Barry Mann Songbook [Import]

barry mann songbook [import]

Track Listings

1. She Say

2. Who Put The Bomp

3. Footsteps

4. The Way Of A Clown

5. I Love How You Love Me

6. Bless You

7. On Broadway

8. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

9. Lover Her

10. (You're My) Soul And Inspiration

11. Walking Inthe Rain

12. Angelica

13. It's Getting Better

14. Songs

15. Make Your Own Kind Of Music

16. Here You Come Again

17. New World Coming

18. Too Many Mondays

19. Never Gonna Let You Go

20. We're Over

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Barry Mann Songbook,Various Artists,Universal/Polygram,Rock

Barry Mann Songbook [Import]

Average customer rating:

Not quite Disney caliber, but pretty darn good...
The Best Ever
A soundtrack as good as any Disney movie has had
Muppets do Sailor Music and it's grand!
truly awesome! (there's nothing better)

Muppet Treasure Island (1996 Film)
Barry Mann , and Cynthia Weil
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Last Action Hero: Original Score From The Motion Picture
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Battle Songs of the Toucan Pirates
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Muppet Treasure Island - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition

ASIN: B000002SJA
Release Date: 1996-02-13

Tracks:

Treasure Island
Shiver My Timbers
Something Better
Sailing for Adventure
Cabin Fever
Professional Pirate
Boom Shaka Laka
Love Led Us Here
Map
Captain Smollet
Land Ho
Compass
Long John
Rescue
Honest Brave and True
Love Power [As Used in the Film Muppet Treasure Island] - Ziggy Marley, Melody Makers
Love Led Us Here - John Berry, Helen Darling

Customer Reviews:

Not quite Disney caliber, but pretty darn good..........2004-10-23

It's been years since I've watched "Muppet Treasure Island" or heard its soundtrack. Or it had been, anyway. I decided to listen to the MTI soundtrack for the first time in years...and it's not a bad CD at all.

The CD starts off in a grand fashion, with a sweeping instrumental tune that was probably played over the opening credits. Nothing too exciting, but a very nice touch.

The strongest songs on the soundtrack are towards the beginning. "Shiver My Timbers," a somewhat foreboding song, is a very piratey tune and sets up the movie's mood and backstory nicely. "Something Better" is sweet, almost overly so, and conveys the character of Jim well enough. Gonzo and Rizzo seem out of place on that track, but that's just my opinion. "Sailing for Adventure" is used to start off the voyage, and succeeds well at doing that. It gets both the ship and the movie moving, and it actually succeeds with its attempts to be funny.

The level of quality takes a sharp drop after those tracks, unfortunately. "Cabin Fever" is too random for my liking. It seems like the songwriters were trying to funny, and were trying much too hard at that. "Professional Pirate" really doesn't add anything to the soundtrack beyond giving Tim Curry a chance to sing, and something about the phrase "professional pirate" grates on me. "Boom Shaka Laka" doesn't have any vocals worth noting, so it gets skipped.

The final vocal track (from the movie, anyway) is "Love Led Us Here." This is the obligatory schmaltzy love song, and the only track that features Kermit and Piggy. I know that the song was thrown in so that soundtracks would be sold and so that the iconic frog and pig wouldn't be left off of the CD entirely. Even so, I still love the song. It fit into the movie better than some of Disney's love songs do (I'm thinking of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" in particular), and the song itself is touching without being overly sappy. Managing to make the love song work without seeming blatantly obvious is worth bonus points.

The rest of the soundtrack's bulk is made up of instrumental music, much like most Disney soundtracks are. It's well done, for the most part, and it worked well enough in the movie if memory serves, but there's not much that I can write about for it.

The final two songs were played in the movie's credits. "Love Power" is a decent song, but it doesn't seem to fit the movie. There's a reason why it was played with the credits. There's also a poppy version of "Love Led Us Here," which was probably made to sell soundtracks. It didn't work. The song doesn't work nearly as well when it's taken out of the context of the movie. More importantly, the Kermit/Piggy version is just better.

Overall, I feel that the soundtrack is a good one. The few songs that I disliked were more than made up for by the instrumental tracks and rest of the songs with vocals. It's not to the level of "The Muppet Movie," and it's not going to replace "Aladdin" or "The Lion King" as one of the best kiddy movie soundtracks. The CD is enjoyable, though, and that's what matters the most.

The Best Ever.......2002-08-11

Even though Muppet Treasure Island has been said not to be a true Muppet movie, it's awesome. Who ever said that needs to get their head exaimed! I can't stop listenig to the soundtrack. My favorite song on there is "Something Better" but "A professional pirate" ranks a close second. I recommend this to people of all ages. Get it while you can because(from what i've heard so far)Jim Henson productions won't be releasing anymore soundtracks again.

A soundtrack as good as any Disney movie has had.......2002-06-14

"Muppet Treasure Island" is the most satisfying Muppet movie to date, and a big reason for it is the music. Composer Barry Mann and lyricist Cynthia Weil have written a half-dozen songs that compare admirably to any of the great Disney movies. The big show-stopper is "Cabin Fever", an uproariously silly number about the crew going stir crazy when the ship is trapped in the doldrums. But my favorite songs are three nautical numbers that remind me of the Kline-Ronstadt version of "Pirates of Penzance". "Shiver My Timbers" provides an ominous exposition of how the treasure was originally hidden, "Sailing for Adventure" is a rousing start to the sea voyage ("With our hearts unbound and our flag unfurled/We're under way and off to see the world"), and Tim Curry as Long John Silver extols the advantages of being "A Professional Pirate". Inevitably, there's also a big smarmy "Can You Feel the Love Tonight/A Whole New World"-type ballad, "Love Led Us Here" -- I prefer the Kermit-Miss Piggy rendition to the lush version by John Berry and Helen Darling (maybe YOU'VE heard of them). A big chunk of the album is orchestral music that played in the background of various scenes. The album starts with a brief but rousing opening theme, goes into the songs, followed by the soundtrack music, and ends with a catchy Ziggy Marley closing song and the Berry-Darling duet. This pacing makes listening to the whole CD at once less than the sum of its parts, as the transitions are too abrupt.

Muppets do Sailor Music and it's grand!.......2001-09-03

This album is one of my son's favorites. They love it for the sea bearing fun songs and excellent music. The opening song is one of the best opening songs from a movie I myself have heard. IF you like the quality of the first muppet movie music, you will love this one too!

truly awesome! (there's nothing better).......1999-09-04

this is the most awesome soundtrack i have ever heard! i could listen to it 24 hours a day. truly great!

Average customer rating:

Who Put the Bomp (+4 Bonus Tracks)
Barry Mann
Manufacturer: Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005GRQI
Release Date: 2003-10-10

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
Barry Mann - One of the Top Talents in The Music Industry
Too Funky 4 a Diamond, Emeralds of Rock & Roll
oldies written by the MANN

Soul & Inspiration
Barry Mann
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Love

ASIN: B00003ZL38
Release Date: 2000-01-18

Tracks:

You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
On Broadway
Don't Know Much
Rock And Roll Lullaby
We Gotta Get Outta This Place
(You're My) Soul And Inspiration
Sometimes When We Touch
I Just Can't Help Believin'
Just Once
Here You Come Again
Somewhere Out There

Amazon.com

No matter how many hundreds of incarnations they've taken on--from the Righteous Brothers to the Ramones--Barry Mann's songs combine solid craftsmanship with, at their best, irresistible magic that has ensured a permanent spot in the American Songbook. Soul & Inspiration gives us a chance to hear these classics from the horse's mouth, along with help from such friends as Carole King, Bryan Adams, and Peabo Bryson in harmony vocals. Actually, given the unaffected honesty of Mann's vocal delivery, it might have been preferable to keep the production bare bones, with just the voices and the songwriter's vivid piano accompaniments. Kitschy effects occasionally intrude into producer Fred Mollin's textures, though there are also some inspired touches, such as the sitar on "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." But as Mann pours himself into each song, it's a treat to imagine what it must have felt like the first time this cornerstone of the Brill Building triumphed over formula, knocking out a brilliant bridge here or an unforgettable turn there, all resulting in something that can only now sound inevitable in retrospect. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2004-01-27

This is a real 'Gem' - love his style --- and the songs they both gave us!!!!!!!!

THanks!

Barry Mann - One of the Top Talents in The Music Industry.......2002-01-16

Barry Mann has done it again! He is not only a talented song writer, but sings the songs in "Soul and Inspiration" in a way that touches your heart and brings back fond memories of the good old days! I absolutely love this album, and can't stop playing it. If you love old Rock 'n Roll, this cd is a "must have"!
I knew Barry Mann when he was young and starting out in the music industry, while growing up in Brooklyn. He was the nicest guy you ever met then, and was just as friendly and down-to-earth when I met him years later at The Bottom Line in the Village. He was there to watch a show which was based on his music. I saw the show twice, and both times the audience gave it a standing ovation. I'd love to see that show's score made into a cd. Anyway, rave reviews for "Soul and Inspiration" from a true fan. Go out and buy it - you won't be disappointed!

Too Funky 4 a Diamond, Emeralds of Rock & Roll.......2000-05-26

Barry Mann has written some true classics; and it's marvelous to hear his less-than-perfect but highly emotional renditions of music he wrote. This album starts with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." Most will know the Righteous Brothers' hit version, but it has also been done by woman and man with Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood and Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. Here Barry teams with Carole King. The call & response vocals build and the harmony vocals soar as they knock this through the roof. In a perfect world, this would top the Adult Contemporary charts! The CD would be worth the price for this track alone, but there's more. "On Broadway" shines. "Don't Know Much" which Linda Ronstadt did so effectively on her 1989 "Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind" CD is powerful. Teaming with Bryan Adams, Mann sings passionately with that pounding piano on the Animals' hit & Vietnam era theme song, "We Gotta Get Out this Place." "Soul & Inspiration" surges with Daryl Hall on harmony. Although I'd prefer Tina Turner's 1978 version of "Sometimes When We Touch" to this or Dan Hill, it's a sweet song that dodges schlock-rock. It's nice to hear J.D. Souther back on "I Just Can't Help Believin'," even if he's mixed low. Another great moment is when Mann teams with Peabo Bryson on "Just Once." The track should be a required text for soulful singing. Leah Kunkel really adds great strength to "Here You Come Again" which we're used to hearing by Dolly Parton. The album ends with the beautiful "Somewhere Out There." As pretty as it is, I'd have preferred if he'd ended with a rocker like "Kicks" which was #4 for Paul Revere & the Raiders. Being the first hit with an anti-drug message, this song was a milestone still relevant today. I'm sad it was passed over. Small complaint. This is an excellent addition to the legacy of the 60's. Now Mann's voice sells the songs he wrote.

oldies written by the MANN.......2000-02-18

long known for his collaboration with former wife cynthia weil (leader of the Pack) mann joins up with some great singer-songwriters for his definitive version of his own songs. the result? baby boomer heaven!

Average customer rating:

All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (1996 Film)
Barry Mann , Cynthia Weil , and Mark Watters
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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All Dogs Go To Heaven 2
All Dogs Go to Heaven: The SeriesFriends to the Rescue
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ASIN: B000002SJE
Release Date: 1996-03-29

Tracks:

Main Title: Heavenly Ceremony
It's Too Heavenly Here - Jesse Corti, Helen Darling, Sheena Easton, Danny Frazier
Count Me Out
My Afghan Hairless
It Feels So Good to Be Bad
On Easy Street
I Will Always Be With You (End Title)
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Carface Steals the Horn/Charlie Volunteers
Police Chase - Helen Darling, Danny Frazier
Red's Transformation - Jesse Corti
We Meet David - Sheena Easton
Battle for Gabriel's Horn - Jim Cummings
Family Reunion/It's Too Heavenly Here (Reprise) - Ernest Borgnine, George Hearn
I Will Always Be With You (End Title) - Jesse Corti, Dom DeLuise,

Average customer rating:

One of the best soundtrack!!!
What a good soundtrack!!!
I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK!!!!
Fantastic CD
I LOVE this album!

Oliver & Company

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005ABOK
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

Once Upon a Time in New York City - Huey Lewis
Why Should I Worry? - Billy Joel
Streets of Gold - Ruth Pointer
Perfect Isn't Easy - Bette Midler
Good Company - Myhanh Tran
Sykes [Instrumental]
Bedtime Story [Instrumental]
Rescue [Instrumental]
Pursuit Through the Subway [Instrumental]
Buscando Guayaba - RubBlades
End Title [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews:

One of the best soundtrack!!!.......2006-04-01

"Oliver&Company" was my favourite movie with unforgettable cute characters when I was in high school. But after I watched "Brother Bear" "Bambi-2" and other great Disney movie which were younger than "Oliver&Company", the glory of this movie was fading in my heart as years went by. However, the music of this movie will always be impressed to me!
I think the best song in this soundtrack was "Streets of Gold". My deskmate in high school loved this song very much too. She often asked me to play this song, and when we listened to it together, we sang along happily! I loved to listened to "Once Upon a Time in New York City" when I was preparing for the College Entrance Examination, because its lyric inspired me and made me spirited! The song "Good Company" was very cute, I loved the kid's voice and the sound of piano, and the part without vocal of this song felt like symphony, pretty good! It seemed that "Why Should I Worry?" was very welcome and well-know to many people who have listened to this soundtrack. It wasn't the best in my opinion, but it was wonderful, I loved rhythmic song just like this! "Perfect Isn't Easy" was a little strange, but very funny and always makes me laugh. The scores of this soundtrack were glorious! Besides the scores of "The Lion King" "The Little Mermaid" and "Bambi", the scores from "Oliver&Company" were the best I've ever heard! "Bedtime Story" and "Pursuit through the Subway" were the best of these 5!
It's pity that I can't find this soundtrack in any music shop now, so I'm expecting the remaster of it!

What a good soundtrack!!!.......2004-07-03

This is my favourite soundtrack of Disney.I love "Once upon a time in New York City",because it gives me power,really!And "Why should I worry?",I can feel the rhythm of the city and my life all because this song!One of my friends love "Streets of gold"very much,So do I.And "Good Company""Perfect isn't easy"are also very good.Oh,yes,"Bed time story"and"The rescue"are very good too!!I love this album very very much!!

I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK!!!!.......2004-06-25

Ever since I was little I loved Oliver & Company. I have the original soundtrack from 1988, it was a gift. In the first grade I would walk around the house singing "Good Company" and imitate Dodger singing "Why Should I Worry". I still take it everywhere I go. Me and my friend even like to just sit in the elevator at church and listen to it. My favorite song overall is "Why Should I Worry" and my favorite character is Dodger. I love you Dodger!! I would defenitely recommend this CD to anyone!

Fantastic CD.......2004-03-29

I used to tie a red bandanna around my neck as well, get on all fours, and imitate Dodger's dance moves on top of the couch while singing along to "Why Should I Worry?" (Okay, I was about six and half years old at the time, but it was such memorable fun.) My friends and I would sing these songs on the school bus and during class I would sit there writing out the lyrics. I brought the CD everywhere and sang along to it. A friend and I had to invent a dance to any song, and for some reason we chose "Perfect Isn't Easy" (her choice, I think). But my favorite song by far is "Streets of Gold," Rita has always been my canine alter-ego; that song is SO unbelievably awesome; I LOVE it to death!!! Oh yea, this is an excellent soundtrack to an amazingly brilliant movie. My recommendation? Get it!

I LOVE this album!.......2002-04-09

I've loved this movie for a long time. When i was about six, I used to walk around the house singing "Why Should I Worry?" and "Perfect Isn't Easy". I even had a long red bandanna that used to wear around my neck prentending they were Dodger's hot dogs. As I write this, "Streets of Gold" is blaring through my headphones. Getting hold of this album was no mean feat, I ordered it at Recordsmith and it took them two weeks to get it. All the songs work pretty well with my voice which is sort of soprano, I think. I also have the movie. "Once Upon a Time in New York City" is such a beautiful song, it brings tears to my eyes every time.

Average customer rating:

PITOU

Salute To Hollywood

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00000410B
Release Date: 1989-09-14

Tracks:

Hooray for Hollywood
Pops Salutes The Oscars: When You Wish Upon A Star - Swingin' On A Star - Moon River - Raindrops Keep Falln' On My Head - Theme From 'The Way We Were - The Shadow Of Your Smile
Somewhere Out There
A Tribute To Judy Garland: Over The Rainbow - We're Off To See The Wizard - You Made Me Love You - Be A Clown - Get Happy - The Man That Got Away
Balloon Sequence (Witches Of Eastwick)
Devil's Dance (Witches Of Eastwick)
Love Theme (Out Of Africa)
La Bamba
The Bad and the Beautiful

Customer Reviews:

PITOU.......1999-06-08

A great CD with the rarest music by John Williams: "The Wiches of Eastwick". It is the CD to buy immediately. It's not expensive, take advantage !

WHO PUT THE BOMP IN THE BOMP, BOMP, BOMP

Average customer rating:

WHO PUT THE BOMP IN THE BOMP, BOMP, BOMP

Manufacturer: MARGINAL
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A1KY8W

Product Description

25 tracks

Glory Days of Rock 'N' Roll: One Hit Wonders

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Glory Days of Rock 'N' Roll: One Hit Wonders

Manufacturer: Time Life Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000BI2GOY

Product Description

IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY-MR. LEE-KILLER JOE-JENNIE LEE-HEY! BABY-A LITTLE BIT OF SOAP-TELL HIM NO-THIS TIME-PARTY LIGHTS-PRETTY LITTLE ANGEL EYES-THE ALL-AMERICAN BOY-ROCKIN' ROBIN-I'VE HAD IT-DEAR ONE-ENDLESS SLEEP-AND MANY MORE!!!!

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The Magical, Mystical, Mouse

Manufacturer: Proarte
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000C9X
Release Date: 1994-02-10

Tracks:

Beauty And The Beast - Karyn List/Rich Gibbons
The Rescuers Down Under
The Little Mermaid: Part Of Your World - Karyn List
The Little Mermaid: Happy Ending
Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies: Hungarion Rhap No.2 In C Minor
All Dogs Go To Heaven: Love Survives - Karyn List/Rich Gibbons
Fantasia: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
An American Tail: Somewhere Out There - Karyn List/Rich Gibbons
Disney Magic: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da/Chim-Chim Cher-ee/A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes/It's A Small...
Pete's Dragon: Candle On The Water - Karyn List
Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - Karyn List
Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies Ov

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Excellent introduction to Strauss
A Good Buy For Lovers of Strauss
Essential Strauss Opera

R. Strauss: Famous Scenes

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004U8FE
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Arabella: Aber der Richtige wenns einen gibt - Hilde Gueden
Ariadne auf Naxos: Es ist alles vergebens Es gibt ein Reich - Leontyne Price
Der Rosenkavalier: Mein Gott! Es warnicht mehr als eine Farce - Regine Crespin
Elektra: Allein! Weh ganz allein - Birgit Nilsson
Die Frau ohne Schatten: Sieh - Amme - sieh...Zum Lebenswasser!... Wehe mein Mann! - Leonie Rysanek
Salome: Salomes Tanz der sieben Schleier - Wiener Philharmoniker
Salome: Es ist keinLaut zu vernehmen - Anja Silja

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to Strauss.......2003-11-18

Richard Strauss wrote great operatic music, but his music is not as accessible as that of Puccini or Verdi. It will take some time getting used to listening to his more dissonant music, but it is worth it.

This is an excellent compilation disc from Decca. The sound on all the selections is good, but the excerpt from "Die Frau ohne Schatten" has dated sound. Decca provides a booklet that contains notes and texts with English translations. This is a big help in understanding the sung words.

The first excerpt is the glorious soprano duet from "Arabella", sung ravishingly by Lisa della Casa and Hilde Güden. These two sopranos soar over Strauss' exquisite orchestration. It is a delight to hear their ethereal upper registers. No other composer wrote better soaring music for sopranos to sing. Strauss was truly a master of this type of music. The excerpt from "Ariadne auf Naxos" is well sung by Leontyne Price. The fabulous trio from "Der Rosenkavalier" is sung ravishingly by Régine Crespin, Hilde Güden, and Elisabeth Söderström. Notice the clear German diction of these three singers. The music for this trio contains some ravishing string writing. Elektra's Monologue is sung magnificently by Birgit Nilsson. Her high notes, especially the high C at the end, are incredibly powerful and rock-steady. She inflects the aria superbly. You can really hear her longing for her dead father in her repeated cries of "Agamemnon". Leonie Rysanek is incredible in the Empress' Dream Sequence from "Die Frau ohne Schatten". The high tessitura poses no problem for her and she sings with smoldering involvement. Some of the orchestral music in this passage is positively gorgeous. Herbert von Karajan conducts a wonderful performance of the Dance of the Seven Veils. This passage from "Salome" is perfectly evocative of Salome's sadistic nature. However, it doesn't sound like it is particularly easy music to dance to. The last excerpt is a woefully inadequate reading of Salome's Final Scene. Anja Silja characterizes Salome's different moods quite well, but her voice is not up to the music's demands. Her voice is whitish in color and quite small. Her high notes are often plagued with a slow wobble. Why couldn't Decca have included the Final Scene from Georg Solti's studio recording with Nilsson as Salome? Throughout the disc, the wonderful Vienna Philharmonic plays Strauss' music beautifully. In the excerpt from "Ariadne auf Naxos", the London Philharmonic plays wonderfully.

If you are looking for an introduction to the operatic music of Richard Strauss, this disc is it. Highly recommended.

A Good Buy For Lovers of Strauss.......2001-05-30

I will rate this CD by track.

1. Arabella (Della Casa / Gueden) Excellent -- Wish there was more. 2. Ariadne (Price) Ill Cast -- Look elsewhere. 3. Rosenkavalier (Crispin / Gueden) Very Good -- One can never tire of the Trio and Finale of this opera. 4. Elektra (Nilsson) Classic -- A great scene from the best recording of this opera. 5. Frau (Rysanek) Good -- The right performer, decent sound for 1955, but there are far better scenes to excerpt. 6. Salome -- Seven Veils -- Doesn't fit in with theme of famous scenes with sopranos, would rather have more singing. 7. Salome (Silja) -- Superb -- A good reason to buy this CD; never knew of this interpretation beforehand. It is really great.

Overall -- Four Stars -- because of Price, who is not good as Ariadne; the wasted space with the Dance of the Seven Veils; and the poor scene selection from Frau. But the other selections are good, and the Frau is good too, but could have been better.

If you love Strauss, this CD should be in your collection.

Essential Strauss Opera.......2001-04-15

For anyone wanting to try the operas of Richard Strauss, one need not look much further than this compilation of excerpts from several of his operas. As critics and academics have begun to take Strauss more seriously over the past decade or so (and been less likely to engage in politically-charged character assassination), even his formerly-neglected later works have received more performances and been recorded with greater frequency.

This compilation includes excerpts from some of those lesser-known operas, including "Arabella" (1933) and the increasingly better-known "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" (1919). Ironically, these are the oldest excerpts on the recording, including a crisp "Arabella" from 1957 with supreme Straussian conductor Georg Solti and supreme Straussian singer Lisa Della Casa, as well as a rough-sounding "Frau Ohne Schatten" excerpt from 1955 (but then, it's conducted by Strauss' friend Karl Bohm, which makes up for it). Solti also makes an appearance on this album for a 1979 recording of "Es Gibt ein Reich" from "Ariadne auf Naxos," which seems to have hovered for years in limbo between the three major Strauss operas and "lesser" Strauss works.

Although I like the other excerpts, my greatest affection is still reserved for those three major operas: Rosenkavalier, Elektra, and Salome. Solti returns to this recording for a third appearance (this time armed with Birgit Nilsson) for a thundering interpretation of Elektra's soliloquy over her father's grave, fantasizing about vengeance against her mother and her mother's love-toy for his murder. This excerpt comes from Solti's complete 1967 recording, for some reason no longer available in the States. Although there are other wonderful interpretations of Strauss' 1909 shocker (especially Wolfgang Sawallisch's 1990 recording, also unavailable in the States), none match Solti's for sheer horror and brutality. This little nibble gives just a taste of its acidity.

Preceding the brutality of the "Elektra," one can swoon to the dreamy, "himmlisch" trio from "Der Rosenkavalier." It begins after the humiliation of the boorish character Baron Ochs, then builds to what's become known as the trio. Prior to this recording, I had never heard of the conductor Silvio Varviso, but he leads one of the most beautiful trios I've ever heard. The horns whoop in something that comes close to Liebestod-like ecstasy at the climax, with the three singers flowing naturally with the music. For me, this version (as well as the Renee Fleming/Susan Graham/Barbara Bonney trio under Christoph Eschenbach) comes very close to the listening experience Sam Abel describes in "Opera in the Flesh"; an aural "menage-a-quatre," culminating in a sweet and sad feeling of ecstatic release.

For those seeking a less sentimental and more dangerous form of ecstatic release, two (Yes... two!) excerpts from "Salome" round out the recording. Strauss "meister" Herbert von Karajan conducts a savagely silky "Dance of the Seven Veils" from 1960, culminating in a sensually feline climax during the waltz-like portion of Salome's striptease for her stepfather. After the dance pounds away to its conclusion, Salome awaits her reward: the head of the holy man Jokanaan on a silver platter. The recording of this excerpt of the final scene comes from 1974, with Christoph von Dohnanyi (who also works wonders with his insightful performances of Strauss) conducting future wife Anja Silja in a performance that transforms the horror of the scene into an object of beauty. Silja's voice pierces the orchestra like a silver bullet in this night of moonlit madness, with its nightmarish phantasms of a fin de siecle Vienna, of obsessive lust consuming all in its path, of sexual (and perhaps spiritual) transfiguration proclaimed by the cosmic ascension of horns at the final scene's climax.

For anyone wanting to try Richard Strauss' operas, this mid-priced compilation of excerpts provides an excellent starting point. Even for Straussians (or at least those who don't have the complete operas from which many of these excerpts derive), this compilation includes some wonderful highlights. In short... highly recommended for anyone who likes mind-blowing music.

Music:

Music

music

1. She Say
2. Who Put The Bomp
3. Footsteps
4. The Way Of A Clown
5. I Love How You Love Me
6. Bless You
7. On Broadway
8. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
9. Lover Her
10. (You're My) Soul And Inspiration
11. Walking Inthe Rain
12. Angelica
13. It's Getting Better
14. Songs
15. Make Your Own Kind Of Music
16. Here You Come Again
17. New World Coming
18. Too Many Mondays
19. Never Gonna Let You Go
20. We're Over
See all 22 tracks on this disc