Ordinary Man (Limited Edition) [Import]

1. Waiting For A Break

2. Bedroom Dancing

3. Walk Now Talk Now

4. In Your Life

5. Trying Too Hard

6. I'm Doin Fine

7. Autumn Rain

8. Truly Madly Deeply

9. Love On The Dole

10. Paradise Lost

11. Ordinary Man

Tracks:

Let Yourself Go
If
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My Funny Valentine
Hanging Around with You (with Jason Alexander)
The Girl in 14G
I'll Tell the Man in the Street
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
Nobody Else But Me
Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me/Why Can't I?
Should I Be Sweet?
He's Just an Ordinary Guy
Going to the Dance with You
On a Turquoise Cloud
You'll Never Know
Daddy

Amazon.com

Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for the supporting role of Sally Brown in the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, made a memorably vampy Lily in the 1999 television film of Annie, and had an NBC sitcom created for her, Kristin! Now she grabs the spotlight in Let Yourself Go, her first solo recording. She mixes torchy standards ("My Funny Valentine," "How Long Has This Been Going On?") with Faith Prince-style sauciness ("If"), gets to show off her operatic and scat chops in the miniplay "The Girl in 14G," and shares a light duet with Jason Alexander (reviving his musical theater career post-Seinfeld). Perhaps her "Stranger Here Myself" isn't the weightiest you've ever heard, but this is an enjoyable album with a good deal of old-fashioned class, expertly accompanied by Rob Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

One of the best ever!.......2007-04-24

Do I mean the best album or the best singer? You are correct if you said both! I saw Kristin Chenoweth on a PBS show "Broadway's Best at the Pops," (though it was not the first time I had heard her) and decided to check out the offerings here. This is a collection of the kind of music and performances I love. She has a great range, a precise pitch, and a great style that is at the same time true to the music and to herself. In an era when singers try to outdo each other re-interpreting the composer's original work, not usually with great success, she is a blessing!

Kristen Chenowith.......2007-02-26

I bought this CD for the Girl in 14G. Yes, it's that good...

Has its moments.......2007-02-19

After watching Candide endlessly and going to see Ms. Chenoweth in The Apple Tree, I was hungry for something more portable to listen to. At times this fits the bill, but what surprised me the most is how thin her voice comes across on this recording. Perhaps it was the joy of seeing her live that has ruined this listener; perhaps I need to upgrade my aging music system. Then again, maybe the recording is just not as good as Ms. C singing Bernstein or as good as staring at Ms. C command a Broadway stage.

Great CD!.......2007-01-19

I truly enjoy listening to this CD. Kristin Chenoweth's vocal style and abilities are very well-matched to the songs selected for this album. If you enjoy classic, older-style Broadway/popular tunes, I would highly recommend this CD. Ms. Chenoweth has a bright, expressive voice and does a fantastic job with this material.

As with any full-length CD, there are a couple of songs I am not as crazy about, but that has to do with the songs themselves, not Ms. Chenoweth's vocal performance. Overall, I love this album and have listened to it several times now, since receiving it as a Christmas gift last month.

This woman has what it takes, and then some..........2007-01-12

Kristin Chenoweth brings new life to some timeless Broadways tunes while introducing a few wonderful new ones. This high pitched vocal goddess effortlessly provides for a nearly flawless and easy listening experience. I definitly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys jazz vocals, showtunes, or just a new spin on some old classics.

Average customer rating:

Michel Legrand
Sunlight on his fingertips
all the stars you've got
Maestro Legrand , at last !
For Jazz piano purest... Only!

Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Michel Plays Legrand
The Essential Michel Legrand Film Music Collection
I Love Paris
Legrand Jazz
Summer of 42

ASIN: B00005YW0W
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

I Will Wait For You
The Windmills Of Your Mind
The Summer Knows
How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
Watch What Happens
What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
His Eyes, Her Eyes
The Hands Of Time
Ordinary Man
Summer Me, Winter Me
You Must Believe In Spring
Once Upon A Summertime
L'Amour Fantome
Yentl Medley: Papa Can You Hear Me/The Way He Makes Me Feel/A Piece Of Sky

Amazon.com

If the American pop culture profile of French composer-jazz pianist Michel Legrand doesn't seem what it once was, don't be misled: his European indie film scores continue six decades on, now numbering nearly 200. But Legrand's most beloved work remains the lovely, evocative themes he created in the '60s and '70s, including "I Will Wait for You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair's "Windmills of Your Mind," the theme from Summer of '42, and his work on Barbra Streisand's Yentl. This collection marks Legrand's first solo piano recordings, presenting those and other film score highlights in spontaneously improvised performances that offer a glimpse of Legrand's musical soul. If, as in "Windmills," his enthusiasm gets the best of him and he occasionally lapses into flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody, there are more than enough sublime moments here to compensate, especially on lesser-known songs like Best Friends' "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from The Happy Ending, and Brian's Song's "Hands of Time." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Michel Legrand.......2007-03-12

This is a great CD! Sound is awesome. I highly recommend it.

Sunlight on his fingertips.......2005-08-10

Sunlight on his fingertips

The very bright talent of Michele Legrand you can feel especially when Maestro is playing piano himself.

I heard some orchestra performance of Legrand before, that was good, but I was still thinking about him just like about pop music composer.

Now I think different - he is Genius!

all the stars you've got.......2005-01-29

Bill Evans once said that technique in jazz "is the ability to translate your ideas into sound through your instrument." If that's the case, Legrand possesses technique in spades.

Before commenting on this rewarding disc, a few words about Legrand himself:

Is there a better songwriter or a more versatile all-around musican alive today? I think you have to go back to people like Gershwin and Billy Strayhorn to find a rough parallel to Legrand's multifaceted, genre-crossing genius. A pupil of Nadia Boulanger (who studied with Faure and taught many important American composers, including Aaron Copland and Philip Glass), Legrand is an heir of the great French tradition of music--but one who has chosen to express himself through popular songs, film scores, and jazz. He possesses that rare combination of an absolutely rigorous theoretical knowledge of music and an intuitive, spontaneous instinct for both melody and improvisation. He combines exquisite refinement with a popular touch, a need to communicate directly with all who love music. To me, his work represents the most perfect expression of such typically French traits as lightness, insouciance, wit, melodic charm, and direct emotional expression since Poulenc.

Here you'll find many of Legrand's signature songs--"I Will Wait for You," "The Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?," "The Hands of Time," "You Must Believe in Spring," etc.--reharmonized and enriched in stunningly beautiful solo recreations. Those unfamiliar with Legrand's pianistic abilities will probably be surprised by what they hear, for he's no part-time piano tickler. He can easily hold his own in the company of the best modern jazz pianists. He has a wonderfully refined touch that is incapable of making a harsh sound and a profusive sense of fantasy that keeps you constantly guessing as to where the music will go next. Yet you always feel satisfied when you find out, because Legrand possesses a composer's comprehension of harmony and form. And his own style is in no way compromised by an occasional nod here and there toward Bill Evans, Erroll Garner, Rachmaninoff, and so on. (Please: disregard the Amazon reviewer's remark about "flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody." It's called a stride chorus, and it's just one example of Legrand's surprising way of recasting these songs--and of his encyclopedic command of jazz styles.)

This disc represents the essence of Legrand. It really should have been recorded a long time ago, but the fact that it has captured his undiminished abilities as he enters his twilight years lends it an added poignance--a sense of "just in time!"--that makes it all the sweeter. If you're already a Legrand fan, it should be a self-recommending treasure, and if you're a fan of great piano playing or of sophisticated jazz treatments of great songs, odds are you'll find this a very rewarding disc indeed. For me, the highlight is this version of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" in which every note seems inevitable--not at all an easy thing to make happen in an improvisation.

Miles Davis once said of a Duke Ellington recording, "Give that one all the stars you've got." That's the way I feel about this disc, and I thought that phrase "all the stars you've got" was appropriate because it almost sounds like the title of a Legrand song.

Maestro Legrand , at last !.......2004-10-10

Legrand has recorded at last one of his more intimate renditions to himself with his most remarkable themes along his brilliant career .
From a summer of 42 , The windmills of your mind (The Thomas crown afair) , what are you doing the rest of your life or the romantic Umbrellas of Cherbourg ; all those unforgettable themes are played in this album for piano solo in the real intimacy between him and the listener .
Legrand is the golden master of soundtracks in France and one of the top in the world . He owns that inner vision to catch the spirit of every movie he accompains . He composes music as he was a real director movie . The psychological concerns , the romantic efluvies and the precise and lyrical atmosphere , with that touch of class, artistic elegance and sublime eloquency .
Think also in the important recordings with Miles Davis . That issue will give you the size of that artist and anothe point to remark . In 1954 , Legrand made a golden jewel : I lvoe Paris (See my review) that has become through the years in the most famous and the best album of instrumental music ever recorded .
What other background do you need to acquire this gem ?

For Jazz piano purest... Only!.......2002-09-07

I love the music of Michele Legrand! It is a rich mixture of
graceful tones and notes, that create memories of a certain
time and place in each of our own lives.
When accompaned with great orchestration Its wonderful. When done in a jazz piano style, its not as good. Not to take anyting away from the talents of Mr Legrand as a pianist. Its just that like hearing a lusher, grander version of his music. So if you like jazz piano music, and Michele Legrand.
Then this is the cd for you!

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Average customer rating:

Irresistible
"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
Excellent!
Great Arrangments

Rodgers & Hammerstein: Songbook for Orchestra (Orchestral Suites)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Lerner & Loewe Songbook for Orchestra
Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Complete Overtures ~ Opening Night / Hollywood Bowl Orchestra · Mauceri
Puttin' on the Ritz: The Great Hollywood Musicals
The Sound Of Music (1987 Studio Cast)
Classics of the Silver Screen

ASIN: B000003CXQ
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

Oklahoma!
Carousel
State Fair
South Pacific
The King And I
Cinderella Waltz
Flower Drum Song
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

Irresistible.......2005-07-29

From beginning to end this CD is pure delight. A great recording has great music, a great performance, and great sound; this one scores on all three counts.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's musicals dominated Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s, and American musical theater has produced no more consistently eloquent and durable voice than Richard Rodgers. From his fertile genius flowed a surprising number of memorable songs, many of which have passed into and become an accepted and beloved part of modern American culture.

This well-filled CD (77:36) features symphonic arrangements (all but two by Robert Russell Bennett) of the music from Oklahoma (1943), Carousel (1945), State Fair (1945), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Flower Drum Song (1958), and The Sound of Music (1959). All the great tunes are here in suites from each musical that average 10-12 minutes in length. The arrangements are expert: rich, varied, and colorful. The performances are polished, idiomatic, and irresistible; Kunzel and this orchestra are thorough masters of this kind of material. And Telarc's sound (recorded 1991) is state-of-the-art (engineer Michael Bishop deserves to take a bow).

In short, there's nothing here to cloud your listening pleasure (the only quibble I can imagine is that some of your favorites may not last long enough), so it's hard for me to envision anyone with ears and a taste for music who wouldn't enjoy this CD. Warmly recommended. Finally, if you like this one as much as I do, you might want to know that the same team has produced a companion volume, the Lerner & Lowe Songbook for Orchestra.

"Some Enchanted Evening" with Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops.......2003-12-26

Erich Kunzel's Rodgers and Hammerstein anthology with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra is one of the best and most ravishing instrumental Rodgers and Hammerstein albums of all time. With sumptuous arrangements and warm, natural Telarc recording, this glorious 77-minute CD presents sweeping, melodic arrangements of over 60 Rodgers and Hammerstein selections, spanning eight scores, and Kunzel allows the Pops to play with a characterful and polished understanding of the Rodgers and Hammerstein idiom. The disc is enough to cheer you up on a dull day and make you smile, and it might even want to make you feel like a convert to Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals.

This CD has all the scores arranged chronologically. The OKLAHOMA! suite that opens this disc promises a feast for the senses, Kunzel ably evokes the territory's "bright, golden haze" in the way he conducts the various excerpts, until you feel the atmosphere of the country charm of the show, and the love-affair between Curly and Laurey. Then, in CAROUSEL, he ably evokes the pathos of this tragic R&H masterwork, especially in the truncated Waltz, but he leads a wonderfully melodic "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and a devotional "You'll Never Walk Alone." Although this suite does not include Billy's pivotal Soliloquy, it includes "If I Loved You" as an expression of his love for Julie, and within minutes you could be soaked in the ups and downs of the show's mood.

After a brief STATE FAIR suite, with sweeping renditions of "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "It's a Grand Night for Singing", we are brought into the disc's showstopping highlights. These highlights are the excerpts from SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I, and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. But yet Kunzel conducts the rest of the disc until the various suites amount to a series of showstoppers. These three suites present wonderfully-arranged versions of their many familiar classic songs, with well-played solos. The SOUTH PACIFIC suite presents the songs in chronological order, yet preserves the atmosphere of the show at the same time. Kunzel ably brings out the romance in "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Younger than Springtime," and contrasts it with the exotic and dreamlike "Bali Hai'i" and the comic "There is Nothing like a Dame" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". Although the suite ends quietly with a reprise of "Dites-Moi" rather than the reprise of "Some Enchanted Evening," within minutes we are swept into the KING AND I suite. Kunzel ably brings out the Oriental pathos in this score, and he captures the warmth of Anna's rapport with the King's Siamese children in "Getting to Know You", and with the King himself in "Shall We Dance." There is also romance in the love ballads "I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow." Similarly, in the selection from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Kunzel conducts this until the orchestra soaks itself in the atmosphere of this Austrian R&H score. This SOUND OF MUSIC suite has more of a feel of the score compared to the bonus track on Sony's reissued version of the Broadway recording. You can almost feel as if you are following the progress of the Trapp family and how it lifts its spirits with the joy of music. Kunzel gives us a soaring version of the title song, and spirited versions of "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favourite Things." He balances it with the open-air quality of "Edelweiss" and "The Lonely Goatherd." Although this suite could have included "Something Good," the love ballad written for the film, the three recollections of the songs that were cut from the movie only last for a while. And, the towering version of "Climb Every Mountain" crowns this portion of the disc, and this sumptuously-produced recording. But, I should also mention the infectuous FLOWER DRUM SONG medley, where Kunzel turns this underrated score into a work of art, until it convinces you to buy the cast recording. And, don't forget about the brief CINDERELLA WALTZ, too, when Kunzel conducts it magically, until you feel like you are in the company of Cinderella and the Prince. He is able to show how this R&H score marked a comeback for R&H after the failiures of Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream.

Overall, this glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein recording is guarunteed to make you want to pucker your lips out for a whistle or sing along (to paraphrase another revew for Kunzel's Disney Spectacular disc) - even if this recording is music only, and as long as you know the words to the songs (and you might know a large handful of them already.) There is always a certain magic in this fine CD that makes you feel like you're sitting in the theatre watching these musicals, until it makes you feel like it is truly, to borrow two R&H song titles, "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Something Wonderful" to be in Kunzel's company for this R&H offering. It would certainly be one recording that could make you feel willing to buy the complete cast recordings of the shows. And I guaruntee that it will make you feel willing to pull out your existing copies of the cast recordings to listen to them again. I also guaruntee that it will be a cornerstone in any Rodgers and Hammerstein collection, just as it is in mine. Recommended heartily to any Rodgers and Hammerstein enthusiast and to fans of Erich Kunzel's work. And, you can play it while reading the Richard Rodgers biography, Musical Stages, until Rodgers himself would count this as his favourite disc in the afterlife.

By the way, most of the arrangements for the suites on this CD were done by the veteran R&H orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, and it surely adds to the appeal of this recording. This itself is enough to amount to the icing on the cake, since Kunzel conducts them well on here, and since this recording still allows the suites to have the original theatrical atmosphere. And, although this recording is like the Mauceri collection of the Rodgers & Hammerstein overtures in compiling orchestral suites of Rodgers & Hammerstein, I think that I like the Kunzel recording even more because Kunzel has more magic in his conducting of these suites.

Excellent!.......2003-04-08

This is one of the best Erich Kunzel/Cincinnati Pops collections we own! A must for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, too.

Great Arrangments.......2001-09-02

This is a first rate album with great arrangments and orchestrations. If you're a Rodgers and Hammerstein fan, you can't afford to miss this specatacular album

Average customer rating:

Well-balanced album by one of the strongest voices in music!
Our Wedding Day!
Fatastic
I just loved this album
The album was fantastic!!

No Ordinary Man
Tracy Byrd
Manufacturer: Mca Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracy Byrd
Big Love
I'm From The Country
Love Lessons
It's About Time

ASIN: B000002ORF
Release Date: 1994-06-07

Tracks:

The First Step
Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich And Famous
No Ordinary Man
Anybody Else's Heart But Mine
Watermelon Crawl
The Keeper Of The Stars
You Never Know Just How Good You've Got It
Redneck Roses
Right About Now
Pink Flamingos

Customer Reviews:

Well-balanced album by one of the strongest voices in music!.......2001-11-08

Tracy proves himself yet again to be the ultimate country singer with a wide variety of straight country music. Tracy has always been able to go from fun to serious without effort. On this album, Tracy shows he's got a sense of humor and is not afraid to pick a little fun at the way we live with songs like, Lifestyles of the Not So Rich and Famous and Pink Flamingos. Even a country fried love song like Redneck Roses (co-written by Byrd and Byron Hill who also co-wrote Lifestyles and Strait's Fool Hearted Memory) shows a little bit of this.

Byrd shows his true diversity by including one of the most popular love songs and strongest male vocalist ballads of the decade, the No.1 Hit The Keeper of The Stars.

And of course, we can't forget one of everybody's favorite two-step songs The First Step which kicks the album off.

Produced by Jerry Crutchfield (also produced LeDoux), it's no wonder we got one of the best Rodeo songs of all time, No Ordinary Man. Co-written by Bryd, this song still stands today right along with LeDoux's best stuff and shows Byrd's appreciation for rodeo and rodeo athletes. The strength of Tracy's voice is evident during the breakdown of this song where he carries it a capello.

This is a solid album all the way through as we have come to expect from Bryd. Like his debut album, this one also makes our Best 100 of All Time list.

Editor, eCowboy.com

Our Wedding Day!.......2000-01-24

The song "Keeper of The Stars" says it all about the feelings and love my fiance and I have for each other. We truly believe "someone had a hand in it, long before we ever knew." We are getting married this June and will be having "Keeper" as our First Dance. My fiance "tips his hat to the "Keeper of The Stars." Tracy, Thank YOU so much, for playing such an important part in our Wedding.

Fatastic.......1999-07-12

I love this album. Especially "Keeper Of The Stars" I played it for my wife for our first dance on our wedding day. It truely reflects exactly how I feel. Thank You Tracy !!!

I just loved this album.......1999-02-21

For anyone who is in love "Keeper of the Stars" is the truest and best song I have ever heard. My fiance sang this song to me on Valentines Day when he got me the tape. It is a song that is definetly going to be played at our wedding after we say our vows

The album was fantastic!!.......1998-12-30

Keeper of the Stars is a song that reflects on my own love story...it is so true and brings tears to my eyes!! I love the album..way to go Tracy!!!

My Fair Lady (1959 Original London Cast)

Average customer rating:

Precise, pointed and peerless !!!
the "Fair Lady" in London...
My Fair Lady again?
Broadway vs London vs Movie
It's good but,..

My Fair Lady (1959 Original London Cast)
Alan Jay Lerner
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
South Pacific (Original 1949 Broadway Cast)
Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)
The Sound of Music (1965 Film Soundtrack - 40th Anniversary Special Edition)

ASIN: B000007OHU
Release Date: 1998-06-02

Tracks:

Act I: Overture
Act I: Why Can't The English?
Act I: Wouldn't It Be Loverly
Act I: With A Little Bit Of Luck
Act I: I'm An Ordinary Man
Act I: Just You Wait
Act I: The Rain In Spain
Act I: I Could Have Danced All Night
Act I: Ascot Gavotte
Act I: On The Street Where You Live
Act II: You Did It
Act II: Show Me
Act II: Get Me To The Church On Time
Act II: A Hymn To Him
Act II: Without You
Act II: I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
The Embassy Waltz

Amazon.com

My Fair Lady is without question one of the greatest shows ever created for the musical theater. It's a charming, hilarious, and touching adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, pitting flower girl Eliza Doolittle against Prof. Henry Higgins, the self-absorbed and ill-tempered linguist who bets that he can turn her into a lady by improving her diction. Lerner and Loewe's score includes some of the best-loved songs in the canon: "Why Can't the English," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "The Rain in Spain," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On the Street Where You Live," "Get Me to the Church on Time," and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," among others. The 1959 London-cast stereo recording is generally held in lower regard than its Broadway counterpart, recorded three years earlier in mono. But why quibble? The principals are all the same--Rex Harrison as Higgins, Julie Andrews as Eliza, Stanley Holloway as her dad, and Robert Coote as Col. Pickering (Leonard Weir replaced Michael King as Freddy Einsford-Hill)--and it's still a classic recording in its own right that you'll treasure for years. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Precise, pointed and peerless !!!.......2007-01-03

One listen to the London original cast recording of My Fair Lady and you know why this CD still sells. Despite the decades, the recording sounds fresh, clear and crisp. There is no background noise on this CD! Moreover, the songs by Lerner and Loewe are brilliantly composed and the lyrics are clever, witty and poignant. This CD proves it.

The CD opens with the overture to the musical stage play and then goes right into the first song entitled "Why Can't The English?" More spoken than sung by Rex Harrison, "Why Can't The English" fleshes out his character's lament that too many British people don't speak English well. The melody is catchy and the lyrics are funny at times even if some of the humor is dated.

The lesser educated British have their say in the next number, "Wouldn't It Be Loverly." In this song, sung by Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle with male backup singers and a chorus of whistlers, demonstrates how these persons really do want to lead a much more sophisticated life with more luxuries.

Other great songs on this CD include the rousing "Get Me To The Church On Time" sung by the memorable Stanley Holloway; the beautiful love ballad "On The Street Where You Live" performed by Leonard Weir; "I Could Have Danced All Night" which is performed flawlessly by Julie Andrews who belts out those incredibly high notes; and "The Rain In Spain" delivered by Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison and Robert Coote. Excellent!

One especially amusing song is entitled "A Hymn To Him" performed mostly by Rex Harrison with some assistance from Robert Coote. The violins at the beginning of this number are beautiful in the musical arrangement.

The CD concludes with a extra bonus monophonic track of the waltz music for the scene in which Henry Higgins takes Eliza Doolittle to the Embassy ball. "The Embassy Waltz," conducted by Percy Faith, offers a beautiful musical arrangement that leaves you wanting more--so don't be surprised if you get the urge to play the CD all over again from the very beginning and enjoy it once more.

The musical arrangements are carefully planned and executed throughout; only Lerner and Loewe were capable of producing such a fine score to go with this stage play. The tempo of the score is faster overall than it was for the original Broadway production; this is especially evident in the opening notes of the overture. Nevertheless, it all works brilliantly.

The liner notes boast terrific black and white photos of the actors in the stage play along with a special color photo of Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. Didier C. Deutsch contributes a lengthy essay about the history and production of My Fair Lady as well.

The music and lyrics to the original London cast recording of My Fair Lady are timeless. Even today, more than four decades later, the soundtrack still sells well. The musical is one with which many people can identify as it illustrates through words and music the blossoming love affair between Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Indeed, the story and the music add to the enchantment as we realize that even Higgins and Doolittle themselves are unaware of the full power of their mutual attraction until the very end of the stage play. My Fair Lady will remain a classic musical; and the score to the stage play on this album is priceless. May you enjoy this soundtrack as much as I did!

the "Fair Lady" in London..........2006-09-23

In 1956, Lerner and Loewe's MY FAIR LADY swept into Broadway and quickly captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike, the perfect transformation of George Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion" into the world of the musical theatre. Both Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews played the show for two years on Broadway before yielding to replacements (Edward Mulhare and Sally Ann Howes), and in 1959 traveled across the pond to headline the London company. The show opened at the Drury Lane Theatre in April 1959, and ran for 2,281 performances.

While both Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison had laid down their definitive performances as Eliza Doolittle and Prof. Henry Higgins for the 1956 original Broadway cast album of MY FAIR LADY, the subsequent 1959 London production allowed them to record another album, in the brand-new stereophonic format.

Despite this 1959 recording having a sweeter sound than the earlier 1956 mono album, this sadly remains the lesser of the two, because a lot of the energy and flash had disappeared from Julie Andrews' voice in the years she had performed the role. On the Broadway album, Andrews gives a rich performance that runs the gamut from cockney guttersnipe to regal high society, but comparing the two albums directly, she does not sound at her optimal best on the London set. Andrews has acknowledged that she found the role of Eliza both physically and vocally exhausting, even more so because of the lack of body-mikes, and the projection must have been gruelling at times. No wonder that so much of the bloom in Andrews' voice had vanished by the time she reprised her role in London. Despite Andrews, the album does have a few merits including breezy orchestrations under the direction of Cyril Ornadel (the Overture is given a much faster tempo than is heard on the Broadway set).

The supporting cast includes Stanley Holloway (also reprising his Broadway role) as Eliza's dustman father Alfie. The role of Freddy is played by Leonard Weir (his "On the Street Where You Live" is very charming), and Robert Coote also repeats his Broadway role as Colonel Pickering.

The 1959 London cast of MY FAIR LADY, just like the 1956 Broadway album, has never been out of the catalogue, though the confusion between the two albums still exists, despite the fact that the London album sports a gold-brown cover and the Broadway album is white. Sony Broadway Masterworks' edition features a bonus track of the "Embassy Waltz", a mono recording from 1956.

My Fair Lady again?.......2005-06-04

I have heard the Columbia Masterworks recording of this show as it was produced in Isreal. Same orchestrations, different lyrics! In Hebrew of course. I wish it were still available.

Broadway vs London vs Movie.......2003-10-02

Let's begin by comparing both the Broadway and London scores to the 1964 movie soundtrack-- actually there is no comparison! Both Broadway and London surpass the movie recording by far, only demonstrating the HUGE mistake Hollywood made by not casting Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle. Andrews' purely delightful soprano voice and perfect diction cannot even be compared to Marni Nixon's voice dubbing in the film. In addition, Andrews is British, which is critical to this play, unlike Nixon's purely American accent heard in the film.

As far as Broadway vs London MFL recordings, I would have to agree with the others who are in favor of the "white" Broadway album. While both are very good, the Broadway album does appear to be less "forced" than the London album due, most likely, to the fact that it was recorded before the cast had exhausted themselves singing the score after a few years on the stage. Both Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews appear to be more "natural" in the Broadway album, and Andrews does definitely lose a bit of the innocence in her voice in this recording.

All in all, I would recommend that any MFL collector invest in both the Broadway and London cast recordings to make your own opinions. Yet, for someone looking to buy only one album, I would stick with the Broadway version. In all situations, save yourself some money and skip buying the film soundtrack.

It's good but,.........2003-07-26

If I had never heard the 1956 recording I would have thought this one was great....but to me, compared to its mono counterpart, this performance sounds more like a Wednesday matinee in the middle of a long run. The performers are all still wonderful, but it's very relaxed and and lacks the vivid characterizations found in the original. Any fan of "My Fair Lady," however, will want to have them both and decide for themselves!

Average customer rating:

The songs stand on their own
Sounds Very Good
Nice remix but nothing outstanding
MY FAIR LADY SOUNDTRACK FINALLY GIVEN ITS DUE ON SACD

My Fair Lady

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack)
The King and I (1956 Film Soundtrack)
West Side Story
My Fair Lady (1956 Original Broadway Cast)
South Pacific (1958 Film Soundtrack)

ASIN: B00005J9XS
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Tracks:

Overture
Why Can't the English? - Alan Jay Lerner,
Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
I'm an Ordinary Man
With a Little Bit of Luck
Just You Wait
Rain in Spain
I Could Have Danced All Night
Ascot Gavotte
On the Street Where You Live - Orchestra African Fiesta
You Did It - Rex Harrison, , Wilfried Hyde-White,
Get Me to the Church on Time
Hymn to Him - Isobel Elsom, Marni Nixon
Without You
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face - Stanley Holloway
Embassy Waltz [*] - Marni Nixon
You Did It - Rex Harrison, Marni Nixon
Just You Wait (Reprise) - Rex Harrison
On the Street Where You Live (Reprise)
Show Me
Flower Market
Get Me to the Church on Time
Hymn to Him
Without You
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
End Titles
Exit Music

Customer Reviews:

The songs stand on their own.......2006-05-27

Many people can associate this sound track with the movie, "My Fair Lady" that was that is a film version of Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion". This is a classic musical with many well known songs by Lerner and Loewe.

However unlike many musicals the songs have a life of their own. Even though they matched the story perfectly, they are they type of songs that one could instantly blurt out in the thrill of the moment. I my self found that "On the Street Where you live" matched perfectly when I was in love in my youth.

Sounds Very Good.......2006-05-16

This album and CD format sound very good. I was quite pleased. THE RAIN IN SPAIN and ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE are favorites of mine. I am glad this soundtrack got a top notch presentation. Well worth the wait.

Nice remix but nothing outstanding.......2004-03-06

After reading one review that gave this recording five stars I purchased it. Although it probably is a better recording than past CDs - don't expect the sound of a modern recording. A couple of the songs are very much clearer, but over-all I did not find this recording to be a revelation.

MY FAIR LADY SOUNDTRACK FINALLY GIVEN ITS DUE ON SACD.......2001-08-02

Warner Bros' 1964 film version of My Fair Lady, Lerner and Loewe's brilliant musical adaptation of Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, is a genuine motion picture classic, fully worthy of all the awards and praise it has garnered since it's release nearly forty years ago.

My Fair Lady boasted a discrete 6 track stereophonic sound mix, which was state of the art for it's time and still probably sounds better than the majority of today's pictures.

This new SACD format CD offers the best sonic presentation of this soundtrack ever made available to the music buying public. With this release Sony has corrected a horrible injustice done to My Fair Lady in its previous CD. Gone is the sloppy editing of bits and pieces of meaningless dialogue excerpts and intrusive Foley effects, which served only to show the total lack of respect the producers had for these performances. While this SACD is not completely free of such tampering, this time the small amount of dialogue is beautifully edited and serves properly as lead in to the songs. Unlike the original LP release the extended versions of all the songs are presented here, along with The Embassy Waltz and the Entr'acte music.

I won't get into the debate over Audrey Hepburn's casting except to say that at this point in time Julie Andrews, although obviously a better singer than Hepburn and probably wonderful on the stage, could not have even come close to the level of brilliance displayed by Audrey Hepburn in this role on the screen.

Unfortunately precious little of Hepburn's superb performance is to be heard on this SACD, which leaves us with a debate over how Marni Nixon, Hepburn's vocal double, compares to Julie Andrews. Other than the fact that her Cockney accent is not so great, Nixon acquits herself quite admirably in the role, although I believe that Hepburn should have been allowed to do more of the singing with Nixon stepping in vocally when the going got rough, such as she did for Deborah Kerr in The King and I. But even so, Marni Nixon is arguably every bit as good a singer as Julie Andrews and performs the songs beautifully.

Add to that the fact that this soundtrack offers Rex Harrison's most polished performance of Professor Henry Higgins and since his songs were recorded live at the time of filming, there is a spontinenity in them lacking in the Broadway and particularly in the London Cast Recordings.

Stanley Holloway performs his songs with much more zest in this recording as well. But the greatest improvements over the original are the outstanding orchestral arrangements and conducting by Andre Previn assisted by Robert Tucker's excellent choral work. The brassy, puny orchestras and shrill choruses on all other recordings pale by comparison.

Still, the Original 1956 Broadway Cast Recording should be a part of any serious music lover's collection, if only to savor Julie Andrews' sterling vocal performance as the original Eliza Doolittle. The 1964 soundtrack reviewed here should be equally enjoyed on its own merits, as mentioned above, and for allowing one to hear in brilliant stereo sound a more complete and better orchestrated version of Lerner and Loewe's musical masterpiece.

Tracks:

Sweet Music Roll On
Delirium Tremens
Ordinary Man
Matty
Red in the Flickering Light
Diamondtina Drover
Blantyre Explosion
Hard Cases
Continental Ceili
St. Brendan's Voyage
Another Song Is Born
Quiet Desperation

Album Description

1985 album for the Irish folk legend. 12 tracks including 'Street Music Roll On', 'Matty' & 'Another Song Is Born'.

Customer Reviews:

Moore's most melodic of work.......2005-10-15

"Ordinary Man," has Christy Moore singing some of his gentlist, most subdued and almost mournfun songs.
There is one real upbeat exception though "St. Brendan's Voyage"
The albumn is the kind I play when I am feeling down or particularly lonely- cause Christy has felt those things too. It comes out with these songs.

So Beautiful!.......2002-09-07

This was the first Christy Moore album I heard, and I love it the best. There are so many good songs, I keep changing my mind as to which is my favorite. Christy's voice just touches your heart when you hear it. I would almost say this was the soundtrack to the semester I spent in Ireland...I couldn't walk down O'Connell Street without hearing Christy's voice!

Average customer rating:

Not worth the plastic its printed on
they're not trying to be hip-hop artists
Far From Ordinary
No, this isn't a traditional rap album...
Hip-crap

Ordinary Man
Day One
Manufacturer: Astralwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00002DFMT
Release Date: 2000-02-29

Tracks:

Waiting For A Break
Bedroom Dancing
Walk Now, Talk Now
In Your Life
Trying Too Hard
I'm Doing Fine
Autumn Rain
Truly Madly Deeply
Love On The Dole
Paradise Lost
Ordinary Man

Amazon.com

Day One's underground hip-pop debut is the kind of literate yet accessible rainy-day disc that slowly insinuates itself into your life. You find yourself singing along to it even when it's not on the stereo, or trying to picture what a character in a particular song looks like in person. Ordinary Man borrows equally from the upbeat, lyrical hip-hop of De La Soul, the moody, intricate trip-hop of Massive Attack, and the melodic, laid-back storytelling style of Wyclef Jean. "In Your Life"--a positively sweet ditty with lyrics that wrap slice-of-life love stuff up with a taste of self-deprecating humor--is a musical update of Cornershop-style multicultural indie pop. The rhymes are wordy but slow; the beats are phat, dance-world-savvy, and downbeat; and the melodies are original (i.e., they're not all stolen from Sting or Bob Marley). It's quite a record. --Mike McGonigal

Album Description

Debut release from UK act signed to Massive Attack's Melankolic label. For fans of Beck, Eels and Massive Attack. Featuring 'Bedroom Dancing' from the 'Cruel Intentions' soundtrack. 2000 release. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth the plastic its printed on.......2004-12-26

Wow was I duped on this one. Fans of really bad, white boys trying to be funky in some way may find a way to enjoy this, but gawd help you. Kinda like Beck at his worst. High school prom DJ's from very white suburbs might find some redeeming qualities. I couldn't even bring myself to sell it on Amazon (price so low) -- actually threw it away! Saved the jewel case for another CD though...

they're not trying to be hip-hop artists.......2004-11-17

It seems obvious to this listener that Day One are NOT trying to gain hip-hop credibility. No more so than, say, Beck or Cornershop. They aren't following any strict rules about rhyme or beats or whatever. They're enjoying themselves. They're not taking themselves seriously. They're not having fun at the expense of some gender or ethnic group. They're not bragging. They're not hip-hop. They're being silly. It's by no means great, but, it's unselfconscious, just like, say, the Beasties' BS2000 side-project. I think the best comparison, if one must compare, is the Cornershop/Clinton one.

Far From Ordinary.......2004-03-28

An underrated album if there ever was one, Day One`s debut is an addictive, original and creative effort that wisely mixes hip-hop, lo-fi, dance beats, pop, folk, spoken-word and trip-hop. Released by Massive Attack`s record label Melankolic, "Ordinary Man" is clever, honest and subtle, delivering witty and poignant stories with an urban feel. Sometimes it`s humorous, like the dazzling "Bedroom Dancing" or the ironic "Trying Too Hard", in other moments touching as in the superb "I`m Doing Fine" or the mellow "Autumn Rain", and in a couple of songs it offers a darker, more haunting perspective, such as "Truly Madly Deeply" or "Paradise Lost". It`s a tight and strong record, much better than the ridiculous hip-hop that is presented in MTV and most radio stations today. Day One are quite an unique and engaging band (well, they`re a duo in fact), and it`s a shame that their first release was virtually unnoticed. "Ordinary Man" is a very well-crafted debut, containing moving and relatable lyrics as well as good and captivating soundscapes.
Highly Recommended.

No, this isn't a traditional rap album..........2002-02-12

No, this isn't a traditional rap album, as is readily apparent because I like it, and disdain others. In looking at the other reviews here, I wonder why they purchased the album to begin with. Day One has put together a unique blend of rap-beats, poetry, and a college-sortof frumpiness that I think is quite good. Granted, this is far from music for everybody, but take a listen and you may very well find it enjoyable.

Hip-crap.......2001-05-30

Good god almighty, this albums [stinks] I listened to the samples before purchasing, thinking hmm, this might go great with my hip-hop collection. I could not have been further from the truth. This is the absolute worst "rap" album I've heard in ages. These guys don't have a clue about words, rhythms, rhyming, singing, or anything really. I guess at best this album is good background music, but certainly not good enough for even pre-show music at The Apollo.

Average customer rating:

The heart of a worshipper
great inspiration
Wonderful CD
Love this Project

David: Ordinary Man...Extraordinary God
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Butterfly (Navarre)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000A0DU5
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Tracks:

Extraordinary God
Heart of You (Psalm 15) - Bob Carlisle
Twenty-Three (Psalm 23) - Clay Crosse
Deliver Me (Psalm 59) - Steve Camp
When I'm Afraid (Psalm 56)
Lord Is My Rock (Psalm 18) - Clay Crosse
I Cannot Hide from You (Psalm 139)
Purify Me (Psalm 51)
Satisfied in You (Psalm 63)
Sing to the Lord (Psalm 30) - Scott Krippayne

Customer Reviews:

The heart of a worshipper.......2006-06-28

It is hard to describe what this cd is but I can say this ...
The songs vary and for very good reason. Love, deliverance, adoration, a cry for help, and so much more.
We might not be able to accurately reproduce the loving and passionate worship that King David was anointed to bring about, but I believe that this cd is an outstanding production of honoring his spirit of worship

great inspiration.......2006-01-27

I'm not a great critic but if I can play a CD for hours, driving down an interstate then it's earned high praise from me. The album is worshipful, motivational to reading the Psalms, ending with encouragement reading God's Word. I hope these singers come out with a second.

Wonderful CD.......2005-10-09

This is wonderful music with a glorious message. I encourage you to read the Psalms to which the songs relate; I found it very inspirational.

Love this Project.......2005-04-11

I bought this album after hearing Clay Crosse sing "Purify Me" at a church concert. The CD is good, the artists are good. It's a fascinating project and brings to life some of the psalms of David. I am glad to have it in my collection.

Americans In London 1947 - 1951: Original London Cast Recordings From Oklahoma! (1947) / Annie Get Your Gun (1947) / Carousel (1950) / Zip Goes A Million (1951)

Average customer rating:

Review of Americans in London

Americans In London 1947 - 1951: Original London Cast Recordings From Oklahoma! (1947) / Annie Get Your Gun (1947) / Carousel (1950) / Zip Goes A Million (1951)
Oscar Hammerstein II , and Erich Mashwitz
Manufacturer: Encore
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001ZRD
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Tracks:

Oklahoma!: Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'/The Surrey With The Fringe On Top/Out Of My Dreams
Oklahoma!: Kansas City/I Can't Say No/People Will Say We're In Love
Oklahoma!: The Farmer And The Cowman/Pore Jud Is Daid/It's A Scandal, It's An Outrage
Oklahoma!: Many A New Day/All 'Er Nothin'/Oklahoma!
Annie Get Your Gun: The Girl That I Marry/They Say It's Wonderful/There's No Business Like Show...
Annie Get Your Gun: You Can't Get A Man With A Gun/My Defenses Are Down/I Got Lost In His Arms
Annie Get Your Gun: Moonshine Lullaby/They Say It's Wonderful/Doin' What Comes Natur'lly
Annie Get Your Gun: Who Do You Love, I Hope?/Anything You Can Do/I'm A Bad Bad Man/I Got The Sun...
Carousel: June Is Bustin' Out All Over/Mister Snow/When The Children Are Asleep...
Carousel: If Loved You
Carousel: A Real Nice Clambake/Blow High, Blow Low
Carousel: What's The Use Of Wond'rin/My Little Girl/You'll Never Walk Alone
Zip Goes A Million: Saving Up For Sally
Zip Goes A Million: Ordinary People
Zip Goes A Million: Zipe Goes A Million/Running Away To Land/Zip Goes A Million
Zip Goes A Million: It Takes No Time To Fall In Love
Zip Goes A Million: Nothing Breaks But The Heart
Zip Goes A Million: Pleasure Cruise

Customer Reviews:

Review of Americans in London.......2006-03-09

The recording is excellent and replaces my old 78 recordings which I transferred to tape some years ago. But they have that horrible hissing noise which spoils my enjoyment of them.
It is to be observed that although the cast is American, the orchestras and conductors are British (except for Debroy Sommers). I know qite a bot about Deboy Sommers and Lew Stone, but can anyone fill me in about Reginald Burston?
The CD is great. Thank you to Amazon for this.

Dance Music:

Dance Music

dance music

Dance Music

Funky Little Demons [Import]

Quintette Op 42 / Quintette Op 68

Night Blooming

Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia [Import]

Four by Four, Vol. 1

R&B Love Songs [Import]

Personal Christmas Collection

Martinu, Schulhoff: String Sextets

Pin Heel Stomp [Import]

Miles Beyond

No Surprises [CD-single]

More Than You Think You Are [Import]

Lamento Norteno

Songs of Robert Burns/Songs of the Hebrides

Tell the Truth!