One of the Ways

1. Ain't Falling in Love (W/You Tonight)

2. Something to See

3. Beatles and The Thunder

4. Pila Song

5. Lying Here at 3

6. One of the Ways

7. Lay My Burdens Down

8. And It's True

9. From Dancing to a Waltz

10. Probably Corsicana

11. Girl by the Lake

Tracks:

Endless Dream
Face the Music
Pilgrimage
One Word
I Believe
Beyond Being
Extraordinary Way
Dying Light
Forever Lost
Into the Escape

Amazon.com

Serene singers and lush electronic textures and strings are often a prescription for smothering romanticism and overwrought pop-treacle. Rhys Fulber, the force behind Conjure One, succumbed to that with his other band, Delerium, on their last album, Chimera ." But Fulber's post-Delerium project, Conjure One, though using the same formula, has a darker, sometimes more foreboding edge. On their long awaited second CD, superstar singer Sinead O'Connor is gone in favor of a bevy of lesser known voices, but little else has changed. That's not bad although "Endless Dream" echoes "Center of the Sun" from the previous album perhaps a bit too closely with yearning lyrics rising to cathedral heights in a soul-haunted chorus. The vocal credit on the tune is Jane, but unless someone has perfected human cloning, it's actually the singer-songwriter Poe, a hold-over from the last CD. She has the kind of warm crystal clear alto that makes even the awkward lyrics of the title track sound like heavenly entreaties. Joanna Stevens eschews words all together when she powers through a Middle-Eastern derived wordless hymn on the ecstatic grooves of "Dying Light." Conjure One almost becomes a different project, --one that recalls the glistening electro-pop of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark-- when Rhys Fulber sings on "Beyond Being" and a cover of The Buzzcock's "I Believe". But singers Tiff Lacey and Chemda bring it back to the Conjure One sound. From the orchestral-electronica of "Pilgrimage" to the poignant intimacy of "One Word," Extraordinary Ways is an album that seduces easily. -- John Diliberto

Album Description

With Conjure One being Rhys Fulber's (Frontline Assembly & Delerium) solo debut, he expands upon the promise of Karma with a rapturous blend of lush textures, hauntingly beautiful melodies and softly curved electrobeats. Nettwerk. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

poe is clearly tonic.......2007-07-07

the album was not bad, I mean it was ok. I am not shell shocked or out of my mind with telling friends about it. Considering Poe's solo career went right down the tubes like Rosanne singing the National Anthem, its refreshing hearing her on this ablum.

Some good tracks, but nothing to speak of. Just another ambient album, that maybe could have stayed in production a bit longer before being jugulared to the masses

thanks

Poe is the genius, conjure one is filler........2007-03-18

The songs in which Poe participates are SO much better than the rest of the album that they are not even comparable. I feel bad for her that she has to team up with mediocre people just to get produced, but I am grateful that she gets the opportunity to put out some material and I am grateful to conjure one of that. Don't get me wrong, conjure one is not bad, but they just don't do anything of note by themselves.

Conjure One's Re-invention by Rhys Fulber.......2006-10-15

This is Conjure One's sophomore album which again features the direction of Rhys Fulber (of Delerium & FLA). The 1st album featured Euro, Tribal and ambient beats, this album does not. Like Delerium, this side project under Rhys Fulber has gone more pop but with a slightly darker edge in many of the songs. It still retains 'untamed new age' rhythms. I have been a fan of Fulber and Leeb from the very beginning and enjoy listening to Delerium, other side projects and FLA. So when I found out Rhys was going his own way on his own project I was tempted in hearing it and liked what I heard. So with this second album it comes to no surprise that even though the texture and sound of the music has changed to a more mainstream feel, the music is still intoxicating and makes you go on a voyage down a myriad of emotions and mindscapes.

Now the songs are beautiful. Some are better in fluency than others but for me the better part of the album were the last 4 songs. The album opens up with two very 'pop' feeling songs that are radio-ready to play 'Endless Dream' & 'Face The Music'. The song 'One Word' is a uplifting song about faith in decisions. But the best songs are at the end of the album. I do miss the voice of 'Sinead O'Conner' though but the vocals are beautifully done here.

'Forever Lost' and 'Into The Escape' round out the album with haunting serenades and catchy tunes that stay in your head. Conjure One reinvented itself, not forgetting its past but holding onto it and changing to include more mainstream features. Not a bad effort and well done Fulber for another great album.

Disappointing.......2006-06-16

This album was boring and bland. I bought it because I very much liked Conjure One's first album (I thought it sounded similar to Balligomingo's Beneath the Surface- somewhat pop, but very melodic and soothing too), but this album wasn't nearly as good. 'Endless Dream' is the only good song, and maybe 'Extraordinary Way'. The rest aren't bad, but aren't interesting, either. I reserve this album for background music.

POE'S RETURN TO CONJURE ONE IS EXTRAORDINARY.......2006-06-16

I'm not happy with the negative reports that people have been provided here. My inital exposure to the clever lyrical content of POE was initally through a Conjure One CD and I've since bought her other solo material in addition to these collaborative efforts. POE definately has a fan in Milwaukee. The songs and content of this CD are engaging and a light pop orientation in the vein of DJ Armin Van Burne, Balligomingo, and Enigma, and Delerium. I've been getting into another act in this genre called Collide and that band happens to be my favorite in the Genre. This album however, has been played daily on my ipod for the last two weeks. I can't get the song "Extra Ordinary Ways" out of my head. If you like these other bands then this line up is great. I'd love a chance to see how they collaborate and some behind the scenes stuff on how Rhyes (spelling) worked with these other artists and how his collaborative procesess work. I also secretly wonder if he's hip to other projects out there outside this genre like Dream Theater? Well, if you like Pretty or Vocal Trance music this is for you. It has a more poppy flavor than the Energizer Bunny Trance sounds and is definately more loungy. Enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

How can you call these "Hymns"
wonderful collection of magnificent music
Flawed but enjoyable
Hymns through the Centuries
A must own for classic church music lovers

Hymns Through the Centuries
J. Reilly Lewis , Cathedral Choral Society , William Gardiner , Johannes Cruger , Melchior Teschner , William Henry Monk , Virgil Thomson , George Elvey , Thomas Hastings , and John [composer] Goss
Manufacturer: Gothic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Hymns Triumphant 1 & 2
Be Still My Soul: The Ultimate Hymns Collection
Hymns Through the Centuries 2
Abide With Me
Praise to the Lord - Hymns From St. Paul's Cathedral

ASIN: B00003XB8M
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

When In Our Music God Is Glorified
Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Where Cross The Crowded Ways Of Life
O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded
All Glory, Laud And Honor
Abide With Me; Fast Falls The Eventide
My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Rock Of Ages, Cleft For Me
Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven
Come, Risen Lord
Carillon Hymn: St. Peter
Eternal Father, Strong To Save
Amazing Grace! How Sweet The Sound
Holy, Holy Holy! Lord God Almighty
Nearer, My God, To Thee
Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind
In Christ There Is No East Or West
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Word Of God, Come Down On Earth
The Church's One Foundation
God Of Our Fathers
Father, In Thy Gracious Keeping
Peal Bells

Customer Reviews:

How can you call these "Hymns".......2006-08-05

Not to harp on anyone here, but it's obvious that none of you grew up in a church or environment that had a good choir. I know, a Hymn is a genre of music, but a recording of a hymn isn't one if it doesn't contain HARMONY. If they're a "choir," then why don't the tenors sing a different note than the sopranos, altos, and basses? The organist is quite good, I'll admit, but you're wasting your time if you're looking for a good recording of these beautiful songs that were COMPOSED with harmony, not unison. If they want to sing in unison like this, they need to be stripped of their "choir" status and simply be called a "group."

wonderful collection of magnificent music.......2006-01-18

Most everything on this CD is very well done. The recording environment might have been less than perfect, but that shouldn't dimish one's enjoyment very much. Most of the arrangements are very traditional, with the notable exception of Amazing Grace, which though it isn't terrible, it isn't very good either. Some songs had verses removed, which is understandable, though it was poorly done in Eternal Father, Strong to Save -- they did verse 1 ("Eternal Father"), then they skipped(!!!) verse 2 ("O Christ, the Lord") and went on to the final verses ("Holy Spirit" and "O Trinity") -- which is skipping Someone important! However, outside of that, it was excellent.

If you like sacred music, or hymns, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this CD. If you're a Christian, you should enjoy this as well, no matter your taste in music (and you might just learn to like hymns as well!). It is a well-chosen set of some of the most magnificent, God-honoring music of all time, done is a mostly very traditional manner, and it was done well.

Flawed but enjoyable.......2005-04-15

The huge size and reverberating acoustics of Washington National Cathedral make it difficult to hear any kind of live choral performance clearly, even if you're sitting in the front rows in the nave. The Cathedral Choral Society is handicapped by having to record in this acoustically mushy space, and it shows in this CD, often creating an uneven balance between the organ and the chorus as noted by other reviewers. The repertoire is well-chosen, but the quality of the arrangements is uneven. Too often, the chorus seems to be singing in unison right out of the Hymnal, like any parish church choir at an ordinary Sunday service. Certain pieces do suggest the heights which the Society is capable of attaining. But the group never achieves the splendor that the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys displays every Sunday morning. Just when the Society seems to be getting there, the conductor pulls them back. And the shrill folk arrangement of "Amazing Grace" will have you covering your ears as the sopranos shriek clumsily, confusing volume with fervor.

Hymns through the Centuries.......2002-03-18

This is not a review. I just have a question. Does "Hymns through the Centuries" contain the hymn "It is Well with my Soul?" Thanks.

A must own for classic church music lovers.......2002-02-16

I purchased this CD just based on the titles and am very glad I did. There are only two downsides to the album. First is the fact that there isn't a companion CD with 26 more hymns! Second is picky, but I do agree with another rater that the organ could have been a little louder related to the singing. Hope you enjoy listening!

Wonderful Town (Original 1953 Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Town is a wonderful show
Light and lively musical comedy
a must-have recording for REAL Broadway fans
Leonard Bart-stein? Listen for yourself....
Quality over quantity

Wonderful Town (Original 1953 Broadway Cast)
Leonard Bernstein , Betty Comden , and Adolph Green
Manufacturer: Decca U.S.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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On the Town
Wonderful Town (2003 Broadway Revival Cast)
Bernstein - Wonderful Town / Audra McDonald, Kim Criswell, Thomas Hampson, Wayne Marshall, Simon Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic
Fiorello! (1959 Original Broadway Cast)
Redhead (1959 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005O6KS
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Christopher Street
Ohio
One Hundred Easy Ways
What a Waste
A Little Bit in Love
Pass the Football
Conversation Piece
A Quiet Girl
Conga!
My Darlin' Eileen
Swing!
It's Love
Ballet at the Village Vortex
Wrong Note Rag
Opening (from the original Decca recording of "On the Town")
Carried Away (from "On the Town")
Lonely Town (from "On the Town")
I Can Cook Too (from "On the Town")
Lucky to Be Me (from "On the Town")
Ya Got Me (from "On the Town")

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Town is a wonderful show.......2004-10-25

This is a terrific show. It has a famous composer, great tunes and a good, upbeat story. Why it has so thoroughly faded from memory is a question that puzzles me greatly.

The orchestrations are attributed to another individual, but Bernstein must have taken some substantial role in their creation, for large parts of "Wonderful Town" resemble only one other musical, "West Side Story."

Rosalind Russell is the star here, and rightly so. She sings--or rather croaks--her material very well, indeed. Only in "Swing" is she overmatched by the musical requirements and even then she fights them to a draw.

Edith Adams is very good, too, as Eileen. I think of her as Edie Adams, a sixties icon, wife of comedian Ernie Kovacs, mayhem-minded member of the Nairobi Trio and super-sexy pitchwoman for White Owl Cigars. I had no idea that she had also starred on Broadway. It was a pleasant surprise to find her here.

The men in the lead parts sing in that typical Broadway growl: perfect diction and lousy tone. They are endearingly awful. And I mean that in the best possible sense.

Five stars, no doubt about it!

Light and lively musical comedy .......2004-08-07

The first cast album of WONDERFUL TOWN sounds even better than ever in Decca's latest remastering. The sound is still somewhat flat (as are all Decca albums from the 40s/50s) but the Decca engineers have worked wonders on the 50 year old tapes making them sound as good as possible. Rosalind Russell was a perfect choice to play the acerbic Ruth. She doesn't have much of a singing voice but the songs were tailored to her limited range and she makes the character come alive. Edith Adams sounds properly winsome as her sister Eileen. In the supporing roles, Jordan Bentley comes off best as Wreck, but George Gaynes makes for a ponderous, somehwat stuffy Bob Baker.

In terms of album production, Decca eliminated the Overture and some of the dance music, and re-arranged "Christopher Street" to eliminate the spoken vignettes. Otherwise the score is presented in a faithful aural re-creation. The booklet offers a detailed synopsis to guide you through the score.

The bonus tracks are six songs from ON THE TOWN originally recorded when that show was playing on Broadway. This is NOT the definitive recording of ON THE TOWN. For that you need the 1960 album avaialble on Sony. But, the excerpts heard here provide an enjoyable bonus.

a must-have recording for REAL Broadway fans.......2002-12-26

This marvellous new re-issue of WONDERFUL TOWN is a must-have for Broadway buffs. In fact, this is really two albums in one, as it also contains the rare 1945 studio recording of ON THE TOWN as a bonus!

The story is based on the play "My Sister Eileen", written by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov; as well as the stories written by Ruth McKenney. The play was later turned into a successful Columbia film starring Rosalind Russell (as Ruth Sherwood) and Janet Blair as Eileen. Several years later Columbia released a musical version (following the success of WONDERFUL TOWN) which starred Janet Leigh and Betty Garrett.

WONDERFUL TOWN originally starred Rosalind Russell (repeating her film role) as Ruth and Edith 'Edie' Adams as Eileen. The cast also included George Gaynes (GIGI, 'Punky Brewster') as the romantic male lead.

The score by Betty Comden and the late Adolph Green is gorgeous, and features the comical "100 Easy Ways", the lilting "A Little Bit in Love" and the showstopping "Conga!" and "Wrong-Note Rag".

No Broadway-recording collection is complete without the original cast of this landmark musical.

This re-issue from the superb Decca Broadway range also includes the rare 1945 set of ON THE TOWN, which featured original cast-members Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Nancy Walker singing their songs from the show, with Mary Martin singing "Lonely Town" and "Lucky to Be Me".

Highly-recommended.

Leonard Bart-stein? Listen for yourself...........2002-09-23

Leonard Bernstein never erred on the side of subtlety, and this original-cast album contains two of his most enjoyable essays in musical near-mayhem: "Christopher Street" and "The Wrong Note Rag." The former is vastly like the theme music to "The Simpsons," and the listener can decide for himself how much of a coincidence this is or isn't. "The Wrong Note Rag" uses the tritone of the scale and a varied meter to make life difficult for the singers and anyone trying to count along. Unlike so many send-ups of the 1920s, this song ingenioulsy captures the musical and lyrical feel of novelty numbers like 1924's "Fascinating Rhythm"--or, better yet, the slightly later "Crazy Rhythm." A parody of the 1920s that shows any sense of the 1920s is a rare item, indeed. "Wonderful Town" is an interesting, enjoyable, and valuable historical piece, and I can only imagine what later performers did with it. I don't want to know.

Quality over quantity.......2002-05-19

Yes, the original 1953 cast recording of "Wonderful Town" may not be the most complete cast recording of the hit musical BUT I would wholeheartedly reccommend this CD over any other version. Why? Because of its original cast members and its original orchestrations! Rosalind Russell is peerless as Ruth Sherwood (I consider her version of "One Hundred Easy Ways" one of the funniest songs in musical theatre history) and Edie Adams shines through radiantly. Listen to her sing "A Little Bit In Love" to understand what I'm talking about. Also, the original orchestrations gtive this CD more vibrance than any of the later incarnations INCLUDING the 1999 studio recording, which to me sounds too mechanical and the British orchestrator doesn't seem to get the rhythms right. The original cast recording is A MUST for the true theatre fan, abridged score or not

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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Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
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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!

Average customer rating:

Clash meet Tenpole Todor
Excellent street punk

Leaving the Ways
The Briggs
Manufacturer: Side One Dummy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Numbers
Savin Hill
The Stories Are True
The Gold Record
...And Out Come The Wolves

ASIN: B0002C4IWW
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

One Shot Down
Waiting In The Shadows
All On Me
Dungeon Walls
Song For Us
Top 40

Album Description

Fresh off their US tour supporting The Casualties, the band flew to Boston and recorded with Joe Gittleman (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) to record these six punk rock anthems--blistering tracks of hard-hitting punk rock and huge sing along choruses.

Customer Reviews:

Clash meet Tenpole Todor.......2004-10-22

Ok. I saw them (Briggs) on their Fall tour with Street Dogs and Flogging Molly. All were great. So I bought this CD. I bought it even though I am an aging punk who had to question whether or not I could still hang when the Briggs unleashed their amps on us and nearly deafened me at the show. There was something there. A sound that was tight and had enough variation in hooks that it reminded me of something familiar. Several songs reminded me of the Clash. A couple of songs reminded me of Tenpole Tudor (I told you I'm aging!). And all that aside, I took them on their own terms and came away with the feeling that these guys stand on their own and I'll definitely buy their next. But next time I see them I hope they turn the volume down to 10.

Excellent street punk.......2004-08-16

Cool, phlegmy, street punk that begs to be blasted. Awesome stuff. Check out "Dungeon Walls" and just try not to pump your fist in the air like the little girl you are.

Wonderful Town (2003 Broadway Revival Cast)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful Town (2003)
Good Piece
Wonderful wonderful town!!
Really Good, But...
THIS IS THE BEST!

Wonderful Town (2003 Broadway Revival Cast)
Leonard Bernstein , Betty Comden , Donna Murphy , Jennifer Westfeldt , and Adolph Green
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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Wonderful Town (Original 1953 Broadway Cast)
Wonderful Town: Vocal Score
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Wonderful Town (2004 Broadway Revival Cast with Brooke Shields)

ASIN: B0001BFDIW
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

Overture
Christopher Street
Ohio
Conquering New York
One Hundred Easy Ways
What A Waste
Little Bit Of Love, A
Pass The Football
Conversation Piece
Quiet Girl, A
Conga!
My Darlin' Eileen
Swing!
Ohio (Reprise)

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's 1953 collaboration in Wonderful Town doesn't lack for recordings, including two good studio casts from 1998 and 1999. Yet the uncommonly funny show hadn't received a proper Broadway revival until this 2003 production. As Ruth Sherwood, a role created by Rosalind Russell, Donna Murphy gives a glorious five-star star performance, and nowhere is it more obvious than on "Conga!" and "Swing," the latter a delirious spoof of 1950s Greenwich Village hipsterisms. As Eileen Sherwood, Jennifer Westfeldt doesn't have the crystalline pipes of Audra McDonald (from the 1999 album) but she gives a warm performance that comes across well on CD. The rest of the cast is studded with pros who take obvious delight in the show, and music director Rob Fisher polishes Bernstein's score to a gleam. Truly, Broadway doesn't get much better than this. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Town (2003).......2007-02-21

Frankly, I got this album for one song..."A Hundred Ways to Lose a Man", which I heard on the Braodway station of our digital cable network. I was extremely entertained by the song and loved the style portrayed in this album's particular rendition of it. I got it in order to perform the song myself for a benefit performance. I am very pleased to have it in my collection. As far as the rest of the album is concerned...one has to be "in the mood". It can be a bit annoying at times. Not my favorite Leonard Bernstein...doesn't compare to West Side Story...rather fluffy in comparison and silly, but that's what was intended.

Good Piece.......2006-12-16

This show is nice, very broadway. The music is nice, lyrics fun, and whole show a nice piece. It isn't something I would listen to over and over which is why it's only getting three stars, but it isn't something that I won't play from time to time. Of the two recordings I have (this one and the 2004 revival) there are MINISCULE differences, but I would say this is the better of the two. I like Donna Murphy's character over Brooke Shields. Good CD for collectors and new broadway listners alike. Fav Song: "Conga"

Wonderful wonderful town!!.......2005-05-19

This is an excellent piece of work. Delightful. Charming. Splendid. Funny. Enjoyable. There are so many songs that stand out on this soundtrack, paticularly "one hundred easy ways." Evey time I hear I just can't help but break out in laughter. Excellent soundtrack; a must purchase!!

Really Good, But..........2005-02-01

This may be the prime example of how a live performance transcends any recorded experience. I have read all the rave reviews of Donna Murphy's performance and trust people's judgment: she must have been wonderful in person. In this recording, however, she struggles through four or five different accents, settling somewhere between a voice from Missippi by way of New York.It seems less a performance than a gimmick.

As a kid I heard my parents play the Rosalind Russell version of this show a hundred times and I guess she is imprinted in my mind as Ruth Sherwood.

The orchestrations here sound magnificent and there are a few tracks added which round out the experience.

THIS IS THE BEST!.......2004-12-16

Of ALL the musicals I've seen on broadway, I love this one the most! Donna Murphy was amazing, and the rest of the cast was wonderful, too! I think this soundtrack is better than the original version - a must have.

Average customer rating:

1001 Ways to Be Romantic: The Music

Manufacturer: Four Winds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00001X55U
Release Date: 1999-10-12

Tracks:

A Sight: Concert Etude In D Flat Major
Girl With The Flaxen Hair
Moonlight Sonata: 1st Movement Op. 27, No. 2
Arabesque No. 1
Venetian Boat Song
Waltz In C Sharp Minor: Op. 64, No. 2
Fur Elise
Songs Without Words: Op. 62, No. 1
Nocturne In F Sharp Minor: Op. 48, No. 2
Waltz In A Major: Op, 39, No. 15
Walta In E Major: Op. 39, No. 2
Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan

Average customer rating:

Complete Secular Songs (3cd)

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys

ASIN: B0000DJENT
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Seasons for Singing: A Celebration of Country Life

Average customer rating:

Great music - fun to singalong
Very fresh and fun.
Refreshing Change from Tired Carols

Seasons for Singing: A Celebration of Country Life

Manufacturer: Revels Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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The Wild Mountain Thyme
Revels Celebration Of Spring Summer & Fall

ASIN: B0000002BD
Release Date: 1995-03-21

Tracks:

Now We Are Met
Good Ale
Speed The Plough
Hal-And-Tow
Well Rung, Tom
Under This Stone Lies Gabriel John
Hark! The Bonny Christ Church Bells Ring
Byrd One Brere
The Turtle Dove
Jones's Ale
Dance Reels: The Wind That Shakes The Barley/Harvest Home
On Ilkla Moor Bah T'at
Mairi's Wedding
Say, Mighty Love
Say, Mighty Love
The Wedding Hymn
In Wisdom's Lovely, Pleasant Ways
The Earth Is Our Mother
The Rivers Of Texas
Palms Of Victory
Once More A-Lumbering Go
Fare You Well, Mary Ann
Fathom The Bowl
The Farmer
As I Was Going To Banbury
Green Broom
Bridgwater Fair
One April Morning
Miri It Is
Sellenger's Round
The Padstow Mayers' Song

Customer Reviews:

Great music - fun to singalong.......2007-03-10

We have the Christmas Revels CD and loved that, but I can't stand Christmas music in February, so I bought this CD. My family adores it -- my kids, 4 and 6, love to sing along to it. There are a few drinking songs that praise alcoholic beverages (Good Ale, Jone's Ale), but I'm not sure my kids get the gist and it doesn't bother me.

I felt this was well worth the cost -- there are a lot of songs on here. I love that we can sing along to music that isn't sacchrine, dumb-downed, kids music and I like the historical nature of the tunes (the liner notes are great -- they give background on the May festival and each song has a few sentences of background, as well as providing the lyrics. There are a few songs that are instrumental, but most have singing).

Another album my family is enjoying is Dean Shostack Davy Crockett's Fiddle - they are instrumental early American fiddle tunes.

Very fresh and fun........2001-09-06

I defy you to not sing along with this album. The songs are catcy without being tiring, folksy without being simple, nostalgic without being sentimental. The Revel Singers make you feel like you're in the midst of a big party full of boisterous people having a great time. I was introduced to this album via my local eclectic radio station that played "Jones's Ale" one morning and I was hooked.

Refreshing Change from Tired Carols.......1999-12-29

Probably taken from one of the delightful annual Revels Christmas/holiday musicals, the sound is Christmas-y without being cloying. It's joyful, fresh and charming.

Vaughan Williams - Sir John in Love / Hickox, Northern Sinfonia

Average customer rating:

Pros & Cons for both versions
Five for the work ,for Hickox at least four stars!
Sir John's love is more impressive the first time around
Five stars, but not the only choice.

Vaughan Williams - Sir John in Love / Hickox, Northern Sinfonia
Ralph Vaughan Williams , Richard Hickox , Anne-Marie Owens , Sarah Connolly , Northern Sinfonia and Chorus , Brian Bannatyne-Scott , Donald Maxwell , Roderick Williams , Susan Gritton , Matthew Best , Mark Padmore , Stephen Varcoe , Stephan Loges , John Bowen , Richard Lloyd-Morgan , Laura Claycomb , Henry Moss , and Mark Richardson
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Pilgrim's Progress - Gerald Finley / The Royal Opera Chorus / The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Richard Hickox
Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Cotswold Romance / Death of Tintagiles - London Philharmonic Choir / London Symphony Orchestra / Richard Hickox
Vaughan Williams: Hugh the Drover
Vaughan Williams: The Pilgrim's Progress: A Bunyan Sequence
Vaughan Williams: Sir John In Love

ASIN: B00005M0ER
Release Date: 2001-07-24

Tracks:

Act I: Orchestral introduction-What hoa, what hoa
Act I: Ahem
Act I: This is my father's choice
Act I: How now, what does Master Fenton here?
Act I: Vere is dat knave Rugby?
Act I: Episode
Act I: How now, mine Host of the Garter
Act I: I spy entertainment in her...
Act I: Wilt thou revenge...?
Act I: Love my wife? I will be patient
Act II: Orchestral introduction-Thine own true knight
Act II: Scene 1: Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more
Act II: Scene 2: Bardolph! Bardolph, I say!
Act II: Scene 2: Go thy ways, go thy ways, old Jack!
Act II: Scene 2: Sir, my name is Brook
Act II: Scene 2: Ha, is this a vision?

Tracks:

Act III: Scene 1 Interlude: Orchestral introduction-Yet hear me speak
Act III: Scene 1 Interlude: Fair and fair and twice so fair
Act III: Scene 1 Interlude: But listen, good mine Host
Act III: Scene 2: Orchestral introduction-When as we sat in Papylon
Act III: Scene 2: Yonder he's coming
Act III: Scene 2: Come, Master Ford
Act III: Scene 2: Orchestral-introduction-What, John! What, Robert!
Act III: Scene 3: Alas, my love, you do me wrong
Act III: Scene 3: Mistress Ford!
Act III: Scene 3: Ah!
Act IV: Orchestral introduction-Pardon me, wife
Act IV: Scene 1: There is an old tale goes that Herne the hunter
Act IV: Scene 1: Interlude
Act IV: Scene 2: Orchestral introduction
Act IV: Scene 2: The Windsor bell hath struck twelve
Act IV: Scene 2: Ah-Who Comes here?
Act IV: Scene 2: But till 'tis one o'clock
Act IV: Scene 2: Dance of the Fairies
Act IV: Scene 2: But stay! I smell a man of middle earth
Act IV: Scene 2: Nay, do not fly
Act IV: Scene 2: My heart misgives me
Act IV: Scene 2: Stand not amazed

Customer Reviews:

Pros & Cons for both versions.......2005-08-30

Boito took Shakespeare's Merry Wives, added a little Henry IV (e.g. the Honour Monologue) and shaped, moulded and cut them about to make a libretto that focused tightly on the Fat Knight and was absolutely perfect for what Verdi wanted. Out of it came one of the greatest of all comic operas.

With VW, you get something much closer to the Shakespearean original, teeming with richly drawn characters and all the variety of Elizabethan/Jacobean life bustling past. Falstaff is merely the primus inter pares among them, albeit a huge one. Out of it came a great comic opera. And one that has been too seldom performed, standing in the long shadow of its predecessor.

Vaughan Williams, who was a great admirer of the Verdi piece, knew that comparisons would inevitably be made. (He would also have included his friend, Holst's, At the Boar's Head as a real rival from the Falstaff canon.) But comparisons are invidious. The VW and the Verdi operas are not comparable, either in their intentions or in their music. And both should be allowed to co-exist happily as companion pieces, not as rivals as two great comic operas we're fortunate to have.

Perhaps I protest too much. But the Vaughan Williams is such invigorating, life-enhancing, often ravishingly beautiful stuff that I'd hate to see it slip off the end of the shelf. Verdi is lauded as the great tunesmith, but how many tunes from Falstaff can you recall - Nanetta's last act aria, perhaps, a couple of snippets of Fenton, the final fugue maybe, or Sir John's 'Quand'ero paggio' which is so brief an aria that its original singer had to record it three times in succession to fill a 78 side. Perhaps that's why Falstaff is so badly represented on 78's compared to the other mature Verdi operas. Great music, yes, but singalongaFalstaff had, in his mature operas, ceased to be the composer's intention.

In Sir John in Love, on the other hand, the tunes just pour out one after the other. Which are genuine folksongs and which are VW originals is often hard to tell without a score in front of you (where the composer comes clean). Just listen to the way Dr. Caius' 'Vray Dieu d'Amour' takes over the orchestra or how 'Lovely Joan' (the tune in the trio of the famous Greensleeves Fantasia) heralds Mistress Quickly's arrival and 'Greensleeves' in situ is even lovelier than in the Fantasia. But then listen to the gorgeous tune that accompanies Ann Page's entrance, the wonderful melody for Ford's plea for forgiveness from his wife or the magical chorus that accompanies the arrival of the real bride and groom in the final scene. Those are all VW originals and great ones, to boot.

Choosing between the two performances of the piece on disc, it's a question of swings and roundabouts. This Chandos recording with Hickox at the helm benefits from his direction - a bit tauter, a little more spring to the rhythms than Davies and the choral contributions are as polished as you'd expect from a seasoned choral specialist. The Chandos recording, too, is a bit more up to date in terms of sound, a bit fuller and richer. EMI, on the other hand, probably has the superior cast with the likes of Robert Tear, Felicity Palmer, Helen Watts and Robert Lloyd seeing off their Chandos counterparts. Honours between the two Falstaffs are more even. Neither is ideal in the part. Herincx has the 'fatter' voice: Maxwell on this recording is the more characterful. But a piece like the madrigal that Sir John sings before Ford/Brook's arrival needs more warmth and more steadiness than either of them provide (would Bryn ever consider it as a partner to his Verdi Falstaff?).

It's a tough choice between the two versions. Choose the EMI for the cast (including, by a short head, Herincx's Flastaff). Choose this Chandos set for the conducting, the chorus and the more modern sound.

Five for the work ,for Hickox at least four stars!.......2001-11-09

(Here my review for Davies - EMI "British composers" recording
of this masterwork.)
If you feel that Verdi has beautyfull music but it has a too much thick blood, and you think that beauty must be tensed by reason; You are looking at the right composer.
This opera or musical drama (in the wagnerian sense, cause it is a romantic comedy) makes a very whole unit, the "areas" and the recited-sung recitatives are in funtion of the "dramatic" momentum and inerce of the work. It's incredible how pleasently quick this work is heard, and yes it's very entretaining (I know that's not necesary a virtue for an opera, but here it is).
The music, well, is gorgeous as might be expected from V.W., transitions are well sewn, and the traditonal folk songs add a dash or elizabethian romanticism.
The cast is strong, Hendrix is very suited for the rol, but you may fantacised how well this rol will be portrayed now by Bryn Terfel, It's sad that Hickox not thinck (or did he?)of this in his new recording of this opera (perhaps Chandos not provide him with the budget that Abado's can manage for his new DG. Falstaff recording).
Maybe Langridge will sound more youthfull than Tear, but that is a small detail. Hellen Watts it's spicy and perky Mrs. Quickly, and Gerald English Caius' is is excellent!
Davies captures V.W. orchestration very well with a ADD recording that will cause envy in this days, and the price, is to laugh about.
Treat you and buy this forgotten treasure!

Sir John's love is more impressive the first time around.......2001-08-05

While I generally agree with the review of Ahmed Ismael, I must give the nod to the earlier EMI recording, which has greater depth and spread to the sound. Chandos engineers have practically placed the voices in our laps with a resultant loss of orchestral detail. The work is, of course, lovely but if the ear is fatigued by the sound the myriad beauties cannot make their full effect. If one adds to this the fact that the EMI is a midprice reissue the choice becomes even more clear. Bravo to Hickox and company but no standing ovation this time.

Five stars, but not the only choice........2001-07-26

Vaughan Williams's comic "Sir John in Love" is one of those true opera rarities--an opera whose highlights become more impressive as the music progresses. Indeed, the true highlight of this opera is its final "Windsor Forest" scene in Act IV, where all the action is resolved, and everyone gets their "just desserts."

If this were the first recording of the opera available, it would be easy to recommend it to any VW (or opera!) enthusiast--the orchestral details are abundant and vividly present, the choral contribution is alive and infectious, and the vocal parts are well-presented and clear. However, there is in additional recording, in EMI's British Composer series, conducted by Meredith Davies. While many comparisons are stacked in the new version's favor, there are a few shortcomings that prevent an absolute recommendation.

Where Hickox succeeds over Davies is particularly in the portrayal of Anne Page and her several suitors. Susan Gritton sings more effectively than Wendy Eathorne, while both Daniel Norman (Slender) and Adrian Thompson (Caius) seem more plausible as suitors than Bernard Dickerson and Gerald English, respectively--although overall English makes a more vivid Caius. However, there is no question that Mark Padmore is the better Fenton: as well as Robert Tear sings for Davies, I can't shake the impression that he is wooing an Amazon, and not the girl-next-door Anne.

While the supporting cast is marginally to markedly superior for Hickox, with the Fords and Pages are fairly evenly matched between the two performances, the one clear victory of the Davies version is a significant one. As the title character, Donald Maxwell's Falstaff is no match for Raimund Herincx, either in characterization or in vocal quality. Additionally, the EMI set benefits from a superior recording--there's more of a sense of a performance in a real space, which adds an extra dimension to the rather static performance as presented by Hickox. Occasionally, Hickox also omits some dramatic effects (such as gasps from the onstage characters in Act III and laughter from the chorus in Act IV) which adds to the sense that this is only a "recording" and not a "performance."

All in all, there is much to recommend the new version, but confronted with a choice between this set and the Davies set on EMI, personal taste will have to suffice in choosing between them. [You may want to sample them both before buying either.]

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