Game [Original recording remastered] [Import]

game [original recording remastered] [import]

Track Listings

1. Play the Game

2. Dragon Attack

3. Another One Bites the Dust

4. Need Your Loving Tonight

5. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

6. Rock It (Prime Jive)

7. Don't Try Suicide

8. Sail Away Sweet Sister

9. Coming Soon

10. Save Me

11. Dragon Attack [Remix][*]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese exclusive 2001 remastered reissue of 1980 album.

The Game,Queen,EMI,Album Rock,Arena Rock,British Metal,Glam Rock,Hard Rock,Heavy Metal,Pop/Rock,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Game [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)

Average customer rating:

Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia Musical CD
JUST GREAT MUSIC
Mamma Mia
Not good at all

Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)
Benny Andersson , Julian Poole , Jenny Galloway , Nicolas Colicos , Paul Clarkson , Bjorn Ulvaeus , Lisa Stokke , Eliza Lumley , Melissa Gibson , Siobhan McCarthy , Louise Plowright , Jenny Galloway , Bjorn Ulvaeus , and Stig Anderson
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000031WEN
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Overture/Prologue
Honey, Honey
Money, Money, Money
Thank You For The Music
Mamma Mia
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Lay All Your Love On Me
Super Trouper
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
The Name Of The Game
Voulez-Vous
Entr'acte
Under Attack
One Of Us
S.O.S.
Does Your Mother Know
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Our Last Summer
Slipping Through My Fingers
The Winner Takes It All
Take A Chance On Me
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
I Have A Dream

Amazon.com

Put together by Abba's own Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! manages to cram over 20 of the Swedish supergroup's songs into a threadbare plot. It goes a little like this: Young Sophie is getting married and she's trying to identify which of three men is her father. That's about it. Wisely, the musical doesn't mess around with the songs, save for the insertion of some dialogue or for having some of them performed by a man (it works amazingly well). Abba fans will jump on this import of the London production, but traditional fans of musical theater should consider it as well. After all, Andersson and Ulvaeus's songs have always felt as if they were more than isolated pop gems and actually belonged to a longer narrative. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Mamma Mia.......2007-03-22

I have not stopped playing this cd. It is just great! It makes any trip in my car most enjoyable Happy I bought it!

Mamma Mia Musical CD.......2007-03-21

This is a grand list of songs from the original musical when it was first introduced in England. The songs from ABBA are very recognizable even if you haven't seen the show. But, making a trip to NY to see the Broadway production is a plus. ENJOY!

JUST GREAT MUSIC.......2007-03-08

I RECENTLY SAW THE SHOW MAMMA MIA IN LAS VEGAS. ALWAYS LIKES THE MUSIC OF ABBA, AND THOUGH THE PLOT WAS THIN, THE MUSIC WAS WELL PERFORMED. IN THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM, THE ENGLISH ACCENTS WERE A BIT MUCH, BUT THE SONGS WERE GREAT. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, ABBA.

Mamma Mia.......2007-01-29

Every time I hear the music and songs it brings back memories of seeing the Broadway Show

Not good at all.......2007-01-09

This is not what we wanted. The British accents throw it was off. We just saw it in NY and this is not what we were looking for.

The Pajama Game (1954 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Just Like I Remeber When I was Young
More is less.
A great recording, with the best cast, but...
Excellent musical...one of the best
The Cat's Pajamas

The Pajama Game (1954 Original Broadway Cast)
Richard Adler , Jerry Ross , John Raitt , and Janis Paige
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Pajama Game
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ASIN: B00004THLZ
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Tracks:

Act I: Overture
Act I: The Pajama Game/Racing With The Clock
Act I: A New Town Is A Blue Town
Act I: I'm Not At All In Love
Act I: I'll Never Be Jealous Again
Act I: Hey There
Act I: Her Is
Act I: Sleep Tite
Act I: Once-A-Year Day
Act I: Small Talk
Act I: There Once Was A Man
Act II: Steam Heat
Act II: Think Of The Time I Save
Act II: Hernando's Hideaway
Act II: Seven-And-A-Half Cents
Finale: The Pajama Game
Stage Struck: Interview With Jerry Ross
Stage Struck: The World Around Us
Stage Struck: Interview With Jerry Ross
Stage Struck: There Once Was A Man
Stage Struck: Interview With Jerry Ross
Stage Struck: Hernando's Hideaway

Amazon.com

Based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell, The Pajama Game hit Broadway in May 1954 and ran over 1,000 performances. The plot revolves around a labor dispute at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, with two couples (Eddie Foy Jr. and Carol Haney, John Raitt and Janis Paige) in the middle of it. The score, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, includes Raitt's classic ballad "Hey There" (dueting with himself as recorded on a dictation machine), the humorous "Think of the Time I Save," and "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway," both set to memorable choreography by a Broadway novice named Bob Fosse. The following year, the Adler-Ross-Fosse team would team up again with Damn Yankees.

The 2000 remastered version of The Pajama Game features vastly improved sound and bonus tracks taken from a 1954 radio show: Raitt's "The World Around Us" (dropped from the show) and Raitt and Paige's "There Once Was a Man," both with a rehearsal pianist, and Adler and Ross themselves singing "Hernando's Hideaway" with Ross at the piano. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Just Like I Remeber When I was Young.......2006-07-27

My father was a big fan of Broadway musicals. I remember going to see the Pajama Game and Damn Yankees in a summer stock theater in Warwick R.I. which contributed to me developing my own love for musicals in the 50's and 60's. This recording though in monaural is an excellent reproduction of the LP record my father had and I used to listen to (sans scratches!). I would recommend this to any person who used to like these old classics. I would like to see a local theater group do this some day before it's completely forgotten. The interviews with the composer/lyricist and notes in the CD were wonderful too.

More is less........2004-08-15

A monster hit when it opened in 1954, and still a staple of community theatre groups, PAJAMA GAME has a delightfully refreshing score that never takes itself too seriously. On the whole it offers a better-than-average number of stand-out songs: "I'm Not At All in love", "Hey There", "Small talk", "Steam heat", "Hernando's Hideaway" and the ensmble "7 1/2 Cents." There are, however a few stumbles. "A new Town is a Blue Town" is dreary. "Her Is" is silly although the Bob Fosse dance routine made it work on stage. Both these were dropped from the movie version, so I suspect the authors also felt this material was weak.

The movie retained all of the original cast leads except for Janis Paige as Babe (replaced by Doris Day.) Day sings Babe's songs better, so your choice between the cast album and the movie soundtrack will depend on whether you need the whole score or not.

As for ths reissue...once again Sony has done a first-rate job. The sound is full bodied and rich, though necessarily mono, and the package includes some well-written liner notes.

A great recording, with the best cast, but..........2004-05-03

"The Pajama Game" is a truly great musical. Although it's most popular songs have truly been immortalized, such as "Hernando's Hideaway" and "Hey There", the show itself seems to be sadly forgotten by many (depite winning both Best Score and Best Musical in the Tonys). It remains very popular with amateurs and high schools, though.

This recording of The Pajama Game, a remastered version on the original cast, has VASTLY improved sound and some great extra tracks. Despite the new tracks, though, a lot of the score is completley missing from this recording, and a lot of the songs have been abridged, cutting out dialogue sections and a lot of dance music, like the wonderful "Jealousy Ballet" number, but the loss can be both a blessing and a curse.

The cast is the best recorded, in my opinion.

John Raitt as Sid - I'm not sure if this show was Raitt's star turn or Carousel was, but regardless, he is a fantastic talent and it really shows on this recording. His solos on this recording are superior to any other renditions. "Hey There", "A New Town Is a Blue Town", and "There Once Was a Man"(my personal favorite) are just fantastic. Great all around.

Janis Paige as Babe - Ok...she grows on you. If Paige is not singing in a more characterized voice, than she needs to be shot because she sounds like a wounded animal, BUT for the role her funky voice is very well suited. Her belt voice doesn't use much vibrato or any classical broadway norms, but her much grittier voice brings a more "real" feel to her character. "I'm Not At All In Love" is great and her comedic-like turn in "There Once Was a Man" is also fantastic.

Eddie Foy Jr. as Hines - I just recently finished performing as Hines in a production of "The Pajama Game" so I know the role well. Foy is my favorite recorded Hines, he has such a different voice and personality to his character that simply cannot be imitated. It's a shame so much of his role was cut from the movie. "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" is pleasantly comic, "Think Of The Time I Save" is cute and pleasant, and the opening is also great. An excellent performance.

Carol Haney as Gladys - Gladys is THE show stealing role of "The Pajama Game", and the underrated and underused Carol Haney stole this production way back when. Haney is cooky, lovable, and on stage, a fantastic dancer. Haney stepped into the role originally envisioned for Gwen Verdon and made it the role it is today, funny and wonderful. Haney sings two of the show's classics, "Steam Heat"(the best recorded), and "Hernando's Hideaway" both totally wonderful.

Stanley Prager as Prez - A really great performance. Prager gives a rough, growling voice to Prez and it comes off as a great perfomance. "Her Is" is great, as is "Seven and A Half Cents"(although Prager's voice humorously cracks in mid-verse). A good performance.

Reta Shaw as Mabel - Can't pull off a cute and perverted old lady any other way. Shaw's performance is solid in "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" with Foy. Pleasant to listen to.

Well, all in all, this recording, though very abridged, has the best cast and is just as good as a choice for a recording of the show. Both is better, but for casual and curious listeners, this one beats the London cast. For those who really want the full score, go London. If I had to pick the superior, I would very reluctantly choose this one(reluctantly, due to the abridged score and Ms. Paige. One thing is for sure, every theater lover must own a copy of this wonderful show.

Excellent musical...one of the best.......2003-05-28

I love the Pajama Game. First of all, it had an immense influence on me, having been the first musical I ever heard and the force that originally set in motion by fixation on Broadway musicals.

I also have to _deeply_ disagree with Mr. Stuart Howard, and to suggest that he in fact has no idea what he is talking about. All the musicals he said were "more important" than the Pajama Game only seem that way because they have been revived time and again. "Pajama Game" simply had the bad luck to become hopelessly dated due to cultural changes, and thus nearly impossible to revive successfully. Still, I personally think "Hernando's hideaway" and "Think of the time I save" still qualify as modern classics, and certainly it's hard to argue that "Once-a-year-day" hasn't been absorbed into our cultural consciousness.

As for Ms. Paige, I _love_ her cynical, witty delivery and extremely unique voice and style of singing, and I tend to believe that anyone who can't see her appeal has, to be blunt, outlandishly poor taste in music.

I love the Pajama Game, and, incidentally, I _highly recommend this CD. John Raitt's voice is a little cold, but it is also amazingly beautiful. The three comedy relief roles will all have you howling, Janice Paige is, as stated before, a genius, and unlike in my musicals, the songs will give you a sufficient idea of not only the story, but the characters...and "The Pajama Game" has deeper and more complex characters than any of the other old-fashioned musical comedies I can think of.

The Cat's Pajamas.......2003-02-18

Super score. Two standards of the genre: Hey There and Hernando's Hideaway, but also a number of outstanding production numbers and duets: "Seven and a Half Cents", "Steam Heat", "I'll Never Be Jealous Again", "There Once Was a Man". Most of the singing is excellent but sometimes I have to admit Janis Paige isn't on pitch and I prefer (dare I say it) Doris Day in the movie. John Raitt is the professional he always was. This is a 50's musical through and through, filled with serious love songs, comedy with a satirical bite, and endless energy. The extra tracks on this CD are nothing too wonderful, with excerpts from a pretty banal interview with composer Jerry Ross, but they do include a song you won't hear (for good reason -- despite inteviewer Mike Wallace's glowing support it is a pretty bad song) in the show. Want to know why this show was so good: George Abbott, John Raitt, Bob Fosse, Harold Prince, Adler and Ross, Eddie Foy, Jerome Robbins, Carol Haney, Peter Gennaro. Yes, there are shows with a power-packed line-up like that, that have been bad, but not many. Enjoy the memories this will bring back.

Average customer rating:

I waited for this for five years
Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE!
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS
SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!
A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005R5UJ
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman

Tracks:

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir

Tracks:

Oh What A Circus - David Essex
Memory - Betty Buckley
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
With One Look - Petula Clark
You Must Love Me - Madonna
The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
No Matter What - Boyzone
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church

Tracks:

Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
Try It And See - Rita Pavone
Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
Disillusion Me - Gary Band
The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
Magdalena - Tony Christie
Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers

Album Description

Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and Dance

Disc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love

Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game

CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church

Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers

Customer Reviews:

I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30

Between Amazone, Ebay and Napster, I don't usually buy CDs anymore, and I usually wait till I can buy them cheaper "new and used". When this set came out, I was excited, mainly by Disc 5, but wasn't going to spend $70 on it. I waited till it was cheap enough, and got it for Father's day this year.
It was worth the wait.

The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.

I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.

There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."

But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.

First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.

Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?

On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?

The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).

There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.

With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?

Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.

In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.

Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10

Please beware they made a mistake on this. It's actually the shortened Ray Shell version of STARLIGHT EXPRESS from the original 1984 London cast - NOT the El Debarge single from 1987 like it says on the box. I don't know how they let that goof pass. Sorry to Ray Shell. Having said that, this is an outstanding compilation of Lloyd Webber's greatest hits.

ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21

Regardless of the fact that some of his latest efforts (most notably, The Woman in White) are disappointing, there can be little doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers ever to work in the musical theatre. Ever since his "Jesus Christ Superstar" hit the stage in the early 70-is, it was clear that the conception and perception of musicals are never going to be the same again. Many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. Some of his awards include three Grammies, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a bunch of Tony awards. But perhaps most of all, Lloyd Webber is responsible for bringing the musicals and the theatre appealing to the wide audiences, who in different circumstances would not consider seeing a musical. The secret of his success is probably the mixture of beautiful and catchy melodies, interesting subject matter (though some, like Starlight Express, are too thin) and grandiose staging.

Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.

Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:

* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.

* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.

* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.

* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.

* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.

Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.

SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19

"Evita." "Sunset Blvd." "Starlight Express." "Jesus Christ Superstar." "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." "Requiem." "Aspects of Love." The man who is the most recognized composer in the history of the musical theatre, the man who has won more Tonys than any other composer, the man who boasts the best-selling show of all time ("The Phantom of the
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.

A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21

This five-CD collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's career is fantastic. It leaves virtually no stone unturned. I have no doubt that diehard Webber fans will love this, especially for the 5th disc entitled "From the Vaults." This disc alone is worth the price as it contains tunes never before heard by the typical fan. Who knew Elvis did a Lloyd Webber tune?!? I didn't! Also the tune "Benedictine" which the composer wrote for his most recent marriage is not only pretty, but it has the same medley as "The Lady's Paying" from "Sunset Blvd." which I found highly enjoyable. Another great track is the composer himself singing a cut song from "Cats" entitled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats" which has the same tune as "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," but to hear Sir Andrew sing is a blast...he sounds a lot like Al "Year of the Cat" Stewart.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Average customer rating:

Great compilation
A disappointment

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005Q6IN
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

A Day In Hollywood A Night In Ukraine: Just Go To The Movies - Priscilla Lopez/David Garrison/Frank Lazarus/Stephen James/Peggy Hewett/Kate Draper
Babes In Arms: I Wish I Were In Love Again - Christopher Fitzgerald Jessica Stone
Pal Joey: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Patti LuPone
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - KT Sullivan
Nunsense: I Just Want To Be A Star - Christine Anderson
Louisiana Purchase: Wild About You - Debbie Gravitte & New York Voices
Oil City Symphony: Beaver Ball At The Bug Club - Mike Craver/Mark Hardwick/Debra Monk/Mary Murfitt
Falsettoland: The Baseball Game - Michael Rupert/Chip Zien/Faith Prince/Janet Metz/Heather MacRae/Stephen Bogardus
Very Good Eddie: Isn't It Great To Be Married? - Virginia Seidel/Spring Fairbank/Charles Repole/Nicholas Wyman
The Fantasticks: A Perfect Time To Be In Love - Harvey Schmidt
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Tyne Daly/Lewis Cleale
Taking My Turn: Fine For The Shape I'm In - Margaret Whiting/Marnie Nixon/Cissy Houston
A Party With Betty Comden & Adolph Green: The French Lesson - Betty Comdon/Adolph Green
The Madwoman Of Central Park: Better - Phyllis Newman
Greenwillow: Never Will I Marry - Anthony Perkins
Song Of Singapore: I Can't Remember - Loretta Swit & Company
Tintypes: Elite Syncopation/I'm Goin' To Live Anyhow, 'Til I Die - Lynne Thigpen
I Love My Wife: Someone Wonderful I Missed - Joanna Gleason/Ilene Graff
The Good Companions: The Pleasure Of Your Company - Malcolm Rennie/Christopher Gable
Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary: Liza One-Note - Christine Pedi
Meet Me In St. Louis: The Trolley Song - Donna Kane & Ensemble

Tracks:

4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!: Feel It - Philip Anthony/Henry Gainza/Allen Hidalgo/Ricardo Puente
Fame - The Musical: There She Goes!/Fame - Natasha Rennalls & Ensemble
Do Re Mi: What's New At The Zoo? - Heather Headley/The Animal Girls
High Society: Once Upon A Time/True Love - Melissa Errico/Daniel McDonald
Tenderloin: Artificial Flowers - Patrick Wilson
State Fair: Driving At Night/Our State Fair - Company
Kiss Me, Kate: Were Thine That Special Face - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Black And Blue: Black And Blue - Linda Hopkins/Ruth Brown/Carrie Smith
The Green Bird: O Foolish Heart - Company
Out Of This World: From This Moment On - Marin Mazzie/Gregg Edelman
The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love - Davis Gaines/Sarah Berry
Snoopy!!!: Poor Sweet Baby - Pamela Myers
SeesawNobody Does It Like Me - Michele Lee
March Of The Falsettos: I Never Wanted To Love You - Michael Rupert/Stephen Bogardus/Alison Fraser/Chip Zien/James Kushner
Lunch: Perfectly Alone - Carol Burnett
3hree: Foolish Dreamin'/Something Beautiful/Real Enough To Change My Mind - Jessica Molaskey/Will Gartshore/Rachel Ulanet
Lucky In The Rain: Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow - Barbara Cook
Godspell: All Good Gifts - Sal Sabella & Company
The Act: Walking Papers - Liza Minnelli & Company

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation.......2002-05-10

I don't actually own this particular compilation, however, since I own nearly every recording represented on these discs...I think I'm qualified to comment. This is a wonderful representation of the high quality of work that DRG Records does.
The previous review is way off the mark. This is definitely not a waste of time or money. This is 25 years of preserving Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, studio recordings (mostly from the city center concerts), etc. So what if they "aren't as good as the original", DRG is preserving many recordings and artists that other mainstream labels don't or won't. You have wonderful recordings from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, Debbie Gravitte, Tyne Daly, Anthony Perkins, Joanna Gleason, Marin Mazzie, Carol Burnett, Heather Headley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, etc., and many of these are from Original Cast Recordings just as they appeared on Broadway. This is an excellent sampler of the work going on at DRG. No...I'm not an employee...just an avid listener and collector of theatre recordings.

A disappointment.......2001-12-15

There's a reason you've probably never heard of most of the songs and shows on this album, not to mention most of the artists. This is a second-rate collection of second-rate numbers performed by mostly second-rate artists. In the case of the shows that were revivals, the performances on the original cast recordings were better. Don't waste your money.

Average customer rating:

Just Like I Remeber When I was Young
More is less.
A great recording, with the best cast, but...
Excellent musical...one of the best
The Cat's Pajamas

The Pajama Game (1954 Original Broadway Cast)
Richard Adler , Jerry Ross , John Raitt , and Janis Paige
Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002521
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
The Pajama Game/ Racing With The Clock
A New Town Is A Blue Town
I'm Not At All In Love
I'll Never Be Jealous Again
Hey There
Her Is
Once-A-Year-Day!
Small Talk
There Once Was A Man
Steam Heat
Think Of The Time I Save
Hernando's Hideaway
Seven-And-A-Half Cents
Finale

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Just Like I Remeber When I was Young.......2006-07-27

More is less........2004-08-15

A great recording, with the best cast, but..........2004-05-03

The cast is the best recorded, in my opinion.

Reta Shaw as Mabel - Can't pull off a cute and perverted old lady any other way. Shaw's performance is solid in "I'll Never Be Jealous Again" with Foy. Pleasant to listen to.

Excellent musical...one of the best.......2003-05-28

I love the Pajama Game. First of all, it had an immense influence on me, having been the first musical I ever heard and the force that originally set in motion by fixation on Broadway musicals.

The Cat's Pajamas.......2003-02-18

The Beautiful Game (2000 Original London Cast)

Average customer rating:

A Beautiful CD
Amazing Show with Amazing Music
NOT AMONG LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST
Off His Game
Andrew Lloyd Webber's quest to write world's WORST musical!

The Beautiful Game (2000 Original London Cast)
Andrew Lloyd Webber , Ben Elton , Josie Walker , and Michael Shaeffer
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00007BH8Z
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

Overture
The Beautiful Game
Clean The Kit
Don't Like You
God's Own Country
God's Own Country (Protestant March)
Let Us Love In Peace
The Final (A Game Of Two Halves)
Off To The Party
The Craic
Don't Like You (Reprise)
Our Kind Of Love
Let Us Love In Peace (Reprise)
The Happiest Day
To Have And To Hold
The First Time
I'd Rather Die On My Feet Than Live On My Knees
God's Own Country (Reprise)
The Selection
Dead Zone
If This Is What We're Fighting For
All The Love I Have
Finale

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful CD.......2006-01-29

The CD is a recording of the songs in the play The Beautiful Game. It follows a Catholic boys soccor team in 1969 Ireland. The story has wonderful songs with lots of excitement surrounding a winning season of soccor and the turmoil of the day. The lyrics on the company songs are a bit hard to understand and the dialect is sometimes different, but the CD is wonderful! The album jacket can help with the storyline and it is well worth the effort. I highly recommend this CD,

Amazing Show with Amazing Music.......2005-12-17

I saw this show in London firsthand. The music amazed me with its beautiful sound and message. I thought the show could run for years, but unfortunately, it closed rather quickly. However, the music is still available and I encourage one to purchase this wonderful soundtrack, you will NOT regret it.

NOT AMONG LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST.......2005-02-13

The Beautiful Game will certainly not count among Andrew Lloyd Webber's best contributions to the musical theatre and this recording doesn't improve that fact. There are several things that didn't come to place here. But first, something must be said about the development and the history of this show.

"Whistle down the wind", was ALW previous musical and it returned him to his rock and roll roots of Jesus Christ Superstar. It was never much accepted by the critics and it never made it to Broadway, although it ran for 4 years in London and the audiences liked it. Therefore, the composer chose to do something different for his next project. It happened before: in 1981 with "Cats" and in 1989 with "Aspects of love". He admitted he felt he was repeating himself and therefore decided to do something unusual for his reputation of a creator of blockbuster and flashy musicals. That's why he chose Ben Elton as his next collaborator and lyricist. It was an uncommon partnership: Elton had a reputation of a comedian and a play writer very close to the English political Left; that is the Labour Party, while Lloyd Webber had a knighthood and was commonly associated with the Tories. The important thing was that Elton conceived a completely new story to be put on stage. It was a new direction for ALW, since the rest of his musicals are based on the lives of the historical characters (Jesus, Eva Peron); movies (Sunset Blvd) or books (Cats, The Phantom of the opera or, more recently The Woman in White). The story of The Beautiful game is actually genuine enough. It is set in the Northern Ireland of the late 1960-is and 70-is and we follow a group of young teenagers who are connected by the local football club as they try to overcome the religious divisions, violence and hatred, together with the challenge of becoming adults. More specifically, the main characters, John and Mary, fall in love, but because of the problems mentioned above, their love story hasn't got a happy ending.

This was much different from the shows we were accustomed to have from ALW. There were no big spectacles and lush stage sets; no star name in the cast; no apotheosis of a character (such as Grizabella in "Cats" or Eva Peron in "Evita"). It was all too simple and common to be made by him, and that's probably why the show lasted only a year in London's West End: from September 2000 to September 2001.

This cast recording suffers from a few other problems. First, when you listen to it all the way through, you cannot form a clear story in your head. All you get is bits and pieces: Ireland; football, catholic-protestant antagonism, several boys and girls falling in love and an unhappy ending for the main couple. Without a good synopsis, which is, by the way, nowhere to be found in the booklet, you can't figure out what exactly is going on. Thus it seems that a lot of the dialogue, essential to understand the story, was cut from this recording. The booklet does contain the lyrics and production photos, however, there is no information about what is going on the stage, so in the end it's hard to follow or imagine what exactly is going on.

Then there is the problem with the orchestrations. Lloyd Webber turned to the minimalism unlike any of his other shows. The orchestra has only 9 instruments and it all sounds like they are using a synthesizer and the pipes to create an Irish atmosphere. That is why this recording sounds like an amateur school production rather than the theatre piece. I'm sure that the better orchestrations with a bigger orchestra would work much better. There is an example of "The Aspects of love". That too had a smaller orchestra, but it still sounded very much like one, and the melodies were nicely done as a smaller, intimate chamber piece. Here, that is not the case.

Besides this drawback, the musical numbers also suffer from the lack of big songs that would sweep you away and stay in your head. At times, there pops out a song you can grow to like with the repeated listening (like, "God's own country", "Clean the kit", "Don't like you"), but it's way below ALW's standard. The song I consider the best of the lot is "Our kind of love", a nice ballad with a catching tune. However, it's not a new piece of music. That melody was first presented at ALW's 50th birthday celebration at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1998, which can be found here on DVD. It had a different title ("The heart is slow to learn"), and a much better and fuller operettic orchestration, and the lyrics were written by Don Black. The song itself was on that occasion beautifully sung by the famous New Zealand's soprano, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. On this recording, the lyrics are different and they used pipes to play the melody, which is not so good. But, on the whole, this is the best song.

The cast here is comprised of young and unknown individuals. No real complaint abot them, since they have fine voices and did their best with this material. Josie Walker, who plays Mary, is especially good. The lyrics are nothing special, and they can sound awkward at times. Some of the riming is very unusual, to say the least!

So my overall opinion is that this is not Lloyd Webber's most satisfying work, but it also isn't the rock bottom. We should view it as the composer's attempt to do something different than the big, mega-musicals he is best known for. Luckily, in the last year he presented his newest piece, "The Woman in white", which seemed to get him back on the track. I would therefore, recommend this to ALW's aficionados that are eager to have the complete collection of his work. Those of you, however, who are just getting acquainted with his music, skip this and buy one of his compilations and then start with his different shows, like "Superstar", "Evita", "Sunset Blvd" with Patti LuPone playing the lead or "The Phantom of the opera". Only when you get a certain insight into Lloyd Webber's music, you might consider getting this.

Off His Game.......2004-09-22

Even Andrew Lloyd Webber's lesser shows have an occasional song that is sweetly beautiful (even the rather dull Aspects of Love and the disjointed Whistle Down the Wind) but Beautiful Game seems to be lacking in even one song to grab on to. The lyrics by Ben Elton are pedestrian at best and far too repetitious (perhaps he was spurned on by the music). The performers themselves seem to be quite able, if not particularly distinctive. It does not seem the work of someone who has spent over three decades in the theatre. Lloyd Webber seems completely out of his territory with this material and only very briefly in the song If This is What We're Fighting For does the correct note of passion creep in but by then it is far too little and far too late as the listener's attention will have drifted by then. One can admire the composer's attempt to try new things but this should have been stopped before it reached this stage.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's quest to write world's WORST musical!.......2004-05-06

I can only guess that Lloyd Webber is trying to write the world's worst musical. He has taken good ideas and turned them into bad musicals - SUNSET BLVD being a prime example - and taken terrible ideas and turned them into bad musicals: STARLIGHT EXPRESS anyone?

What possessed him to collaborate with Ben Elton to write the word's first football musical, set in Belfast, 1969? If the intention was to make the rivalry on the playing field a metaphor for the on-going tensions between the Catholics and the Protestants, they miss the point. The football doesn't really figure in the plot. Instead we have a convoluted story, which doesn't cover much ground in Act One then tries frantically to cram all the action into Act Two.

Then there's the score. It is no secret to anyone who has read my reviews that Lloyd Webber is NOT my favourite composer, but usually ha can come up with one or two good tunes: Even the awful SUNSET BLVD has "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye" which outside of the context are decent diva arias. There are no such bonbons in the score for THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. The orchestrations allow a proper Irish feel, but there are NO TUNES in this piece.

There are lyrics by Ben Elton. (Who told this man he was qualified to write lyrics? Oh yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber - as if he would know a good lyric!!) Most of the lyrics are empty, but some are downright stupid. The booklet has the lyrics - not that you'll want to read them - but lacks any information about the show, including a synopsis.

It is quite possible that a winning cast and some solid production values may have overcome the weaknesses in the writing but judging from the reviews and the short run attained by THE BEAUTIFUL GAME that doesn't appear to be the case.

Tracks:

Man And Wife - Liz Larsen/Sal Viviano
Guess We May As Well Stay Married Now - Glory Crampton/Guy Haines
Thousands Of Flowers - Rita Gardner/Ron Raines
Throw It Away - Karen Ziemba/Harry Groener
What Am I Doing Here? - Liz Callaway
Italy In Technicolor - Judy Kaye/Buddy Crutchfield
I Have Acted Like A Fool - Debbie Pavelka/Richard Roland
When Messiah Comes - Lee Wilkof
Just A Map - Meg Bussert
I'm Lost - Walter Willison
Say When - Kaye Ballard
It Was Always You - Gregg Edelman
Flaemmchen (The Flame Girl) - Lynnette Perry
The Only Game In Town - Karen Mason

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful collection of show tunes ........1998-12-06

Lost in Boston II is the second group of songs that have been put on an album that were cut from well known musicals. It is better than the first Lost in Boston- only because the songs collected here have nary a loser(okay,"It Was Always You" from Applause sounds like a theme from a 70's Tv show- but it's still tuneful and endearing).Some listeners may be familair with some of these songs from the Ben Bagley compilations, but for me many were complete revelations. For example, I had heard only negative things about the score to Grand Hotel- then I played the showstopper cut from the show called" Flaemmchen the Flame Girl" - and I now would like to hear what was not cut! The same applies to the team of Jones and Schmidt. When I heard the gorgeous song, "Thousands of Flowers" I immediately went to buy the final score of "I Do I Do"... The first two Lost in Bostons confirmed how underrated this song team truly is. The liner notes are informative and to the point but as with all good stuff, they leave you wanting more.Don't miss this CD. It is better than many complete Broadway musical scores!

Another Kind of Magic : A Queen Symphonic Spectacular

Average customer rating:

Another Kind of Magic : A Queen Symphonic Spectacular

Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Solo Collection
Children of Men (Widescreen Edition)
Eragon (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Prestige
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series

ASIN: B00005NTS9
Release Date: 2001-09-04

Tracks:

Innuendo - Paulette Ivory/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
You're My Best Friend - Dean Collinson/Paulette Ivory/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus...
Seven Seas Of Rhye - James Graeme/Dean Collinson/Sally Ann Triplett/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony...
Bicycle Race - Dean Collinson/Paulette Ivory/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony...
Fat Bottomed Girls - James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
A Kind Of Magic - Paulette Ivory/Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony...
Radio Ga Ga - James Graeme/Dean Collinson/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus...
Killer Queen - Paulette Ivory/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus...
Don't Stop Me Now - Dean Collinson/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
Play The Game - Sally Ann Triplett/James Graeme/Paulette Ivory/Dean Collinson/Electravox/Elektramania...
It's A Hard Life - Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Sally Ann Triplett/Paulette Ivory/Electravox/Elektramania...
The Miracle - Paulette Ivory/Sally Ann Triplett/Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Ron Raines/Electravox/Elektramania...

Tracks:

Prelude (Who Wants To Live Forever) - Estonian National Symphony Orchestra/Martin Yates/Elektramania
Somebody To Love - Sally Ann Triplett/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
Breakthru - Dean Collinson/Paulette Ivory/Sally Ann Triplett/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania...
We Will Rock You - Paulette Ivory/Sally Ann Triplett/Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania...
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Sally Ann Triplett/Dean Collinson/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus...
Save Me - Paulette Ivory/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
Flash - Sally Ann Triplett/James Graeme/Paulette Ivory/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony...
I'm Going Slightly Mad - James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus/Martin Yates
Headlong - Paulette Ivory/Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony...
Who Wants To Live Forever - Dean Collinson/Sally Ann Triplett/Electravox/Elektramania/Estonian National Symphony And Chorus...
Bohemian Rhapsody - Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Paulette Ivory/Sally Ann Triplett/Electravox/Elektramania...
We Are The Champions - Dean Collinson/James Graeme/Paulette Ivory/Sally Ann Triplett/Electravox/Elektramania...

Average customer rating:

Kelly Hops Again!
A FITTING TRIBUTE TO MOOSE CHARLAP
WHERE ARE THE ORIGINAL SONGS?

Kelly (1998 Studio Cast)
Eddie Lawrence
Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DGNP
Release Date: 1998-12-15

Tracks:

Ode To The Brooklyn Bridge - Brian D'Arcy James
Heavyweight Champ Of The World - Eddie Lawrence/Chorus
That Old Time Crowd - Marcia Lewis/Chorus
The Times That Linger - Brian D'Arcy James/Marge Redmond
Augie Masters - Conrad John Schuck/Chorus
Home Again - Sandy Stewart/Chorus
I'll Never Go There Anymore - Sally Mayes/Brian D'Arcy James
It Kinda Makes You Wonder - Brian D'Arcy James/Jane Connell/Eddie Lawrence
The Insurance Game - George S. Irving
Go To Sleep Early - Jane Connell
Ballad To A Brute - Sandy Stewart
The Big Town - Conrad John Schuck/George S. Irving
Everyone Here Loves Kelly - Jane Connell/George S. Irving/Brian D'Arcy James/Eddie Lawrence/Marcia Lewis/Sally Mayes...
Bonus Track: I'll Never Go There Anymore (Pop Version) - Sandy Stewart

Customer Reviews:

Kelly Hops Again!.......2001-04-01

Compared to the "original" cast album, which was the two writers and a piano, this album is a dream. Still, it would have been great to hear the original orchestrations instead of a studio band. The performances on this CD give the show some credibility, unlike the first album. One wants to see more of this type of thing done. But put in the original orchestrations. How about Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Yearling, La Strada? If you are a serious collector nab this while you can.

A FITTING TRIBUTE TO MOOSE CHARLAP.......2001-03-22

HAVING BEEN ONE OF THE VERY FEW WHO SAW "KELLY" in 1965,I WAS VERY PLEASED TO FIND THIS STUDIO RECORDING OF THE ORIGINAL MUSIC. I DO MEAN ORIGINAL. SOME OF THE SONGS THAT WERE WRITTEN WERE LATER REMOVED BY A GROUP OF PANIKY PRODUCERS PRIOR TO THE NEW YORK OPENING. THEIR ACTIONS RESULTED IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHOW THAN HAD BEEN ENVISIONED BY THE COMPOSERS. IT ALSO MADE "KELLY" A MONUMENTAL FLOP SO MUCH SO THAT ITS DEMISE WAS THE SUBJECT OF A COVER STORY IN "SATURDAY EVENING POST". IF YOU READ THE CD NOTES..IT IS ALL EXPLAINED THERE. THE CD IS DEDICATED TO MOOSE CHARLAP. THE PERFORMERS ARE FIRST RATE, INCLUDING BRIAN D'ARCY JAMES (TITANIC) AND RIGHT OUT OF THE 60'S, SANDY STEWART. IT MAY HAVE SOME SHORTCOMINGS, BUT OVERALL..EDDIE LAWRENCE SCORED WITH THIS CD!

WHERE ARE THE ORIGINAL SONGS?.......2000-02-10

TO START OFF WITH. THIS DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A BROADWAY CAST ALBUM. IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OFF BROADWAY ALBUM BY LISTENING TO THE ORCHESTRA. IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE A BAND THAN AN ORCHESTRA. SECOND,I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE SCORE FROM THE ORIGINAL SHOW. WELL, READINNG MY BEST PLAYS OF 1964-1965, THEY LIST THE SONGS ON OPENING NIGHT AND A BUNCH OF SONGS ARE NOT ON THE ALBUM AND SONGS ON THE ALBUM ARE NOT LISTED IN THE BOOK. I AM CONFUSED. ANWAY, WHATEVER IS ON THE CD IS FAIR. ALL THE PERFORMERS ARE FIRST RATE, BUT LISTENING TO THE CD, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH. PRETTY AVERAGE MUSIC. TAKE A LESSON FROM THE DRAT!THE CAT! RECORDING ON VARESE SARABANDE. NOW THATS A GREAT STUDIO CAST ALBUM. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY PICKED KELLY OVER MANY OTHER SHOWS THAT HAVE A MUCH BETTER SCORE THAT WERE NEVER RECORDED LIKE THE BODY BEAUTIFUL OR SHERRY OR LOVELY LADIES, KIND GENTLEMAN TO NAME A FEW. IF YOU ARE A BROADWAY SHOW COLLECTOR THAN THIS SHOULD BE IN YOUR COLLECTION, OTHERWISE, I WOULD PASS.

The Pajama Game (Original London Cast) plus Bonus Tracks

Average customer rating:

a very welcome reissue

The Pajama Game (Original London Cast) plus Bonus Tracks

Manufacturer: Sepia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000FNNI5G
Release Date: 2006-07-10

Tracks:

Overture - The Skyrockets Orchestra
I. The Pajama Game - II. Racing With The Clock - Max Wall
A New Town Is A Blue Town - Edmund Hockridge
I'm Not At All In Love - Joy Nichols
I'll Never Be Jealous Again - Max Wall
Hey There - Edmund Hockridge
Her Is - Frank Lawless
Once-A-Year Day - Edmund Hockridge
Small Talk - Edmund Hockridge
There Once Was A Man - Edmund Hockridge
Steam Heat - Elizabeth Seal
Hey There (Reprise) - Joy Nichols
Think Of The Time I Save - Max Wall
Hernando's Hideaway - Elizabeth Seal
7 1/2 Cents - Joy Nichols
The Pajama Game - Edmund Hockridge
On The Five-Forty-Five - Joy Nichols
Aw C'Mon - Joy Nichols
Cherry Stones - Joy Nichols
The Old Soft Shoe - Joy Nichols
Froggie And The Catfish - Joy Nichols
The Hippopotamus Song - Joy Nichols
I Talk To The Trees - Joy Nichols
The Little Red Monkey - Jimmy Edwards
Me An' Johnny - Jimmy Edwards
I've Got A Feelin' You're Foolin' - Joy Nichols

Customer Reviews:

a very welcome reissue.......2007-01-04

THE PAJAMA GAME, a big hit on Broadway in the 1954-55 season, was in the 80th week of it's record-breaking run when the West End production opened in 1955 at the London Coliseum. The show was greeted with a similar reception and ran for 588 performances. With a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, it was based on the novel "Seven and-a-Half Cents" by Richard Bissell.

Set against the colourful backdrop of the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory, the musical centers on the fiery "union vs. management" romance between Grievance Committee head Babe Williams and the new factory super, Sid Sorokin. On Broadway, the roles of Sid and Babe were memorably originated by John Raitt and Janis Paige; with expert support from Carol Haney, Eddie Foy Jr., and Reta Shaw.

For the London production, the role of Sid was taken by the big-voiced Canadian baritone Edmund Hockridge; and Australian musical theatre darling Joy Nichols was assigned the role of Babe. They both infuse their characters with lots of fine vocals; Nichols dazzles as the lantern-jawed Babe with the swirling waltz-like anthem of defiance "I'm Not At All in Love". Hockridge likewise makes good with "Hey There", the show's big hit ballad.

Leading the supporting cast was Elizabeth Seal, whose vivacious stage presence later earned her the title role in the London and Broadway productions of "Irma La Douce" in 1959 (her "Steam Heat" well and truly sizzles!). Max Wall, in a rare musical departure; and Joan Emney complete the principal stars.

Originally released on LP by His Masters Voice (and briefly issued on a budget-line compact disc by EMI in the early 1990s), the London cast album of THE PAJAMA GAME has now been reissued by the UK-based Sepia label, utilising original 78 rpm recordings.

Bonus tracks of Joy Nichols have been included. Ms Nichols was a popular singing star in her own right, and on this selection of recordings (culled from the radio show "Take It from Here") she is joined by Benny Lee, Wally Peterson, Dick Bentley, and Jimmy Edwards. Given the scarce presence of Ms Nichols on compact disc, these supplementary tracks are a welcome addition here.

[Sepia 1072]

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