Prisoners in Paradise

Prisoners in Paradise

Track Listings

1. All or Nothing

2. Halfway to Heaven

3. I'll Cry for You

4. Little Bit of Lovin'

5. Talk to Me

6. Seventh Sign

7. Prisoners in Paradise

8. Bad Blood

9. Homeland

10. Got Your Mind in the Gutter

11. Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door

12. Girl from Lebanon

Tracks:

Overture
Opening Night
The King of Broadway
We Can Do It
Unhappy
I Wanna Be a Producer
In Old Bavaria
Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop
Keep It Gay
When You Got It, Flaunt It
Along Came Bialy
That Face
Have You Ever Heard the German Band?
It's Bad Luck to Say Good Luck on Op'ning Night
Springtime for hitler
Where Did We Go Right?
Betrayed
'Til Him
Prisoners Of Love (Leo & Max)
Goodbye!

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The Producers was the vehicle that first proclaimed Mel Brooks's decidedly singular comic vision as a film director in 1968. At the time, the world may not have been entirely ready for the depth charges of hilarity he unleashed; but more than three decades later, it seemed almost foreordained that the film's retooling as a full-fledged musical--directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman--would become the smash hit of the 2000-2001 Broadway season (even before opening at the St. James Theatre in April). Brooks is, of course, no stranger to the Broadway musical genre or to songwriting, but skeptics might find themselves taken by surprise at just how outrageously well all the threads come together for the new show.

The film's absurd core vignette--the infamous "Springtime for Hitler"--if anything gains a few notches in hilarity when framed by a character-rich musical that comes off as both parody and valentine in its mimicry of Broadway's "golden age." Brooks (with the help of idiomatically expert arrangements by Glen Kelly) has cooked up a variety of numbers constituting a virtual primer of old-fashioned American musical comedy styles (there's even a toying with Cabaret-style decadence), but they're always coated with an extra layer of zaniness. In fact, the whole show becomes a Chinese box of parodies within parodies. But what really gets the whole mix working is a surefire cast headed by Nathan Lane playing Max Bialystock and Matthew Broderick doing a delightfully nebbish turn with delusions of misplaced glory as his sidekick, Leo Bloom.

From his first big number (musically winking at Fiddler on the Roof), Lane hungrily lays claim to the role, undaunted by his formidable predecessor, Zero Mostel. Even on disc, you can visualize his over-the-top mugging as a dethroned "king of Broadway" who was "the first producer ever to do summer stock in the winter." Comedy, as they say, is all about timing, and that's exactly what Lane gets right. His interactions with Bloom, Franz Liebkind (Brad Oscar), and Roger de Bris (Gary Beach) are priceless, even when only in sound. As for the tunes, Brooks crafts a number of truly memorable ones--don't be surprised to find yourself horrified as you hum along with "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" and, of course, "Springtime for Hitler." --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Just what I wanted.......2006-11-06

I saw the making of the CD on TV. The cast does a great job. I have the CD in my car stereo and listen to it often.

I Want to be a producer.......2006-03-06

This recording is great! I saw the play in november and loved the music. I bought the CD a little later and i am still listing to it. The cast are all great singers and did a great job. The songs are witty and catchy and never get old. You should listin to this.(Warning:See the movie or the play before you listin to this, you might hate it if you've have not.)

Spring Time for "The Producers".......2005-12-13

While I'll abmit that Nazi regemes and Hitler are probably some of the least funny thing in the world...i have to admit that the words to Springtime for Hitler are hilarious, just like the rest of the songs on this cast recording.

While "The Producers" Is not as musically complex or mature as other "Best Musical" scores of recent years (Spamalot, Avenue Q, Hairspray,) It is funnier than all of those put together. Nathan lane And Matthew Broderick Are perfectly cast in their roles and Caddy Hoffman is great, and when Ulla belt, she Belts!
the rest of the cast is amazing.

As for the song I can't think of one that I don't like, They are all great!

I would hope that the fact that the show makes light of Hitler doesn't turn you off, because you would be missing somthing great.

Mel Brooks = Brilliant.......2005-12-12

My theatre group went to New York two years ago, adn we did a marathon 4 shows in 3 days. Each show got progressively better, finally culminating in seeing Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick's final performance of "The Producers." I have been a fan of Brooks' since I saw "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" 5 years ago. Naturally, I was beyond excited to see the show he made of his most brilliant film.

I was not disappointed. It was funny, racy, and downright fabulous. I bought the soundtrack at intermission and have been listening to it ever since. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves musicals. Lane and Broderick play off each other perfectly, Cady Huffman has one of the best belting voices I've heard in ages, and the songs are actually FUNNY.

Aside from raving about one of my favorite shows, I would like to address the comments made about the show downplaying Hitler and being racist towards Germans. In no way does this show downplay Hitler's terrible deeds. Bialystock and Bloom make several comments about how disgusted they are about the play- the fact that it is so insulting to our sensibilities is the reason why it was chosen in the first place. I am Jewish and have studied the Holocaust and WWII for years. I was not offended in the least, nor did I feel the Brooks was promoting or trivializing Hitler's war crimes. Brooks himself is Jewish for god's sake.

Second, I see nothing in the show that is racist towards Germans. Yes there is a Nazi in it who is German. How is that racist? The Nazis went all over the world after WWII- it is possible that several ended up in New York City. And no one will argue that some Nazi's were German. You might as well say that the show is discriminatory towards Swedes, or gay directors, or producers, or the countless number of things made fun of in the show.

it won 11 (if im correct) TONY awards for a reason!.......2005-12-08

This is by far the funniest thing I have ever seen. I got the chance to see it on broadway with Lane (unfortunatly not Broderick) and most of the original cast. For some reason, certain people seem to think this play is racist. First off, the whole thing is pure 100% SATIRE. I'm 15 and I can realize that. Also, are you aware that Mel Brooks is jewish? Yeah, so lighten up. I realize what Hitler did, and it will never be forgotten. But my God, get a sense of humor. In case you never saw the play, the Bavarian guy breaks his leg (making "It's bad luck to say good luck on opening night funny) and is replaced by the gay director for the song "Springtime for Hitler". ITS HILARIOUS! BROOKS MADE HITLER A GAY GUY! And why do you think he did that? Geeze... just lighten up!

So about the CD...awesome. I love these songs, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the movie version of the musical coming out in late December! GO SEE IT!

Average customer rating:

Europe Right Here
GRAN LANZAMIENTO DE DESPEDIDA
Their Best Album?
Europe's Best- With Bonus Cuts
one to turn up loud.

Prisoners in Paradise
Europe
Manufacturer: Sony Bmg/Epic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Out of This World
Europe
Start From the Dark
Secret Society
The Final Countdown

ASIN: B000024T5L
Release Date: 1991-09-30

Tracks:

All or Nothing
Halfway to Heaven
I'll Cry for You
Little Bit of Lovin'
Talk to Me
Seventh Sign
Prisoners in Paradise
Bad Blood
Homeland
Got Your Mind in the Gutter
Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door
Girl from Lebanon

Customer Reviews:

Europe Right Here.......2007-07-15

This early 90s album by Europe is the Swedish hair metal band right here right now. Here, there sound is heaver and a lot less sappy. Everyone knows everything is odd ways of keeping warm still, for me that's mostly listening to golden oldies all day. The title track is a particular highlight on a not bad but not good album either by Europe, but it is such a significant shift in sound from their 80s material as the weather now was suddenly pretty exotic and most of the camp elements of Europe and other hair metal bands like Skid Row were gone as they wisely chose to bring a fresh, dry cutting edge sound to update or go out of business in the 90s. I was actually pleasantly surprised by what I heard on this album in the 82 to 92 greatest hits album, inspiring me to put it on more than once. That's good. Though with their more recent stuff I can no longer sing along and make up the lyrics. There was a glitch in their early albums, the lyrics were never finished besides the chorus making me wonder if this was even a professional band or just a totally 80s joke.

GRAN LANZAMIENTO DE DESPEDIDA.......2006-07-26

PRISONERS IN PARADISE PASO INADVERTIDO PARA EL PUBLICO DEBIDO A LA CRECIENTE OLA GRUNGE, PERO SIN LUGAR A DUDAS LA PRODUCCION DE BEAU HILL (RATT, UNRULY CHILD) LOS ACERCO A UN SONIDO MAS AMERICANO QUE EN SUS ANTERIORES LANZAMIENTOS, Y CON ESTO ES PROBABLE SI ESTE DISCO HUBIERA SALIDO UN PAR DE AÑOS ANTES, SEGURAMENTE EL EXITO PODRIA HABERSE MANTENIDO, PERO DE CUALQUIER MANERA TODO SEGUIDOR DEL MEJOR ROCK DE LOS 80'S DEBE HABER QUEDADO SATISFECHO CON CORTES COMO THE SEVENTH SIGN, READY OR NOT, I'LL CRY FOR YOU, MIND ON THE GUTTER, GIRL FROM LEBANON, SI TE GUSTARON SUS ANTERIORES TRABAJOS SEGURAMENTE ESTA EVOLUCION TAMBIEN, CABE DESTACAR QUE ESTE ES UN DISCO MAS COMPLETO Y QUE SE DISFRUTA DE LA PRIMERA HASTA LA ULTIMA CANCION.

Their Best Album?.......2006-02-17

It's a shame that Europe had pretty much fallen off of the public's radar by 1991, because that is when they released what is arguably the best album of their career - Prisoners in Paradise. It wasn't as heavy as the band's first two albums, and it wasn't over-the-top pop metal like the Final Countdown and Out of this World. Instead, Europe delivered a quality melodic hard rock album; the kind that has you singing along to just about every song after the first listen.

The band seems much more mature and comfortable with their sound on this album, especially their songwriting. To be sure, most of the songs on Prisoners in Paradise are your standard radio-friendly love songs, but they're really good radio-friendly love songs and they never get as cheesy as some of the songs on their previous albums (Ninja and Tower's Callin' for example).

Any one of the first five tracks on this album could have been major radio hits, especially in 1991, as could the title track, but for some reason went unnoticed. All of the songs are well written, and there really isn't a weak moment on this album. The album's closer, Girl from Lebanon, is my favorite song on Prisoners in Paradise, and one of the best songs the band has recorded. It's a powerful song that reminds me quite a lot of White Lion's Lady of the Valley. I was fortunate enough to see Europe live last year and to hear them play this song. John Norum wasn't in the band when Prisoners in Paradise was released, but he blazed through Girl from Lebanon like it was written just for him.

Europe fans who might have overlooked this album really owe it to themselves to seek out a copy, as does anyone who enjoys AOR/melodic hard rock music. You'll be glad you did.

Europe's Best- With Bonus Cuts.......2003-04-23

PRISONERS IN PARADISE is Europe's best album ever. My copy has two
bonus cuts not on the original. This is what bands like Poison should have aspired to, with technically brilliant singing and guitar work, plus boogie grooves to die for. It's too bad they broke up after releasing this one.

one to turn up loud........2001-10-02

the best Europe album so far,Tempests vocals are once again out of this world and the guitar solos are superb.pip is the best track while heaven,cry 4u,girl from lebenon,homeland and 7th sign follow closely behind.iv ordered the re-released version with extra tracks as this is a heavy rock album thats highly under rated.

Average customer rating:

Somewhat a return to form
Europe's best
Their Best Album?
Europe in America
One of the best albums ever.

Prisoners in Paradise
Europe
Manufacturer: Spitfire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Tracks:

All Or Nothing
Halfway To Heaven
I'll Cry For You
Little Bit Of Lovin'
Talk To Me
Seventh Sign
Prisoners In Paradise
Bad Blood
Homeland
Got Your Mind In The Gutter
'Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door
Girl From Lebanon
Government Man
A Long Time Comin'

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat a return to form.......2006-03-17

Europe bounced back from the unpleasantness that was 'Out of This World' and came up with this far better effort. This album starts off solidly enough with teeny bopper hard rock like All or Nothing and Halfway to Heaven. It gets a bit sickly sweet with I'll Cry for You and Little Bit of Lovin but even these and equally shaky stuff like Talk to Me do get the job done in a very polite way

The instrumentation was more varied this time, Beau Hill making this a very shiny beast with his production and the story was that instead of Joey Tempest doing all the writing the others had more input into this album. The way this band was reaching out yet staying within the rather limp confines of 80's hard rock for 15 year old girls is somewhat interesting. Any fan of this band who got scared off by Out of this World really should pick this up. If they don't, then they are missing out on some of Europes tastiest cuts - which litter 'side two' of this CD.

Seventh Sign shows some maturity, Prisoners in Paradise is melancholy sadness (aimed at people who haven't really experienced it yet though) and then there are some fun rock 'n' roll tunes like Bad Blood and Got Your Mind in the Gutter.

Special mention too for track 12 - Girl from Lebanon. Though again we have a very lightweight take on what could of been an interesting topic.

Which is part of the problem. Very little grunt, very little balls and when the engine starts up it asks permission first. Nothing like Scream of Anger here chaps.....

Europe's best.......2006-02-28

Europe has quite a catalogue of impressive material for a somewhat unknown band, but Prisoners in Paradise is my favorite album. It is a lot more power-pop sounding than the 80's material, but the songs are so full of energy and so catchy and well-written, that this album is irresistable. I have owned this album since I was in the 7th grade, and I still listen to it all the time. It is really incredible. The only song that I don't particularly like that much is Bad Blood, which is a little corny for my liking, but the rest of the album rocks. Songs like Got Your Mind In the Gutter, All Or Nothing, Halfway to Heaven and Talk to Me are loaded with energy, and Prisoners In Paradise and Homeland raise the bar on power metal ballads. This is very enjoyable, and I would definately recommend this to fans of Bon Jovi, Poison, etc. Joey Tempest has a great voice, and Kee Marcello's guitar work is pretty good (not his best, but still damn good). This is one of my favorite albums that I own, and I still listen to it quite a bit, I haven't gotten tired of it yet. If you're into 80's hair metal, this is one album you will not want to miss.

Their Best Album?.......2006-02-17

Europe in America.......2005-01-28

"Prisoners in Paradise" has been my favorite and least favorite album in the Europe catalog. The album rocks and was the most raw album the band recorded up to that time. It's melodic. It has great live energy and big hooks. I totally loved this album when I was a teenager and I still like it. Yet today I have to say its' the one Europe album I don't like as much now as I did in the past. Today it sounds a bit too juvenile to me. It doesn't have as much personality as its predecessors, and this is probably due to the outside writing influences on the album and new producer Beau Hill, plus the fact that the band was living in Los Angeles when they wrote and recorded it. It sounds very American and this is great, except Europe is a Scandinavian band and I think they were at their best when they were more connected to their homeland.

"Halfway to heaven", "I'll cry for you" and the title track were the singles from the album, with "I'll cry for you" being a #1 hit in Sweden and peaking at #25 in the United Kingdom. Tracks such as "Talk to me", "Bad blood" and "Girl from Lebanon" are also big standouts. A good album all around. Deserved more recognition than it received. It was released in 1991, just as the "Grunge" scene was beginning. Had this been released a couple years earlier it probably would've been a bigger hit.

One of the best albums ever........2004-11-09

Here we are on the eve of the new Europe album "Start From The Dark",So I thought I'd go back and listen to their 1991 album "Prisoners in Paradise"again,and I have to say that this album rocks from start to finish.I have always been a Europe fan and I got thia album when I was very young and and to this day it remains as one of my fav albums ever.Europe DID NOT sell out with this album.They just took their music to the next level and it turned out awesome,This album has the classic Europe melodies in such ballads as "I'll cry for you" and "Homeland",as well as the heavy rocking "Seventh sign"and "Talk to me". I would recomend this album to anyone who likes good music."Prisonsers in Paradise"is one of those albums you can just push play an not worry about,Every song on this album is killer.Go buy it.