Dave Edwards has been well known to Detroit audiences for more than 20 years as the lead singer of "The Look". The original line-up in the early 80's recorded 3 albums for labels such as Fantasy and A&M Records and came real close to achieving national stardom. They had videos on MTV during the music channels infancy and appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. They toured throughout the U.S. and Canada and Dave can still be found singing with the band ocasionally. The Look broke up in 1987 and reunited again in 1990 and have gone through various line-ups and personnel changes throughout the past 14 years, but still managed to release a CD entitled "Look Who's Rockin'" in 1996 on Dave's label, Scorpion Records, and a compilation called " A Collection For The Record" in 2003. Lead vocalist Dave Edwards has now recorded his first solo album, "Take Another Look", which include songs saved from a lifetime of performing. "Take Another Look" is an attempt to rein in! all of Dave's various musical interests in one package. It veers from the straight-ahead rock and roll of "Jenny In A Silhouette", which features legendary guitarist Jim McCarty and drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, and the self-penned "Loosen Up", it then shifts to the soul funk/jazz of "Everything That You Do (Will Come Back To You)" and the bedroom ballad "Let's Make Love". It is a solid debut from one of Michigan's finest.
Product Description
Dave Edwards' debut solo CD "Take Another Look" is being described simply as "pure rock and roll."
Take Another Look,Dave Edwards,Scorpion/Hanzie,"Pure Rock and Roll" from Detroit.,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
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The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)
Manufacturer: Mca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000002O5W Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Phantom Of The Opera
- Take That Look Off Your Face
- All I Ask Of You
- Don't Cry For Me Argentina
- Magical Mr. Mistoffeles
- Variations 1-4
- Superstar
- Memory
- Starlight Express
- Tell Me On A Sunday
- The Music Of The Night
- Another Suitcase In Another Hall
- I Don't Know How To Love Him
- Pie Jesu
Amazon.com essential recording
There are many, many Andrew Lloyd Webber albums out there, including cut-and-paste compilations and songbooks from individual artists, most notably Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, and even Jose Carreras. The Premiere Collection is probably as authentic as you can get in a hits album, however. In addition to the most popular selections from the original casts of Evita, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the 57-minute album includes two selections from Tell Me on a Sunday (also recorded by Bernadette Peters as Song and Dance), the title tune from Starlight Express, the "Pie Jesu" from the Requiem, and a snippet from the Paganini Variations, thereby allowing you to hear the good stuff without having to spring for the complete albums. Note that the three selections from Phantom of the Opera are the 1986 pop singles instead of the cast recordings, meaning Steve Harley rather than Crawford sings with Brightman on the title tune and Cliff Richard subs for Steve Barton on "All I Ask of You." (Crawford does sing "The Music of the Night," of course.) This 1989 compilation was too early for Aspects of Love or Sunset Boulevard, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is ignored, but these omissions are rectified in the follow-up album The Premiere Collection Encore, and the American-slanted version, The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection. --David HoriuchiCustomer Reviews:
Musical Pleasure.......2007-07-03
The Premiere Collection.......2007-01-17
beautiful.......2006-12-21
Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects.......2004-07-09
Superb collection.......2003-08-11
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Assassins (2004 Broadway Revival Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Neil Patrick Harris , Marc Kudisch , Michael Cerveris , Denis O'Hare , and James Barbour Manufacturer: P.S. Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0002B161Y Release Date: 2004-08-03 |
Tracks:
- Everybody's Got The Right
- Ballad Of Booth
- Ladies And Gentlemen, A Toast!
- How I Saved Roosevelt
- What Does A Man Do...?
- Gun Song
- Ballad Of Czolgosz
- Unworthy Of Your Love
- I Am A Terrifying And Imposing Figure...!
- Ballad Of Guiteau
- Have It Your Way
- Another National Anthem
- Take A Look Lee
- Something Just Broke
- Everybody's Got The Right
Amazon.com
"Everybody's got a right/To their dream." So begins Stephen Sondheim's 1991 show Assassins--and in this case, said dreams involve killing an American president. The characters form a veritable rogues' gallery, including John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth of course, but also half-forgotten luminaries such as Leon Czolgosz (who killed McKinley) and "Squeaky" Fromme (who aimed for Gerald Ford with an unloaded gun). While Sondheim's lyrics are trenchant as ever, his music, which ranges from Sousa pomp to clever little waltzes, is technically brilliant but also oddly uninvolving. (Many fans prefer the recording of the 1991 Off-Broadway version, though "Something Just Broke," which was added to the 1992 London production, makes its recorded debut here.) Still, there are several high points. In "Unworthy of Your Love," for instance, Hinckley and Fromme wax poetic about their unrequited love for Jodie Foster and Charles Manson, respectively, in a Burt Bacharach-style ballad that's deliberately (I hope!) sappy. And of course as with most Sondheim shows, the cast of this revival--Michael Cerveris, Mario Cantone, Becky Ann Baker, Marc Kudisch, Denis O'Hare--is very good. --Elisabeth VincentelliCustomer Reviews:
Unworthy of This Show.......2007-03-01
Given this result, they needn't have bothered.
I am still amazed at how much this production got wrong. The principal cast is nothing short of dreadful: the acting is almost laughably overwrought; the pacing keeps getting disrupted by pauses held too long and lines spoken too slowly; some singers are frequently behind the tempo (notably Michael Ceveris as Booth), while others are painful to listen to (like Jeffrey Kuhn as Zangara and Mario Cantone as Sam Byck); the new orchestrations allow for more musicians in the pit, but are much less effective than the earlier arrangements.
To top it all off, this production includes "Something Just Broke", a song sung by the Ensemble as various "average" Americans of different time periods recalling where they were when the president was shot. The song was introduced in the London production, presumably for people who didn't understand the show to have something to latch on to, but it was mercifully kept out of the published vocal score and libretto. It's not a bad song in and of itself, but musically it does not fit in with the rest of the score, and dramatically it doesn't fit in with the rest of the script. Worse, it is placed right between the Kennedy assassination -- the climax of the show -- and the finale, thus skewing all the dramatic momentum and depriving the show of an effective resolution.
The result of all this is that the comic moments aren't funny, the powerful moments fail to move, and the wonderful music is left ho-hum.
I realize that the extraordinary cast of the original production of Assassins presents a dauntingly high standard for everyone else to compare to, but the college productions I've seen were better than this.
Great. .......2006-11-08
'Unworthy of your Love' and 'The Ballad of Booth' are heartbreakingly beautiful, strange that I say that considering the subject matter, but it's true, those two songs alone will stay with you for days on end. The Ballad of Booth has poetic and tragic lyrics like 'Damn my soul, if you must, let my body turn to dust, let it mingle with the ashes of my country...What I did, I did well, and I did it for my country. Let them cry 'Dirty Traitor!', they will understand later...'. and the hauntingly gorgeous melody that goes with those lyrics is just so well, romantic! But then you have the tongue-in-cheek, slightly macabre numbers like 'The Gun Song' and 'Everybody's Got The Right' with lyrics like, 'Everybody's got the right to be happy. Life's not as bad as it seems! Everybody deserves a little sunshine...' and 'All you have to do is, move your little finger...and you can change the world!'
What a rollarcoaster of emotion! I mean, seriously, who else but Sondheim could pull that off and make it the brilliant masterpiece that it clearly is?
One of my biggest regrets is not seeing this during it's brief run in 2004. :(
Deserves a place in your Sondheim Discography.......2006-07-28
However, while fans of Sondheim and musical theater will argue over every nuance, I find that both this and the original are excellent in their own way. Yes, the voices in the first recording are more refined, yet this recording seems to better capture the character's mannerisms in the vocal stylization, whether the twitchy madness of Guiteau (Dennis O'Hare) or the depressed howl of Sam Byck (Mario Cantone).
This is a worthwhile recording and one that provides me with a reprise of the excellent staging and acting of this quirky play.
Dashed high hopes.......2006-07-14
While the diction on this recording is often impressive...especially Neil Patrick Harris's...too often it is accomplished at the price of tempo. Too many times the musical director has made the choice to slow down portions of the songs to the point of sluggishness. Absolutely NONE of the performances is superior to the original. That doesn't mean that any of the newer performances are horrible, it's just that they don't measure up. The one who comes the closest is Neil Patrick Harris whom I find naturally charming and vulnerable in anything he does.
The best addition to this recording is Mario Cantone's rant as Sam Byck. Unfortunately, I can't recommend getting this recording based solely on that. The biggest mis-step is the omission of the full, final, Kennedy scene. Hearing it on the original recording for the first time is an absolutely thrilling and chilling experience. Not having it all here is a MAJOR disappointment.
Buy the original recording first and check this one out from the library.
Letdown from the original.......2006-04-10
John Weideman, who wrote the music, seems to prefer the Broadway cast recording--at least he says so in its liner notes. I'm not sure why. While some of the songs are still excellent (like the Hinckley-Fromme duet "Unworthy of Your Love"), many of them are just plain painful to listen to. Most of the time the singing vaccilates between being totally flat of affect (most notably Moore in "The Gun Song") to hyperbolic melodrama. Booth mumbles to the point of near-unintelligibility in several songs; Zangara sounds eerily like the mob boss from 'Johnny Dangerously' that keeps calling everyone "farging bastages"; Moore sings nearly the whole time as if she'd OD'd on sedatives; and Guiteau sounds so stereotypically gay that GLAAD should be suing the producer.
It almost seems as if the cast are not sure what do do with their characters. The cast of the Original Cast Recording hit the characters perfectly--an outstanding mix of suffering, despair, anger and hostility. The Broadway cast can't seem to, in the language of the musical, "connect" to the characters. For me this is a huge failing, as the "charcaters" here are real individuals; if the performers can't connect to them, how can we be expected to?
There are also some content differences between this recording and the original. Several brief additions are made from elsewhere in the musical, and the new song "Something Just Broke" written for the Broadway revival is included on the recording. However, about half of the last act (which is included on the original) is cut out. Sadly, the material cut out is far more moving, unsettling and significant than the material added. Also, "Something Just Broke", while a fine song (and performed better than most of the rest of the material), unfortunately breaks up the natural link between the Kennedy assassination's triumphalist ending and the closing version of "Everybody's Got the Right".
I gave this three stars because I love Assassins. It is a brilliant and unnerving drama. But the Original Cast Recording is immensely superior to the Broadway Cast Recording in its ability to reveal this to the audience. I'm glad it was revived, and I'm glad it won three Tony awards--now it can get the recognition it deserves; but for me, I'll stick to the original version I fell in love with years ago. If only the Broadway recording has found a way to be "worthy of your love"...
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Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Various Artists Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
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 DanceDisc 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
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
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21
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
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
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:
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20 Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Madacy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00027JZ8E Release Date: 2004-05-25 |
Tracks:
- Phantom of the Opera: Phantom of the Opera
- Phantom of the Opera: Music of the Night
- Phantom of the Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
- Phantom of the Opera: All I Ask of You
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright
- Jesus Christ Superstar: John 19: 41 [Instrumental]
- Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How to Love Him
- Jesus Christ Superstar: The Last Supper
- Evita: Another Suitcase in Another Hall
- Evita: Buenos Aires
- Evita: High Flying Adored
- Evita: Don't Cry for Me Argentina
- Cats: Memory
- Cats: Magical Mr. Mistofelles
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Pharoah's Story
- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do
- Sunset Boulevard: Too Much in Love to Care
- Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye
- Song and Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face
- Song and Dance: Tell Me on a Sunday
Customer Reviews:
A good shot at a 'Best Of' Album........2006-01-16
The thing that impresses me the most on this CD are the 'Jesus Christ Superstar' tracks. They all sounded superb, and I prefer them to my original broadway cast soundtrack.
I was dissappointed that they only chose two songs from 'Cats', one of Lloyd Webber's crowning acheivements as a composer. THe show was remarkably successful and is the second longest running show in Broadway history, only topped by 'Phantom'. Also, I felt the songs they chose were a bit...odd. 'Memory', of course, is a given. But why throw 'Mister Mistoffelees' into the mix? Why not the Prolouge,'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats'?
All in all, I was very impressed with this CD. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it for any fan of Lloyd Webber's music.
Average customer rating: |
The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Madacy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0009VNBQK Release Date: 2005-07-05 |
Tracks:
- Phantom of the Opera [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Music of the Night [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Sunset Boulevard Entr'acte [From Sunset Boulevard]
- With One Look [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Memory [From Cats]
- Tell Me on a Sunday [From Song and Dance]
- Last Man in My Life [From Song and Dance]
- Love Changes Everything [From Aspects of Love]
- Anything But Lonely [From Aspects of Love]
- Seeing Is Believing [From Aspects of Love]
Tracks:
- Phantom Overture [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Take That Look Off Your Face [From Song and Dance]
- Another Suitcase in Another Hall [From Evita]
- Rainbow High [From Evita]
- Buenos Aires [From Evita]
- Heaven on Their Minds [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Everything's Alright [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- John 19: 41 [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Aspects of Aspects [From Aspects of Love]
- Too Much in Love to Care [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Pharaoh's Story [From Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]
Tracks:
- Don't Cry for Me Argentina [From Evita]
- Sunset Boulevard [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Overture [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Think of Me [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Last Supper [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Memory [From Cats]
- Starlight Sequence [From Starlight Express]
- Peron's Latest Flame [From Evita]
- King Herod's Song [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Any Dream Will Do [From Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]
Average customer rating: |
Take Another Look
Grant Geissman Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000034BK Release Date: 1990-03-16 |
Tracks:
- Take Another Look
- Greer's Tears
- Choices
- Big Hair
- Cuba Libre
- Attitudes
- Asleep In The Deep
- Sun Fun
- Pipe Dreams
Average customer rating: |
Classic Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Madacy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B0002QO3L4 Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Tracks:
- Memory [From Cats]
- Music of the Night [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Phantom of the Opera [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Aspects of Aspects [From Aspects of Love][Instrumental]
- Love Changes Everything [From Aspects of Love]
- Anything But Lonely [From Aspects of Love]
- Seeing Is Believing [From Aspects of Love]
- Tell Me on a Sunday [From Song and Dance]
- Last Man in My Life [From Song and Dance]
- Take That Look Off Your Face [From Song and Dance]
Tracks:
- Phantom Overture [From Phantom of the Opera][Instrumental]
- Sunset Boulevard Entr'acte [From Sunset Boulevard][Instrumental]
- With One Look [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Another Suitcase in Another Hall [From Evita]
- Buenos Aires [From Evita]
- Rainbow High [From Evita]
- Everything's Alright [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- John 19: 41 [From Jesus Christ Superstar][Instrumental]
- Heaven on Their Minds [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Too Much in Love to Care [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Pharaoh's Story [From Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]
Average customer rating: |
Take Another Look
Patsy Gallant Manufacturer: Unidisc Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000056FF8 Release Date: 2001-08-23 |
Tracks:
- High Tech Girl
- Hit the Streets Tonight
- Don't Stop Loving Me
- Take Another Look
- Crazy/Crazy
- Pain in My Heart
- Heartbreaker
- Better Face It Girl
- All the People in My Life
Average customer rating:
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Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Collection
Manufacturer: Madacy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000000LHG Release Date: 1997-08-19 |
Tracks:
- Phantom Of The Opera: Phantom Of The Opera - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Phantom Of The Opera: Music Of The Night - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Sunset Boulevard: Sunset Boulevard Entr'Acte (Instrumental) - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Cats: Memory - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Song And Dance: The Last Man In My Life - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
Tracks:
- Phantom Of The Opera: Phantom Overture (Instrumental) - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marguerite Krull
- Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Darlin Barry
- Evita: Rainbow High - Gail Bartell
- Evita: Buenos Aires - Gail Bartell
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Heaven On Their Minds - Ray Hatch
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Ray Hatch/David Chernault
- Jesus Christ Superstar: John 19:41 (Instrumental) - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects (Instrumental) - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Sunset Boulevard: Too Much In Love To Care - Justin White/Marguerite Krull
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Pharoah's Story - Gail Bartell
Tracks:
- Cats: Magical Mr. Mistofellees - David Chernault/Susan Arnall/Claire Hodge/Karen Marshall/Suellen Fagin-Allen/Alice Fortunato...
- Evita: Rainbow Tour - David Chernault/Gail Bartell/Alan Bruun
- Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - David Chernault/Darlin Berry
- Evita: Good Night And Thank You - Gail Bartell
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Hosana - George Rosenbaum
- Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane - David Chernault
- Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Song & Dance: Unexpected Song - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Evita: A New Argentina - David Chernault/Gail Bartell
- Cats: Jellicle Ball - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
Tracks:
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Ray Hatch
- Evita: High Flying Adored - Gail Bartell/David Chernault
- Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - Susan Arnall/Claire Hodge/Karen Marshell/Suellen Fagin-Allen/Alice Fortunato/Dani Janesick...
- Evita: Balcony - Casa Rosada (Don't Cry For Me Argentina) - Gail Bartell
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Damned For All Time - Ray Hatch
- Evita: Charity Concert - Gail Bartell/David Chernault
- Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Marguerite Krull
- Evita: Waltz For Eva And Che - Gail Bartell/David Chernault
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Jacob And Sons - Gail Bartell
- Evita: Lament - Gail Bartell
Tracks:
- Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Gail Bartell/David Chernault
- Sunset Boulevard: Sunset Boulevard - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Marguerite Krull/Justin White
- Phantom Of The Opera: Think Of Me - Gail Bartell/David Chernault
- Jesus Christ Superstar: The Last Supper - David Chernault/Ray Hatch
- Cats: Memory (Instrumental) - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
- Starlight Express: Starlight Sequence - Gail Bartell/David Chernault/Alan Bruun
- Evita: Peron's Lates Flame - Paul Vogt
- Jesus Christ Superstar: King Herod's song - David Chernault
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - The Orlando Pops Orchestra/Andrew Lane
Customer Reviews:
This Box Set is for any Andrew Lloyd Webber fan!.......2001-01-10
Average customer rating: |
The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Madacy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00005YABF Release Date: 1996-08-20 |
Tracks:
- Phantom of the Opera [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Music of the Night [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again [From Phantom of the Opera]
- Sunset Boulevard Entr'acte [From Sunset Boulevard][Instrumental]
- With One Look [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Memory [From Cats]
- Tell Me on a Sunday [From Song and Dance]
- Last Man in My Life [From Song and Dance]
- Love Changes Everything [From Aspects of Love]
- Anything But Lonely [From Aspects of Love]
- Seeing Is Believing [From Aspects of Love]
Tracks:
- Phantom Overture [From Phantom of the Opera][Instrumental]
- Take That Look Off Your Face [From Song and Dance]
- Another Suitcase in Another Hall [From Evita]
- Rainbow High [From Evita]
- Buenos Aires [From Evita]
- Heaven on Their Minds [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- Everythin's Alright [From Jesus Christ Superstar]
- John 19: 41 [From Jesus Christ Superstar][Instrumental]
- Aspects of Aspects [From Aspects of Love][Instrumental]
- Too Much in Love to Care [From Sunset Boulevard]
- Pharoah's Story [From Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]
Rock Music:
