Act Like You Know

Product Description
Greatest Of All Time. Godfather Of Acid techno. Frankie Bones.

Lot’s of people claim to "need no introduction"... but few can back that up with real stats. Stats like having produced and remixed tracks on over 66 labels worldwide. With over 250 productions on vinyl, 15 mix CD’s and five artist albums, Frankie Bones is among the most prolific, respected and sought after electronic artists in the world.

2005 sees Frankie Bones raise the bar once more with the release of ‘Act Like You Know’ – a 75 minute continuous DJ mix featuring 17 all original tracks from the G.O.A.T himself. With two decades of pioneering dance music and underground culture behind him, Frankie Bones continues to innovate and educate. ‘Act Like You Know’ is a must-have mix CD for any true techno and house music fan.

Customer Reviews:

Arguably "The Best" English "Merry Widow ".......2006-09-12

This is the "Merry Widow" with English translation by Christopher Hassel sung by June Bronhill. I loved this rendition ever since I first heard it in about 1960. What's to love? First the translation is the best I've heard. The language doesn't sound "stilted" as some others. And, you can understand almost every word sung. Plus, the famous song, "Vilja" has some wording that moves me every time I hear it: The soprano sings, "Love me and I'll DIE for you!" with the word "die" somewhat emphasized. I don't know, there's just something "powerful" about someone saying they'd "die" for love! AND, at the end of "Vilja" the chorus and soprano raise to a crescendo hitting a high note together. In many renditions the chorus is heard but not the soprano on the final high note. In THIS version, the soprano, June Bronhill, can be heard rising to the final high note with an incressing crescendo and fortissimo louder than the chorus and holding the final high note---which gives a very thrilling effect as she holds that final note, I assure you!

The "problem" is that this June Bronhill, Reid, and Hassel version is hard to find on CD. For example, this CD is made in Holland and "there is one left" so it says on Amazon. But, if you can find it, I think it would be very much worth a listen. Then, after hearing it, if you think there's a "better" Merry Widow, please let ME know! Thanks. Email:boland7214@aol.

Average customer rating:

The best? I think not.
can't understand the words

The Best of Gilbert & Sullivan

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Ultimate Gilbert & Sullivan Collection
Gilbert & Sullivan - Highlights from The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Yeomen of the Guard, Trial of Jury
The Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures
Topsy-Turvy - The Music of Gilbert & Sullivan: From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Gilbert & Sullivan Favourites

ASIN: B00004W5AD
Release Date: 2000-08-08

Tracks:

H.M.S. Pinafore: Ov - Orch Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr/John Owen Edwards
H.M.S. Pinafore: We Sail The Ocean Blue - Tom McVay/Gordon Sandison/Yvonne Barclay
H.M.S. Pinafore: Never Mind The Why And Wherefore - Tom McVay/Gordon Sandison/Yvonne Barclay
The Yeomen Of The Guard: When Maiden Loves She Sits And Sighs - Janine Roebuck
The Yeomen Of The Guard: Here's A Man Of Jollity - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: Tripping Hither, Tripping Thither - Yvonne Patrick/Madeliene Mitchell/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: The Law Is The True Embodiment - Richard Suart/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: When I Went To The Bar - Richard Suart
Iolanthe: Strephon's A Member Of Parliament! - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: When Britain Really Rul'd The Waves - Lawrence Richard/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Iolanthe: Finale Act Two: Soon As We May - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Pirates Of Penzance: Ov - Orch Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr/John Pryce-Jones
The Pirates Of Penzance: Poor Wand'ring One - Marilyn Hill Smith/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Pirates Of Penzance: I Am The Very Model - Eric Robertson/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Pirates Of Penzance: When The Foeman Bares His Steel - Simon Masterton Smith/Marilyn Hill Smith/Patricia Cameron/Eric Robertson/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte...
The Pirates Of Penzance: With Cat-Like Tread - Gareth Jones/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Mikado: If You Want To Know Who We Are - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Mikado: The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring - Bonaventura Bottone/Eric Roberts/Deborah Rees/Thora Ker/Malcom Rivers
The Mikado: On A Tree By A River - Eric Roberts
Patience: The Soldiers Of Our Queen - Donald Maxwell/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Patience: If You Want A Receipt For That Popular Mystery - Donald Maxwell/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
Patience: Am I Alone And Unobserved - Simon Butteriss
Patience: If You're Anxious For To Shine - Simon Butteriss
The Gondoliers: We're Called Gondolieri - David Fieldsend/Alan Oke
The Gondoliers: From The Sunny Spanish Shore - Richard Suart/Jill Pert/Elizabeth Woollett/Philip Casey
The Gondoliers: For Ev'ry One Who Feels Inclined - David Fieldsend/Alan Oke/Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr
The Gondoliers: Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes - David Fieldsend
The Gondoliers: Dance A Cachucha - Chor Of The D'Oyly Carte Opr

Customer Reviews:

The best? I think not........2004-01-11

This disc includes some songs that, while I like them, are not what people might consider the "best" of G&S. Of course, anything by G&S is good, it's still not the "best of the best."

There has got to be something that better represents the G&S canon.

can't understand the words.......2004-01-08

Don't know about those other reviewers, but I just can't make out very much of the lyrics. Maybe those folk have better CD players or better hearing, but it's pretty much a blur to me. I strongly recommend "The Ultimate Gilbert and Sullivan" instead.

Two on the Aisle (1951 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

There's No Show & No Play: Just Bert Lahr & Dolores Grey
average score, average recording
A FORGOTTEN MUSICAL THAT DESERVES TO BE REDISCOVERED
Yawn
A worthy addition to your collection

Two on the Aisle (1951 Original Broadway Cast)
Jule Styne , Betty Comden , and Adolph Green
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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[title of show] (2006 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005O6KR
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Overture
Show Train
Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me (Hold Me Tight)
Here She Comes Now
There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby
Vaudeville Ain't Dead
Catch Our Act at the Met (Finale, Act I)
Give a Little -- Get a Little
Everlasting
If You Hadn't but You Did
The Clown
How Will He Know?
Finale

Amazon.com

A mix of songs and sketches, 1951's Two on the Aisle belongs to the much maligned revue genre. Aficionados of integrated musicals often turn up their noses at this kind of show, but when the songs are composed by Jule Styne, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and sung by Dolores Gray, you'd be a fool to be a snob. Gray may be half-forgotten by all but hardcore fans these days, but she was one of Broadway's most compelling leading ladies in the 1950s and 1960s (you can get a glimpse of her fabulousness in Vincente Minnelli's film Designing Woman.) Here, she gets five solos, and she shines on all of them. This recording may be the best introduction to her singular genius. Gray also teams up with Bert Lahr, not much of a singer but a comedian with deadly timing, which is good enough for hilarious numbers like "Catch Our Act at the Met," in which Donizetti follows Don Ameche and Met rhymes with Rigolett'. This is a most welcome reissue. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

There's No Show & No Play: Just Bert Lahr & Dolores Grey.......2004-10-20

A forgotten revue that played a half-season on Broadway. Even at the time it was pleasant though unsensational entertainment. The recording has long been out-of-print and has never generated the same demand as other forgotten flops. Without the comic sketches which were the show's high points, the album is curiously flat, and contains a great deal of filler. "Everlasting" has to be one of the most boring love songs ever written for the Broadway stage. Grey shines in her big number "If You hadn't But You Did" and shares the spotlight with Lahr for "Vaudeville ain't dead/Catch our act at the Met."

It should be said that the music is far from jule Styne's best and Comden and Green's lyrics are nothing special.

average score, average recording.......2003-07-09

Decca Broadway have brought back into the light another of those fabulous musical rareties, TWO ON THE AISLE. Grab this recording if only for the sublime performance of Dolores Gray.

Yes, Dolores Gray is the only real reason you should buy this cast-album. Her songs are fantastic, with her wit and high-wattage talent easily evident in numbers like "There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby", "Hold Me, Hold Me, Hold Me (Hold Me Tight)", and her 2 show-stoppers "How Will He Know?" and "If".

Bert Lahr STILL sounds like the Cowardly Lion from THE WIZARD OF OZ, and his numbers are comical if nothing else. I particularly enjoyed his "The Clown", but, like another reviewer has said, he just doesn't come off well in recordings.

The score, by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne, is average if anything. Decca Broadway's remastering of this album is quite patchy, with quite a bit of hiss and excessive surface-noise. During Gray's "How Will He Know?" there is quite a bit of hiss in evidence.

However, die-hard Broadway fans will get a kick out of listening to Dolores Gray's 'summer-of-1951 hit.

A FORGOTTEN MUSICAL THAT DESERVES TO BE REDISCOVERED.......2003-02-09

"Two on the Aisle" was the first show Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne wrote together, and it is a humdinger! The show, first presented in 1951, is actually a revue with some of the most memorable songs the trio ever wrote. Starring Bert Lahr and Dolores Grey, it has forgotten gems that will make you laugh out loud. This was the last of the star-powered extravaganzas such as Ziegfeld used to produce with lavish spectacle, enormous choruses and sets that went for for days, if not weeks. Still, the quality of the music and lyrics cannot be overlooked. The show has pretty much fallen into complete obscurity, but anyone with a love for musicals and respect for the revue form will greatly enjoy listening to it over and over again. (Submitted by staff member Stephen J. Finn)

Yawn.......2003-02-01

Absolutely tedious. Hardly any songs of even passing merit--this is Styne at his most generic. Worse, Bert Lahr hardly appears; this is very much the Dolores Gray show, and who wants that? Lahr's one number is indeed entertaining, but not worth the cost of the disc.

A worthy addition to your collection.......2002-02-23

One of the last and best revues. Bert Lahr and Delores Grey are in fine form. Comden and Green's lyrics (especially their reviews of the other shows on Bway) are particularly sharp. Not my favorite CD, but a worthy addition to my collection.

Offenbach: La Belle Helene; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)

Average customer rating:

Champagne Music!

Offenbach: La Belle Helene; Orpheus in the Underworld; La Vie Parisienne (Highlights)

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009KHY3
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

Overture
The Happy Bride Never Stumbles
You've Gone Too Far!
May I Make Myself Known?
My Death Appears Divinely Smiling
When Diana Leaves The Mountains
To Arms!
When Jupy Feels The Inclination
Here Comes Orpheus
When I Was King Of The Boeotians
I Thought That I Felt On My Shoulder
What Heavenly Joy Is Mine
Minuet And Galop
Overture
How Sad We've Made The Marchioness
Well Isn't That Just Life All Over?
I'm The Guide For Every Tourist
I Am A Native Of Brazil
In This Enchanting Queen Of Cities
I Am A Dab At Carving Pork
We Have Seen Sights Since Eleven... I'm A Colonel's Widow
Dinner Is Served

Tracks:

Oh, Little Cloud
When She Goes Out... Her Petticoats Go Frou, Frou, Frou
Does He Know He's Splitting Down The Back
Nobody Would Call Me A Rover
I'll Have So Much To Say
It's Most Important You Should Show
Here You See The Place
My Friends, I'm Most Delighted To See You
In Songs And Shouts... Paris Blooms Like A Flower
Introduction
To Bow To Jupiter We Gather At The Shrine
We've Had A Night Out
On Mount Ida Three Great Ladies (The Judgement Of Paris)
March And Entry Of The Kings
Entr'acte
We All Begin By Truly Trying
It Is Her That Has Sent This Sweet Love Dream
Come Here, You Kings Of Greece
When All Of Greece Has Been Ravaged
Do You See?

Customer Reviews:

Champagne Music!.......2006-07-09

Thank goodness that these well filled CDs of selections from three of Offenbach's most entertaining and tuneful operettas are available. Exactly the thing to provide some hearty nourishment for Winter nights. Ideal also for a Summer barbecue. In both cases, a glass of champagne, or at least some other bubbly beverage, would be good to have at hand - everything here no doubt will call for a toast or several.

It is so nice to be able to hear in these translations the witty words, sung with welcome clarity and meaning by these admirable artists. As I recall, there were no microphones in sight, and perhaps not even used, when this production of Orpheus In The Underworld was brought to Australia, with a few cast changes but the same sparkle as shown here. Crisp diction and lively, often lovely, singing - a great recipe for enjoyable listening indeed.

The recording sounds a bit shrill here and there, but what a churlish quibble; to Hades with such curmudgeonly qualifications! This is music to raise the spirits, and not just those from Hades.

Average customer rating:

Break ya back to these tracks!
Slammin New Beats Maintaining That Classic Underground Sound!
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Act Like You Know
Frankie Bones
Manufacturer: System Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Army of One
Computer Controlled, Vol. 2: Live in California
Computer Controlled: Live in California
You Know My Name
Sonic Groove: Defined

ASIN: B0007ZJEU0
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Tracks:

The Remains
My House (05 Mix)
Do Me Like You Do*
In Black Or White
Feel 4 You
I Cant Understand This
The Express
Shoot This MF (05 Mix)
Lights Off
Into The Future
The Real Heat
Work That
Dance With Me
Cant Stop
The Box Banger
Circus Plate #1
The Saga (05 Mix)

Album Description

Greatest Of All Time. Godfather Of Acid techno. Frankie Bones.

Lot's of people claim to "need no introduction"... but few can back that up with real stats. Stats like having produced and remixed tracks on over 66 labels worldwide. With over 250 productions on vinyl, 15 mix CD's and five artist albums, Frankie Bones is among the most prolific, respected and sought after electronic artists in the world.

2005 sees Frankie Bones raise the bar once more with the release of `Act Like You Know' - a 75 minute continuous DJ mix featuring 17 all original tracks from the G.O.A.T himself. With two decades of pioneering dance music and underground culture behind him, Frankie Bones continues to innovate and educate. `Act Like You Know' is a must-have mix CD for any true techno and house music fan.

Customer Reviews:

Break ya back to these tracks!.......2007-06-20

Bought this new in '05 and now it is simply timeless. Frankie Bones always delivers excellent techno music that will educate an audience, not only with his track selection and how he mixes, but also with his introspective outlook on underground music and where it's going. I was surprised to hear clips of older techno tracks on this CD that took me back in time, and forward into the future at the same time. High recommend for this as well as Army of One.

Slammin New Beats Maintaining That Classic Underground Sound!.......2006-06-06

Hands down a great CD! I was into the underground rave scene in NYC from 1996-1999 and of course this was one of the people that stood out most during that time for me. That style of music seems hard to come by nowadays with everyone trying to innovate and pioneer or the underground commercializing its sound. However this is a great example of that raw underground flavor and the fact that Bones has newly produced tracks in this classic style proves he was no doubt a major source of the beats that fueled the scene back in the day. I would say the CD bangs from beginning to end and the first track is just sick! Good job Bones and keep doing what you do! Peace!

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-06-22

This album is da best !!!I highly recommend this album anyone who loves bones stuff or who likes that techno feeling buy it worth it .

Merrily We Roll Along (1993 Leicester Cast)

Average customer rating:

How does the revised MERRILY compare with the original?
The most comprehensive recording
This is the recording of MERRILY to purchase!
The Definitive "Merrily"
Best interpretation of the show and score

Merrily We Roll Along (1993 Leicester Cast)

Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005BGV
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

Overture
The Hills of Tomorrow Merrily
Merrily (1979-75) Old Friends Like It Was
Merrily (1974-73) Franklin Shepard, Inc.
Old Friends
Not A Day Goes By
Now You Know
It's A Hit!
Merrily (1964-62) Good Thing Going
Merrily (1961-60); Bobby and Jackie and Jack
Not A Day Goes By
Opening Doors
Our Time
The Hills

Customer Reviews:

How does the revised MERRILY compare with the original?.......2005-04-10

The original 1981 production played 6 weeks of previews before opening to crushingly bad reviews. Two weeks later it closed. The day after the final performance the cast assembled at RCA's New York studios to record the cast album. In 1985 a revised production directed by James Lapine opened at the LaJolla playhouse and received encouraging reviews. More revisions lead to other productions and 1992 it was given a production at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and that production was given a lavish 2 CD recording by John Yap and issued on TER in England and later on JAY in the U.S. This was followed in May 1994 -just a few weeks after PASSION opened on Broadway - by an off-off-Broadway York Theatre Company revival that received generally better reviews than the original received. It was recorded by Varese-Sarabande. Both the Leicester cast and York casts use the revised version with an altered tune stack.

1. OVERTURE - In 1981 the Overture was a complete piece. In the revised version it cuts off midpoint and segues into the title song.

2. MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - The original production began with Frank coming back to his former high school to mark 25 years since his graduation. His speech - a caution to the students to be prepared for compromise and frustration was challenged by the students who launched into the title song. As noted above, the revised version begins with the cast singing the song but without any context.

3. THAT FRANK/RICH AND HAPPY - The party scene. In the original Frank's new movie was terrible though none of the guests would tell him to his face. In the revised version the movie is a success. In THAT FRANK the party guests, Mary excepted, sing of Frank's seemingly endless talents. RICH AND HAPPY drew the conclusion that since Frank was rich and successful he must therefore be happy as well. Both songs use the same accompaniment.

4. OLD FRIENDS/LIKE IT WAS - originally in a separate scene in 1975 at a restaurant where Mary hopes to encourage reconciliation between Charley and Frank. In the revised version this number was placed as a lead in to the 3rd scene, tightening the narrative.

5. FRANKLIN SHEPARD, INC. - this song remains virtually unchanged. In the original Frank walked off the stage of the TV talk show at the end of the song ending his and Charley's partnership. In the revised version, borrowing some dialogue from the deleted restaurant scene, Frank makes it very clear that he is furious with Charley and that their friendship is finished.

6. OLD FRIENDS - though the dialogue scene leading into this song was changed for the revised version, the song remains the same.

7. GROWING UP - added to the revised version. The OLD FRIENDS scene continues after everyone leaves Frank alone in his new apartment and he muses on his friendship with Mary and Charley. Later Gussie arrives having left her husband - Frank and Charley's producer - and intent on moving in with Frank.

8. NOT A DAY GOES BY - this song changed hands a lot. Originally - in previews - Frank's soon-to-be ex-wife Beth sang it on the steps outside the courthouse. The actress playing Beth could not sing it so they re-assigned the song to Frank with a modified lyric. In the revised version it was restored to Beth and the original lyric is used.

9. NOW YOU KNOW - some lyric changes but essentially the same song. The original Broadway production incorporated a dance section that recapped the first act score (in forward sequence) using NOW YOU KNOW, OLD FRIENDS, FRANKLIN SHEPARD INC and RICH AND HAPPY. The dance segment was not recorded and was dropped from the revised version.

10. ENTR'ACTE/ACT TWO OPENING - in the revised version Act Two opens with Gussie onstage performing GOOD THING GOING. The original began Act Two with the scene outside the theatre as the friends listened to the audience reaction.

11. IT'S A HIT! - Essentially the same but loses a clever short section about selling out (Charley: Even if (the show) is a smash, doesn't that mean we sell out? Producer: Well, I hope we sell out! Charley: What I mean is sell out. Well you know...")

12. THE BLOB/GOOD THING GOING - THE BLOB was cut in previews and not included on the OCR. It was restored for the revised version. Note the main melody is the same tune used for GROWING UP. GOOD THING GOING is essentially the same.

13. BOBBY AND JACKIE AND JACK - the revised version slightly trims the number.

14. NOT A DAY GOES BY - Originally a trio for Mary, Frank and Beth at the wedding of the latter two. When Beth lost the song in Act One she was cut out of the Act Two version as well. Frank sang it to Beth as his wedding vow while Mary quietly, sadly duetted from the sidelines. The trio version is restored to the revised version.

15. OPENING DOORS

16. OUR TIME

These two remain essentially the same.

17. THE HILLS OF TOMORROW - The revised version ends with OUR TIME. The original version had a short final scene in 1955 as Frank finishes his valedictory speech to the class. They then sing a song he and his friend Charley have written. The classmates smile, there is a flash as their class picture is taken and the curtain slowly falls on these smiling faces. It was a fine ending to the show and I wish this (and the opening graduation scene) would be restored. Otherwise the revised script is in every way superior.

Sound-wise the newer recordings have a crisp, clean sound though the orchestra is roughly half the size of the original. The first cast is pretty hard to beat. If you are doing the show only the revised script is available, so you will want one of the new recordings. Jay's 2 CD set is most complete and includes some of the dialogue. V/S has the wonderful Malcolm Gets as Franklin.

The most comprehensive recording.......2002-09-19

I've never seen the show, which has had a mixed history (initially a flop, recently much more successful), so I can only rate the music, which is just fabulous. The score features everything from sophiticated ballads -- Not A Day Goes By -- to lovely pop tunes such as Our Time. Sondheim's trademark lyrical cleverness is ever present. At one point he has the characters perform a political comedy song in 1960, so Sondheim had to write a piece using sophisticated 1960 political humor. I doubt anyone at the time did it half as well.

Note that this is a double CD, and I think it is the only one available. In many cases this means that the recording has two versions of certain songs if they are sung twice in the show. I thought this a big plus because the songs are sung at different times in the show and given different interpretations. Indeed, because the show it told chronologically backwards, you see how Sondheim gives you what is really a reprise before the song is initially sung. On the other recordings of this show they have only one version and you miss this whole layer of Sondheim.

The cast is great. The orchestra is great. All in all, just great Sondheim.

This is the recording of MERRILY to purchase!.......2002-06-08

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG was one of Sondheim's biggest flops when it first opened on Broadway in 1981. It suffered from a variety of problems, probably the biggest being that the fascinating concept of the show - relating a story in reverse chronological order - led to a host of difficulties that required more time to solve than the tryout period allowed. Over the next dozen years, Sondheim and book-writer George Furth (along with assistance from a new director, James Lapine), modified the show. The show is drastically improved by the revisions.

While Sondheim and Furth have made a few minor revisions since the Leicester Haymarket production (mostly in shortening a few rhythms in the transitions, changing some introductory dialogue, and axing some dialogue in "It's a Hit!"), the Leicester recording is far superior to the recording of the final version of the show produced by Varese Sarabande.

CHANGES FROM THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION:
Some neat concepts from the original production have been left by the wayside to improve the overall structure. Gone is the opening scene at the 1980 Lake Forest Academy graduation ceremony and the accompanying "The Hills of Tomorrow." The title song is now presented as a prologue so that the audience can concentrate on the lyrics' message. The music of the 1979 (now 1976) scene has been heavily revised (including a new melody called "That Frank") to integrate more plot into the lyrics. The 1975 scene has been eliminated, although Mary's music survives intact as the first part of an expanded 1973 scene. A great new song, "Growing Up," Frank's rationalizations for changing his goals and values, has been added to the 1968 scene. Beth now sings "Not a Day Goes By" in the 1966 (now 1967) scene instead of Frank. Lyrics have been revised in "Now You Know" to be about encouraging Frank to take a vacation, not to go back to work.

Act II has required less modifications. Gussie opens the act by singing a brassy rendition of the beginning of "Good Thing Going" as her eleven-o'clock number in Frank and Charley's 1964 show. "It's a Hit!" has been shortened a bit, but Beth is now included in the backstage celebration. The 1962 scene includes a song about the New York elite, "The Blob," which had been cut from the original production, plus a reprise of "Growing Up." The scenes from 1960-1957 remain relatively unchanged, although Beth sings lead in the reprise of "Not a Day Goes By." The show now ends with "Our Time," since the 1955 graduation scene has been eliminated.

THE RECORDING:
Of the three recordings I know of this show, this is by far the best. Michael Cantwell (who I truly thought I would hate after hearing him in STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW) is a great Frank, both as a successful Hollywood executive and as an idealistic music student. Maria Friedman is almost perfect as Mary, with gravelly singing as an alcoholic in Act I and a youthful exuberance in the "Our Time" dialogue. Evan Pappas has the dramatic range to play Charley, and his enunciation in the difficult "Franklin Shepard, Inc." is admirable. Louise Gold brings the proper degrees of brassiness and insincerity to Gussie, one of musical theater's greatest "dragon lady" roles. (Jason Alexander in the original 1981 cast recording is the best Joe, and Anne Bobby in the 1994 Varese Sarabande recording is the best Beth.) The actors are young enough to convey the youthful ideals of the second act (and hit the high notes) but old enough to convincingly portray 30- and 40-somethings in the first act. The inclusion of key dialogue helps the listener put the songs into their proper context.

The Definitive "Merrily".......2001-11-20

Having listened extensively to all recordings of "Merrily We Roll Along," I say with confidence that this is by far the best, most complete recording.

The performances are all wonderful. I enjoy Maria Friedman's work on here most of all. I can clearly hear her transformation from a depressed drunkard back to a hopeful youth through the recording. Her expressive voice and striking acting choices always make her a joy to even listen to.

This CD has the best orchestrations I have heard. The underscore to "Franklin Shepherd Inc" has finally been cleaned up to the point where it sounds like an actual song, and the overall feel of the show has a real edge.

The tempos are up and the performers sound like they don't have guns being held to their heads in the recording studio. The performances a lucid and dynamic. The overall feel of the show, for the first time, has a smooth and consistent feel just from listening to the recording.

This may not be my favorite piece of Sondheim, but it is his brassiest score. This quality, lost in the off-broadway recording, is really restored here.

This CD is personal treasure and a must for Sondheim fanatics. However, this recording is by far the most accesible recording of this most difficult show.

Best interpretation of the show and score.......2000-07-21

This recording only helps to prove that Maria Friedman is the no. 1 British interpreter (if not the no. 1 international interpreter of all-time) of the music of Stephen Sondheim. Her comic timing is immpeccible, and she is larger than life in her singing (especially in "Now You Know"). Louise Gold has an Ethel Merman-y quality to her voice, and this is a great new reading of the character of Guessie (she is, after all, a Broadway head-liner), as opposed to the purring sex-kitten of all of the other Guessies out there. And her rage in the dialgoue excerpt on the first disc is clear. This woman is one heavy-duty actress. We see that Guessie isn't really the only one out of the main characters to become bitter and disilliusioned, as many people make the mistake of believing. Jacqueline Dankworth does not just sing the heart-wrenching "Not a Day Goes By," she acts it. And she acts and sings the hell out of it. She has definately inherited her mother's talent (but is decidedly different in her performance style). As you can see, all of the women on this recording are effervescent, and the men rise up to the challenge (particularly the Joe Josephson of Gareth Snook and the Charlie of Evan Pappas). And there is Frank, menacing as always. This CD is the best out there, with a large amount of dialogue, and all of the score. Here is the definitive, no-questions-asked, no-holds-barred version of MERILLY WE ROLL ALONG on CD. Buy it today!

Average customer rating:

Goddess female emcee
FEMALE RAKIM
The Queen of Rap
pretty good
It's one of her best.

Act Like You Know
MC Lyte
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

House | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Eyes on This
Ain't No Other
Lyte as a Rock
Bad as I Wanna B
Seven & Seven

ASIN: B000002JOB
Release Date: 1991-09-17

Tracks:

When In Love
Eyes Are The Soul
Search 4 The Lyte
Act Like You Know
Mickey Slipper (Interlude)
Poor Georgie
Take It Off
Beyond The Hype
All That
Big Bad Sister
Like That Anna (Interlude)
Kamikaze
Can You Dig It
Like A Virgin
Lola From The Copa
2 Young 4 What
Absolutely Positively.....Practical Jokes
Another Dope Intro (Interlude)
K-Rock's The Man (Bonus Track)

Customer Reviews:

Goddess female emcee.......2006-10-16

Standout tracks: WHEN IN LOVE, EYES ARE THE SOUL(deep), SEARCH 4 THE LYTE, ACT LIKE YOU KNOW, POOR GEORGIE(had a profound effect on me), TAKE IT OFF(tasteful sex record), BIG BAD SISTER, KAMIKAZE, K-ROCK'S THE MAN, LOLA FROM COPA etc. Filler NONE! Bottom line: Mc Lyte is one of the best things that happened to hip hop and this album is proof of that. Like the albums that came before she continues to surprise you with her skills on songs like Kamikaze and Big Bad Sister while giving you songs of substance like Lola From Copa, Eyes are the soul(story of a crack addict and teenage mother) and Poor Georgie which is a story of a player that Lyte was in a relationship with who dies of a drunk driving accident. Even though she has a sex record on here(Take It Off) her sex records are tasteful and enjoyable and not over the top gross like the garbage you hear from bombastic idiots unworthy of mention here. Its unfortunate that The respect that Mc Lyte, Queen Latifah, Salt&Pepa generated for the fairer sex in the rap game is destroyed by clumsy and cocky rap hookers. All in all this album is definetely a masterpiece that should be added to your collection.

FEMALE RAKIM.......2004-07-10

She's inarguably the most hardcore female MC and one of the greatest MCs of all time. Even though this album is more softer than Aint No Other, her skills are clearly evident. "Poor Georgie", "Eyes Are The Soul", "When In Love" She's definitely real true. METAPHORIC is what the LYTE is all about. She's definitely better than most MCs and the only lady who is that good is Lauryn.

The Queen of Rap.......2000-04-12

I have been a fan of MC Lyte from the start. She is a true hardcore rapper. A super smooth voice and a rock hard flow that will leave you begging to hear more. 'Act Like You Know' is a musical masterpiece of high quality flows coupled with ultrafunky beats that stay on your mind. This is a rapper who, like the finest wine, will only get better and better with time. 'Can You Dig It' gives us a prime example of how talented MC Lyte is. The bass alone in this track is enough to make it legendary, let alone MC Lyte's supertight rhymes. 'Mickey Slipper' is an interlude that is so funky: you wish it were longer. 'Eyes Are The Soul' is a retro-jam with great instrumentals. 'Kamikaze' is laser sharp with the rhymes and the beats. Every track is superbly executed. Buy this album.

pretty good.......2000-02-11

MC Lyte is one of the baddest Rappers of all time period.she has her own style.on this disc some things work&some don't.but Lyte can rock any style.she Commands Respect.

It's one of her best........1999-05-09

I personaly liked the song "Positivly, Absolutly." 'Cause the cats fur was stuck on the tire.