5 comments about The Happy Time (1968 Original Broadway Cast).

1. Happy Time is a happy musical with interesting characters and lots of hummable tunes. It is Robert Goulet in a very different type of role. A surprisingly good job by David Wayne as an old man. Typical K&E without the "raunch" and with a number of songs in "fugue" style. No bad language and no hard beat like moderen musicals. Fun to listrn to.



2. This recording, although from the late 1960's, is really entertaining! I love the music and the storyline is plausible. "The Happy Time" is really about not having misgivings or thinking about what "could have been". It is also about reminiscing and the importance of family in our lives. The "Prodigal Son" storyline is also so important today. Everyone makes mistakes as they go through life, but it's all about what you do after making them.
   
   Robert Goulet is tremendous on this recording!!! It is interesting to find performers (i.e. Michael Rupert) on old recordings from their early days and compare them to what they are performing today. The title song and many of Goulet's pieces are sung so effortlessly well, and the recording has been preserved so that we can appreciate his talent! Kander & Ebb should have received a lot more accolades for this musical than they got. It is a shame that this show is not done by many community theater groups or on Broadway in revival!



3. A terrific show, with a beautiful score, great performances, lovely and sentimental book. Why was it a flop? According to the liner notes in the newest release it was done in by the critics who were kept waiting by producer David Merrick, for a half an hour on opening night, in order to allow Times critic, Clive Barnes to arrive from out of town. Not too happy to have the curtain held for a competing critic, the rest were not too receptive to the show and were rather harsh in their assessments of it's virtues.
   Robert Goulet gave what was probably his finest performance (and won a well deserved Tony), before he turned into the Vegas schmaltz singer that defined the later part of his career. His voice here is clear, rich and gorgeous!!
   The rest of the cast are superlative as well. The great David Wayne is delightful as the aged Grandpierre, and Mike Rupert is fine as his young grandson. The 3 men had a showstopper with A Certain Girl. And Julie Gregg in her duet with Goulet, Seeing Things, was beautiful.
   A shame the show wasn't more successful! Get the CD, you won't be sorry!!



4. It's hard to believe that the original production could have been a legendary flop. The cast is superb, and the score is outstanding (it gets better with each listening). The CD is a bit short, and leaves you wanting more (apparently several songs were cut before the production opened in 1968). Still, the CD is a bargain.



5. I can't say this is one of the classic scores of Broadway, and it may not even be Kander and Ebb's best. That said, it's tuneful and generally delightful, and listening to it you would not think this was a flop. All of the songs are at least good, and there are several excellent numbers that stand out.
   
   I Don't Remember You is a beautiful ballad. Without Me is a lively self-affirmation by a young Michael (named as Mike here) Rupert who, thirty-nine years later, is still having a pretty good career on Broadway. It's almost the sort of thing Jerry Herman wrote, but less annoying than many of Herman's numbers in this genre. Rupert also held his own with vets Goulet and Wayne in Tomorrow Morning and in That Certain Girl, no mean feat. With the possible exception of I Don't Remember You, Tomorrow Morning is probably my favorite song in the show - a tuneful and funny party song. I also like A Certain Girl, done in a charming three-part harmony.
   
   The cast is generally very good, at least in terms of singing. From what I've read here and elsewhere this show flopped on Broadway for reasons similar to what happened to Herman's Dear World. A story that called for an intimate production with real emotion was overproduced, and the clashing aesthetics did it in. One flaw that does come though on the recording is the uneveness of the accents. They range from thoroughly stilted and on/off attempts at French Canadian accents (Wayne, some of the smaller roles) to non-existent (Rupert). Goulet is the only one who really got it right, which was only natural, since he grew up in Quebec. I'll grant that it's not the easiest accent to do, but the others could still have done better. I read the original NY Times Review of the show, and the problem was bad enough on stage that it garnered a long mention by the reviewer.
   
   All in all, I'd say this was a flawed but basically good show. The recording is less flawed, and generally shows a very good score to good advantage. If you appreciate broadway musicals, this one is well worth having.

5 comments about Stage Heroes.

1. True, Colm Wilkinson has an excellent voice, an extreme range, and a seamless head tone. However, he is more an interpreter than just a singer. He moves through these show tunes, assuming the character who performed each in the original productions. Okay, he does not quite match the feeling of the soprano who sang "Summertime," but it is still an interesting rendition.
   Listening to each number, I can project myself into the show from which it came. The only number with which I have difficulty is "Pity the Child," which many other reviewers have praised; and my difficulty is likely because I have never seen "Chess" and know it only from recording.
   Colm Wilkinson was the premier Jean Valjean, and his signature "Bring Him Home" sets an almost unreachable standard. It is equaled only by Jerry Hadley's recording.
   Kudos are also due the arranger and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestrations assert themselves in introductions and interludes, then move properly into the support role when the vocal begins.



2. I recently repurchased this CD having originally owned a cassette version of it years ago.
   
   Wilkinson's voice is simply fabulous and ideally suited to the songs in this compendium from several leading musicals.
   His versions of "Bring him home" and "Empty Chairs..." from Les Mis are understandably great, but it's really "The Impossible Dream" [Man of La Mancha] and "Pity the Child" & "Anthem" [Chess] that set this album up for brilliance. The atmosphere and emotion captured in "The impossible dream" is incomparable, and the two songs from Chess are just superb (In my opinion - done substantially better here than they were in the original musical production).
   
   If I could pick a fault, it's that the production quality is showing it's age a little - I'd love to see a re-mastered version for DVD-Audio or SACD.
   
   In short - if you only every possess one CD of songs from the musicals, this should be the one you get. It's there with Rumours, Bat out of Hell, and Brothers in Arms as being an essential member of any significant CD collection.



3. Have recently purchased this CD as a father's day present. Colm Wilkinson's voice is superb and the album is an absolute pleasure to listen to.



4. This CD contains the definitive versions of myriad Broadway standards. I have never heard a better version of 'Maria' (Carreras has a good one, but it's so poorly enunciated) 'Man of La Mancha,' 'The Impossible Dream,' and even 'Bring Him Home' sounds much better here with the London Symphony. To me this is the best musical compilation of any male in whatever range or capacity. I owned Andy Warlow's CDs before this one, and I thought they were really good, but this Colm CD, with the smart title, is such a brilliant compilation. Bravo!



5. Colm Wilkinson really has a fantastic voice. Really warm, powerful and moving. ONe of the great voices of all time. A great voice for theatre. His singing is truly wonderful and moving. The song selection on this cd is great and well worth getting for any musical theatre fan.

5 comments about The Movie Song Album.

1. I've owned this album since 1966. It's never sounded dated. Johnny Mandel's string scorings are the best. And the piano accompaniments of Tommy Flanagan ("Smile") and Jimmy Rowles ("The Shadow of Your Smile") are of the highest artistic merit. Larry Wilcox's arrangement of The Days of Wine and Rose is great as is Al Cohn's arangement of The Trolley Song. Quincy Jones's arrangements are the greatest, too.
   
   These are American Art Songs sung by a great interpreter of that genre. Buy it and enjoy it for the rest of your life.



2. I think this is one of Tony Bennett's best albums on CD. I love "Samba De Orfeu" and "The Shadow Of Your Smile" because they possess that "in" sound that is so endearing and never seems to age with time touching a chord in all of us commenting about the beauty of just enjoying life. I love movies and the 60s and this album satisfies those two passions wonderfully. "Maybe September" sort of sums it all up. I really savor this album.



3. One of the record label rages in the mid sixties along with the bossa nova album, was to have their artist record a movie songs album, for this was the hay day of pop movie tunes, reaching it's peak with Mancini's, "Moon River". "Tony Bennett's Movie Song Album", was perhaps the best of the bunch. The most prominent tune, "The Shadow of Your Smile" was a jukebox hit from the Taylor and Burton film," The Sandpiper". The balance of the theme songs that he recorded were unusual, not the standard fare, did anyone else record the title theme from ,"The Pawnbroker" or "The Oscar"? "The Trolley Song" from "Meet Me In St Louis" is here along with the wonderful Johnny Mandel song from The Americanization of Emily". I have listened to and loved this album for decades if you are not familiar with it sample some of the selections and see if you don't agree with me that it is one of Mr. B's best.



4. An interesting album because there's a multitude of arrangers which usually means an album will be an unfortunate mishmash of styles, but in this case it's held together by the power of Bennett's performances. I love his voice during the 1960's, which I think is his peak. His voice is warm, and while it had deepened and become more appealing as he approached 40, it had not yet started to become raspy as it would several years later. Bennett also had become a mature interpreter of popular songs, and it really shows here. There are several bonafide classics including the definitive version of "The Shadow of Your Smile" which may have attained standard status because of Bennett's powerful performance. "The Pawnbroker" should probably also have become a standard but might have fallen short due to some fairly contrived lyrics. "The Gentle Rain" and "Maybe September" cannot be improved upon.

   Not everything is perfect. I don't think he adds anything to "Days of Wine and Roses" and "The Trolley Song" isn't that great, but this is a must have for fans of classic pop music.




5. This is a fine ballad offering from mister BENNETT.You can't go wrong with this one.Highlights are MAYBE SEPTEMBER and THE PAWNBROKER,both perfectly fit for his voice,but the album is a winner all the way.Many of the songs here:EMILY,SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE,SECOND TIME AROUND and DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES were also covered by ANDY WILLIAMS at about the same time.GIRL TALK can be considered a funny pre-feminist song and THE TROLLEY SONG will always be associated with JUDY GARLAND.Your only reason not to buy this is that if you are allergic to ballads.Ideal to relax after a hard day.

1 comments about Smithsonian Collection The Best of Old Time Radio Starring Jack Benny.

1. This excellent box set - the result of a joint project by Radio Spirits and the Smithsonian - is an essential purchase for admirers of Jack Benny.Entitled "The Best Of Old Time Radio Starring Jack Benny",it covers the full range of Benny's radio days,including not only four of his own shows (dating from the period 1952-1957) but also two lesser known contributions to "radio's otstanding theatre of thrills",the "Suspense" program (the episodes featured are "A Good and Faithful Servant" and "Murder in G-Flat"),and one play for the Lux Radio Theatre ("Seven Keys to Baldpate"),a radio version of "The Horn Blows at Midnight",and one edition each of "The Fred Allen Show" and "The Burns and Allen Show".The good quality CDs come with an informative booklet written by Anthony Tollin.This is really something to treasure.

5 comments about 1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997).

1. I like very much this Cd, it is a patriotic musical which creates a special atmospehere...
   you seem to enter in a different world and you listen to the splendid performance of this cast which should narrate some historical events of the American independence, but it is so beautiful that you believe to "see" them...
   very recommended!



2. I find the musicianship on this revival to be very good, but I like the characterizations in the original, 1972 recording better. In particular, Brent Spiner has a much nicer singing voice than William Daniels, but Daniels really sounds like John Adams to me - "obnoxious and disliked" - while Spiner seems somewhat miscast. Also, there's just no way anyone could match the power of Clifford David performing "Molasses to Rum".
   
   But it's ok.



3. Okay... wow.
   
   In the Brent Spiner Fangirl Legal Contract, it specifies that said fangirl must purchase any and all vocal recordings containing said Brent Spiner (and that she will not, in any way or at any time, mention how much he sounds like Judy Garland on steroids). Which is why I purchased this CD.
   
   He... ripped... into... this... part. That's the only way I can put it. I was floored from start to finish.
   
   The work, as a whole, is something of a consuming thing. Be prepared to sit in silence for a few minutes after you're done with this one, because after hearing the whole thing, silence will be the only followup that does it justice.



4. For anyone looking for male songs, or a male show to put on, this is the soundtrack for you. It has great ballads as well as big chorus numbers for the male sex. However the subject matter just didnt grab me by the throat and make me love it. History isnt my thing. That being said, the music and lyrics are great, and worth the money. This is a good one to get if your interested in broadway, but not the Rodgers and Hamerstein style. My favorite songs are "Molasses to Rum" and "Momma Look Sharp."



5. I saw this musical in NYC and have never been so moved by a Broadway show before. Brent Spiner has a lovely yet commanding voice that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck in parts - you so believe in the rightness of his convictions as Adams. All the performances are first rate, but Spiner really shines.
   
   The argument can be made that this musical was "of its time" meaning the 1960's, but I think the songs still hold up as they entertain as well as educate us. Much of the lyrics and dialogue are authentic.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about Footloose: Original Soundtrack Of The Paramount Motion Picture.

1. The product arrived very very quickly and was "new" as promised. Thanks for the wonderful shopping experience.



2. In the song "Somebody's Eyes", by Karla Bonoff, does anybody notice a difference in the opening of the song? Now I didn't buy the CD. I downloaded off of amazon.com and noticed that one of the instruments has been edited out of the song. I don't understand why downloading it compared to buying the CD would make any difference, but if you play the original master of "Somebody's Eyes" and then compare it to the remastered version you'll notice a difference. I just wondered if anybody else had noticed this. At any rate, it's a nice song!
   
   I could brag all day about the soundtrack. It's a classic! From the chart toppers "Footloose", by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It For The Boy", by Denise Willams, to Mike Reno and Ann Wilson doing "Almost Paradise", Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero", Shalamar's "Dancing In The Sheets" and Kenny Loggins "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" and on down the line of songs to the catchy "Never", by Moving Pictures. Also the additions of John Cougar's Hurt So Good" (Classic), and Foreigner's "I've Been Waiting For A Girl Like You", along with Quite Riot's "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" to compliment Sammy Hagar's "The Girl Gets Around", additions that should have been placed here when the soundtrack was first realeased. The extended mix of "Dancing In The Sheets" isn't all that special, too much of an echo, but the whole album is simply a classic. Enough said!



3. This was a great buy. It was a really good price and even had 4 bonus tracks on it, that I did not know about. The bonus tracks were all great hits when this movie came out like, Quiet Riot-"Bang your Head" It took me back to the movie and back to my high shool days in the 1980's!!!!



4. Excellent service, quick delivery, products exactly as ordered and in good shape. Would definitely buy from them again.



5. If you like listening to songs played in the background of movies, go for this one. I am more of the score type of soundtrack buyer. The CD in a whole was enjoyable for a car ride, but not much more than that. I am still satisfied with my purchase though.

No comments about Why Fight the Feeling: Songs by Frank Loesser.

No comments about Honk!.

5 comments about The Opera Album.

1. I am not particularly a fan of opera but do realize it's merit. I also appreciate the talent of it's artists. This 2 disc set offers a wide, wisely chosen selection from most of the popular operas, performed by most of the world's greatest singers, present and yesteryear. Yes, you will find legends such as Maria Callas to Pavarotti to the up and coming Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu; sharing space on these discs. Economically, I was able to obtain this set for under ten bucks. My research could not find a more varied set with such a stellar roster at any price. It will impress any novice to seasoned collecter. I wish that EMI annotated the set better, a brief synopsis of each track would have tutorial value. The sound reproduction flows seemlessly from track to track.



2. This is billed as "the greatest opera stars on one double album for the first time ever."
   
   Many major voices of the first part of the past half century are presented on this CD (e.g., Shwartzkopf, Moffo, Freni, de los Angelos, Sutherland, Callas, Gedda, Merrill, Bjoerling, Pavarotti, Sutherland, Domingo, et al.). Also represented are some more contemporary singers, among whom are Kanawa, Gheorgiu, Alagna, Dessay, and so on).
   
   So, a nice album. But we are also reminded of the absence of some major figures on CDs (such as Richard Tucker, who is little represented on CDs). . . . Hopefully, in future years, more of those glorious voices will become accessible on CD.



3. Este recopilatorio ofrece variedad de estilos, versiones siempre de alto nivel y precio medio muy interesante. Muy recomendable para iniciarse en el mundo de la opera de la mano de los mejores artistas de hoy y de ayer, aunque algunos de los grandes cantantes se echan quiza en falta.



4. Beautiful music for anyone. Even those I know who generally dislike opera have taken an interest! These are truly highlights of some of the greatest peices...breathtaking voices...relaxing and yet movingingly passionate. I reccomend this for anyone wanting a varied and yet stunning collection.



5. This set of two CDs is a great way to listen to some highlights from many different operas when you aren't in the mood to listen to a full opera. Many of your favorite arias are here, such as Nessun Dorma, Habanera, Non piu andrai etc. But what I liked most about it is that it features many different artists. While I love my Pavarotti and Domingo albums, it is nice to hear other singers.

   Also, hearing some pieces that sounded familiar have gotten me interested in operas I haven't heard or seen before, such as the Flower Duet from Lakme. I've heard that before--but where? Probably in some car commercial...

   This music will haunt you, and is wonderful for listening to while driving or just sitting. Try it with headphones on so the rest of the world goes away.

5 comments about Bounce (2003 Original Cast).

1. This show has the same problem as Boch and Harnick's "Rothschilds" - lots of craft and obvious talent, but who gives a damn that members of a family cornered the market using questionable methods? It's like spending Thanksgiving with those relatives of your own that you'd rather not.
   
   Artistically it's the same level as Sondheim's first show, "Saturday Night" - interesting but you wouldn't pay it much attention if it's author had never written anything else. Which makes his career arc rather like one of Sondheim's better shows - brilliant with stunning passages, but ending a bit clumsy, unresolved or just fizzling. A master artist like Sondheim you'd hope for some kind of epiphany, a "Tempest". "Bounce" isn't a "Tempest".
   
   The recording is a little threadbare - the mother wobbly voiced, sythesizer in lieu of orchestra, bland second lead. In the heightened world of musical theater this just isn't a Sondheim worthy story.



2. With so many great musicals written by Mr. Sondheim, efforts such as "Bounce" seem flimsy in comparison. The cast's voices are fine, but most of the songs simply lack the composer's typical magic.
   
   There are, however, a couple noteable tracks, namely the title track, "What's Your Rush", and "The Best Thing That Ever Happened".
   
   Maybe with some revisions, the production will eventually arrive on Broadway - though it may be limping when (if) it does.



3. Sonheim is one of the days best composers, but we all have bad days right? This was Sondheims bad day. The music is boring, Listening to the soundtrack doesnt make you want to see the show, no great ballads, basicly NOT WORTH $20. If you see this at a used CD store somewhere its one to for the collection, but not for any one looking for Sondheim. I would suggest this solely for Sondheim collectors, its not one for listening too. Favorite song: "The Best Thing That Has Evere Happened"



4. I caught the Goodman Theatre production in Chicago and enjoyed it immensely, although it was obviously greatly flawed. I was fairly sure that several of the numbers were going to have to be cut before it reached Broadway--and I assumed they'd be cut before it reached the Kennedy Center--and that the name would have to be changed. The book was actually much stronger than the score, which is unusual in a Sondheim production, but the book was entertaining, the staging was effective, and Richard Kind, although he can't sing at all, was great.
   
   Well, here is the score in its likely final form. The show is still called "Bounce!" (joining the not-so-proud tradition of hyperbolic exclamation-point musicals). All the numbers are intact (with the addition of a very lame "bonus track" number that never even made it to Chicago). I've listened to the cast record many times now, and on the whole I can't stand it. I know all of Sondheim's scores, and there's no question in my mind that this is the worst.
   
   The packaging is disproportionately lavish (disproportionate to the lack of content on the disc itself), which to my mind makes the thing even sadder.



5. It took Sondheim ten years to follow up his 1994 masterpiece "Passion", and when "Bounce" made its debut in Chicago during the summer of 2003, many didn't know what to make of it. It played later that year at the Kennedy Center in DC, but, lacking the finances, did not come to Broadway. It's too bad, because, although there are quite a few flaws, "Bounce" really is a wonderful score.
   
   "Bounce" tells the story of the Mizner brothers, whose peculiar journey started during the Gold Rush, and took them all the way to Alaska. The brothers, played impeccably by Richard Kind and Howard McGillin, couldn't be more different: Addison (Kind) is a closeted homosexual and sensitive Mama's boy; Wilson (McGillin) is a suave cad who falls hard for Nellie (the always terrific Michele Pawk), a dancer/grifter in Nome.
   
   From there, they go to pretty much everywhere, and many problems ensue: Addy cannot come to terms with his sexuality; Wilson becomes addicted to drugs; and Nellie is an alcoholic. Addy and Willie's beloved mother (Jane Powell) dies towards the end of the first act. Addy falls in love with a rich young rebel, Hollis (Gavin Creel), who returns his affections, but, since this is Sondheim after all, nothing can turn out right.
   
   After seeing this show in previews at the Kennedy Center, I can definitely testify that this show has several problems (mostly the book, and the fact that Gavin Creel was so incredibly underused), but the score is not one of them. It offers traditional Sondheim, with witty, esoteric lyrics and gorgeous voices.
   
   Hopefully, this show will make it to Broadway in the near future. Until then, we can be glad that this lovely cast album was made.