stress words and stray from carbon copying Curry. "TIME WARP" is where we get to hear Aidan bell let his TREMENDOUS falsetto rip. Listen as he BELTS what used to be Magenta's line "I SEE A-ALLLL! and "Like you're under sedaTIOOOON! " it's so amazing! It totally made me go "What The! " Adam Caine is alright as Rocky as he sings "SWORD OF DAMOCLES". Both renditions of "CHARLES ATLAS SONG" are new and fresh. Just sit back and hear the way Samuel thinks Frank should sound. It's not bad, not bad at all. Eddie's "WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SATURDAY NIGHT" sounds WAAAAY different from any version I've EVER heard but not in a bad way. It's sung by former rock star Brian May of Queen. "TOUCH ME" is where Kim Criswell starts to let her hair down and begin to belt like she was born to do. Although this rendition is a little belt, it does not even come close to the TREMENDOUS belting of Abigale Haness in the (ROXY CD). OMIGOD! She's INSANE! Not only that but it's in a higher key than usual! (Buy it and listen) "ROSE TINT MY WORLD" is a lot of fun, especially when Riff Raff exposes Frank-N-Furter at the end! Just listen to "PREEEPARE THE TRANSIIIT BEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAM!" Once again into some INSANE high note. What a blast!

   I'd give this CD 3 1/2 if I could, but I give it that because most of the singers tend to follow the music too closely instead of having fun with the material. LISTEN TO ME! BUY THE ROXY CAST as well as this one and compare. THE ROXY is untouchable but this one's got some great material as well. Happy listening!

1 comments about TV Soap Opera Theme Songs.

1. Bad synth recreations. The ones on the Television's Greatest Hits series are real. Buy those.