Boulevard [Import]

Boulevard [Import]

Track Listings

1. Harder To Get Along

2. Train Song

3. Met You At The Bottom

4. Guerre C'est Fini Pour Mo

5. On The Boulevard

6. As Lonely As You

7. Crying To Me

8. Slingback Shoes

9. Gypsy Boy

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Canadian rock act's 1976 album. Universal.

Boulevard,Murray Mclauchlan,Tnr,Folk,Pop

Boulevard de l'Independance
Average customer rating:

A Masterpiece

Big band sound of West Africa

Great new music for an old hippie

One of the best albums I've ever owned

Glorious and Lush

Boulevard de l'Independance
Toumani Diabate Symmetric Orchestra
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music
Mali | Africa | International | Styles | Music
General | International | Styles | Music
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In the Heart of the Moon

New Ancient Strings

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Kaira

ASIN: B000FVHKFW
Release Date: 2006-07-10

Tracks:

Toumani
Boulevard de l'Independance
Ya Fama
Mali Sadio
Africa Challenge
Wasso
Mamadou Diaby
Tapha Niang
Single

Amazon.com

Toumani Diabate, scion of one of Mali's oldest hereditary musical dynasties, was born into a few-centuries-worth of hard-acts-to-follow. But his output continues his father Sidiki's life-long exploration of the manifold possibilities of the kora, West Africa's glorious 21-string harp-lute. Aside from folklore-based recitals, such as New Ancient Strings with fellow kora virtuoso Ballake Sissoko, he has also released a quiver-full of genre-bursting experiments. The flamenco-infused Songhai albums, Kulanjan, with American roots master Taj Mahal, and 2005's Grammy-winning In The Heart Of The Moon with the late, great Malian guitarist Ali Farka, are only a few highlights. The present project, featuring a 50-member big band hailing from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, and Guinée, can best be described as neo-trad-with-attitude. Local xylophones, plucked instruments, and percussion abut drum kits and electric bass. The string arrangements sometimes recall Zanzibar's Taarab orchestras, while the brass charts have an aggressive yet tasty swagger; you might not imagine that the kora could work as a lead instrument in such company but it does. Further graced by the astounding vocals of Kasse Mady Diabate and a mixed chorale, this is a ground-breaking and soon-to-be-legendary release. --Christina Roden

Album Description

Boulevard de l'Independance is an ambitious , big-band follow-up to In The Heart of the Moon; a bold synthesis of acoustic and electric, elegant and earthy, shimmering melodies and irresistable grooves, recorded in two weeks' worth of all-night sessions in the Malian capital of Bamako. It's a vivid recreation of the group's Friday night residency at Bamako's Hogon nightclub that retains the hot, lookse and live feel of the popular gig.

Customer Reviews:

A Masterpiece.......2007-04-25

I agree with every other reviewer here. This album is uplifting, and inspiring, and a pure delight in every way. I usually shy away from absolutes and realize that musical taste is subjective, but I really believe this is one of the finest pieces of music ever recorded, regardless of genre.

This CD belongs in any serious library of music and will certainly win over the descriminating listener who may not be very familiar with African music. A masterpiece!!!

Big band sound of West Africa.......2007-03-27

Because of the likes of Ry Cooder seeking the orgins of Cuban music you have to go through West Africa and the slave trade. Diabate besides being a skilled musician having with the best of West Africa has brought together a talented group that has the craftmanship to present the music of West Africa that one appreciated the sound and is struck the the beauty of these people and their history as expressed in the album. If you have a yearning for a unique jazz/blues sound give this a try.

Great new music for an old hippie.......2007-03-09

Having been raised on doo wop and the Beatles.... what a joy to find this album at this stage of my life
An absoulutely wonderful piece and it is great for workouts at the gym.

One of the best albums I've ever owned.......2007-02-14

This album is sheer brilliance and I just can't seem to get sick of it. Unlike Toumani Diabate's other albums (all of which are great as well; see especially IN THE HEART OF THE MOON), this album has more of a big-band sound to it. It's significantly more jazzy and less acoustic than his other work. The "Symmetric Orchestra" adds an incredible touch to Diabate's already-amazing musicianship. The vocals in "Wasso," "Mamadou Diaby," and "Boulevard de l'Independence" are breathtakingly gorgeous and provide a calmer, more spiritual sound to the jazzed and high-energy tracks like "Africa Challenge," "Toumani," and "Single."

All in all, a great album: diverse, unique, traditional elements juxtaposed with modern sounds, inspirational, energetic, reflective: perfection. My only complaint is that I wish it had more tracks, but an album this good would never have enough tracks to satiate my ears - it would always keep me wanting more!

Give this album a Grammy!

Glorious and Lush.......2007-01-23

Diabate's distinctive singing and Kora playing (West African lute/harp) is beautifullly enhanced with the backing of the Symmetric Orchestra. With big band arrangements for percussions, horns, guitar and vocals the sound is irresistably lively (sometimes like Nigerian Highlife), but also smooth and urbane (like Youssou N'Dour and Super Etoile's mbalax sound). Helpful liner notes as well put the orchestra and songs into context.

Strangely enough, I'm reminded of the big band treatment Frank Zappa's tunes have gotten recently; creative arrangements of complex material yielding an easy listening experience.

This recording embodies what I love about African music - superb musicianship playing complex rhythms, with contemporary sensibilty and traditional, timeless grounding.

Average customer rating:

TANNED, RESTED, AND READY, CLAPTON COMES BACK MELLOW, BUT STRONG, WITH 461 OCEAN BOULEVARD !
Barcardi 151 Ocean Boulevard
Laid Back EC, Living and Loving in South Florida
Sour Cream
NOT A BAD ALBUM BY ANY MEANS, BUT A BIT 'PATCHY'

461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Slowhand
Backless
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Journeyman
E.C. Was Here

ASIN: B000002G89
Release Date: 1996-08-20

Tracks:

Motherless Children
Give Me Strength
Willie And The Hand Jive
Get Ready
I Shot The Sheriff
I Can't Hold Out
Please Be With Me
Let It Grow
Steady Rollin' Man
Mainline Florida

Amazon.com essential recording

The 1974 album on which Clapton's solo career truly caught fire, 461 Ocean Boulevard is best remembered for its hit version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff"--perhaps the first time many in America ever heard the rhythms of reggae music. But it's also an album on which emotions run high, especially on two Clapton originals, the prayerful "Give Me Strength" and the pleading "Let It Grow." Clapton maintains his grounding in the blues with versions of Robert Johnson's "Steady Rollin' Man" and Elmore James's "I Can't Hold Out"; revisits a rock & roll classic in Johnny Otis's "Willie and the Hand Jive"; and turns the standard "Motherless Children" into a showcase of snarling guitars. Following a period of dark reclusiveness, 461 Ocean Boulevard was a powerful comeback for Clapton. --Daniel Durchholz

Amazon.com

This was Clapton's comeback record after a long bout with heroin addiction. Up through 1970 or so, he had been a restless musical seeker, opening rock up with his guitar experimentation, trying to get to the bottom of the blues. There is none of this on 461. He seems relieved just to be alive. It's a low-key affair, and that suits him. Some of his best songs are here, as well as his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Torn and frayed from the melee inside him, this album may be the most personal blues he ever made. --Steve Tignor

Customer Reviews:

TANNED, RESTED, AND READY, CLAPTON COMES BACK MELLOW, BUT STRONG, WITH 461 OCEAN BOULEVARD !.......2007-07-03

Eric Clapton recorded 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974) after kicking his heroin habit, and during the time he was living at, you guessed it, 461 Ocean Boulevard in Miami, Florida (the house is pictured on the album cover). This is a strong Eric Clapton album, even though it's nothing like a Cream or a Derek and The Dominos album. His time in Florida definitely affected his outlook on life, and that's not a bad thing. The album really rocks in some places, like Motherless Children and Mainline Florida, but the rock is fun and laid back, not foreboding or contentious. There is some blues on the album, as he covers Elmore James' I Can't Hold Out, and Robert Johnson's Steady Rollin' Man, but again, these songs have an easy-going feel to them, and they are very good. The huge reggae hit, Bob Marley's I Shot The Sherriff, put Clapton's solo career on track, and of course, sounds great. Clapton plays his dobro on Cowboy's Please Be With Me (his late friend, Duane Allman, played dobro on the original). Let It Grow has a layered acoustic/electric guitar sound, a steady, leisurely beat, and is classic Clapton. Recording artist/actress Yvonne Elliman sings backing vocals on the album, and trades lead vocals with Eric on the funky Get Ready. 461 Ocean Boulevard is a very good, laid back album, with some solid guitar work blended in with the mellow atmosphere and carefree rocking beat of most of the songs. It's also one of Eric Clapton's best solo albums.

Barcardi 151 Ocean Boulevard.......2007-02-18

The comeback. Claptons passion for the blues is doing the talking here, but still slowhand makes the best album of his career. He had replaced his heroin addiction with an alcohol fixation, which made him very laid back, but it all works here very well.

Laid Back EC, Living and Loving in South Florida.......2006-07-26

I have to confess that, while I love Clapton, his albums are often a hit-and-miss affair. And I can't say I am a fan of the numerous recent blues tribute albums he has put out lately. For me I enjoy his work with Cream, his guest work, his first few albums, the one he recorded with The Band, a few older live albums, and bits of the Phil Collins-produced record in the early 80s. After that it's a fall-off, but I am thankful for all the great music he has turned out over the years.

I have been listening to 461 a lot lately. It holds up exceedingly well. The groove is laid-back, with solid musicianship and expert song selection. It makes for great road music, especially "Willie and the Hand Jive," "I Shot the Sheriff," and the classic closer, "Mainline Florida."

The ballads are beautiful, too. There is not a weak track on the album. There is a consistent tone, an aversion to excess and a concentration on the note and harmonic "fit" that makes this album an overall winner in EC's catalog. As someone who used to party in EC's old house at 461 Ocean Boulevard in Golden Beach in the early 80s, let me say -- you did it (and us) proud.

Sour Cream.......2006-07-06

32 years ago I was so stoked that Clapton was finally coming out with a new album, I walked five miles to Deorsey's Records in Lewiston, Maine the day that it was released to buy this much anticipated record. The still near virgin vinyl remains in my LP collection and has only been played once. Once was enough. Heroin robbed a true master of his creativeness, inspiration and technical ability. Sad.

NOT A BAD ALBUM BY ANY MEANS, BUT A BIT 'PATCHY'.......2006-06-16

I GENERALLY PREFER EC WHEN HE DOES HIS 'LAID BACK' COUNTRY ROCK/COUNTRY BLUES STUFF AND THERE ARE A FEW TRACKS THAT FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. I'M NOT A REAL BLUES FAN BUT I LIKE THE WAY EC (AND MANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES) PRESENT BLUES MUSIC IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDER AUDIENCE (INCLUDING MYSELF). THERE IS SOME FINE GUITAR PLAYING ON THIS ALBUM AND EC IS IN FINE FORM VOCALLY (ALTHOUGH, PERHAPS, NOT AT HIS BEST). I BELIEVE SOME OF THE GUITAR PLAYING WAS SHARED BY GEORGE TERRY, SO HE DESERVES SOME CREDIT ALSO.

HERE ARE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL TRACKS (* DENOTES A FAVOURITE)(SONGWRITERS IN BRACKETS):

MOTHERLESS CHILDREN (Trad. arr. Eric Clapton/Carl Radle) - A real 'rocker'. Great drumming and slide guitar. Vocals a bit indistinct (perhaps, slightly over-produced).

GIVE ME STRENGTH* (Eric Clapton) - Slow tempo song with some really mellow dobro playing (incl. 40 second solo intro.). EC's vocals are restrained but not without some emotion (as befitting this type of song). Organ accompaniment gives a gospel feel to the sound.

WILLY AND THE HAND JIVE* (Johnny Otis) - Instrumentally unexceptional but great 'shuffling' rhythm and really 'laid back' vocals.

GET READY (Eric Clapton/Yvonne Elliman) - Features EC and Yvonne Elliman sharing vocals. OK, but a bit monotonous.

I SHOT THE SHERIFF (Bob Marley) - I'm not that keen on reggae music (to me, it has a rhythm that 'plods' rather than 'rocks'). Instrumentally, nothing 'to write home about'. However, its a pretty good track - decent song, tight harmony vocals delivered by Yvonne Elliman & co. EC does a good job with a 'pseudo-jamaican' inflection in his voice.

I CAN'T HOLD OUT* (Elmore James arr. Eric Clapton)) - A jazz/blues sound. Features some more amazing slide guitar playing.

PLEASE BE WITH ME (Charles Scott Boyer) - A lilting ditty with a 'folksy' sound. Features acoustic and electric guitar. Pleasant, but a bit too 'sugary' for me.

LET IT GROW (Eric Clapton) - Ordinary song, vocally and instrumentally unexceptional, tedious and 'drones' on a bit.

STEADY ROLLIN' MAN* (Robert Johnson arr. Eric Clapton) - Great percussion and keyboards. Features some nice sharp guitar licks.

MAINLINE FLORIDA (George Terry) - Ordinary song. EC's vocals are drowned by the backing vocals and instruments. Pretty awful really.

AN ALBUM WORTH HAVING FOR SOME EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD 'BLUESY' GUITAR PLAYING AND, ON MOST TRACKS, GOOD VOCALS. NOT BAD AT ALL - BUT OVER RATED. I HAVE THE REMASTERED VERSION OF THIS ALBUM AND OTHER REVIEWERS HAVE COMMENTED ON THE QUESTIONABLE REMASTERING QUALITY - I TEND TO AGREE WITH THEM.

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Average customer rating:

Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits
The Gold By Andrew
The best of Webber
THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES
Super good CD

Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000657XY
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

Superstar - Murray Head w/ the Trinidad Singers (Jesus Christ Superstar)
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand (Sunset Boulevard)
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
You Must Love Me - Madonna (Evita)
Any Dream Will Do-Donny Osmond (Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat)
Memory - Betty Buckley (Cats)
Pie Jesus - Charlotte Church (Requiem)
The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford (The Phantom Of The Opera)
I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina -Patti Lupone (Evita)
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball (Aspects Of Love)
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman (The Phantom Of The Opera)
The Perfect Year - Glenn Close & Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard)
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones & Sounds Of Blackness (Whistle Down The Wind)
No Matter What - Boyzone (Whistle Down The Wind)
Oh What A Circus - Mandy Patinkin (Evita)
Whistle Down The Wind - Sarah Brightman (Whistle Down The Wind)
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman & Jose Carrerras (1992 Olympics Theme)

Amazon.com

The critical debate over Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical legacy will no doubt rage for decades. Is he the shrewd populist composer who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical--or a crass, Barnum-esque showman (who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical)? This 18-track anthology chronicles the high points of Sir Andrew's enduring songcraft and the irrefutable impact it's made across a remarkably disparate swath of tastes and genres, from Broadway to Top 40 radio and even the classical repertoire.

If some have accused Lloyd Webber's songs--like "The Music of the Night" (from Phantom of the Opera) and the title tune from Whistle Down the Wind, included here--of having all the melodic and lyrical sophistication of a children's lullaby, that's likely the very element that's made them so appealing to a mass audience. If nothing else, it's a compelling argument for that old notion about it being "the singer, not the song." Indeed, there are few contemporary composers whose music could entice divas from Streisand ("As If We'd Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Blvd.) to Madonna (Evita's "You Must Love Me") and Charlotte Church ("Pie Jesu" from Requiem) to cover it, let alone forge the very careers of artists like Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And if there's any substance to that other criticism of Lloyd Webber lifting the melodic ideas of composers from Verdi to John Williams (we swear that's the theme to Jurassic Park bubbling up in Tom Jones's camped-up take on Whistle's "The Vaults of Heaven"), at least, like virtually every major composer, he's stolen--er, borrowed--from the best. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Andrew LLoyd Webber - Gold Hits.......2007-07-13

I sent this CD to my parents and they love it! It is nice to preview the songs on-line instead of with greasy headphones in a music store! The shipping is always speedy and makes sending gifts across the country so much easier.

The Gold By Andrew.......2007-04-23

This cd is a must have for any Webber fan. It has many great songs from his most sucsessful musicals. But something I don't like about this cd is that some of the singer how sings some of the songs arn't the onse that sings the originals. Like "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Love Changes Everything". Witch is so sad. Couse the original songs are so much better.
But besides that this cd is very good. With manye nice and difficult songs (I've sung some of the myself in siningclass).
So if you like Andrew's music this most sertanly is a most have.

The best of Webber.......2005-09-12

Although I like Andrew Llloyd Webber and his music very much, this collection earns only 4 stars and it's not because of the quality of the music but the level of performers. If a best of collection is made it should contain the best version ever done and this time it's not true. I could write the same review for the European edition (labeled import here) because the blend of the two would be a perfect best of.

Some examples: this version contains Memory sung by Betty Buckley while the Elaine Page version is light years better. Then it contains Patti Lupone's version of Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Even though Madonna wasn't the best Evita, she definitely sung Argentina in a way no-one could before or will ever. Whistle Down The Wind is represented with 3 songs - the place of the Tom Jones song is not here (the same could be said of Tina Arena's song o the European edition). Instead of the TJ song they could have included Take That Look Off Your Face by Marti Webb - one of the best songs by Webber. Pie Jesu from the Requiem is much better sung by Sarah Brightman. These are the faults.

What about the rest? Pure joy and material worth of 6 stars. Superstar, Phantom Of The Opera, Music Of The Night, I Don't Know How To Love Him, All I Ask Of You, No Matter What, Oh What A Circus - wonderful songs and wonderful performers. My all-time favorite from Webber will always be Music Of The Night and the version included here is the mesmerizing adaptation of Michael Crawford.

I don't advise anyone not to buy this album - it's good material, however it's far from being perfect.

THE BEST OF LLOYD WEBBER MADE FOR THE AMERICAN AUDIENCES.......2005-01-31

There are numerous compilations out on the market full of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. As most people know, Lloyd Webber is the most successful musical composer of all time and many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. This compilation captures some of the best songs he has ever written, he personally supervised it and it is the best thing to have if you can't afford his five-CD compilation called "Now and forever", which was selected and supervised by him as well. You should bear in mind, however, that there are two compilations called Gold out there: The one made for the European and the British market, and this one, made for the American buyers. Some of the songs on both of them are the same, the others are performed by different artists and some can be found only in one of the two. This one here was issued later and it is digitally remastered. Therefore you should check your favourites and buy accordingly, or, if you can, buy them both, since both of them contain interesting songs and performers.

So here are my thoughts about the tracks in this one:

1. "Superstar" and "I don't know how to love him" are both from the concept album of "Jesus Christ Superstar". They sound wonderful as ever, although the orchestrations may seem a bit dated by now.

2. "Sunset Boulevard" is marked here with two songs. Barbra Streisand's powerful voice shines all the way through in "As if we never said goodbye"; it's a shame she never played Norma Desmond on Broadway, since Patti LuPone wasn't allowed to take her Norma to New York, and Glenn Close butchered the role. Her limited vocal abilities were hardly suited for the material, as it is shown by the second Sunset song, "The perfect year", performed by Close and Alan Campbell. They both lack a decent singing voice, so this is the one song I skip regularly. The song itself sounds much better in its single version with pops orchestration, as can be heard on the European version of this compilation, where it is performed by Dina Carroll. This version here can hardly be considered a gold one.

3. "The Phantom of the Opera" is represented by three songs. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performance in the song of the same title is amazing. They were both born to play their roles in this show and their voices fit together perfectly. Sarah can hit the high notes in the end like no other Christine. Cliff Richard and Sarah sing the lovely ballad "All I ask of you" with passion, and Cliff has a wonderful warmth in his voice. Finally, Michael Crawford gives his unique and mesmerising interpretation in "The music of the night".

4. The 1996 movie version of "Evita" is Madonna's best role to date and it brought an Academy Award for Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who wrote "You must love me" especially for the big screen. This is another wonderful ballad with the haunting cello and piano solo. It just proves that Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were the best collaborators. They really should do another musical together.

5. "The Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was Webber's first musical and the signature song "Any dream will do" is performed here by Donny Osmond, who also appeared in the video version. I find his rendition even better than London's Jason Donovan, since Donny isn't strictly bound by the notes and so sings it more casually. A wonderful pop piece.

6."Memory" from "Cats" is probably the most famous of all Webber's songs, recorded by numerous artists. This version is sung by Betty Buckley, who was Broadway's Grizabella. Although Betty's performance can't be considered bad, I prefer Elaine Paige, who sung the song first, in the London production. Elaine has a note of sorrow in her at times husky voice, which I found very intriguing. Her performance can be considered definite, as heard on "Cats" DVD or in her latest two-disc compilation, "Centre stage: The very best of Elaine Paige", issued in May 2004. Still, those who prefer Ms. Buckley or who saw her on stage in this role won't be disappointed.

7. "Pie Jesu" is the best known song from Webber's "Requiem", written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. I'm not too keen on the version included here, performed by Charlotte Church, because her voice isn't as pretty as Sarah Brightman's on the original recording and the tempo is somewhat faster here.

8. "Don't cry for me Argentina" is among my all-time Lloyd Webber's favourites. I like all the ladies who performed "Evita" on the stage and on the screen (Julie Covington, Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna), but on this disc is the version I am most satisfied with, since it is sung by Patti LuPone. Ms. LuPone has a very powerful voice with an amazing range and she deserved her Tony Award for this role. She was able to sound both vulnerable and decisive while singing this, whereas the other leading ladies emphasized one or the other in their interpretation. Mandy Patinkin's "Oh what a circus" is not the best, the orchestration is a little bit weak and his voice sounds thin to me. David Essex on the London cast recording is more suitable.

9. "Aspects of love" boast here with its top song, "Love changes everything", performed wonderfully by Michael Ball. It was his #1 hit and is probably one of the most beautiful love anthems ever written.

10. Three songs come from "Whistle down the wind". The studio release of the same title is one of the reasons I bought this compilation, although I already have the European one. It is performed by Sarah Brightman with Lloyd Webber playing the piano and a symphonic orchestra who nicely takes the lead of the main melody. Sarah voice is angelic; she sings it like a little bird. Very charming. Boyzone's "No matter what" was a huge pop hit in the charts. Again, we have a song with the suitable orchestrations and vocals. And lastly, Tom Jones' deep voice in combination with the back vocals of "The Sounds of Blackness" gives a rocking rendition of the church hymn "The vaults of heaven". It can't be found on the European version and Tom's voice shows it hasn't aged. Way to go.

11. For the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Webber wrote, together with his long-time lyricist Don Black, this last song, "Amigos para siempre or Friends for life". It's a nice duet between Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras, their voices sore when bound together. The melody itself is neat, especially when the orchestra takes the lead.

Besides the fact that some of the performers here were not the best for my taste, there is also the fact that some of Lloyd Webber's shows are omitted in this version, most notably, "Tell me on a Sunday". Also, unlike its European counterpart, this compilation isn't aligned chronologically, so we have 1970 Superstar being the first song, 1993 Sunset Blvd comes the second, followed by The Phantom from 1986 and so on. None the less, this CD is excellent as an introduction to Lloyd Webber's music and one can continue with his cast recordings from there. It's also very handy as a single disc compilation for the American fans.

Super good CD.......2004-12-31

The songs on this CD are great. If you also play piano, the book of the same title goes perfectly with the CD. You can following along with the music and learn the songs on the piano.

Sunset Boulevard (1993 Original London Cast)

Average customer rating:

STAY AWAY FROM THIS VERSION!
Patti LuPone barely manages to salvage this wretchedly directed and orchestrated "glorified highlights album."
Sunset Boulevard (1993 original London Cast)
The Definative Recording of Sunset
Such Silliness

Sunset Boulevard (1993 Original London Cast)
Michael Bauer , Daniel Benzali , Meredith Braun , Gerard Casey , Nicolas Colicos , Anita Louise Combe , Don Black , Christopher Hampton , Patti LuPone , and Kevin Anderson
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)
Aspects Of Love (Original 1989 London Cast)
Aspects of Love (Remastered 1989 Original London Cast)
Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)
Evita (1978 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000001E3D
Release Date: 1996-06-10

Tracks:

Act I: Prologue
Act I: Let's Have Lunch
Act I: Sheldrake's Office
Act I: On The Road/The House On Sunset
Act I: Surrender
Act I: With One Look
Act I: Salome
Act I: The Greatest Star Of All
Act I: Let's Have Lunch/Girl Meets Boy
Act I: The House On Sunset
Act I: New Ways To Dream
Act I: The Lady's Paying
Act I: The House On Sunset
Act I: The Perfect Year
Act I: Dialogue After The Perfect Year
Act I: Artie Green's Apartment
Act I: This Time Next Year
Act I: The House On Sunset

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard
Act II: The Perfect Year
Act II: Journey To Paramount
Act II: As If We Never Said Goodbye
Act II: Surrender
Act II: Girl Meets Boy
Act II: Eternal Youth Is Worth A Little Suffering
Act II: Too Much In Love To Care
Act II: New Ways To Dream
Act II: Sunset Boulevard
Act II: The Greatest Star Of All

Amazon.com

Certain moments in Sunset Boulevard may convince you that it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's most satisfying score. The dark opening theme recalls Franz Waxman, while throughout the lush strings perfectly evoke old Hollywood, occasionally broken by wonderfully jazzy interludes. The melodies of the two big songs, "With One Look" and "As if We Never Said Goodbye," wind their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way (even if the latter, Norma Desmond's ode to her fans, is a little too reminiscent of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"), "The Perfect Year" is a lovely, stately dance, and "Too Much in Love to Care" is a nice romantic duet between Kevin Anderson and Meredith Braun. On the other hand, the music seems repetitive even by Lloyd Webber standards, with fewer than a dozen themes recycled over the set's 96 minutes, and the lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton are passable at best, predictable at worst. In the London cast of this adaptation of Billy Wilder's 1950 film, Patti LuPone gives a strong lead performance, coloring her big voice with supreme self-importance. She was under contract to fill the role in the subsequent U.S. premiere, but was dropped in favor of Glenn Close, reportedly at the insistence of the show's backers. The booklet includes photos, full lyrics, and an edited version of the dialogue. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

STAY AWAY FROM THIS VERSION!.......2007-07-29

Ok. I'll try and keep it short.
Sunset Boulevard is an amazing piece of musical theatre that I would reccomend to anyone. I have over 60 CDs of musicals, and Sunset would be it my top 10, possibly top 5. It has an amazing story, together with some stunning music, possibly Lloyd Webber's best score. I bought the 1994 Los Angeles cast a while ago and was blown away. Recently I found out my local library had this version, the 1993 London cast, available, and I thought I'd get it out, just out of interest.
I was disgusted. Before now, I'd never realises how much difference the actors/actresses make. I just thought in a musical that it was really just the music that really made the difference. I didn't know how wrong I was.
Norma Desmond is a great character, and Glenn Close (in the Los Angeles cast) is a great actress. She plays the role of Norma perfectly, not too over the top, but still making her interesting and funny and almost lovable. In the final scene you actually feel for Norma.
In this cast however, we have Patti LuPonne. I know lots of people rave about her, but I've never seen the attraction to be honest. She has quite a powerful voice, but apart from that, I don't know what else she's got. She plays Norma with none of the things I mentioned before. She turns Norma into a completely boring and dull character. And she's got this thing, I don't know what it is, but she always seems to sort of, slur her words slightly, almost like she's drunk. And she like that every time I've heard her, only on this CD it's even more noticable.
Next, Kevin Anderson, who plays Joe. I have heard more emotion coming from a telegraph pole, to be honest. I'm not sure if Anderson was trying to sort of, play down the role, like Hollywood had killed his soul sort of thing, but to me, it just sounds like bad acting, and like he doesn't want to be there. He is just so dull! The scene where Norma tells Joe she loves him has no tension or...anything! It is completely lifeless. I wouldn't say that Alan Campbell, who plays Joe in the Los Angeles cast, was anything that special or amazing, he was by no means bad, but nothing like Glenn Close. Compared to Kevin Anderson though, Alan Campbell is like a Broadway God.
Meredith Braun plays Betty in this cast. She sounds like she is 12 years old, and her accent is shocking. If she had that much trouble doing an American accent, she should have just stuck with English, instead of the sort of bizzare combination she has. Judy Kuhn plays Betty in the Los Angeles cast, and it fantastic, making her a really strong character, instead of just the lovestruck puppy Meredith Braun is.
And lastly is Daniel Benzali, playing Max, Norma's servant. He is not that bad, but Michael Cervais (in the Los Angeles Cast) is just so much better. Cervais has a great, much deeper, richer bass voice, which suits the role much better, whereas Benzali is a pretty average tenor. And Cervais' accent is much better, playing the role of the strange, forgein butler almost with a bit of a nudge and a wink. Benzali's is a lot weaker, and just not as strong.
Finally, nothing to do with the cast, although Lloyd Webber himself says in the front of the CD that there are a few trims dialogue-wise, there is over 35 minutes less than the Los Angeles cast! Granted, there is a new song, but and there may be a few songs slightly slower, but there is quite a bit of dialogue and filling music missing, which does leave a few bits hard to follow.
Just summing up, Sunset Boulevard is amazing show, but just stear clear of this version, I beg you. There is no reason to buy the London Cast when there is the incredible Los Angeles cast out there!!!

Patti LuPone barely manages to salvage this wretchedly directed and orchestrated "glorified highlights album.".......2007-06-22

No matter what some bitter and pretentious pseudo-intellectuals say, "Sunset Boulevard" happens to be one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most beautiful, haunting and most accomplished works. This remarkably faithful adaptation of the timeless Billy Wilder film-noir about the evils of Hollywood and it's media hype is probably the definitive "jazz opera" with some of the most jaw droppingly innovative and groundbreaking production design. So, why the low rating on my part? Well, technically, this has nothing to do with the score and the show itself, but rather this particular album.

Where to begin? There are just so many things horribly wrong with this recording, but I think that the orchestrations themselves are a good place to start. Unlike what can be heard in the American, German, and even the lackluster Canadian recording, the music on this album is horribly disorganized and in some parts the instruments go completely out of tune. This is especially painfully obvious in "This Time Next Year" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering." At one point, poor Daniel Benzali actually goes completely flat due to the botched orchestration of "The Greatest Star of All." It is truly mind boggling that a production of such scope would allow for this absurd unprofessionalism.

My next big gripe comes with the afterword by Andrew Lloyd Webber, where he claims that some of the score on the recording had to be "edited for time in places." Well, that sure is putting it mildly. Over an astonishing forty minutes have been hacked off of this recording for some unknown reasons, since the album is on two discs; which means that no corner cutting was neccessary. I have strong suspicions that this happened because someone decided to save some money by using the audio cassette master for the CD release, but that is just a theory of mine. The cuts are horrible, leaving the basic plot of the musical nearly incoherent and with some jaw droppingly awful cuts, like the painful jump cut in the middle of Schwab's Drugstore scene. All of these cuts reduce this alleged "World Premiere Recording" to a pathetically glorifed highlights album.

However, what completely killed this recording for me was the horrible direction of the entire affair, which is apparent from the less-than-subpar perfomances. Everyone seems to be high on valium and bored to tears, but there are some "joyful variations." Kevin Anderson sounds whiny and raspy (in a bad way) with all the emotional range of a chair. What a waste, since Mr. Anderson has proven himself to be a fine dramatic actor. Daniel Benzali seems to be doing some sort of a lame Michael Crawford impression for "Forbidden Broadway" and the botched musical score isn't doing him any favors (see above.) However, the most butchered number in the entire recording is the group ensemble "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering." The song, already damaged by a badly out-of-tune orchestra and horrific jump cuts, seems to be sung by what only can be described as "Ritalin addicted Zombie Women of Planet Monotone." Such utter shame; since it's a wickedly comic and hilariously disturbing number that appears as a mere shadow of itself on this album.

There are however two people that rise above all this travesty. They are the wonderful Meredith Braun, who brings youthful energy and sweet innocence to character of Betty Schaefer with her lovely young soprano voice and the majestic Patti LuPone, giving a powerhouse vocal perfomance as the tragic Norma Desmond. Miss LuPone is one of very few people who did not require the complex score's key to be lowered, and boy, does it make a difference in "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye." It's too bad her perfomance is mangled on this album with the horrific direction and numerous incomprehensible cuts made to various crucial scenes and songs. I do agree that Patti LuPone was a tad too young and "gentle" sounding for the role back in 1993, but if there's to be a revival of "Sunset Boulevard" in the near future, she would be one of my top choices to headline the show as Norma. Sadly, this will never happen, since Miss LuPone is too busy planning Andrew Lloyd Webber's untimely demise together with Faye Dunaway.

Aside from the great perfomances by Patti LuPone and Meredith Braun and the awkwardly hammy portrayal of Max by Daniel Benzali, the one other reason to get this wretched cast recording is the novelty to hear some alternate renditions of various familiar music numbers. The most interesting are a drastically different number during the Schwab's Drugstore scene (which is sadly cut to ribbons), an alternate finale to "New Ways to Dream" and a different, albeit a very abrupt, final sequence.

All in all, this has got to be one of the absolute worst "original cast recordings" ever unleashed on the unsuspecting public. The only worth of this album are the perfomances of the two leading ladies and the interesting alternate renditions of various numbers that have been drastically (and not so drastically) changed for other productions.

Sunset Boulevard (1993 original London Cast).......2007-06-12

Patti Lupone is brilliant in this recording - makes all subsequent Norma Desmonds seem very lightweight.
All the excitement and enthusiasm of an original recording is contained within.

The Definative Recording of Sunset.......2006-08-07

It's quite interesting to take a project and with time rewrite it to be sufficiently worse. Well Lord Lloyd Webber did this when he rewrote Sunset Boulevard before taking it to America.

First off, let me say I am not ALW's biggest fan. I am however a strong proponent of Evita and Sunset Boulevard. I think that both are incredibly satisfying musically and dramatically. However, I did not realize how incredibly satisfying this score was until I heard Patti LuPone, Kevin Anderson, et. all perform it. (The only voice worth listening to on the US Version is George Hearn)

Instead of the incessant screaming Glenn Close and Alan Campbell provide, LuPone & Anderson "Sing" their rolse and also provide the lyrics with justice. Now anyone who knows these lyrics knows they are far from fabulous, but they do tell the story, and you can understand the story when LuPone & Anderson tell it.

The score has far better orchestrations, and has more dialogue. My biggest problem with the US version is since almost everything is sung, it seems as though nothing needs to be sung. The orchestration provides more countermelodies, etc. Some of the most beautiful and powerful orchestrations were removed by the time the show hit the US and the orchestra here, sounds arguably, like what a Broadway rendition of a film score should sound like.

The cast is just more musical overall and the tempi are more natural. "Let's Have Lunch" finally sounds like the down and dirty sort of atmosphere we associate with the old studios. Too Much in Love to Care doesn't seem forced and rushed. With One Look brilliantly soars and doesn't have the akward key changes Glenn Close needed to sing the role.

Overall, this is "the" Sunset to get.

Such Silliness.......2006-03-22

The silliness and misinformation surrounding this unfortunate show continues to amaze and amuse.

The simple fact is, regardless of what the sadly misinformed have to say, Patti LuPone (who did NOT, as one reviewer claimed, "create" "Evita") was personally triumphant in her British run of "Sunset". However, she and Mr. Webber had major artistic differences over the concept of the total show. He felt, for better or worse, that La Patti was not "on board" with his concept of the show, which in fairness to LuPone, was in a state of flux. She was simply not engaged for the New York run. Glenn (not Glen) Close auditioned with Webber several times. He liked her dramatically, while realizing she would be unable to sing parts of the role as had been originally written. He altered the songs to fit her voice ("Just One Look" is the most obvious example). Her interpretation is more fragile, for lack of a better word, and, it seems, more in line with what Webber wanted by the time the U.S. production was ready. The financially crucial Los Angeles/Touring production was to star Faye Dunaway, but, word has it, Webber accepted her unheard on the word of others who said she could sing the Close version of the role. He learned in L.A. rehearsals that Dunaway was unable to sing ANY version of the role, and he fired her. She sued and they quickly settled out of court. Close continued in the role for a brief period and the U.S. show closed, at Webber's insistance, without a touring company and deeply in debt.

For those who want to spend the money, BOTH recordings are well worth owning. LuPone is, well, LuPone. And that is always fun. Close is the more incisive, dramatically, and the U.S. recording is much more complete.

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score

Average customer rating:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms
Badalamenti does it again.
Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness...
dark and (often) beautiful
A dark journey through the sphere of horror.

Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score
Angelo Badalamenti , and David Lynch
Manufacturer: Milan Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Blue Velvet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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ASIN: B00005PJ9K
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

Jitterbug
Mulholland Drive
Rita Walks/Sunset Boulevard/Aunt Ruth
Diner
Mr. Roque/Betty's Theme
The Beast
Bring It On Home
I've Told Every Little Star
Dwarfland/Love Theme
Silencio
Llorando (Crying)
Pretty 50s
Go Get Some
Diane And Camilla
Dinner Party Pool Music
Mountains Falling
Mulholland Drive/Love Theme

Amazon.com

Director David Lynch's affection for kitschy lounge music and emotionally overwrought mid-century pop has long since proven to be more than trend or irony; indeed, it's often the uneasy spiritual axis of his films. The soundtrack of Mulholland Dr. turns on the usual Lynchian motifs (the brooding atmosphere of Angelo Badalamenti's ominous synth-and-orchestra cues tossed with a dash of Lynch's own off-center compositions), yet manages to evoke a sense of foreboding that's distinctly its own. Badalamenti leads off with a curve, the nervous orchestra swing-romp "Jitterbug," before descending into a dark soundscape that becomes murkier and more avant-goth at every turn. Bubbling through that morass are pop nuggets variously cheesy (Dave Cavanaugh's lounge-ready "The Beast"), lugubriously bluesy (Sonny Boy Williamson's take on Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home"), and alternately innocent ("I've Told Every Little Star") and liturgical ("Llorando"). Three tracks of the director's own (cowritten with John Neff) skulking Lounge Music from Hell ratchet up the tension even further; it's the perfect garnish for this darkly delicious film-music cocktail. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

In this dream, you are Betty Elms.......2007-01-13

The reviews here simply don't do justice to the soundtrack. It's very hypnotizing and elevates you to this reality that you indeed have the same mental energy displayed by the first character of Betty Elms, who Diane Selwyn identifies with as herself in a dream she is having. The dark scenery conveyed by this music puts you in her place, where through darkness you hold to your innocence. The movie and music interplay in this way to the effect of putting you in that darkness where you are the same girl that Diane is seeing in her dream, the girl she knows herself to be without the hellish reality she is in as a sort of resolve to the hell she's in. This Naomi Watts specifically conveyed what I thought is a part of me that may also be a part of you, and you will notice it in the way you look at things and how your face expresses your innocence to a dark world. Then there is the music for Rita. I also reviewed the movie, which I also recommend. My favorite track is the 9th one in this respect. Secondly, which you may find suitable for your funeral, is the last song. The rest I almost prefer watching the movie and appreciating it all while viewing, but it's music you must have after you've seen it.

Badalamenti does it again........2006-11-17

If you're a fan of Angelo Badalamenti's scores for David Lynch, you'll want to add this to your collection as well. Haunting synth pieces lull you into the dreamlike world Lynch created with this film, and there are some other types of music to jazz it up a little. Particularly striking is Rebekah Del Rio's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying."

Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness..........2006-06-26

To start of, I regard "Mulholland Dr." as David Lynch magnum opus, his most masterfully created cinema of deceit, lust and darkness. Compelling, totally deranged, original, sometimes hilarious funny, and three minutes later scary as hell.

David Lynch's movies are always heavy set on atmosphere, and this is partly caused by the director's long time musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. From the jazzy, loungy tunes for the t.v. series "Twin Peaks" to the dark overtones of "Blue Velvet", Badalamenti knows wich buttons to push to make an eerie composition, a few notes of estrangeness and give the audience an unsetteling feeling.

"Mulholland Dr." is filled with music. Most of it is purely on the soundrack with Badalamenti's score coming very close to high quality dark ambient acts like Lustmord, Raison d'Etre or Hazard, others are sung "live" in the movie, like Linda Scott's sweet bubblegumish "I've told every little star", two very hip tunes ("The beast" by Milt Buckner and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring it on home") and of course Rebekah Del Rio's acapella performance of "llorando", the Spanish version of Roy Orbison's evergreen.

But the greatest surprise to me were three tracks by David Lynch himself in collaboration with one John Neff. And these three pieces are to be find on a solo cd by David Lynch called "Blue Bob".
I never knew before seeing "Mulholland Dr." that David Lynch is also a guiter player and singer. Now I know and I must say that his song "Mountains falling" is the most brooding, creeping, swirling and erotic sounding piece of electric guitar music I have ever heard.

So play this album and hit the road, Jack. And pray that indeed you will come back...

dark and (often) beautiful.......2005-11-25

anyone who has seen mulholland drive knows that the soundtrack lent a very important hand to the overall vibe of the movie. so you would think that it would be hard to enjoy one without the other, but this soundtrack suceeds very well on its own. alot of film scores are fine and enhance the movie while yr watching it, but are trash when taken alone and this sndtrk is kind of above that. i'm not really big on any of the lynch/neff tracks, but they work fine in the movie. the other songs that weren't written by badalamenti are pretty good and are a nice change of pace. my favorite tracks are dwarfland/love theme (especially the latter half), mulholland drive/love theme, llorando, and diane and camilla. i dont believe that diane and camilla was in the movie, but its a very beautiful piece that i think sums up the diane/camilla relationship quite well. anyway, i really like this cd and anyone who enjoyed the film would do well to pick this up

A dark journey through the sphere of horror........2005-10-26

It may not be a horror movie, but the score for Mulholland Drive could be a journey through the ultimate graveyard or haunted house on a stormy Halloween night. I have never even seen the movie, though I love David Lynch's movies for the most part. This score is a dark and haunting musical journey that might work well for a score to a creepy vampire movie or something. Some of it, including the heavy jazzy and dark rock pieces, might be better suited for a suspense thriller, which it is. But the more ambient dark themes could work in any supernatural thriller much as Mark Snow's music could. Enjoy the tour! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Average customer rating:

NO WAY AM I ASHAMED.... THIS IS ROCK!
If only all CD's could be this good!
Ballroom Blitz Me
Has some good glam rock songs, but overall just "ok"
As good as I remember

Desolation Boulevard
Sweet
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Give Us a Wink
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ASIN: B00000DQX6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Ballroom Blitz
The 6-Teens
No You Don't
A.C.D.C.
I Wanna Be Committed
Sweet F.A.
Fox On The Run
Set Me Free
Into The Night
Solid Gold Brass

Customer Reviews:

NO WAY AM I ASHAMED.... THIS IS ROCK!.......2007-04-16

This album will shred up your speakers. Like, it FOOOOKIN RAWKS! Sweet is one of those glam acts of the seventies that sort of drifted away over time, producing a large amount of hits in the seventies, and are only really known these days for a small few. Two of which appear on this album BALLROOM BLITZ and FOX ON THE RUN. If you know those two songs you probably have some idea whats up. Yes, they are a little bit flamboyant at times, but this stuff is crazzzzy, tear it up type stuff, when in the right mood (like-partying loudddd) I can jam this album over and over.
Sadly, the band never really matched the style they went with on this album (which is why I would definately recommend this one over a greatest hits of any sort) .... if the only Sweet song you are familiar with is 1978's Love is Like Oxygen (which is sort of catchy in it's own right, but) you've got the wrong impression. In 1974, this bubblegum group decided to blow up its candy pop fan base and absolutely kick some ace. I totally dig the seventies acid metal feel that is exuberated on this disc in songs like THE 6-TEENS, I WANNA BE COMMITED and SOLID GOLD BRASS... but every song here is a lost gem... so much better than any glam stuff ever produced (ever hear Geordie, the band that Brian Johnsomn was in before he joined ACDC? no, no, no,no).... Sweet... Desolation Boulevard... Go... buy... ROCK... tell 'em Wally Gator sent ya.

If only all CD's could be this good! .......2007-04-02

Well, old-shoolers...we made it this far and this album is still relevent!
Notice all those 5 star reviews? It's because this CD truly deserves it.
This album had great production to begin with and the new copy I bought sounds GREAT. This is hard rock,guitar-driven,with full bass and excellent drumming. The Queen sounding vocal tracks are cool. When I first heard this, it was played between Deep Purple's Machinehead and Zep's Physical Graffiti at a mid-70's party,and the action never slowed down. "A.C.D.C"...what a frickin' riot of a song! Set Me Free,Into The Night,Solid Gold Brass,No You Don't...all of them a rock and roll treat.Buy this,crank it up,and play air-guitar along with it. Way cool,junior!
(oh,yeah...Amazon is giving this to you,at this price)

Ballroom Blitz Me.......2007-03-10

A rockin' good album by Sweet. If you like hard drivin' music that gets you going, then this one will do it for sure.

Has some good glam rock songs, but overall just "ok".......2005-12-30

Sweet is best known for "Ballroom Blitz" from the Wayne's World soundtrack and lesser known for their single "Little Willy". This album pretty much contains two great glam rock songs, "Ballroom Blitz" and "Fox On The Run", with the rest being either "ok" or filler. I'll admit that they do a good job making catchy, yet dumb and pointless, songs like "The 6-Teens" and "No You Don't", however it's catchy in a Backstreet Boys kind of way (i.e. forgettable). It sounds pretty dated and thus not really recommended.

Highlights include:
"Ballroom Blitz"
"The 6-Teens" (but barely)
"Fox On The Run"

As good as I remember.......2005-10-20

This CD took 28 years off my age. I became 18 again. This CD is really as good as I remember, and now I know why Sweet was one of my favorite bands back in the 70's. Great drum work, heavy bass and those unique vocal harmonies make Sweet a classic 70's hard rock band. Get this CD instead of other Sweet compliations. The original songs are much better than any of the alternate versions available.

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Average customer rating:

A good value
The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
Good mix of film music
A mixed collection of movie music
Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
In Session: Film Music Celebration
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

ASIN: B00008WI90
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores

Average customer rating:

Great Movies have Great Soundtracks!
Only Disc 1 Is Worth Anything
More of a propaganda CD
Great selection of Film Hits!
Older recordings, main themes only

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration
Simply the Best Movie Themes
Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
The Incredible Film Music Box

ASIN: B000068TN9
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Tracks:

Saving Private Ryan 'Hymn To The Fallen' - John Williams
Double Indemnity 'Prelude' - Miklos Rozsa
The Lost Weekend 'Finale' - Miklos Rozsa
The Heiress 'Departure/Morris Suggests Love/The Proposal/Finale' - Aaron Copland
Sunset Boulevard 'Prelude' - Franz Waxman
The Ten Commandments 'Prelude' - Elmer Bernstein
Breakfast At Tiffany's 'Moon River' - Henry Mancini
Hatari! 'Baby Elephant Walk' - Henry Mancini
Rosemary's Baby 'Main Title (Vocal)' - Christopher Komeda
Romeo & Juliet 'Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet' - Nino Rota
Once Upon A Time In The West 'Once Upon A Time In The West' - Ennio Morricone
Love Story 'Theme From Love Story' - Francis Lai
The Godfather 'Main Title (The Godfather Waltz)' - Nino Rota
The Godfather 'Love Theme From The Godfather' - Nino Rota
Chinatown 'Love Theme From Chinatown (Main Title) - Jerry Goldsmith
The Godfather - Part II 'End Title' - Nino Rota
Star Trek: The Motion Picture 'End Title' - Jerry Goldsmith
Raiders Of The Lost Ark 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' - John Williams
Terms Of Endearment 'Theme From Terms Of Endearment' - Michael Gore
Flashdance 'Love Theme From Flashdance' - Giorgio Moroder
Beverly Hills Cop 'Axel F' - Harold Faltermeyer

Tracks:

Witness 'Building The Barn' - Maurice Jarre
Children Of A Lesser God 'Main Title' - Michael Convertino
The Untouchables 'The Strength Of The Righteous (Main Title)' - Ennio Morricone
Fatal Attraction 'Fatal Attraction' - Maurice Jarre
The Addams Family 'Main Title' - Marc Shaiman
Dead Again 'Winter 1948' - Patrick Doyle
Indecent Proposal 'Flashback & Photos' - John Barry
The Firm 'How Could You Lose Me?-End Title' - Dave Grusin
Clear And Present Danger 'Main Title/A Clear And Present Danger' - James Horner
Braveheart 'For The Love Of A Princess' - James Horner
Primal Fear 'Courtroom Montage' - James Newton Howard
Mission: Impossible 'Zoom B' - Danny Elfman
Star Trek: First Contact 'End Credits' - Jerry Goldsmith
Titanic 'Hard To Starboard' - James Horner
The Rugrats Movie 'Baby Shower Happenings' - Mark Mothersbaugh
The Talented Mr. Ripley 'Italia' - Gabriel Yared
Rules Of Engagement 'Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)' - Mark Isham
Mission: Impossible 2 'The Bait' - Hans Zimmer
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider 'Main Titles' - Graeme Revell
Vanilla Sky 'To The Roof' - Nancy Wilson
The Sum Of All Fears 'The Mission' - Jerry Goldsmith
Forest Gump 'I'm Forrest...Forrest Gump' - Alan Silvestri

Amazon.com

Granddaddy of the Hollywood studios, Paramount Pictures is rightfully proud of its century of contributions to both American cinema and the art of film scoring. But the first disc of this 43-track double-CD anthology merely hints at the studio's musical peaks, blithely skipping through its first seven decades in just 17 tracks. Indeed, the package as a whole seems more interested in marketing its post-'70s catalog of hits and blockbusters than it does in paying real homage to history and roots. Even rarities like Double Indemnity and The Lost Weekend are served up via modern budget-line rerecordings, as is Ennio Morricone's epochal Once upon a Time in the West). Contemporary recordings of Aaron Copland's rare score to The Heiress and Franz Waxman's great Sunset Blvd. fare better, but soundtrack fans may miss the originals. The studio's rich pop-crossover successes in the '60s are documented via Breakfast at Tiffany's "Moon River" and excerpts from Romeo and Juliet and Love Story, while successful franchises like Star Trek and Raiders also get their due. Too often the '90s-focused second disc only underscores some uncomfortable trends in contemporary scoring--orchestral nervous tics punctuated by booming crescendos, treacly piano Muzak--and makes one wonder if the music of The Rugrats Movie and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider are really film music milestones. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Great Movies have Great Soundtracks!.......2007-05-10

If you love movies and movie music, you can't go wrong with this two cd Paramount Anniversary set.

Only Disc 1 Is Worth Anything.......2006-07-19

Normally I have a lot to say in my reviews, but not this time. The main problem with this collection is that all the most memorable film scores are just on one disc, with the second used mostly to play out stuff from the last ten years that, really, musically isn't very memorable and only includes three pieces anyone will recognize just because, like the movies they come from, they're based on old TV shows - The Addams Family, Star Trek, and Mission: Impossible.

And that brings up another problem. With all due respect to the late Jerry Goldsmith, who has provided some truly great classic movie scores, was it REALLY necessary to include TWO versions of the SAME Star Trek march in this collection? This seems evocative of the milk-it-for-all-its-worth attitude Paramount has had lately toward its now-tarnished crown-jewel franchise. Where's James Horner's theme music from Star Trek II and III? If they're gonna put Star Trek on here twice, they should have provided a little diversity. It wouldn't have taken much, I'm sure.

I'm sure that Paramount's had other films with far more memorable music (even Harold Faltermeyer's Top Gun Anthem could have helped on Disc 2). This just seems like a lazy attempt at something that really could have been great.

More of a propaganda CD.......2002-10-30

There are some really great songs on this 2 CD set. However, those really great songs seem to be lightly interspersed amongst a large number of forgettable songs whose main purpose seems to be to remind you of those movies you enjoy(ed) so much.

It seems a little odd to me that out of 90 years of film making the most memorable scores have been largely released within the last few years. I was pleased to find themes from the Godfather, Indiana Jones and Witness. I was perplexed with the inclusion of songs from Rugrats, both Mission Impossible movies (one would have been more than enough) and Tomb Raider (memorable???).

This is my own personal bias, but I do prefer movie soundtracks that evoke a feeling of excitement. With this collection I just couldn't get excited. I kept finding myself being let down by songs that didn't in some way complement the preceeding song.

There are certainly some great tracks here, but overall I was disappointed. My advise would be to look elsewhere.

Great selection of Film Hits!.......2002-09-25

This one was a pleasant surprise! I thought- how could any CD that had "Baby Elephant Walk" be all that good? This one is. Lots of great scores- classics and a few hidden treasures. After hearing the beautiful title score for "Children of a Lesser God", I had to buy the entire soundtrack - very soothing. There are a few that may seem too overplayed ("Love Story", "Raiders of the Lost Ark",), but most are a welcome addition to any compilation. Try NOT loving "Building the Barn" from "Witness" or the "Hymn to the Fallen" from "Saving Private Ryan". Hours of great listening.

Older recordings, main themes only.......2002-08-27

This is a great album concept, but I really wish Paramount had re-recorded these scores as they deserve to be heard. The tracks range from 1944 to the present, and the older recordings sound just like the cleaned-up older recordings that they are.

I would also personally have enjoyed more "secondary" music themes (otherwise it becomes like reading book summaries that always only quote the opening paragraph), and I could easily have done without the "pop" tunes (like Baby Elephant Walk and the Rugrats theme). In fact, it would have been very nice to listen to an album comprised of tracks chosen for their strong musical value rather than apparently for their box office and/or hit song popularity. But, to be fair, that may be precisely what draws some people to this CD set.

Tracks:

Deep In It
Street Scene (4 Schazz)
Sentimental Mood
What's New?
Dub Experience II
Forget It
Soul Salsa Soul
Alabama Blues

Album Description

Originally released in 1995, Boulevard sold over 300,000 copies worldwide, was elected Record of the Year in England and served as a cornerstone for a legion of artists and producers interested in trying to capture its elusive and sexy grooves. Boulevard, new version the complete series includes two special extra songs, including the rare early hit "Alabama Blues," both taken from 1999's From Detroit to St. Germain, a compilation of cuts recorded over seven years.

Customer Reviews:

urban mellow cool.......2007-04-01

St. Germain is awesome. This album is more mellow than their next. Worth a spin on a mellow evening with cocktails.

Not very creative........2007-03-09

This album was a bit disappointing. I listen to a lot of jazz, blues and electronica but I call this Musak (aural wallpaper). Spend your money instead on Glide by New York Eletric Piano or the new Metheny Mehldau album.

a very cool CD for very uncool people........2005-01-18

Everytime music comes up as a subject in my dull conversations with pathetically blind people they always have to say that they like electronic music and jazz (actually they always say that they like all music generes, and eveyone knows everything is nothing) and when i ask who? they will always reply (in 98% of the cases) Ella Fitzgerald and St. Germain.

Now Ella I happen to like (in addition to many other jazz vocalists) but St. Germain's CD Boulevard is Just....Well.....PLAIN BOOoooORING.
My advice to those palin misguided geeks zombified by the media who enjoy the most predictible execution of this "relaxing blend" of cool jazz and house as a work of art to mention every time the words jazz and electeronica come to mind is GET INTERESTED!

I PITTY YOU! MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT MUSIC!

There are many great jazz artists out there! and a long list of electronic artists that make Air and St Germain sound like a commercial for hair conditioner.

THE FIRST SHOT FIRED IN THE NEW COOL.......2003-07-21

This is the hippest, coolest, jazziest of the 21st century. A new genre of jazz, HOUSE JAZZ. Chillin jazz is right here for your listening and laid back pleasure. This is chill music jazz. The songs are hypnotic beats, very underplayed, with full jszz improvisation. This is not light jazz, believe me. It's jazz over house beats. One song even starts off paying tribute to the world wide DJ's of house. It is jazz, house, dub. That's the best way to define what this listen is. If you're a bebop purist, stay away. But if you really understand jazz this is your place to be. Jazz is about innovation and improvisation. New stuff. Let's leave the past behind. Always moving ahead. Miles would be proud. The first shot fired in the 21st. century cool revolution.

Dull.......2003-03-15

There are three good songs on this album: Deep In It, Street Scene, and Forget It. The rest of the tracks are filler. Alabama Blues is a good disco song, but it doesn't fit in with the rest of the slow-cool-jazz-groove thing on the rest of the disc.

Buy TOURIST instead.

Music Review: