Way in [Import]

1. Heart Of Me

2. Fire Of Life

3. Reach Out I'll Be There

4. Light Of Love

5. Evolution

6. Never Let A Day Go By

7. Bruce

8. Real World

9. Circle

10. China

Way in,Cerrone,Unidisc,Dance

Average customer rating: Audra is yet again, outstanding 110 in the Shade Pure pleasure audra is definitive 110 In The Shade Revival CD - Next Best Thing to Being at The Show

110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast) Manufacturer: P.S. Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Similar Items: Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast) Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) The Pirate Queen (2007 Original Broadway Cast) Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast) ASIN: B000PMG9GW Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

1. Another Hot Day
2. Lizzie's Comin' Home
3. Love, Don't Turn Away
4. Poker Polka
5. The Hungry Men
6. The Rain Song
7. You're Not Fooling Me
8. Cinderella
9. Raunchy
10. A Man and a Woman
11. "She Walked Out On Me..."
12. Old Maid
13. Evenin' Star
14. Everything Beautiful
15. "Stay and Talk..."
16. Melisande
17. Simple Little Things
18. Little Red Hat
19. Is It Really Me?
20. Wonderful Music
21. The Rain Song (reprise)

Amazon.com

More than four decades after its Broadway debut, the Roundabout Theatre's 2007 revival of 110 in the Shade is a glorious showcase for soprano Audra McDonald, and an eloquent statement for an underrated and neglected work. Based on N. Richard Nash's play The Rainmaker, 110 in the Shade tells the story of a Texas town stuck in a blistering heat wave. Lizzie (McDonald), the daughter of a local widower (Broadway veteran and TV star John Cullum), has resisted all suitors, including the sheriff (Christopher Innvar), until a potential huckster named Starbuck (Steve Kazee) arrives in town promising to bring rain ("The Rain Song"). Just like Marian the librarian, Lizzie thinks she sees right through the scam ("You're Not Fooling Me"). McDonald shines in her solos ("Love, Don't Turn Away," "Old Maid"), but Cullum, Innvar, and Kazee also get their moments either in duets with McDonald ("A Man and a Woman," "Simple Little Things," "Is It Really Me?") or by themselves. 110 in the Shade is obscure compared to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's most famous work, The Fantasticks--none of its songs ever entered the popular culture like "Try to Remember"--but it's a beautiful, evocative score that is tailor-made for McDonald's rich voice. It's also much more sumptuous than The Fantasticks, even in Jonathan Tunick's pared-down, Tony-nominated orchestrations. (Also nominated were McDonald, Cullum, lighting designer Christopher Akerlind, and the show itself for Best Revival of a Musical.) P.S. Classics puts out its usual first-rate package, with color photos, introduction by Peter Filichia, synopsis, and libretto. --David Horiuchi

Description

Four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald triumphantly returns to Broadway in the role she was born to play: Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's heartrending musical adaptation of N. Richard Nash's classic play The Rainmaker. Amidst a heat wave in 1930's Texas, Lizzie - despite her wit, intelligence and homemaking skills - is on the verge of becoming an old maid, until a charismatic rainmaker named Starbuck enters town and her world is shaken. 110 in the Shade originally premiered in 1963 - Jones and Schmidt's first Broadway musical following their unprecedented off-Broadway triumph with The Fantasticks. Joining McDonald for the new Roundabout Theatre Company revival are two-time Tony Award-winner John Cullum and, fresh from Spamalot, Steve Kazee as Starbuck. PS Classics and the Roundabout previously collaborated on Grammy-nominated and top-selling recordings of Nine: The Musical and Assassins; this latest CD is sure to result in another definitive Broadway cast album, this time headed by one of Broadway's brightest crown jewels.

Customer Reviews:

Audra is yet again, outstanding.......2007-07-26

I love this CD and all of the music is amazing. Audra does stand out but what else is new. Can't wait to see the show. Buy this CD and add it to your collection.

110 in the Shade.......2007-07-20

This recording is superb. I recently saw the show in NYC and found that this recording does the show justice. It is a great show and recording.

Pure pleasure.......2007-07-19

Couple of days ago, I saw "110 in the Shade" on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre revival. At intermission, in a trance of emotion, I went straight to the souvenir stand to buy the cast album (available at a non-ripoff price of $20, I'm glad to say). This is something I hardly ever do, but I had just seen and heard Audra McDonald and Christopher Innvar sing the duet "A Man and A Woman," and I had to have that music. Been playing the score ever since. It's a delight and I like the orchestrations very much. McDonald is an utter joy, but Innvar was an unexpected discovery and on the strength of his performance, should have had bigger billing.

audra is definitive.......2007-07-18

Though the score of 110 IN THE SHADE is modest in musical scope, Audra McDonald sings it with all the passion, conviction and care that one could hope for. The other performances on the recording are good, especially Steve Kazee, whose Starbuck feels lighter and more expressive than Douglas Horton on the original cast recording. Bobby Steggert makes the most of every one of Jimmy's lines. Christopher Innvar sounds far better on this recording than he did in the theater. There is a great deal of dialogue on the CD, which may be more enjoyable to those who have seen the production than to the casual listener. The reduced orchestrations are in many cases more imaginative and expressive than the originals, which tended toward bombast in telling this intimate story. They often are reminiscent of Copland's "Appalachian Spring", and I would imagine that's not accidental. If you are an Audra lover, buy this immediately, you'll never hear a finer version of Lizzie's numbers than are offered here.

110 In The Shade Revival CD - Next Best Thing to Being at The Show.......2007-07-15

Any fan of 110 In The Shade will appreciate this recording; it is very well recorded and features the stunning vocal performance of Audra McDonald. This CD more than holds its own when compared to the studio cast version of 1997 and it is head and shoulders above the original cast recording of 1963.

If you have seen the recent revival at Studio 54, or you are a fan of the show, you will definitly want to have a copy of this CD

Average customer rating: A Beautiful Wedding Wonderful! Good CD for Wedding A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers great choice!

A Day to Remember - Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day O'Neill Brothers Manufacturer: O'Neill Brothers ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Day to Remember vol II Classical Wedding 25 Wedding Favorites Heart Beats: Now & Forever - Timeless Wedding Songs I Will Be Here: 25 of Today's Best Wedding & Love Songs ASIN: B000066RG3 Release Date: 2002-04-25

Tracks:

1. Falling in Love - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
2. Wachet Auf - J.S. Bach
3. Air on a G String - J.S. Bach
4. Air (from Water Music) - Handel
5. Reminiscent Joy - Tim and Ryan O'Neill
6. Canon in D - Pachelbel
7. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
8. The Wedding Song (There is Love) - Stookey
9. Ave Maria - Schubert
10. I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman
11. The Gift of Love (Water is Wide melody)
12. Spring (from The Four Seasons) - Vivaldi
13. Ode to Joy - Beethoven
14. From This Moment On - Shania Twain
15. The Way You Look Tonight - Kern
16. Forever in Love - Kenny G

Album Description

After performing at more than 200 weddings, Tim and Ryan O'Neill recorded this beautiful CD of favorite wedding songs. It features a full hour of instrumental piano, string quartet, flute, and guitar music that can be played at your ceremony or reception.

It also gives suggestions for music at your wedding, including a special bridal website!
*Over 1,000 song titles listed
*Listen to samples of songs
*More ideas for each part of your ceremony, reception, and dance

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Wedding.......2007-07-10

This CD made all the difference in our wedding celebration. The songs were simply beautiful. The CD was delivered promptly. I would definitely buy from this vendor again.

Wonderful!.......2007-03-23

This is exactly what I was looking for for my wedding day. It's a beautiful cd, absolutely perfect.

Good CD for Wedding.......2007-03-21

All great music for weddings. It really does have all the music I want to use!

A Day To Remember--Instrumental Music for Your Wedding Day, O'Neill Brothers.......2007-02-07

The music was just perfect for our wedding--not too formal, not too simple.

great choice!.......2007-01-10

There are so many different songs to choose from on this cd and it's a great buy. whether you want to play it while eating dinner at the wedding, to walking down the isle, it's wonderful!!!!

Average customer rating: Great Instrumental Album The Beasties' Best Effort Top Shelf You will not believe its The Beastie's. Impossible to find

The In Sound from Way Out! Beastie Boys Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Old School | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Experimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Mix-Up Ill Communication Paul's Boutique Hello Nasty Check Your Head ASIN: B000002TXM Release Date: 1996-04-02

Tracks:

1. Groove Holmes
2. Sabrosa
3. Namaste
4. Pow
5. Son Of Neckbone
6. In 3s
7. Eugenes Lament
8. Bobo On The Corner
9. Shambala
10. Lighten Up
11. Rickys Theme
12. Transition
13. Drinkin Wine

Amazon.com essential recording

American bands have never gotten in the habit of their British counterparts, who tend to release lots of extended singles filled out with not-meant-for-prime-time experimentations. If the Beasties had gotten into that habit, this would be their B-side compendium: a dozen instrumental tracks showing off their groovier side, complete with plenty of wah peddle on the guitar and prominence given to frequent Beastie collaborators "Money" Mark Nishita (keyboards) and Eric Bobo (percussion). It's tough to believe that the same band is responsible for this and the Aglio e Olio EP, but it goes a long way in explaining how they've remained viable for so long. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews:

Great Instrumental Album.......2007-06-04

This is a great chill, party album. A great collection of the Beasties' instrumental tracks taken from previous albums.

The Beasties' Best Effort.......2007-05-28

This CD really showcases the band's talent. An amazing disc from start to finish. Not for you "classic" Beastie Boys fans, as this is an all-instrumental, all-funk CD. It's reminiscent of old Meters. I've yet to turn someone on to this and not have them LOVE it. Boys -- we'd love to see you do more of this amazing stuff!

Top Shelf.......2006-11-11

Had the 'cassette' wore it out listened to it so much! Never heard anything the Beastie Boys have done that I didn't like. The In Sound from Way Out reminds me of the type of music my father's generation would have enjoyed only with a different beat and different sound. At 50 years old I am very open minded and enjoy an extremely wide-range of music. Please note: This listing is in my wife's name!

You will not believe its The Beastie's........2006-03-18

You will not believe its The Beastie Boys, killer if you like pseudo-jazz / funk stuff, with no lyrics.

Impossible to find.......2006-03-11

Ive asked for this item everywhere and only amazon had it. its great.

Average customer rating: Excellent Musical, But Product Quality - Eh MODERNIZE your music collection!!! A must to add to your collection Delightful YOU WILL LOVE IT

Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Original Broadway Cast) Jeanine Tesori , Dick Scanlan , and Sutton Foster Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Contemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Thoroughly Modern Millie Thoroughly Modern Millie: Vocal Selections Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Hairspray (2002 Original Broadway Cast) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000066B4Y Release Date: 2002-06-11

Tracks:

1. Overture (Orchestra)
2. Not for the Life of Me (Sutton Foster)
3. Thoroughly Modern Millie (Sutton Foster and Ensemble)
4. Not for the Life of Me (Sutton Foster, JoAnn M. Hunter, Alisa Klein, Jessica Grove, Megan Sikora, Catherine Brunell and Kate Baldwin)
5. How the Other Half Lives (Angela Christian and Sutton Foster)
6. Not for the Life of Me (reprise) (Ken Leung and Francis Jue)
7. The Speed Test (Marc Kudisch, Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
8. They Don't Know (Harriet Harris)
9. The Nuttycracker Suite (Orchestra)
10. What Do I Need with Love? (Gavin Creel)
11. Only in New York (Sheryl Lee Ralph)
12. Jimmy (Sutton Foster)
13. Back at Work (Orchestra with Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
14. Forget About the Boy (Sutton Foster, Anne L. Nathan and Ensemble)
15. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life/I'm Falling in Love with Someone (Marc Kudisch and Angela Christian)
16. I Turned the Corner/I'm Falling in Love with Someone (quartet/reprise) (Gavin Creel and Sutton Foster, Marc Kudisch and Angela Christian)
17. Muqin (Harriet Harris, Francis Jue and Ken Leung)
18. Long as I'm Here with You (Sheryl Lee Ralph and Male Ensemble)
19. Gimme Gimme (Sutton Foster)
20. Finale (Thoroughly Modern Millie) (Gavin Creel, Angela Christian and Ensemble with Sheryl Lee Ralph and Sutton Foster)
21. Final Bows (Entire Company)

Amazon.com

Although it's based on the 1967 movie of the same name, Thoroughly Modern Millie is almost thoroughly new. Composer Jeanine Tesori (Violet) and lyricist Dick Scanlan wrote a whole batch of songs, while retaining a couple from the movie--including the Jimmy van Heusen-Sammy Cahn title tune--and recycling even older material (look for Victor Herbert's "I'm Falling in Love with Someone" and the inventively arranged "Nuttycracker Suite"). Miraculously, the show, set during the jazz age, doesn't feel stitched together, and Tesori does a great job cranking out swinging melodies. Sutton Foster is appropriately brassy as Millie, but she can also tone it down, as in the beginning of "Gimme Gimme" (of course, she then proceeds to project up to the last rafters as the song builds to its climax). Harriet Harris, as nasty Mrs. Meers, steals the show with "They Don't Know." Close your eyes, listen to her, and you'll be back in Broadway's golden age. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Musical, But Product Quality - Eh.......2007-07-15

I absolutely love the musical so I'm thrilled with the cd.

My problem was not with the quality of the cd, but with the plastic case. The cd cases always come cracked. Although it doesn't affect the quality of the cd itself, it's rather disheartening that Amazon charges customers for its poor shipping.

MODERNIZE your music collection!!!.......2007-07-13

This is an AMAZING musical and great album. It is sure to jazz-up any music collection! BUY THIS ALBUM NOW!

A must to add to your collection.......2007-05-18

I was very fortunate enough to see this on Broadway. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen! The music has just enough jazz and contemporary vive that any musical lover would enjoy! It's also got tapping in it! Sutton is simply awesome in this role and all of the cast can really belt out their songs. Harriet Harris is phenominal in her role as Mrs. Meers. I highly recommend this to all broadway lovers! It's one to add to your collection!

Delightful.......2006-06-12

The music takes a little bit to grow on you, but boy, does it! It's wonderful, charming, romantic, funny--just like the play itself. I loved almost every song and I was really impressed with "Long As I'm Here With You"-- I thought it was an old song written back in the twenties, because it so sounded like one. The cast is absolutely energetic and endearing, and Sutton Foster just *rocks*. Definitely worth the money.

YOU WILL LOVE IT.......2006-02-17

If you like musicals, you will NOT REGRET purchasing this musical soundtrack. JUST DO IT. It's so great, you will be listening to it forever. I also saw the show at the Kennedy Center in D.C. and it's one of the best I've ever seen. (And I've seen A LOT.)

Have Fun!

Average customer rating: Snoozeville Worst musical I've seen in 5 years It's closed in NY, but it opened in Chicago this week! Simply unique thanks

The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Adam Guettel , Craig Lucas , Kelli O'Hara , Victoria Clark , and Matthew Morrison Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0009A1AQE Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Statues and Stories
3. The Beauty Is
4. Il Mondo Era Vuoto
5. American Dancing
6. Passeggiata
7. The Joy You Feel
8. Dividing Day
9. Hysteria
10. Say It Somehow
11. Aiutami
12. The Light in the Piazza
13. Octet
14. The Beauty Is (Reprise)
15. Let's Walk
16. Clara's Interlude
17. Love to Me
18. Fable

Amazon.com

Like a shimmering pearl, The Light in the Piazza emerged from a sea of revivals, rehashings, and movie adaptations to secure 11 2005 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. Based on an Elizabeth Spencer novella (which was also made into a 1962 film), it follows a mother, Margaret (Victoria Clark), and her daughter, Clara (Kelli O'Hara), as they take a vacation to Italy. There, Clara and a young Italian (Matthew Morrison) fall in love, but Margaret is determined to keep them apart.

The Light in the Piazza doesn't fit the model of most Broadway scores, with a splashy opener here, a swing number there, then the big ballad. The score is more of a unified whole, sometimes jarring, sometimes following the patterns of speech, and sometimes unfolding in glorious sheens of sound. (Heck, some of it's even in Italian!) In that sense, it's similar to another unconventional American musical set in Italy, Stephen Sondheim's Passion, which is more chamber opera than musical, and composer-lyricist Adam Guettel (song of Mary Rodgers, grandson of Richard Rodgers) seems the most likely heir apparent to Sondheim in the current generation of musical theater creators. O'Hara's voice soars in the score's most beautiful moments ("Say It Somehow," the title song), but Clark enjoys two exquisitely lyrical moments with "Dividing Day" and "Let's Walk." She was one of the show's six Tony winners (for Leading Actress), along with Guettel's score and the orchestrations, scenice design, lighting, and costumes, while O'Hara (for Featured Actress), Morrison, Craig Lucas's book, and Bartlett Sher's direction were also nominated. --David Horiuchi

Album Description

The Light in the Piazza is arguably one of the most highly anticipated theatrical events of the decade for serious Broadway theatergoers. The Los Angeles Times has already declared its creator, Nonesuch artist Adam Guettel, "a composer for the new century," on the strength of his two Off-Broadway productions, the 1996 Obie-Award winning "folk musical" Floyd Collins and the 1998 song cycle, Myths and Hymns, TIME has described him as "a startlingly original songwriter." Few theatrical composers have been watched as closely as Guettel, and few musicals in the course of their development have generated so much substantial press or been praised so highly on the road as The Light in the Piazza. Both the New Yorker and The New York Times magazine devoted in-depth coverage to the evolution of Guettel's sophisticated, deeply moving score. New Yorker critic John Lahr decided,"Guettel's kind of talent cannot be denied. He shouldn't change for Broadway; Broadway, if it is to survive as a creative theatrical force, should change for him."

Customer Reviews:

Snoozeville.......2007-07-23

The only thing more sleep inducing than this cast album is sitting through the actual show. The music is very pretty but too similar and will lull you into a deep coma!

Worst musical I've seen in 5 years.......2007-07-20

As part of the Broadway in Chicago Series, I have seen all of the plays coming through Chicago in recent years. Light in the Piazza was terrible. Who wrote this, and why? The music is forgettable and creates cognitive dissonance. The lyrics are boring.

The scene where the handicapped gal implodes at a dinner party was excruciating to watch. And not in a good way. The play is fractured and confusing.

It's closed in NY, but it opened in Chicago this week!.......2007-07-19

Bravo, "Piazza"! May we all hope that Guettel-Lucas are the Rogers & Hammerstein of a new generation of American music. "Piazza" is not a musical, it is more of a miniature contemporary Mozartian "Magic Flute." The music is brilliant in it's sheer lyricism. Though the plot is thin to the point of absurdity it doesn't matter because the characters grow with each note until "Piazza" blazes forth as a shining star in the current constellation of new and revived Broadway musicals.

For "Piazza" afficiandos there is always hope for musicals as long as "Piazza" continues. This album is a jewel. So many of the songs are incredibly touching. I've sat through New York and Chicago performances and weeped to "Dividing Day" and watched the quiet tears of men and women in the audience. With "Piazza" love in Florence is eternal.

Victoria Clark, (God bless that North Carolina accent) O'Hare and Morrison are the definitive cast. What a collection of voices and actors.

I only hope that everyone who hears "Piazza" has the opportunity to see the performance live somewhere. It's so much more with the lighting and Italian joie de vivre including instructions to turn down your cell phones and pages in Italian.

Simply unique.......2007-07-19

A refreshing change from the usual showtunes that regurgitate the same "sound", i.e melody lines, this is classy and on its own! The performances are nothing short of top notch, Matthew Morrison is fantastic.

thanks .......2007-05-15

On time, in good condition, thanks to you and PM's suggestion on his website.

Average customer rating: Linda Eder - Great Voice Not a voice.......an instrument the best female singer of the great american standards. The powerful and beautiful voice of Linda Elder Linda Eder shines with her Broadway album

Broadway, My Way Linda Eder Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Purists | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland It's Time Christmas Stays the Same It's No Secret Anymore Storybook ASIN: B000088E4T Release Date: 2003-02-18

Tracks:

1. I Am What I Am (from "La Cage aux Folles")
2. Anthem (from "Chess")
3. On The Street Where You Live (from "My Fair Lady")
4. What Kind of Fool (from "Stop The World I Want to Get Off")
5. Some People (from "Gypsy")
6. I'll Be Seeing You (from "Right This Way")
7. Gold (from "Camille Claudel")
8. Don't Rain On My Parade (from "Funny Girl")
9. The Impossible Dream (from "Man of La Mancha")
10. A New Life (from "Jekyll & Hyde")
11. Edelweiss (from "The Sound of Music")
12. Unusual Way (from "Nine")
13. Man of La Mancha (from "Man of La Mancha")

Amazon.com

The people who felt betrayed when Linda Eder covered several pop songs on 2002's Gold will be relieved that her follow-up, Broadway My Way, is a return to the Great White Way. As if to prove that she isn't limited to either the songs of Frank Wildhorn or ballads, Eder tackles some well-known show tunes. The ballads tend to be overwrought, so it's best to look for the uptempo numbers. The singer's take on "Some People" is technically fine but so va-va-voom showbiz that it lacks the deranged edge that makes the song so compellingly dramatic. Things work a lot better on "I Am What I Am": while Eder doesn't take it to the top (or rather over the top), this is as close as she gets to Mermanizing a number. Elsewhere, "Don't Rain on My Parade" (immortalized by Streisand) and "Man of La Mancha" are appropriately brassy and triumphant, with Eder roaring her way through both songs. Fans of both Eder and Wildhorn should note that the singer reprises her Svengali's "Gold," the title track from her previous album, and an excerpt from his long-in-the-works Camille Claudel. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

On the eagerly awaited Broadway My Way, Atlantic recording artist and acclaimed Broadway sensation Linda Eder performs classics including 'On the Street Where You Live' (from My Fair Lady), 'Edelweiss' (from The Sound of Music), 'Don't Rain On My Parade' (from Funny Girl) and 10 other great broadway songs performed in a whole new voice. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Linda Eder - Great Voice.......2007-07-06

This lady has one great voice. She can certainly sell a song. My only reservation about her is that she's a bit cocky. I think she could use some humility.

Not a voice.......an instrument.......2007-02-17

Unbelievable breath control, phrasing, and style. My 10 yr. old Granddaughter who heretofore has listened and loved the usual rap
and hip-hop, heard me playing this disc and begged me to buy her
one........and I did, and she plays it all the time, and to her
friends. Linda Eder exceeds the Streisand mystique by far.

the best female singer of the great american standards........2006-07-24

i am turning 60 years old this year. i went to my 1st.broadway
musical in 1960. over the years i have had the honor to see
almost all of the giants of american song, garland, streisand,
patti lupone, lena horne, betty buckley, barbaracook etc. in
"broadway, my way" linda eder cements her place as the best of the best. from an anthem like "i am what i am" to the lovely
"on the street where you live" captures you body and soul.
i loved this album, and don't ever miss a chance to see her live. JOHN POWER

The powerful and beautiful voice of Linda Elder.......2006-02-23

A great selection of songs. Tremendous amount of energy in Linda's voice. I just love it.

Linda Eder shines with her Broadway album.......2006-02-18

Wow! Linda Eder has an outstanding voice. She sells Broadway in the styles of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. After hearing this you will want more.

Average customer rating: The power of faith This soundtrack.... Dances With Wolves in Japan A Diverse Score from the Land of the Rising Sun One of the best themes ever composed

The Last Samurai Hans Zimmer Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Purists | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Gladiator: Music from the Motion Picture King Arthur Braveheart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Kingdom of Heaven Batman Begins ASIN: B0000DZTIW Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

1. A Way Of Life
2. Spectres In The Fog
3. Taken
4. A Hard Teacher
5. To Know My Enemy
6. Idyll's End
7. Safe Passage
8. Ronin
9. Red Warrior
10. The Way Of The Sword
11. A Small Measure Of Peace

Amazon.com

Whether Tom Cruise's portrayal of a 19th century American soldier cum samurai warrior will be remembered with the same pangs of pop-cultural bemusement that befell John Wayne playing Genghis Khan remains to be seen. But its musical soundtrack does mark an auspicious occasion: pop musician-turned-composer Hans Zimmer's 100th score since beginning his film career in 1988. A pioneer of fusing both the electronic and orchestral and the Westernized with the indigenous, Zimmer does both here with skill, drawing heavily on samples of the traditional Taiko (a massive Japanese drum) for its rhythmic action sequences, while constructing a melodic Western motif for Cruise's character that's both centerpiece and counterpoint for the score's transcultural intent. Aside from the brief, ominous thunder of the expected action/suspense boilerplate, Zimmer has constructed passages of gentle, Asian-inflected pastoralism that have parallels with much of his evocative work on The Thin Red Line. Those cues are the score's very soul, a canvas against which his more traditional themes reverberate all the stronger. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

The power of faith .......2007-05-29

Sweet as lotus flower, strong as a the solid rock of the paith, sharp as a samurai sword... close your eyes and live in an magic ancient atmosphere

This soundtrack...........2007-04-24

...is really amazing, so deep and great. The movie would never be so good without this great music.

Dances With Wolves in Japan.......2007-04-10

If you liked Dances With Wolves this is it in Japan - I do think it is Tom C's best movie. The sound track is excellent - Zimmer also did Batman Returns which has a fantastic soundtrack - Hans is comming on

A Diverse Score from the Land of the Rising Sun.......2007-03-02

I always love it when composers branch out and write music that you would never expect them to write, yet retaining their own trademark sound. Here, Hans Zimmer utilizes his own, recognizable sound, where you know it's him with eastern instrumentation, such as Taiko drums, the shakuhachi (a staple in Horner scores lately), and the koto harp. It's east meets west, a route in which Tan Dun took on in the film "Hero", and Zimmer's score follows many of those same musical ideas, only not quite as eastern sounding as Dun's score.
The main theme is a powerful 7-note anthem which tends to build its way up each time, as in "A Way of Life", "Spectres in the Fog", "Idyll's End", and "Safe Passage". You can tell it is a Zimmer theme just by its sound, but with the oriental flavor thrown in, it really adds to the mix.
The action music in the score is exciting with energetic Taiko drums keeping the pulse moving. They do not get tiresome, as you might think because Zimmer uses them more like a heartbeat, not a heart attack! "Red Warrior" is a powerful anthem, consisting of japanese warrior chants, which really add to the scope of the sound. Other noteworthy tracks are "Ronin" and "The Way of the Sword", which are enjoyable pieces of music.
I was pleased of the results of Zimmer's work here. It showcases Zimmer's diversity with his music. I hope he gets the opportunity to write more diverse scores such as this. The Da Vinci Code is certainly one of them!

One of the best themes ever composed.......2007-02-28

This soundtrack is brilliant, and Hans Zimmer even more. He is truly one of the great film composers. The Last Samurai's sounds never fail to draw emotion from me.

Average customer rating: omg this is stupid Smorgasbord of influences There Is Still Great Music Out There And Right Here Good singer but... Gossip are lethal

Standing in the Way of Control Gossip Manufacturer: Kill Rock Stars ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Lo-Fi | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Garage Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Show Your Bones Back to Black Sound of Silver Alright, Still Icky Thump ASIN: B000CNFB22 Release Date: 2006-01-24

Tracks:

1. Fire With Fire
2. Standing In The Way Of Control
3. Jealous Girls
4. Coal To Diamonds
5. Eyes Open
6. Yr Mangled Heart
7. Listen Up!
8. Holy Water
9. Keeping You Alive
10. Dark Lines

Amazon.com

It's flatly unfair that the Gossip aren't a massive success, a rocknroll giant slayer, especially as they unleash another 10-song, 30-minute zinger like Standing in the Way of Control. Singer Beth Ditto's boundless, whether shouting out the title song's chorus or feather-dusting the lyric on Meg White-sounding album closer, "Dark Lines." The band rocks with an unerring simplicity, a leanness that writhes. The big-beat, hop-along (and sing-along) "Listen Up," is the centerpiece here, a stripped focus on the Gossip's core conviction, that rhythm can rock like little else. The tune has Ditto holding court over a bluntly simple one-two beat, cautioning a crowd that by rights ought to be tenfold larger: "now gather round/now listen up," warning them that "some people talk way too much." As Ditto stuns, drummer Hannah Blilie's beat pounds, and Brace Paine's guitar lays down a simple law. Ignorance of that law is no excuse. --Andrew Bartlett

Album Description

Gossip have returned two years after their last release with a new drummer and a slightly new sound. Described as everything from dance-punk to "Pointer Sisters without synths", this is a preview of their upcoming album, coming out in January. "Standing In The Way Of Control" comes backed with a stellar remix by Le Tigre, with art by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.

Customer Reviews:

omg this is stupid.......2007-07-25

1st her singing is terrible. i cant believe anyone would put her on a cd. 2nd she really needs to shave under those arms of her. THAT IS NASTY!!!!! i would not buy this it is not worth 25 cent at a yard sale.

Smorgasbord of influences.......2007-05-14

1 tb of Alison Moyet
a pinch of Luscious Jackson
1 cup of Gang of Four
2 cloves of Romeo Void

Stir vigorously

Bake at 400 degree

Enjoy your warm, yummy Gossip!

There Is Still Great Music Out There And Right Here.......2007-04-23

This cd by the Gossip is one of those rare ones that you let play all the way through and then start it over again. Very distinct vocals from Beth Ditto and very good music. My personal favorite tracks are the title cut and HOLY WATER.

Good singer but..........2007-03-23

OK so this is one of the big things in the NME at the moment. It is not that bad but also not that great. The singing is really very very good but the music is little mroe than unoriginal derivative new wave. As I write the singer has a lot of potential but the rest is not that great.

Gossip are lethal.......2007-02-05

Hi Guys

I have to say i disagree with the above-mentioned reviews. I haven't felt the same way about a band since i was going through a large White Stripes phase some years ago.

This band are very similar to the Whites Stripes in that they have that stripped down, bedroom sounding production similar to Elephant. They also have the same type of bluesey guitar licks. The vocals are absolutely tremendous, bringing a soul voice to a rock band, although if she went on American Idol they would slate her.

It is of course the songs themselves that cement this record. Every song is a stone cold hit. The chorus of "coal to diamonds" has so much emotion it makes me feel nauseous.

The only downside is that the chorus of "Keeping you Alive" sounds slightly tacked on, even though it makes the main riff of that song sound cooler.

It is also worth noting that this band are hot enough to have tracks remixed by Belgian rock/dance crossover Soulwax and Le Tigre.

If these guys really float your boat it is worth checking out The Invisible Deck the Rogers Sisters.

Average customer rating: Jaques Brel still lives Fabulous Show Jacques Brel lives on through English Translation of his songs A Little Night Music.... Fine Singer / Actors Do Brel Justice

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1966 Original Off-Broadway Cast) Jacques Brel , Ocr , Elly Stone , and Mort Shuman Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Cabaret | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Brel Vol. 1 (Master Serie) Infiniment Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris The Fantasticks (Original 1960 Off-Off Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000067AS5 Release Date: 2002-05-28

Tracks:

1. Marathon
2. Alone
3. Madeleine
4. I Loved
5. Mathilde
6. Bachelor's Dance
7. Timid Frieda
8. My Death
9. Jackie
10. Desperate Ones
11. Sons Of.
12. Amsterdam
13. The Bulls
14. Old Folks
15. Marieke
16. Brussels
17. Fanette
18. Funeral Tango
19. The Middle Class
20. You're Not Alone
21. Next
22. Carousel
23. If We Only Have Love

Amazon.com

At the time of this show's 1968 Greenwich Village debut, French singer-songwriter Jacques Brel's body of theatrically insightful ballads was already an obscure but deeply influential treasure trove for many American musicians. The revue's success would go on to influence artists as diverse as Leonard Cohen, Bowie (who covered "Amsterdam" shortly thereafter), and Sinatra, and it may even be responsible for one-hit wonder Terry Jacks's revival of "Seasons in the Sun".

More important, the pioneering musical-without-a-book helped introduce Brel's oft-brooding, ever evocative art to a wider American audience--and arguably had an evolutionary influence on Broadway itself. This complete reissue of the 1968 boxed set cast album offers up a rich cross-section of Brel's songs about life, death, and love--and typically sharp-eyed observations about the human follies that season them--deftly performed by a cast that includes Elly Stone, Alice Whitfield, Shawn Elliott, and, crucially, rock pioneer, Brel associate, and co-producer Mort Shuman. This new edition fleshes out the set with the sessions' only unreleased song, a sprightly take on the deliciously cynical "The Middle Class." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Jaques Brel still lives.......2007-04-02

The CD of the original cast is still fresh and still gives Brel's music the most fitting rendition

Fabulous Show.......2007-02-22

This compilation of Brel's songs remains one of my favorite musicals. I would recommend it to everyone!

Jacques Brel lives on through English Translation of his songs.......2007-02-12

Although I've never heard but one Jacques Brel song in French (song by he, himself on the DVD - which is a MUST BUY), I heard this "album" shortly after it came out, in the early 70's. My dad got me turned on to this music and it's stayed with me all these 40+ years. This is very special music to me and I'm thrilled to have both the CD and the DVD.

A Little Night Music...........2007-01-23

I can't explain why I might review this...it's been a long while since listening. Yet it was a show that was transformative obviously not just for me. I'm thinking Bowie and other thoughts that way...and it shaped my hopes and dreams and now, older and not so well, I listened to this tonight at 2AM, not sleeping again, recalling how I heard it then, how I hear it now.
I had a good friend who was in the show for one summer, maybe 79 or 80. Just a sad staging in a little town in Appalachia trying on some Paris. We had a dinner theater in our town, which meant an old building , some tables, small area and a stage kind of and some curtains. Rather ambitious for the town, they staged summer shows of Brel. And other things too, finally. My girlfriend as she often did hooked me into her evenings and I made drinks there as well as gave a few musical efforts and some easily forgotten attempts at choral support. On nights someone didn't show. You actually also made the food and sang the show, in those days for your audience, who tended to tip fairly poorly and be the local lawyers and med school doctors dragged out by wives seeking a cultural night of dinner theater. It was a kind of starving kids for ten bucks sing, act, cook, serve vodka/tonics, smoke and tell you the story of Boheme life while mixing blue cheese from packets of powder and creme in a frenzy preparing to figure out who plays the piano well enough as the player won't being pissed over low wages and a remark made about his big derrière. That kind of a summer. Songs probably wasted on the young.

All that said, it was/is a lovely collection of songs. Even better an experience when you learn and sing the French and can then argue incessantly about the translations and "feel" of the shows on two continents. I loved then to sing them, and find a tune floating in my head tonight from no where-just there- when "No. Love You're Not Alone" actually woke me. The American film was awful, the show best seen in revival and smoky nights in clubs. Then, in 1980 or so, it made my life richer, it's probably a good thing Susanna was such a friend...though I didn't understand, we dragged ourselves to a lot of meaning.And that rather odious experience in the Bahamas.

I think this worthy of time and listening. And a big moon would be cool, to walk on the shore and hear it once more. Think I'll slip out awhile.

Fine Singer / Actors Do Brel Justice.......2007-01-15

In 1966, an American producer named Nat Shapiro introduced Eric Blau to Mort Shuman. Five years earlier, Mr. Shapiro had introduced Mr. Blau and his wife, Elly Stone, to the songs of Jacques Brel. After hearing a recording of one of Brel's concerts, Elly Stone informed her husband that Brel was the greatest songwriter of the 20th century, and she induced him to be the very first to translate Brel into English. Shortly thereafter, Elly Stone premiered Brel's love song, Ne me quitte pas (Don't Leave Me) to American audiences in the off-Broadway revue, O Oysters, along with the first English Brel translation, Carousel, showcasing Brel's melody for La valse a mille temps (The Waltz A Thousand Times As Fast) and loosely translated lyrics.

Unbeknownst to them, about the same time Elly Stone heard her first Brel recording, Mort Shuman was undergoing something of a revelation across the Atlantic. In the midst of a successful career writing rock and roll songs (including hits for Elvis Presley, and the ubiquitous teenage anthem, Save The last Dance For Me), Mort Shuman had been wandering restlessly around Europe, and came to settle for a time in Paris. There, he became acquainted with Brel's music, and, later, with the man himself, and the two became close friends. Shuman convinced Brel that he should be allowed to translate some of his better-known songs into English, and bring them to America. More on the strength of their friendship than Shuman's reputation as a songwriter, Brel agreed, but a problem soon emerged. Although Shuman had mastered French surprisingly well, he was finding the task of translating Brel's songs quite daunting. After several attempts, Shuman found his English versions sorely lacking. He realized that it was not only that he had become too enraptured with Brel's work to find the objectivity required to do them justice, but it also became apparent that Brel's songs reflected too much of the French philosophy and politics to appeal to an American public largely besotted on syrupy, trite love songs.

Shuman returned to America, vowing to find a way to introduce Brel's songs to an English speaking public. By this time, Nat Shapiro had heard Elly Stone perform Eric Blau's first translations of Brel, and wanted more. In November 1966, Nat Shapiro persuaded Mort Shuman to hear Elly Stone perform at Julius Monk's Plaza 9, despite Shuman's reluctance, which derived from his belief that only a male singer could do Brel justice. At a table with Shapiro and a very nervous Eric Blau, Shuman applauded politely. "She's good", he told Blau, "the translations are real good". It must have rankled him somewhat that it was Blau and not Shuman who first successfully translated Brel to English.

Nat Shapiro also had the idea for the perfect venue to introduce Brel to America - an off-Broadway show. Not exactly a revue, since that implied that the songs had been heard before, what eventually took shape was the first "libretto-less" musical, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. In addition to Elly Stone and Eric Blau's enthusiasm for Brel's music, Elly's amazing talent had won Shuman over and convinced him to work with Blau on the translations. Two years later, their labor of love finally introduced Brel's songs to an American public that was as ready for Brel, as Brel's songs were ready for America.

I am somewhat puzzled by the negative reviews by those who insist that Brel's songs can never be appreciated in anything but the original French. When Eric Blau realized, as Mort Shuman had earlier, that Brel's songs could never be translated exactly to American English (steeped as they were in French life and politics), they agreed to go for the next best thing. They opted to translate Brel's songs as closely as they could, but, when this was not possible, they kept Brel's melodies while attempting to retain the spirit of his writing, if not his actual words. What resulted were often very good translations indeed. One only has to compare the French text of songs that became Jackie, the Old Folks, Brussels, the Middle Class, Madeleine or Amsterdam to realize that, for the most part, the narrative and spirit (and sometimes even the lyrics) closely matched Brel's originals. Two additional translations, Song For Old Lovers and My Childhood, which also resembled the originals, were recorded by Elly Stone on her (now very rare) self-titled Columbia album. Miss Stone also recorded Goodbye My Friends for her second album, which was arguably a superior version of Brel's Le Moribond than the dreadful version by Rod McKuen, Seasons In the Sun.

In other cases, the translations altered Brel's songs in such a way as to make them more palatable to American tastes, while retaining Brel's concept. Thus, Jef, a song in which a man tries to cheer up a drinking buddy who has lost a great love, becomes a love song, in which one partner attempts to bolster the melancholy spirit of their beloved. In fact, some would argue that the beautiful prose of No Love You're Not Alone not only equals the poetic imagery of Brel's original lyrics quite adequately, they are actually an improvement. Conversely, When We Only Have Love was transformed from a love song to an anthem for brotherly love, yet did not destroy Brel's concept or his "poetry", but successfully built on it. Brel, by the way, often pointed out that, in his culture, it would be unforgivably vain for a songwriter to compare himself to a poet. To the French, poetry is not only a much higher art form than songwriting, Brel did not consider songwriting an art at all, but merely "a craft". All told, there are, in fact, only a few songs in this show where the lyrics, content, spirit, tone and / or subject matter were completely altered from Brel's originals.

When the show premiered in Canada, the creators were terrified that they would be taken to task by the French Canadian press for daring to present Brel in English there, as Brel is highly prized in Canada. Instead, it was the English Canadian press who savaged the show. But the French Canadian journalist, Rudel-Tessier (a bi-lingual writer, quite familiar with Brel in French) stated flatly that, although in translating the work, some of Blau / Shuman went in and some of Brel came out, he found it marvelous to have Brel in English at all. And, he gently chided his peers by pointing out that, while Shakespeare is quite popular in French, the Bard will never be quite the same in French as he is in English. So, to those who say you cannot appreciate Brel's songs in anything but French I reply, this show was written for those who never have, and never will, understand a single word of French. Does anyone really think that those who only speak French should be deprived of Shakespeare?

Even if none of this were true, I would like to point out that Jacques Brel himself, armed with exact French translations of the English lyrics, personally approved every song that was written for the show before the decision to produce it was finalized.

Besides, the passion and reverence that these performers feel for Brel and this material is evident in every song, and to those who claim that this show is an insult to Brel, I answer that it's an insult to the efforts of this fine cast to suggest that they had anything but his best interests at heart, and, as someone who is quite familiar with Brel in French, I believe they succeeded brilliantly. And as fine a songwriter as you can argue that Brel is in French, well, Elly Stone is equally as fine a singer in any language, and I bemoan the fact that she virtually squandered the balance of her career championing Brel's work, when she could have made a major name for herself, based solely on her own talent. Having seen Elly Stone perform live many times (in and out of this show), I will attest to the fact that, in her prime, she had the most impressive voice I have ever heard in a concert hall.

And in the end, it was Brel himself who gave the supreme complement to this effort. At one point, Eric Blau fretted when, in order to more closely translate Brel's lyrics to la Mort (My Death), he and Shuman had to alter Brel's melody. When they sent the new song to Brel, he responded, "You have improved it; it's better than mine". A year after the show opened, Brel flew in to New York to see it. That night, he led a standing ovation for the performers, and modestly told Blau and Shuman repeatedly that they had not only exceeded his expectations, in many instances, they had improved his work. He also told Elly Stone that she was, "the finest lady performer" he had ever seen (including Piaf, whom she was often compared to unfairly) and he told her that he wanted to write new songs specifically for her. Unfortunately for us, he never had time, but it was a testament to her talent and artistic integrity that Brel offered.

And if Brel himself was pleased with the translations featured in this glorious production, why should anyone quarrel with that?

Average customer rating: This should never have worked at all A GREAT AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED MUSICAL FROM THE 80-IS Chess One of my favorites! Concepts get better with practice

Chess Bjorn Ulvaeus , and Tim Rice Manufacturer: Decca Broadway ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Contemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Chess (1988 Original Broadway Cast) Miss Saigon (Original 1989 London Cast) Evita (1978 Original Broadway Cast) A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast) Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast) ASIN: B000002GLR Release Date: 1996-07-23

Tracks:

1. Merano - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Murray Head
2. The Russian And Molokov/ Where I Want To Be - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Tommy Korberg/Denis Quilley
3. Opening Ceremony - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Bjorn Skifs
4. Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility) - Elaine Paige/Tommy Korberg/Denis Quilley/Bjorn Skifs
5. The American And Florence/Nobody's Side - Elaine Paige/Murray Head
6. Chess - LSO/Anders Eljas
7. Mountian Duet - Elaine Paige/Tommy Korberg
8. Florence Quits - Elaine Paige/Murray Head
9. Embassy Lament - Tommy Korberg/The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas
10. Anthem - Tommy Korberg

Tracks:

1. Bangkok
2. One Night In Bangkok
3. Heaven Help My Heart
4. Argument
5. I Know Him So Well
6. The Deal (No Deal)
7. Pity The Child
8. Endgame
9. Epilogue: You And I / The Story Of Chess

Amazon.com

Chess is a musical that sounds like it shouldn't work but instead succeeds surprisingly well. This is the original concept album that was recorded before the musical was staged in London. Chess is the story of a love triangle told against the backdrop of an international chess tournament during the height of the cold war. The composers are Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the Bs in ABBA) and the lyrics are by Tim Rice, who supplied the words for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, as well as Disney's Aladdin (with Howard Ashman), The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. The six-member cast does a beautiful job with the songs, which are a combination of ballads, rock, and operatic choruses. Murray Head's version of "One Night in Bangkok" became a surprise hit in the mid-'80s and it still turns up on the turntables in dance clubs around the world. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

This should never have worked at all.......2007-06-18

And on that basis alone, you've got to cut it some slack. Fortunately, not all that much slack turns out to be necessary.

While "Chess" may be a document of an era that no longer exists, there's a lot more going on than the surface metaphor. It holds up very well indeed. When it aims for humor, it generally succeeds, and likewise when it aims to devastate. What more can you ask for?

A GREAT AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED MUSICAL FROM THE 80-IS.......2007-03-04

`Chess' is a musical that should be counted among the best of what the 1980-is had produced: side by side with `Cats', `The Phantom of the Opera', `Les Miserables' or `Miss Saigon'. The score as heard on this concept album, written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (formerly of ABBA) and with the exceptional lyrics written by Tim Rice, stand proof to this. And yet, due to various reasons, like the changing of the director half way through London staging; a heavy rewrite for Broadway and a pan review from Frank Ritch (a.k.a. `The Butcher of Broadway'), `Chess' seems to be unjustly neglected.

This concept album is the main reason why the show has so many ardent fans until this day. Tim Rice wanted to write the show with the main plot revolving around chess for years and after his long time partner Andrew Lloyd Webber remained uninterested, he found the new collaborators in Ulvaeus and Andersson. The subject matter follows two international chess players in a championship, a Russian (Tommy Körberg) and an American (Murray Head) and a woman called Florence (Elaine Paige) who is a manager to the American but falls in love with the Russian. The story also draws a parallel between the game of chess and the cold war/real life situations.

This concept album was recorded in 1984, two years before the original London production took place. As the authors noted in the accompanying booklet, it was a work in progress and thusly the story is not quite readable here from the musical numbers alone. Despite that fact (which is amended by the synopsis included in the booklet), this album remains a winner. The score (played here by the London Symphonic Orchestra) itself makes an intriguing bland of the famous ABBA sound, the classical; the rock and the pop enhanced by the orchestral solo passages and the strong choral parts. The lush orchestrations add an epic touch to it and on the whole it is melodic and hummable, packed with great tunes. Some of the songs achieved huge success outside the musical: `I know him so well', a duet between Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, held the number one spot on the UK singles charts for 4 weeks in February 1985 and won Ivor Novello Award as the Best Selling Single; Murray Head's `One night in Bangkok' became one of the biggest dance hits of its time, often heard today. Some other notable tunes include `The Anthem' (Russian's deliberation on his homeland); the soaring rock songs `Where I want to be' and `Pity the child' (in the former, the Russian reflects upon his life under the spotlight; in the latter, the American ponders about his own unhappy childhood) or the gentle `Heaven help my heart' (in which Florence weighs up her relationship with the Russian).

A special reference must be made to Tim Rice's excellent lyrics. With `Chess' he managed to keep up to the high standards he set himself in `Jesus Christ Superstar' and Evita'. Again in this case he shows he is a lyrical wizard, with his familiar cynical touch. `The story of chess', in which he gives a history of the game in a couple of crafty verses, is a pure masterpiece. The same can be said of the song `I know him so well', where the two women reexamine their relationship with the same man. As a whole, `Chess' owes a lot of its appeal to Tim Rice's written word.

The cast on this album ranks the high standard of the material. The principal parts (sung by Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg and Murray Head) are delivered in a strong and impeccable fashion.

This 2-disc edition comes with a booklet containing a note from the authors, a text about chess, a full synopsis and a libretto, together with the photos of the principal singers.

Anyone interested in the modern musical theatre should find `Chess' to be a great score with great lyrics, which should be enough to satisfy any aficionado.

Chess.......2007-01-15

A magnificent musical, i have enjoyed the music since i first heard it and read the storyline. Had been unable to find it in our local music stores.Very pleased to find it on your site.

One of my favorites!.......2007-01-12

I love "Chess"! I still remember the first time I heard the single "One Night in Bangkok" on my car radio. I thought it was so unusual and so very cool, so I tracked down the album and bought it. Then I taped it onto a cassette, which is what I've been listening to for years, so I finally broke down and got it on CD. Of course, it's on my iPod now. I've seen the musical, and I loved that, too.

Concepts get better with practice.......2006-11-27

I love this show! That said, I do not care for this version of it. The inclusion of the word "concept" in the title means it is just that. This was, thankfully, not the final version of the show that would later spawn the hit song, "One Night In Bangkok".

With most Broadway musicals, the musical numbers tell the basic story of the show. If you listen to the recordings of Phantom, Mama Mia, Beauty and the Beast, you can discern the basic storyline of the show. Listening to this particular recording of Chess, though, will leave you wondering "What was that?" The Broadway arrival of Chess saw a much needed reworking of the storyline and arrangement of the musical numbers. This recording seems too much like a mish-mash of songs that don't really relate to each other.

For musical fanatics (like myself), I say "yes, you should have this recording in your collection", if only to understand how much work went into the show before it opened on Broadway.

If you are only buying the album because of "One Night In Bangkok", purchase the Broadway recording instead; you'll be much happier with the performance by Phillip Casnoff rather than Murray Head.

Album Review:

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2. World of Lady A
3. YosepH
4. You See the Trouble With Me [CD-single] [Import]
5. Ain't No Love Pt.1 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
6. All Nite Madness [Import] [Limited Edition]
7. Ambient Lounge, Vol. 2 [Import]
8. Arabesque Zoudge [Import]
9. Bargrooves: Fall
10. Becoming Transparent

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