5 comments about National Lampoon's Lemmings (1973 Original Off-Broadway Cast).

1. I guess we should be grateful that the majority of NATIONAL LAMPOON'S show LEMMINGS has been preserved on CD- the show certainly showed off the talents of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Tony Hendra, Christopher Guest, along with actress Alice Playten (OBC of OLIVER!, film of Tom Cruise's LEGEND).
   But VERY DISAPPOINTINGLY omitted from this CD is the Joan Baez spoof PULL THE TRIGGERS NIGGERS("Pull the triggers, Niggers- we're with you all the way... right across the bay..."). As offensive and politcally uncorrect as the song is in its brevity, it's hysterically funny- and I'm bewildered why National Lampoon would edit the song out of this revue. Anyone know why?



2. I finally got to see a tape of this show the other day. I've been searching for it for sometime now but it's out of print for many years. I finally stumbled across a copy on eBay. I've had the CD of the show for a while and the first time I heard it, it just blew me a way. I used to play it constantly. The Lemmings, for anyone who doesn't know, was a comedy revue created and performed by members of The National Lampoon in 1971 at the Village Gate Theatre, as a parody of the Woodstock Music Festival, here called The Woodchuck Festival of "Peace, Love and Death". The show featured the then unknown talents of such performers as John Belushi, Christopher Guest and Chevy Chase. Additional writers on the show were Tony Hendra (best known for his role as Ian Faith, the manager in This Is Spinal Tap, who also co-directed the show), Doug Kenney (one of the founders of National Lampoon, co-writer of Animal House and best known for his role as Stork in Animal House) and P.J. O'Rourke.

   The concert portions of the show are incredible. During the show they parody some of the biggest musical acts of the time. What blew me away were not only the dead-on impersonations of these acts but the quality of the songs and the talent of the performers. I think they all really played the instruments. Belushi, Chase and Guest all took turns playing all of the instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards and drums).
   Some of the tunes they performed were:
   Belushi as Joe Cocker doing a tune called Lonely At the Bottom, an incredibly rocking tune that could have easily been a radio hit and was supposedly the first time Belushi did his Joe Cocker impression. ("I was making musical history, now I'm working for Muscular Dystrophy").
   Christopher Guest doing two great dead-on impersonations on songs that he co-wrote, one of Bob Dylan on Positively Wall Street where he perfects both the whiney, nasal Dylan (as in Stuck Inside Memphis) as well as the country-fied Dylan (as in Lay Lady Lay) in the same song, and James Taylor on Highway Toes where he taps into JT's depression, heroin use stage singing such lines as "...shooting up the highway on the road map of my wrist" or "...going to Carolina where I left my frontal lobes"
   Chevy Chase doing a John Denver parody on Colorado
   A Crosby, Stills and Nash take off called Lemmings Lament that sounds exactly like CS&R during their Woodstock period.
   And one of my favorite tunes, Papa Was a Running Dog Lackey, an extremely funky Motown-style tune sung by the "Motown Manifestos". Another tune which could have easily been a radio hit.
   The closing song, which was supposed to help the surviving members of the audience kill themselves (as Alice Playton, the Mega groupie says during their introduction, "Did you know that pure rock sound can kill? Isn't that far out? So the thing to do is go over to the amp and put your head there.") was sung by the heavy/death metal group, Megadeath. I wonder if I the real group Megadeath took their name from this revue. And on a personal note, when I was about 14, a few years before Megadeath even started, I wrote a sketch about a death metal band trying to come up with a name. After exhausting such names as Bring Out Your Death; Whole Lotta Death; Death, Death, Death, they finally came up with Megadeath.)

   There are also some great bits in between. One of which is Chevy mimicking the Hell's Angels guy who flops out during the Stones concert at Altamont. It is one of the funniest things I have ever heard Chevy do. (Regrettably it's not included on the video.)

   Unfortunately the video of this show is of really poor quality. But what's worse is it's obviously not the same show as the one they recorded the album from. The music on the CD was tighter and more refined. The audience of the show on the video doesn't really seem all that receptive and a lot of the bits seemed to go over their heads. There was a lot more audience laughter on the CD then the video. I would love to see this show remastered on DVD which included the entire show. It would be, if I may say, to die for.




3. I finally got to see a tape of this show the other day. I've been searching for it for sometime now but it's out of print for many years. I finally stumbled across a copy on eBay. I've had the CD of the show for a while and the first time I heard it, it just blew me a way. I used to play it constantly. The Lemmings, for anyone who doesn't know, was a comedy revue created and performed by members of The National Lampoon in 1971 at the Village Gate Theatre, as a parody of the Woodstock Music Festival, here called The Woodchuck Festival of "Peace, Love and Death". The show featured the then unknown talents of such performers as John Belushi, Christopher Guest and Chevy Chase. Additional writers on the show were Tony Hendra (best known for his role as Ian Faith, the manager in This Is Spinal Tap, who also co-directed the show), Doug Kenney (one of the founders of National Lampoon, co-writer of Animal House and best known for his role as Stork in Animal House) and P.J. O'Rourke.
   The concert portions of the show are incredible. During the show they parody some of the biggest musical acts of the time. What blew me away were not only the dead-on impersonations of these acts but the quality of the songs and the talent of the performers. I think they all really played the instruments. Belushi, Chase and Guest all took turns playing all of the instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards and drums).
   Some of the tunes they performed were:
   Belushi as Joe Cocker doing a tune called Lonely At the Bottom, an incredibly rocking tune that could have easily been a radio hit and was supposedly the first time Belushi did his Joe Cocker impression. ("I was making musical history, now I'm working for Muscular Dystrophy").
   Christopher Guest doing two great dead-on impersonations on songs that he co-wrote, one of Bob Dylan on Positively Wall Street where he perfects both the whiney, nasal Dylan (as in Stuck Inside Memphis) as well as the country-fied Dylan (as in Lay Lady Lay) in the same song, and James Taylor on Highway Toes where he taps into JT's depression, heroin use stage singing such lines as "...shooting up the highway on the road map of my wrist" or "...going to Carolina where I left my frontal lobes"
   Chevy Chase doing a John Denver parody on Colorado
   A Crosby, Stills and Nash take off called Lemmings Lament that sounds exactly like CS&R during their Woodstock period.
   And one of my favorite tunes, Papa Was a Running Dog Lackey, an extremely funky Motown-style tune sung by the "Motown Manifestos". Another tune which could have easily been a radio hit.
   The closing song, which was supposed to help the surviving members of the audience kill themselves (as Alice Playton, the Mega groupie says during their introduction, "Did you know that pure rock sound can kill? Isn't that far out? So the thing to do is go over to the amp and put your head there.") was sung by the heavy/death metal group, Megadeath. I wonder if I the real group Megadeath took their name from this revue. And on a personal note, when I was about 14, a few years before Megadeath even started, I wrote a sketch about a death metal band trying to come up with a name. After exhausting such names as Bring Out Your Death; Whole Lotta Death; Death, Death, Death, they finally came up with Megadeath.)

   There are also some great bits in between. One of which is Chevy mimicking the Hell's Angels guy who flops out during the Stones concert at Altamont. It is one of the funniest things I have ever heard Chevy do. (Regrettably it's not included on the video.)

   Unfortunately the video of this show is of really poor quality. But what's worse is it's obviously not the same show as the one they recorded the album from. The music on the CD was tighter and more refined. The audience of the show on the video doesn't really seem all that receptive and a lot of the bits seemed to go over their heads. There was a lot more audience laughter on the CD then the video. I would love to see this show remastered on DVD which included the entire show. It would be, if I may say, to die for.




4. except that listening to this after watching "Woodstock" is as much fun as watching "Life Of Brian" on Easter!! (Except you don't have to suffer through Ten Years After with "Lemmings")



5. This is probably, along with "Animal House," the most successful of all the various National Lampoon projects. It is the 2nd Act of a live comedy revue the Lampoon mounted in the early '70s and is a satire of the Woodstock music festival, here presented as the "Woodshuck Festival of Peace, Love, & Death." The satirical targets are twofold: popular rock icons and the death of the "peace 'n' love" movement of the '60s. It is, in a word, brilliant. Part of the success must go to the stellar cast assembled for the show: John Belushi, Christopher Guest, Chevy Chase, Gary Goodrow, Alice Playten, Paul Jacobs, and Mary Jenifer-Mitchell. As we all know, Belushi, Guest, & Chase went on to much bigger and better things ("This Is Spinal Tap!," "Saturday Night Live," "Waiting For Guffman," etc.). But, here they are, young, raw, and ripping pop cultural sacred cows a new orifice! Belushi acts as the Emcee, constantly encouraging the audience to do away with themselves, and scores with his devastating Joe Cocker impersonation. Guest weighs in with brutal digs at Bob Dylan and James Taylor. Chevy takes aim at John Denver and does a hilarious Altamont Hell's Angel. Also of note is Paul Jacobs, the musical director who also savages Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. But the real genius lies in the writing of, primarily, two Lampoon mag vets - Sean Kelly and Tony Hendra (Hendra, you might remember, was "Spinal Tap"'s manager Ian and also a Cambridge contemporary of Graham Chapman & John Cleese's). Their lyrics are vicious and hilarious (James Taylor: "Shooting up the highways on the roadmaps of my wrists..."). A better rock parody cannot be found! And again, it's Belushi, Chase, & Guest when they were all young, vital, and funny (of the three, only Guest has managed to keep up all but the young part). What more do you need? Buy it!

3 comments about I'll Be Home for Christmas.

1. Excellent quality. Fans of 40s music will love this collection. Very 'home-based' songs.



2. If you love a classic, Christmas-by-the-fire musical collection, this is it. These are original songs from radio broadcasts to the American military (complete with songs and even a couple of vintage commercials). Ever since I stumbled across this collection a couple of years ago, no Christmas would be complete without it. Get a mug of eggnog or mulled cider, turn on the Christmas lights, get the fire going, and then relax and enjoy.



3. Nice collection of big band and easy listening standards, though some are taken from scratchy masters - V-Discs and other Armed Forces Radio sources, I suspect. And, while we're at it, a number of these tracks were cut long after "the war years." I mean, Dusty Springfield, Rod McKuen, Liberace? What war are we talking about, exactly? Anyway, the highlights include renditions by Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and other giants of the swing era. The Louis Armstrong cut, by the way, is a recitation sans music.

5 comments about Dear World (1969 Original Broadway Cast).

1. I owned this as album years ago. I recently saw a special on Jerry Herman and his discussion of the show peaked my interest again. Whatever the troubles were with the original production, they are not evident on the soundtrack. Even though Jerry himself was forced into writing the Act I number, "Dear World," it is still an amazing song.
   
   Perfect for Jerry and Angela fans!



2. I like Mame and Hello Dolly some, but frankly they always annoyed me by straining too much for lively and enthusiastic. This one is much more in keeping with my taste. It is mostly a gentler and more subdued show, with a lot of very good music. The title song and One Person are too much in Herman's rousing and stirring mode, and very much out of place with the rest of the score. That rest of the score is a wow, though.
   
   The sardonic opening Spring of Next Year has a gorgeous melody but the lyrics are a sly parody and indictment of the big business ethic, a very French attitude. The contrast between melody and lyrics is exquisite. The Tea Party builds and builds until it ends in a hilarious babble of triple counterpoint harmony. The ballads Kiss Her Now, I've Never Said I Love You, and I Was Beautiful are gorgeous and express genuine emotion. Each Tomorrow Morning finds Herman in a gentler inspirational mode that works much better in this context than the two more standard Herman blasts. Even the song called Garbage is anything but. The performances are uniformly superb.
   
   By the accounts I've read, Dear World flopped because an oversized production warred with the basically intimate nature of the show. Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of seeing a rare staging by a regional theater in Washington. It was a deliberately small production and to paraphrase the show, it was beautiful. In any case, of all Herman's scores, I think I like this one best, though Mack and Mabel is close. And Milk and Honey and La Cage have a lot to recommend them as well. Buy this one - you won't regret it.



3. There is much that is lovely, even gorgeous, in Herman's score, but for every "I Don't Want to Know" or "I've Never Said I Love You" or even "Garbage" (a deliciously garish tango), there's a "One Person" or the title number that sound like they belong in another show (probably Hello Dolly or Mame).
   
   As the liner notes to the CD and others here have said, Dear World was an uneasy amalgam of a gentle fantasy requiring a light touch and a raucous Broadway "big lady" show. I'd say 80% of the score works: in addition to the above-mentioned songs, there's the soaring opening "The Spring of Next Year", Lansbury's dramatic "Kiss Her Now", her blithe "And I Was Beautiful" and the gorgeous cacophony of "The Tea Party."
   
   Interestingly, if you get the perusal score for the show, there's a new song (a solo for Countess Aurelia) entitled "At the Bottom of the Glass" which sounds more in keeping with the tone than "Each Tomorrow Morning."
   
   However, all quibbles aside, Dear World does bear repeated listening. For those who think Herman is merely frivolous anonymous showtunes, this show disputes that.



4. I don't typically belong to the Jerry Herman fan base, but this score of his is awesome. I am familiar with Hello, Dolly, Mame, Mack And Mabel and La Cage Aux Folles, but this is the only Herman score I find enjoyable throughout. Having the glorious Angela Lansbury singing the bittersweet songs is also wonderful. As this show is one of the celebrated, legendary flops of Broadway history, I assume the book of the show has to take the blame. The score is first rate. Take this from a dedicated Sondheimite;)



5. I bought this because of the positive user reviews and couldn't be more thankful that I did. I'm not an expert on the musical form so I can't really speak to the strengths and weaknesses of the book nor the coherence of musical styles of the songs, but I can say with conviction that Angela Lansbury is unbelievably good on this recording. It's difficult for me to convey just how good she is, but I urge anyone whose curiosity is peaked by these reviews to break down and buy the CD. Lansbury's performance alone is worth the price of admission. Her voice is warm, comic, heartbreaking and uplifting. Just beautiful.

1 comments about Disney Songs the Satchmo Way.

1. Louis Armstrong (Satchmo), does his great versions of these wonderful songs! My kids request this CD on the way to school each morning...and sing along at the top of their lungs. Satchmo sings these songs like only he can. You can't be in a bad mood after listening to this! A great gift. This one is a keeper!

1 comments about Christmas: 16 Most Requested Songs.

1. These are the versions of Christmas Classics the characters in "Miracle on 34th Street" and "A Christmas Story" must have heard as they walked through those classic Christmas films. It covers nearly all the most-loved holiday songs in rarely-heard versions (Doris Day's "Here Comes Santa Claus," Rosemary Clooney's "Winter Wonderland," "The Christmas Song" by its author, Mel Torme) features fine carol renditions by traditional Christmas crooners Tony Bennett, Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis, and gets to original holiday hits by Gene Autry and Jimmy Boyd. The only down note is the cynical "We Need A Little Christmas," sung by Angela Lansbury in her title role as Mame. A fine, old-fashioned musical holiday decoration.

5 comments about No Strings (1962 Original Broadway Cast).

1. I found the CD to be in good condition, and enjoyed listening to the music.



2. My musical comedy experience, aside from recordings, has been limited to movie translations (which often distort the real thing), community theater and dinner theater productions, and an occasional touring company. Therefore, I rely on the music to tell me the story. The music of "No Strings" does not. And, reading the accompanying notes and the professional reviews when the show first opened, it seems there was not much story anyway.
   Listening to it simply as music, three numbers do stand out--"The Sweetest Sounds," "Nobody Told Me," and "No Strings." Any one of these can stand on its own. But the rest of the score needs a reason to be sung.
   Needless to say, both Diahann Carroll and Richard Kiley sing beautifully. Controversy about which was the star is useless; both of them are necessary.
   Much has been written about Rodgers' and director Joe Layton's use of the "orchestra" on stage and as part of the action. Maybe that worked if you were actually seeing the show. But on recording, the orchestrations intrude on the vocals and sometimes overpower them. Orchestrations shoul accompany, not take center stage.
   Still, "No Strings" is groundbreaking in many ways, and this recording is a valuable part of musical comedy history



3. How nice to have No Strings available on CD again! A friend and I had searched for it several years ago to no avail. I certainly thought it would be issued at Richard Rodgers' centennial, since it was a milestone of sorts in his career. But it is here now and all is well.
   
   I like the "big band" kind of arrangement to this score (no strings), and I have always enjoyed Diahann Carroll. My favorite pieces here are Sweetest Sounds and No Strings, but I had forgotten some of the smaller pieces that remind the listener of the story line.
   
   Having grown up with parents who bought (and played -- a lot) every cast album of every show they saw (and they saw some on Broadway and almost all that came to Philadelphia to try out), knowing the story line was a big part of the listening experience. And the album notes are here! There were many times that I could not remember whether or not I had actually seen a musical, I got to know the music and had imagined the story (as told in the album notes) so well.
   
   Enjoyable!



4. Despite some weak lyrics here and there, the score is the finest of Rodgers in the post-Hammerstein era.
   
   Capitol did a first-rate production of the original cast album and it remained in print for more than 20 years. Now, it has been brought back by DRG in a crisp sounding transfer. You'll have little trouble following the story as most of the songs are laundrey lists that give examples to support their titles, but the best tracks are provide enjoyable listening experiences: "The Sweetest Sounds" is the best known number (it was later interpolated into the DIsney remake of CINDERELLA where surprisingly it worked quite well!) Other gems: Maine, Look No Further, Nobody Told Me and the title song. In fact there is not a song here that one would label a dog.
   
   DRG's reissue lacks the extensive bachground notes that Broadway Angel had in their 1993 CD edition. But the recording was and still is one well worth owning.



5. I bought this album out of loyalty to two songs Richard Rodgers wrote for this show, the title tune and the opening and closing song, "The Sweetest Sounds." Both are
   great. There are also some OK songs--"Look No Further," for example. I don't know what happened to other reviewers--earwax in their iPods?-- but take their idea of "No Strings" as a great Rodgers score with a BIG grain of salt. Most of the other songs are completely forgetable (following Hammerstein's death Rodgers may have thought he could compose the noodly sort of lyrics that his partner was cranking out toward the end of HIS career, but Mr. Rodgers was, in this case, wrong. Some of Hammerstein's later simplicity actually gets by ["My Favorite Things" from "SofM" is an example], but Rodgers' own "comic" or light lyrics STINK). Richard Kiley was starred over Diahann Carroll in the original, but hers is the bigger contribution, at least to the music here.

2 comments about Christmas with Rosemary Clooney.

1. This is a fabulous album of super holiday songs. One that can be appreciated and enjoyed by all age groups. No child should ever miss out on, "Suzy Snowflake".



2. I was able to listen and compare the three Rosemary Clooney Christmas albums today. This inexpensive gem won. It's a cd of essential songs by an essential voice for the season. Beautiful and simple arrangements make it appealing to listeners who may not know a lot about her outside of "White Christmas". It's perfect for anyone who's looking for a truly classic sound to add his or her Christmas music collection. It's a bargain for $6.98.

5 comments about Les Miserables (Highlights from the Complete Symphonic International Cast Recording).

1. This is the most accurately sung version I've yet to hear... while some stage fanatics might enjoy the vocal variations that are added to it, every singer on this particular version is very clear and exact with the notes, forming the best album version of the musical that I've ever heard. This is perfect for the highlights but I'd recommend buying the full set if you already know you'll enjoy it. Philip Quast is the best Javert possible as well - listen to Stars and I think you'll agree.



2. There are no two ways about it: this album is phenomenal. I've listened to the others, but the singers on this recording are so emotional and involved, not to mention talented.
   
   First of all, Gary Morris as Jean Valjean. He's amazing. He has a smooth voice, hits the high notes, and I just fell in love with him. Philip Quast as Javert takes my breath away. "The Confrontation" is probably my favorite song on the album; Morris and Quast are perfect together. Debbie Byrne is wonderful as Fantine, Kaho Shimada is great as Eponine; sure she has a little bit of an accent, but she has a great voice. Anthony Warlow, as Enjolras, stole the show in my opinion. His voice is unbelievable. Tracy Shayne, as Cosette, is good, but her voice is a little too sugary for me. Michael Ball is said to be the best Marius of them all, and he's good, but sometimes he's a little whiney. Great voice, though.
   
   One thing that shocks me about a lot of the other reviews here is that Barry James and Gay Soper, as M. and Mme Thenardier, are said to be bad. In my opinion, everyone else falls far short. James and Soper actually do the accents, instead of sounding like upper-crust British actors. They're amazing.
   
   Obviously "One Day More" is the greatest song on the album. It's amazing. I recommend this to anyone. If you're new to Les Miserables, this is the place to start. If you're a Les Mis veteran, you HAVE to hear this one.



3. Don't listen to the Les Mis snobs that have posted before me. This cast is excellent. The personalities of the actors are distiguished much better on this version than any other and the actors seemed to sing more from the heart than on the original Broadway cast version. You get an image of these characters from just their voices without ever having to see them. This was my introduction to Les Mis so I have to admit I am probably biased. However, no other version has been able to replace this one. The main reasons are, Jean Val Jean sounds tortured, Javert sounds like he will hunt Val Jean to the ends of the earth, Marius and Cosette sound like they are in love, and the students have much more distinguished voices on this version. No matter what people say about the girl who play Eponine on this version she doesn't wimp out on the high notes like the girl on the original Broadway cast did and she has no Japanese accent. Her Japanese accent is about as noticable when she sings as a New York accent or a Boston accent when someone sings. Another thing the Les Mis snobs complain about is that this album doesn't contain the entire story of Les Mis. This isn't an audiobook, it's a highlights album. Get the story from the actual play or the book or the movies. Overall this is a great album that will last forever.



4. "Les Miserables" is a marvelous musical; a stunningly faithful interpretation of Victor Hugo's masterpiece, with an inspiring storyline and unforgettable characters. There are 2 reasons for buying a Les Mis CD - (1) you've seen a performance and want ONE CD to remind you of it or (2) you've become a les Mis junkie (like me) and want multiple versions so you too can hold forth on the rival merits of Andy Warlow vs Michael Maguire, Patty LuPone vs Ruthie Henshaw, Frances Ruffelle vs Kaho Shimada vs Lea Solonga. If you are in the first category, you really want the Tenth Anniversary Concert. The TAC has the complete storyline (albeit slightly abridged), it was recorded live (so there's an unique intensity and chemistry between performers), and from top to bottom it has by far the best cast.
   
   However, serious Les Mis fans also want the Complete Symphonic Recording because it does have the complete score. The Original London (OLC) and Original Broadway (OBC) Cast albums only have selected songs. I have all 4 major full-length English-language versions, and they have all have their pluses and minuses. But the main advantages of the CSR are its completeness and Andy Warlow (a truly stirring Enjorlas). Also, on the plus side, it has Philip Quast ( THE BEST Javert, but he's even better on the TAC), Michael Ball (THE BEST Marius, also on the OLC and TAC versions). Beyond these fine performers, the CSR has a rather weak cast in general. Gary Morris is horrible as Jean Valjean, cringe-provoking at times, merely weak at others. "Who am I?" isn't so bad, but "Bring Him Home" makes me cover my ears or send me running for the fast forward button. One of the few advantages of this trimmed down version is that we are spared Morris singing "What have I done?" He's totally overmatched by Quast in "Confrontation" and by everyone in "One Day More" and "Finale". Kaho Shimada is an uneven Eponine, OK sometimes, less so at others. Debbie Byrne (Fantine) is also OK, but I don't find her as moving as Patty LuPone (OLC) or Ruthie Henshaw (TAC). Tracy Shayne (Cosette) is really irratating, not nearly as sweet as Judy Kuhn (OLB and TAC) or even Rebecca Caine (OLC). I find Barry James and especially Gay Soper (M. and Mme. Thenardier) grating as well.
   
   The bottom line is that cutting it down to one CD eliminates the major advantage of the CSR. If you just want nice performances of the major songs cheap, get the OLC version or the OBC Highlights



5. This C.D. is what started it for me with my Les Miserable passion and it will for you too if you choose to buy this Les Miserable C.D!
   
   I love this musical with all my heart and I know most of the words to every song. Les Miserables isn't a common musical it really has whole differant life- the lyrics are all what we can relate to and the themes of love, loss, and trying to better ourselves are all things we have expierenced as human beings. This musical does more than live up to Hugo's book on many ways it outshines in the lyrical sense. If given the chance I would see it everyday and I hope that someday Les Mis will visit my city so I do get the chance too.
   
   Gary Morris isn't as good as Colm Wilkinson- but, Gary's great anyway and the rest of the cast is star pick of the litter- including one of my favorite singers of all-time Michael Ball- who is just as attractive as Ellijah Wood with a singing voice that matches Josh Groban.
   
   All in all with a wonderfully written composed music and good direction it's understandable why this musical has been translated into ten differant languages and has swept the world literally-even in countries that don't usually support or like musical theater.
   
   I only have one suggestion if you haven't read or seen a movie about Les Miserables you should probably buy the complete version it will be easier to understand than this Les Miz greatest hits C.D. All in all no matter what kind of music fan you are you have to have some kind of copy of Les Miz in your collection!

5 comments about Sugar (Original 1972 Broadway Cast Recording) [Enhanced CD].

1. When I was a kid, Broadway cast albums were pretty much all I listened to, and for a time, "Sugar" was one of those records that barely left my turntable. Even then I knew it was a second-rate score, due mostly to Bob Merrill's dreadful lyrics. (In what alternate universe does "softly" rhyme with "coffee?") That said, I have great affection for "Sugar." Another reviewer was spot on when he noted that Jule Styne's melodies have the same feel as those he wrote for "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." The Roaring 20s seems to bring out the best in him, 'cause the songs here are bright, catchy and loads of fun. And the overture -- presumably arranged by that great master of orchestration, Philip J. Lang -- has to be one of the best ever compiled. The show's success was due mainly to the wonderful clowning of Robert Morse and Cyril Ritchard, and the ever reliable skills of director/choreographer Gower Champion. Of course only the former are evident on this CD, but if you close your eyes and open your mind, you can pretty much imagine what Champion brought to such production numbers as "Sun on My Face" and "When You Meet a Man in Chicago." I can't see "Sugar" being revived anytime soon, not even by an organization like New York's Encores series, which is devoted to revisiting the great forgotten musicals -- because it simply isn't. But listening to "Sugar" brings me back to a time when I was a young starry-eyed kid, holed up in my bedroom, having hopeful fantasies of my own Broadway success. For me, that's a marvelous feeling to recapture.



2. I've heard this one but it's almost impossible to own it: rare and very expensive. Please, Mr. Editor, try this one in a re-mastered edition ASAP. Thanks beforehand.



3. SUGAR was a stage musical incarnation of Billy Wilder's snappy comedy SOME LIKE IT HOT, the story of two hapless musicians on the run from the Mob who masquerade as members of an all-girl jazz band.

   The score was penned by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill who had previously collaborated for FUNNY GIRL, and would reunite several seasons later for the cult flop PRETTYBELLE. SUGAR proved to be a lukewarm success, delivering fine performances from Robert Morse and Tony Roberts as the hapless musicians, as well as great turns from Cyril Ritchard (PETER PAN) in the role of Osgood, and Elaine Joyce in the title role of Sugar Kane.

   Standout numbers include Elaine Joyce's showstopping "Hey, Why Not!" as well as "We Could Be Close", "It's Always Love" and the Title Song.

   This marvellous cast album has now been reissued on the Rykodisc label and sounds fabulous. Sound quality is deep and lush, amazing considering its circa 1972 (other cast albums from the same period don't sound half as good).

   Later SUGAR would resurface in London starring Tommy Steele, under the original movie title SOME LIKE IT HOT. Regardless of critical opinion, the cast album of SUGAR is a particular delight, and well worth tracking down.




4. This is a great musical! The songs are very catchy and addictive! I performed this musical for my high school and I loved it! I toe-tapped my whole way through it, and I think you will too!...the music is still better than ever! "Penniless Bums", "November Song", and "Beauty That Drives a Man Mad" are great songs and I am never ceased to be amazed how often I get the urge to sing them! I love this musical!



5. I dunno, any review by Mr. Skogsbergh is suspect...
   This is the same Skogsbergh that gave 4 Stars to "Tiny Tims Greatest Hits"

5 comments about Coco (1970 Original Broadway Cast).

1. Given the uniformly negative reviews, "Coco" must really not have worked onstage. But you would never know it from this marvelous cast recording. The main draw is, of course, Katherine Hepburn's explosive performance as French fashion icon Coco Chanel. It's the kind scenery chewing star turn they don't make anymore, and it's a helluva lot of fun. Can Hepburn sing? Not remotely, but she's so compelling to listen to as she out Rex Harrisons Rex Harrison that it hardly matters. And how is the score? Really marvelous, in my opinion. Alan Jay Lerner's lyrics are as clever as usual (see if YOU can come up with a rhyme for Balenciaga), and Andre Previn's melodies are quite beautiful; it's a shame Previn didn't write more for the theater. Is "Coco" a perfect score? By no means, but I actually prefer it to "Applause," which won the Tony that year. Whereas "Applause" is firmly rooted in the Hullabaloo sensibility of 1970, "Coco" is more of a classic score, romantic and lush. I think you'll enjoy "Coco," particularly if you're a Hepburn fan; but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that she's not the only reason to have it in your collection.



2. Katharine Hepburn was among the most unique talents of the 20th century if for no other reason (and there are many reasons) than for her daring. In this case, she made her musical theater debut in her 60s and carried the Previn-Lerner musical to hit status despite lukewarm reviews for the show itself. I saw her in this production and her performance transcended everything else -- she was funny, fun, and gave the musical numbers her all. I particularly remember her high kicking her way through "Orbach, Bloomingdales, Best, and Saks" and the final number, "Always Mademoiselle," which was filmed for the Tony Awards and can be found on one of the "Broadway's Lost Treasures" DVDs -- seeing her in character (the dialogue scene preceding the last number was also filmed with "Always Mademoiselle") will enhance appreciation of this recording. I also recall that when she made her first entrance running down the long staircase the audience gave her a prolonged standing ovation -- she finally had to break character and acknowledge the applause. Although obviously limited as a singer, Hepburn acts (and growls) her way through the songs. It is unlikely that COCO will ever be revived -- only a star of Hepburn's magnitude, and an actress of her immense talent, could levitate this show to the level that she did. This recording offers a unique view of a star whose qualities you may think you already know -- however, she adds another dimension here.



3. Just think Chanel meets Henry Higgins and you've got Ms. Hepburn's singing in this musical! It may not be melodic, but it's certainly worth listening to, if only to once again hear that marvelous voice!
   
   Some of the lyrics are fantastic and some of the music is even catchy. Even though Chanel apparently didn't totally approve of this musical version of her life, it looks like Cecil Beaton captured her style amazingly well in the costumes (based on the liner photos) and the set has elements of Chanel's apartment and salon which I recently saw in Paris.
   
   I only regret that there is no DVD of this production.



4. I did not see the show, but the music & lyrics seem to me quite dull and with no tunes to remember. Besides, who had the bad idea to suggest Katharine Hepburn to sing? She sounds AWFUL, as if someone were pinching her eyes with hot scissors! I guess they tried to do something similar to Rex Harrison's "singing" in MY FAIR LADY which was quite sucessful, but this time the strategy did not work. By far, it's one of the most unfortunate singing (or howling?) appearances of a dramatic actress in a B'way show.



5. In this production of the 1969 musical, "Coco," we hear Katharine Hepburn singing for the first time. Yes, she doesn't have the greatest voice, and it might take some getting used to for non-Hepburn fans, but I still enjoyed her voice. One of my favorite songs on the album was not sung by Hepburn and it's "A Brand New Dress," - quite beautiful. The sound quality at times on this CD isn't the greatest; however, if you're a diehard Hepburn fan like I am, you won't be severly dissapointed to add this to your Kate collection.