Take Me Back

Take Me Back

Track Listings

1. Leave That Liar Alone

2. Sweet Sunny South

3. I Love You a Thousand Ways

4. Just Someone I Used to Know

5. Down to the Valley to Pray

6. Wave the Ocean, Wave the Sae

7. Your Long Journey

8. When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland

9. Unwed Fathers

10. Nobody's Fault But Mine - Tim O'Brien

11. Papa's on the Housetop

12. Dream of the Miner's Child

13. Christ Was Born in Bethlehem

Tracks:

Nancy Jane - Fort Worth Doughboys
Sunbonnet Sue - Fort Worth Doughboys
Osage Stomp
Get With It
Spanish Two Step
Maiden's Prayer
I Ain't Got Nobody
Who Walks in When I Walk Out
Oklahoma Rag
Smith's Reel
Weary of the Same Ol' Stuff
No Matter How She Done It
Bluin' the Blues
Red Hot Gal of Mine
Steel Guitar Rag
What's the Matter With the Mill?
Sugar Blues
Basin Street Blues
Too Busy
Fan It
There's No Disappointment in Heaven
Swing Blues No. 1
Playboy Stomp
T for Texas (Blue Yodel No. 1)
Never No More Hard Times Blues
Oozlin' Daddy Blues

Tracks:

Black Rider
Pray for the Lights to Go Out
San Antonio Rose
Carolina in the Morning
Silver Bells (That Ring in the Night)
Beaumont Rag
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Whoa Baby
I Wonder If You Feel the Way I Do
My Window Faces the South
That's What I Like About the South
Waltz You Saved for Me
Prosperity Special
Don't Let the Deal Go Down
You're Okay
Lone Star Rag
Corrine, Corrina
Bob Wills Special
Time Changes Everything
Big Beaver
New San Antonio Rose
I Knew the Moment I Lost You
Twin Guitar Special
Take Me Back to Tulsa
Takin' It Home
Please Don't Leave Me
Cherokee Maiden
Dusty Skies
My Life's Been a Pleasure

Tracks:

We Might as Well Forget It
Home in San Antone
Liberty
Miss Molly
You're from Texas
Goodbye Liza Jane
My Confession
Texas Playboy Rag
Roly Poly
Stay a Little Longer
Just a Plain Old Country Boy
New Spanish Two-Step
I'm Feelin' Bad
Cotton Eyed Joe
Brain Cloudy Blues
Bob Wills Boogie
Fat Boy Rag
Good Man Is Hard to Find
Little Bit of Boogie
Along the Navajo Trail
Baby Won't You Please Come Home
Betcha My Heart
Chinatown
Dinah
Frankie Jean
Hawaiian War Chant

Tracks:

I'm a Ding Dong Daddy
Milk Cow Blues
My Gal Sal
Red River Valley
Sugar Moon
Sweet Jennie Lee
Girl I Left Behind Me
At the Woodchopper's Ball
Blues for Dixie
Bubbles in My Beer
Can't Get Enough of Texas
Cotton Patch Blues
Cowboy Stomp
Crazy Rhythm
Deep Water
Don't Be Ashamed of Your Age
Keeper of My Heart
Little Cowboy Lament
Thorn in My Heart
Ida Red Likes to Boogie
Boot Heel Drag
Faded Love
I Laugh When I Think How I Cried Over You
I'll Be Lucky Someday
I Didn't Realise
Rock-A-Bye Baby Blues
Jolie Blon Likes the Boogie
End of the Line

Album Description

UK budget-price box-set featuring the pioneer of western swing, he played blues, rags, stomps, ballads and jazz in a style that became much imitated. 119 tracks and including a 52 page illustrated booklet. Four standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. 2001.

Album Details

Compilation featuring 109 Tracks from the King of Western Swing. Includes Every Important Track Recordedbetween the Years 1932 and 1950 as Well as a 52 Page Booklet with a Biography, Session Details and Rarephotos.

Customer Reviews:

amazing collection.......2007-06-01

An incredible bargain ... the only surprise is that it doesn't have "Right or Wrong," which is on the one-disc "Essential" collection.

"What A Great Deal !.......2006-06-29

I own 2 other Bob Wills box sets - Anthology 1935 - 1973, which is a 2 CD set with a lot of good music on it, mostly old. I also have the box set "Encore" that has all Bob's newer stuff from the early 60's (when Tommy Duncan came back) to his recordings in the early 70's before his death (at this time in his career his band cosisted of a lot less members and no horns)both these sets are "pretty" good. But this set from Proper Records "Take me back to Tulsa" is one of the Best deals on the internet today. I paid about 18 bucks for this set "Brand New" and it has four CD's that are loaded with tons of great music going all the way back to when Bob was still playing with Milton Brown (Proper's box set "Milton Brown and his Brownies" is also pretty darn good,but it doesn't have that Wills Western Flair). Bottom line if you are a fan of Western Swing and can't afford at this time to put out about $700.00 for the two Outstanding Bear Family box sets then go for this one, over 100 Great songs you won't be disappointed....the price is right too! "Enjoy" Joe Kopeck - Parkville , MD.

"Come in, Tommy...".......2006-01-06

This boxed set is amazing for the sheer volume of wonderful music it proffers at a fraction of what one would expect to pay for it. Concentrating on the early years, it presents Bob Wills at the dawn of his recording career and continues through the height of his creativity. This is the cream of early Bob Wills, and contains about 60% of his very best material (I am long of the opinion that Bob Wills never made a bad record in his life, and he continued to be productive through his so-called "lean years" of the 1950's, 1960's and beyond). But these tracks are the classics that most fans cherish above all.

Tommy Duncan, Wills' favorite featured vocalist, appears here on many sides, including Time Changes Everything (my personal Bob Wills favorite) and many others. Besides the early Columbia sides, there are examples of his Decca years and other smaller labels. A few of my own favorites include My Little Cherokee Maiden (close runner-up to Time Changes Everything as my favorite Bob Wills record) Sunbonnet Sue (recorded with Milton Brown and His Brownies before Bob formed the Playboys) Maiden's Prayer, Steel Guitar Rag, Basin Street Blues, San Antonio Rose, Silver Bells, Lone Star Rag (an overlooked masterpiece, and one of the catchiest instrumental tunes you've ever heard), Take Me Back To Tulsa, Miss Molly, My Confession, Roly Poly, Hawaiian War Chant, Sugar Moon, Bubbles In My Beer, Deep Water, Faded Love (which Bob wrote and Patsy Cline had a monster hit with) and I Laugh When I Think How I Cried Over You (what a great title!).

For anyone who doesn't know, Bob Wills was a fiddle player who played his first professional gig as a young boy, substituting for his father at a barn dance. Although he grew up around Western music, the Wills family lived in a poor area where there were many black families, and very early he was exposed to and grew to love the Blues and other forms of traditional African-American music. Legend has it that he once rode fifty miles on horseback to attend a Bessie Smith recital, and was the only white person in the audience. He was one of the founding members of Milton Brown and His Brownies, the band credited with creating the style of music now known as Western Swing. When he started his own band, the Texas Playboys, he took a cue from Count Basie and included Brass, Horns and rhythm instruments, and if he couldn't claim to actually invent Western Swing, he certainly perfected it. In the 1940's he was one of the highest paid bandleaders in the US.

Bob was most famous for his "calls" or "hollers". When the band got hot, he would frequently holler "Ahhhhh-hahhhh" or prod them along with such exclamations as "Take it away, Leon" or "Here's that old piano pounder". Or, if the band was playing below his expectations, he would shout, "Johnny in key, please" or virtually anything else that came into his mind.

For many years during the height of his popularity, Bob and his music were rejected by the orthodox country music establishment for being too "jazzy" and ignored by the jazz world for being too "hillbilly". Western Swing is a blend of jazz and western music - it is primarily dance music, with a strong emphasis on vocals (like country), but it also includes jazz instruments like saxophone and trumpets. What makes it most unique are instruments that are traditionally associated with country music (like fiddles and steel guitars), being employed in a "swing" or jazz fashion. Any performance by Bob Wills Texas Playboys incorporates spotlight solos, improvisation and other musical trademarks generally associated with jazz. In other words, his band and his music are totally unique.

Fortunately, there was a revival of interest in Bob Wills and his music which started in the 1960's and continues to this day. After his death in 1974, there was an explosion of new Western Swing bands, with young admirers anxious to copy the Bob Wills sound and keep Western Swing alive. Even country music has finally paid him his due, for today Bob Wills is proudly embraced and revered in country circles as a pioneer and a true original. He is now acknowledged as one of the first to incorporate African American rhythm and Jazz into country music, and his influence has been acknowledged by such diverse artists as Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and even Elvis Costello.

If you are not familiar with Bob Wills, you can't go wrong with this set as an introduction, especially at this price.

HERE THEY ALL COME!.......2005-09-13

Some of these songs aren't on any of the other CD's and if they are, they're different versions. A couple you will want to hear if you haven't already are "Fan It" and "Pray for the Lights To Go Out"- MAN, ARE THOSE OLD BUT GOOD!! "Cowboy Stomp" is another one I hadn't heard before that's in this collection. Anybody who loves Bob Wills should have this, it is worth every penny.

Red Hot Jazz Cowboy blues band!.......2005-01-13

Mix two parts twenties jazz, one part blues, one part swing, two parts honky tonk, and one part crooning music and what do you have? Bob Wills and His Texas Playboy Band! I was turned on to this band by their recording of "Too Busy," which sounds like a cross between early fifties rock and roll and dixieland jazz. These guys were hot! Bob Wills and his band were a perfect example of a group of musicians who played live several hours a day, perfecting their craft - not the talentless celebrities of today who rely on tape loops and beat machines. This set is an unbelievable value. You get four cds for 22$! And this isn't filler. Each cd has songs that you will want to download into your ipod. Excellent!

Average customer rating:

The most perfect voice in music....
How can he get any better!
I wish you were here to see it.....
Cowan Just Keeps Giving His Best
THIS IS A MUST CD...John Cowan Band at their best!

Always Take Me Back
John Cowan
Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

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John Cowan
Soul'd Out
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Laps in Seven
Live In NC

ASIN: B0000636CP
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

They Always Take Me Back
Someone Give Me A Stone
Sittin' On Top Of The World
Long Distance Runaround
Blood
18 Years
Read On
In My Father's Field
Two Quarts Low
Call Me
Monroe's Mule
Love Alone
Mr. Banjo

Amazon.com

What do you get when you cross country music with prog rock? Something not unlike this recording by former New Grass Revival singer John Cowan. Cowan's formidable voice has always been bigger than bluegrass, and on Always Take Me Back he leaves no doubt that his roots are as firmly planted in rock dramatics as in the string music of his Kentucky upraising. If you are among the select few who have always yearned to hear Yes's "Long Distance Runaround" done without irony and with a drum program, banjo, and fiddle backing (it works better than you would think), or the recitation from King Crimson's "In Discipline" pasted over a banjo instrumental, you've come to the right place. Cowan's own tunes are well-crafted tales of his family relationships and upbringing, sung with a power that occasionally dwarfs his semi-acoustic backing. Bluegrass, like prog rock, has always been the province of virtuoso instrumentalists, so perhaps the combo should not be so surprising. It is not meant as a value judgment to say that if Journey had a banjo they might sound like this. --Michael Ross

Customer Reviews:

The most perfect voice in music...........2002-08-05

As a HUGE fan of John's, I was so excited when the new album came out! No one has the soul and conviction he can put into a song! I love "Sittin' on Top of the World," I'm sure Jimmy Martin would be shocked by John's funk version! :0 Also, "Someone Give Me A Stone," made me smile! The ballads are John's forte, you can never quite explain how great he is until someone hears him sing! Buy the album and definitely check out the band if they get near your town!

How can he get any better!.......2002-05-08

I have followed John Cowan from the New Grass Revival to his own band now. Just when you think his music can't get any better, it does. The new album Always Take Me Back just blew me away. The production on this album is incredible. It covers ground from new grass, bluegrass, rock , country, soul, gospel. I especially liked Someone Give Me a Stone, which has a Celtic, funk sound with a rock edge. All of the songs on this Cd are good. There are no bad cuts. I got a tear in my eye hearing My Fathers Field. That brought back memories. Everyone should hear John Cowan's music. Its great and getting better.

I wish you were here to see it............2002-04-19

Of the three solo efforts by John Cowan,this is fast becoming my favorite. I have had the pleasure of seeing John's band on multiple occasions and to watch it grow and evolve.
This current line up is hot.This album contains a great mix of emotiontionally charged tunes with a few "just plain fun" tracks.
Scott Vestal shines with his progressive approach to the Banjo and his Roland driven synth Banjo.
John Cowan is growing with leaps and bounds in the songwriting department.
But it is the *Voice* that is the star of this show.

If you are unfamiliar with John Cowan you really should check him out and this album is a great starting point.
It is difficult to pidgeon hole the musical style into any one genre but here is a voice that demands wider recognition.

Buy this record,you will not regret it.

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Cowan Just Keeps Giving His Best.......2002-04-11

This is John Cowan's second solo CD since he formed his own band and it's just a wonderful as the first one. I really couldn't possibly choose which one I like better. There are two songs on this CD that really pack a punch. ``18 years,'' is a song about his father's painful legacy and ``Blood'' also deals with his family and his past. Powerful stuff. All of the songs left me humming and remembering the lyrics. I just can't listen to this CD enough. John's voice, as usual, is in fine form. He has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.

THIS IS A MUST CD...John Cowan Band at their best!.......2002-04-04

I have been a John Cowan and New Grass Revival fan for that last 10 years and out of all the John Cowan and NGR CD's this one tops them all! If I were to pick a favorite song on this cd...I CAN"T because they are all incredible Love alone, Call Me, Someone Give Me A Stone, Blood...they are all just GREAT!! Jeff Autry, Scott Vestal, Passi Leppikangas, and Randy Kohrs (replaced by Luke Bulla after the recording) are incredible musicians and they did an excellent job on this cd- you can't find and better musicians out there! Also if you haven't seen these guys live YOU MUST...so head out to the nearest festival and catch these guys and check out johncowan.com This

Average customer rating:

A very impressive album and commanding statement of her individuality

Take Me Back
April Verch
Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music
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From Where I Stand
Verchuosity
A Little Girl... A Big Four-Lane
New Day
She Waits for Night

ASIN: B000C8STJE
Release Date: 2006-02-14

Tracks:

Take Me Back
Grand Slaque
All In A Night
Monarch
I Still Cry
Eclipse
Bride Of Jesus
Loggers In The Short Grass
Tennessee Wagoner
Cruel Moon
Seven Years
Tom, Brad & Alice
Wings To Fly
This Ottawa Valley

Amazon.com

In her artistic maturity, the champion Canadian fiddle prodigy has developed a mastery of musical mood swings. About half of Take Me Back comprises sprightly instrumentals--many of them traditional tunes from April Verch's native Ottawa Valley--which spotlight her extraordinary virtuosity (and nimble step dancing). Interspersed with these are vocal numbers of such brooding despair and bittersweet vulnerability that they break the listener's heart. The title track about the torture of lost love is one of three from the songbook of Julie Miller (one written with husband Buddy), while the luminous "Bride of Jesus" is one of three from Claire Lynch. On these, Verch turns the limits of her girlish voice--its lack of range, polish, and lung power--into interpretive strengths. On the instrumental numbers, she plainly has no limits. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

A very impressive album and commanding statement of her individuality.......2006-02-26

Playing Time - 52:44 -- "Take Me Back" gives April Verch plenty room to strut her stuff as she journeys on both traditional and contemporary roads. Written by Julie Miller, the title cut allows April's captivating vocals to speak to removing some of the weight from her shoulders. By track two (the nearly 6-minute "Grand Slaque"), we hear an entire different side of April - that of lyrical fiddler in the finest French Canadian tradition with notes that bounce like ping pong balls. A step dancer herself, her fiddling is "reel-y" enjoyable. The set makes a contemporary turn with Claire Lynch and Missy Raines' "All in a Night" that incorporates drums and electric guitar. Another instrumental, "Monarch," is a jazz composition that wafts like a butterfly in a summer breeze. Thus, these four numbers alone show what we're in for on the entire album - many adventurous jaunts. Musically moving hither and thitherward, April demonstrates great versatility and skill. Some listeners, however, may find the set's flow a bit disjointed or lacking coherence due to the broad spectrum covered.

April Verch really likes to mix it up a bit. Her displays of both virtuoso musicianship and pleasant vocalizing are best for those with eclectic musical preferences. "I Still Cry" is a remarkably powerful slow love song. What large jumps we make to the aural experience of "Eclipse" (fiddle and piano bursting with pep), to "Bride of Jesus" (slow mournful singing), to "Loggers in the Short Grass" (another very danceable instrumental). Texas fiddling styles are captured in "Tennessee Wagoner," that shares breaks with guitar, piano, and even string bass. "Cruel Moon" is another slower song with dreamy electric guitar, and the set's transition to a more lilting instrumental "Seven Years" works well. "Tom, Brad & Alice" demonstrates old-time sensibilities as the fluid fiddle and frailing banjo speak to each other. "This Ottawa Valley," is a fun closer in ¾-time that pays tribute to her home and incorporates the sounds of a party going on at the recording session.

Produced by Dirk Powell and recorded in Louisiana, "Take Me Back" shows that April Verch is a musician of many talents and interests. Performing since a kid, April is the first woman to win both the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship and Canadian Open Fiddle Championship. She was only 14 (in 1992) when she recorded her first solo album. On the Rounder label, "Verchuosity" (2001) and "From Where I Stand" (2003) featured old-time, Brazilian, and contemporary music. "Take Me Back" has even greater eclecticism as some of Verch's previous work didn't include as much singing. Verch's extensive interests and abilities make this a very impressive album. It's a commanding statement of her individuality. Akin to the well-rounded and discriminating nature of Americana music, I'd have to say that April Verch's musical expedition is into new, refreshing and similar territory - let's just call it "Canadicana" for lack of a better term. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

Average customer rating:

I waited for this for five years
Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE!
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS
SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!
A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005R5UJ
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman

Tracks:

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir

Tracks:

Oh What A Circus - David Essex
Memory - Betty Buckley
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
With One Look - Petula Clark
You Must Love Me - Madonna
The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
No Matter What - Boyzone
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church

Tracks:

Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
Try It And See - Rita Pavone
Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
Disillusion Me - Gary Band
The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
Magdalena - Tony Christie
Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers

Album Description

Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and Dance

Disc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love

Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game

CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church

Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers

Customer Reviews:

I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30

Between Amazone, Ebay and Napster, I don't usually buy CDs anymore, and I usually wait till I can buy them cheaper "new and used". When this set came out, I was excited, mainly by Disc 5, but wasn't going to spend $70 on it. I waited till it was cheap enough, and got it for Father's day this year.
It was worth the wait.

The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.

I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.

There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."

But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.

First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.

Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?

On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?

The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).

There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.

With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?

Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.

In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.

Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10

Please beware they made a mistake on this. It's actually the shortened Ray Shell version of STARLIGHT EXPRESS from the original 1984 London cast - NOT the El Debarge single from 1987 like it says on the box. I don't know how they let that goof pass. Sorry to Ray Shell. Having said that, this is an outstanding compilation of Lloyd Webber's greatest hits.

ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21

Regardless of the fact that some of his latest efforts (most notably, The Woman in White) are disappointing, there can be little doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers ever to work in the musical theatre. Ever since his "Jesus Christ Superstar" hit the stage in the early 70-is, it was clear that the conception and perception of musicals are never going to be the same again. 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. Some of his awards include three Grammies, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a bunch of Tony awards. But perhaps most of all, Lloyd Webber is responsible for bringing the musicals and the theatre appealing to the wide audiences, who in different circumstances would not consider seeing a musical. The secret of his success is probably the mixture of beautiful and catchy melodies, interesting subject matter (though some, like Starlight Express, are too thin) and grandiose staging.

Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.

Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:

* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.

* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.

* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.

* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.

* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.

Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.

SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19

"Evita." "Sunset Blvd." "Starlight Express." "Jesus Christ Superstar." "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." "Requiem." "Aspects of Love." The man who is the most recognized composer in the history of the musical theatre, the man who has won more Tonys than any other composer, the man who boasts the best-selling show of all time ("The Phantom of the
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.

A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21

This five-CD collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's career is fantastic. It leaves virtually no stone unturned. I have no doubt that diehard Webber fans will love this, especially for the 5th disc entitled "From the Vaults." This disc alone is worth the price as it contains tunes never before heard by the typical fan. Who knew Elvis did a Lloyd Webber tune?!? I didn't! Also the tune "Benedictine" which the composer wrote for his most recent marriage is not only pretty, but it has the same medley as "The Lady's Paying" from "Sunset Blvd." which I found highly enjoyable. Another great track is the composer himself singing a cut song from "Cats" entitled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats" which has the same tune as "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," but to hear Sir Andrew sing is a blast...he sounds a lot like Al "Year of the Cat" Stewart.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!

Average customer rating:

This Is a Fine Crafted Album and Highly Anointed!
I Love This Album
Takes Me Back
Take me waaaaaaaaay back brother Andrae!

Take Me Back
Andrae Crouch
Manufacturer: Platinum Ent.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Andrae
This Is Another Day
Pray
Live in London
Live at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B00000481A
Release Date: 1995-03-07

Tracks:

I'll Still Love You
Praises
Just Like He Said He Would
All I Can Say (I Really Love You)
You Can Depend On Me
Take Me Back
The Sweet Love Of Jesus
It Ain't No New Thing
They Shall Be Mine
Oh Savior
Tell Them

Customer Reviews:

This Is a Fine Crafted Album and Highly Anointed!.......2007-06-20

If you are looking for Spirit filled music that will draw you back into the Lord's presence, then this is the album for you. I still have a well worn copy of the LP and still pull it out to play it on my turntable. I never get tired of it. I also have the CD. It is my favorite album of Andrae. Even Keith Green admired this album to the point that he contacted Bill Maxwell to produce his first album.

I Love This Album.......2004-08-17

My parents had this album and my dad's gospel music group would sing some of their songs. I moved away when I was about 20 and when I came back for a visit, I looked for the album and they had since gotten rid of their vinyl. Well, I wondered if it would sound dated. It doesn't - it is still great! I'm very happy I could find it here and I still get tears in my eyes.

Takes Me Back.......2000-04-08

I bought this album on wax back when it first came out in about 1976. Back then, I was a born-again, Bible believing evangelical Jesus People. Man, does this album bring back memories! Andrae's Christianity is all about love and trust in a Jesus who will never let you down. None of the dark side of religion here. The album ranges from gospel-funk hybrid ("They Shall be Mine") to ragtime ("Ain't No New Thing"), to the Beatles-inspired "I'll Still Love You" (complete with English horn solo). I don't listen to much Christian music anymore, but this one is definitely on my list.

Take me waaaaaaaaay back brother Andrae!.......1999-09-07

This guy is absolutely on fire for the lord- mix that with the funkiest sound of an upbeat era and you have a man with a message that's ' Fired, wired and spiritually inspired!'The back up vocals and solo's are second to none. As christians, this sound track is a sure testimony to non believers, and let's face it, in this day and age of secular and media onslaught, a positive message clothed in such an immaculate sound package is attractive to anyone with a heartbeat. Buy this people, and thank the lord for this man- love y'all!

Average customer rating:

Fine reissue of a classic set

Purcell: Theatre Music

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Lawes: The Consort Setts for 5 & 7 viols and organ

ASIN: B0001Y4JHA
Release Date: 2004-10-12

Customer Reviews:

Fine reissue of a classic set.......2006-05-24

Think about the stupidest, most formulaic Hollywood movies you can think of: cheesy action pictures, fluffy, unfunny comedies, big but stiff epics. Now imagine that one of the greatest living composers was working in Hollywood, turning out astonishing, hauntingly beautiful and stirring musical scores for these throwaway movies. That's what you get with this set: music Henry Purcell composed for some two dozen often utterly forgettable plays (trust me--I've read a number of them!) Occasionally, when he teams up with a playwright worthy of his stature, such as John Dryden, Aphra Behn, or William Congreve, the results are even better, but for the most part you can enjoy the music here without knowing anything about the original plays.

This set originally appeared as separate LPs in the 70s and 80s, and has been long out of print. That's a pity, since Purcell spent a good deal of his short professional life in the theatre, either writing the incidental music contained on these CDs, or the music for his larger works, the semi-operas (King Arthur, The Fairy Queen, and the like). Almost all of these works are enjoyable gems; certainly, they represent a pinnacle of English 17th century music. Purcell had a genius for spinning musical gold out of the most leaden lyrics (check out his Odes and Welcome Songs on Hyperion if you don't believe me), and he does the same with the song texts in these plays.

Hogwood and the AAM offer clean, listenable performances, and the sound on these old analog discs has been cleaned up and brightened--although they were pretty good, even in the late 70s. As with most Hogwood, emotional extremes are kept to a minimum, so the "otherworldly" nature of late 17th century music, so often emphasised in more recent Baroque performances, doesn't come across here. It would be interesting to see what a group like The King's Consort would do with this music, but this set fills the major gap in the Purcell canon quite nicely.

My only beef with the reissue, as with many reissues, is that the liner notes are rather thin for a 6-cd set--the lyrics to the songs, for example, are especially missed. Still, it's a worthwhile set, and a must for fans of Purcell, English Baroque music, or anyone who just wants to experience a taste of the last days of the Restoration stage.

Average customer rating:

Take Me Back
Kent Bottenfield
Manufacturer: IBB Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0009JPIFE
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Tracks:

I Can't Wait To Go Home
They Went
How Long
Take Me Back
I Remember
Rain
Come to Me
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Wash Over Me
Trusting in Love
You're There
Amazing Grace
Message
A Prayer Away

Product Description

PLAYLIST: I CAN'T WAIT TO GO HOME, THEY WENT, HOW LONG, TAKE ME BACK, I REMEMBER, RAIN, COME TO ME, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, WASH OVER ME, TRUSTING IN LOVE, YOU'RE THERE, AMAZING GRACE, MESSAGE & A PRAYER AWAY

Take Back the Universe and Give Me Yesterday

Average customer rating:

Under the Tracks rocks
Excellent Indie Rock
This album shoulda been huge
Try something new!
One of the best CD's ever released!

Take Back the Universe and Give Me Yesterday
Creeper Lagoon
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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On the Speakers

ASIN: B00005B6AN
Release Date: 2003-08-25

Tracks:

Chance Of A Lifetime
Wrecking Ball
Sunfair
She Loves Me Not
Up All Night
Naked Days
Under The Tracks
Dead Man Saloon
Hey Sister
Cellophane
Keep From Moving
Lover's Leap
Here We Are

Amazon.com

With the release of Take Back the Universe and Give Me Yesterday, San Francisco's indie-rock darlings Creeper Lagoon take a large directional leap into the mainstream alternative realm of full harmonies and slick production. For their second full-length album, the band worked with four different producers (Jerry Harrison, Dave Fridmann, Greg Wells, and Mark Trombino) to add lush melodic textures and pack synthesized swirls and beats around their high-soaring tracks. As a result, Take Back the Universe is an energized burst of radio-friendly rock built on tenderly emotional songs that yield completely to the soft pop spot in Creeper's musical heart. Opening tracks "Chance of a Lifetime" and "Wrecking Ball" set the Take Back tone, boosting wistful lyrics about easy living and stumbling relationships with sparkling rock endorphins. Throughout the disc, melancholy sentiments build into robust choruses as the songs trip through co-vocalists Ian Sefchick and Sharky Laguana's musings on love and lighthearted affairs. With the release of Take Back the Universe, Creeper Lagoon show they have the ability to embrace their sensitive sides with the sweetness of old indie bands like Sugar without hydroplaning on an overly spit-shined final product. --Jennifer Maerz

Customer Reviews:

Under the Tracks rocks.......2007-02-01

The song "Under the Tracks" is a standout perfect pop song, from O.C movie. It's a very happy song, it would be a good choice for a Hollywood cigarette theme, if cigarette ad were allowed in Brazil.

The other songs are forgettable, but are some OK songs, like the slower "Here We Are" and "Cellophane" and the upbeat "Wrecking Ball".

Some reference in Internet are assigning "Under the Tracks" to Coldplay. No chances.

Excellent Indie Rock.......2006-01-22

I've always had a couple random songs by these guys on my computer (Wrecking Ball, Under the Tracks) and loved them. I decided to finally pick this disc up recently and am very glad I did. If you are into Indie Rock that doesn't feel too Indie, then you will enjoy this disc. The songs are catchy, but don't ever cross the line into cheesy radio-type rock crap. The vocals are solid and the musicianship tight. If you're into some good chill stuff I would give this disc a spin.

This album shoulda been huge.......2004-06-30

On this album Creeper Lagoon unleashed a huge sound that more than fulfilled the promise of their debut. Big soaring guitars and catchy tunes that actually have something going on below the surface. I can't figure out why this wasn't all over the radio and didn't sell a million copies. Not that I wanted everybody running around in Creeper Lagoon shirts, but they deserved better. I know they're still around in a different form, but it just isn't like it was on this album. Ian (the ex-lead singers) new band On the Speakers is really good though, and if you miss what he added to the band check them out. They only have an ep out now, but it's got some great catchy stuff on it that's very reminiscent of Creeper. If you never heard this album, you need to get it. I've had it since it first came out and I still listen to it nearly every week, I just can't get sick of it.

Try something new!.......2004-02-20

An unusual more sophisticated slant on punk rock. It's amazing some of the bands that make it to main stream, while ones with actual talent, like Creeper Lagoon, go largely unnoticed. Don't miss out on this one.

One of the best CD's ever released!.......2003-09-26

1/3 Guided By Voices + 1/3 Bob Mould + 1/6 U2 + 1/6 Fig Dish = Creeper Lagoon. Plain and simple, this is one of the greatest CDs ever created. If I were stranded on an island and could somehow only get my hands on one CD, this would be a strong contender for that CD. Not only is it one of the best CDs ever, it also contains "Wrecking Ball", one of the greatest songs ever written. If you have any love of indie pop rock, then I can promise you that you will fall in love with this CD from the first listen, and you will always be able to put it in without getting bored. GREAT!

The Wizard of Oz - Vintage Recordings from the 1903 Broadway Musical

Average customer rating:

A Collection of the Original Oz Stage Productions
Ain't it a Shame!
Why the 1903 "Wizard" was forgotten
A long overdue revisit to a classic American musical
Long-Forgotten Broadway Hit Gets First Rate Revival

The Wizard of Oz - Vintage Recordings from the 1903 Broadway Musical

Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Wizard Of Oz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - The Deluxe Edition

ASIN: B00009MPYQ

Tracks:

Wizard of OzSelection (Arthur Pryor's Band)
The Bullfrog and the Coon (Ada Jones)
Pocahontas (Edward M. Favor)
Daisy Donohue (Harry Tally)
Down on the Brandywine (Collins & Harlan)
Come Take a Skate with Me Sung (Collins & Harlan)
I Love You All the Time (Harry Macdonough)
The Moon Has His Eyes on You (Ada Jones)
When You Love, Love, Love (Thomas E. Whitbred)
When We Get Whats a-Comin to Us
Mister Dooley Sung (Edward M. Favor)
Julie Dooley (J. W. Myers)
Meet Me Down at the Corner (Jones & Spencer)
Budweisers a Friend of Mine (Billy Murray)
Theres a Lot of Things You Never Learn at School (Bob Roberts)
Under a Panama (Billy Murray)
Good Bye Fedora (Collins & Harlan)
Sitting Bull (Collins & Harlan)
I Love Only One Girl in this Wide Wide World (Harry Macdonough)
Sammy (Harry Macdonough)
The Tale of a Stroll (Morgan & Stanley)
Cant You See Im Lonely? (Ada Jones)
Are You Sincere? (Byron G. Harlan)
Hurrah for Baffins Bay (Collins & Harlan)
Football (Dan W. Quinn)
Id Like to Go Halves in That (Burt Shepard)
Rejoice!The Wizard is No Longer King
The Traveler and the Pie
Must You? (Dan W. Quinn)
Thats Where She Sits All Day (Dan W. Quinn)
The Sweetest Girl in Dixie (Henry Burr)
Scarecrow Laugh (Fred Stone)

Tracks:

Sammy Mira (Music Box Disc)
Must You? (Mira Music Box Disc)
Opening Prayer
Phantom Patrol
Just a Simple Girl from the Prairie
Poppy Song
Love is Love
When We Get What's A-Comin' to Us
The Traveler and the Pie
When You Love, Love, Love
Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King
Phantom Patrol (Aeolian Piano Roll)
My Little Maid of Oz Aeolian Piano Roll
The Tik-Tok Man of OzSelection (Rythmodik Piano Roll)
The Tik-Tok Man of OzSelection (Piano Roll)
Ask the Flowers to Tell You (Macdonough & Dunlap)
My Beautiful Dream Girl (John Barnes Wells)
My Pretty Little Piece of Dresden China (Bessie Wynn)
Gay Paree (Montgomery & Stone)
Travel Travel Little Star (Montgomery & Stone)
A Scotch Moriah (Montgomery & Stone)
Hurrah for Baffins Bay (Dan W. Quinn)
Daisy Donohue (Trombone Solo by Arthur Pryor)
Mr. DooleyMedley (Xylophone Solo J. Frank Hopkins)
Down on the BrandywineMedley (Edison Military Band)
The Bullfrog and the CoonMedley (Six Brown Brothers)
Ill Take You Back to Italy (Ada Jones & Billy Murray)
Father Goose Songs (Sallie Osbourne)

Album Description

The Wizard of Oz a musical with book and lyrics by L. Frank Baum and music by Paul Tietjens premiered on June 16, 1902, at the Grand Opera House in Chicago. It was an instant hit and made stars of David Montgomery (the Tin Woodman) and Fred Stone (the Scarecrow). On January 21, 1903 the show opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York. It ran for nine months and set out on the road with a second company right on its heels. The show toured, came back to New York, toured, and returned to New York again many times until finally disbanding around 1911. Stock and amateur companies continued to present it into the 1930s when it was overshadowed by the classic MGM film starring Judy Garland.

The show was legendary for its success and its impact on American culture. It was the Cats or Les Mis of the early 1900s--but the show has been swallowed by history. What made audiences of the early 1900s devour the show and return for more again and again? In this unprecedented 2-CD set—featuring over 145 minutes of vintage recordings and 64 pages of lyrics, photos, notes and synopsis—you can discover how The Wizard of Oz entertained the American public for the first two decades of the 20th century. And like the audiences of nearly a hundred years ago, you can hum along to "Budweiser," "Sammy," and "Hurrah for Baffin's Bay"—everyone's favorite songs from The Wizard of Oz! Also included in this comprehensive collection are recordings from later Oz musicals, The Woggle-Bug and The Tik-Tok Man of Oz written by Oz creator L. Frank Baum, as well as vintage non-Oz recordings by original "Wizard of Oz stars" Montgomery & Stone and Bessie Wynn

Customer Reviews:

A Collection of the Original Oz Stage Productions.......2006-12-07

This Double-Disk Collection contains music from the original and varied Oz Stage Productions: "the Wizard of Oz", "the Woggle-Bug" (based on 'Marvelous Land of Oz) and "the Tik-Tok Man of Oz" (based on 'Ozma of Oz'). There are plenty of "Wizard" songs and music, but there isn't a lot of "Woggle-Bug" and/or "Tik-Tok Man".
I often wondered how different the 1st & Original Production of 'Oz Wizard' was different to the book, and thanks to Mark Evan Schwartz's book "Oz: Before the Rainbow" I found out for myself (WORTH A READ!!). Later I got this CD to go along with the book's stage telling (more or less) and I listened in interest to the songs which, I read, were entirely different to the future Musicals of Oz. The songs are good, but not all of them are actually completely restored to perfection, so the singing may/will sound somewhat muffled. Also, due to the time it was made (for some reason), the songs don't actually fit into the story (even the stage's rewritten story) and sound distant/unrelated. But there are songs that sound similar to the original story ("Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King"). CD 2's Track 3 has music played during Silent Oz Film "His Majesty, Scarecrow" on the MGM 3-Disk DVD.
The best thing about this CD Collection is the two booklets packaged along with the disks: the first (entitled "The Records") has writing on "What the Wizard Was" with a synopsis of the stage production story and "About the Recordings", a listing of all the songs on CD 1 (which are helpful for "Selection" Tracks not specifically named on the back) and notes on the songs like their origins and background. Booklet 2 (entitled "The Lyrics") has the words to the songs (in case you can't make out the words/want to sing-along). BOTH CDs include b&w photos of the actors, performance (few of which can be seen in "Oz: Before the Rainbow" book) and even reprints of a few illustrations made for the stage. The pictures are the best part of this purchase.
The Entirely Different Songs may not fit with the story, original or rewritten, but there's nothing really wrong with the music when one enjoys to what they're listening to.
I know that there is also another 'Oz on Stage' CD Collection called "Before the Rainbow" . . . hmmm, I wonder if I should get that too?

Ain't it a Shame!.......2006-05-20

I think that this is a wonderful album of HISTORICAL value. Not too many people know this, but "the wizard of oz" was made into a smash hit in 1903, but because all the history was BARELY in obscurity, hungry tiger press wanted to educate the blockheads in the world about this remarkable piece of history. that being said, david maxine collected all of the old material, such as Piano rolls (my especial favorite of all of them is "the poppy song", i LOVE the bass notes: "nnn-ded-deh mmmm-ded-deh"), and music boxes, and cylinders, and records!
however, it is quite a shame that that CRAPPY movie with judy garland pushed this lovely musical into obscurity. i would have liked to see it in my day, but it was already lost in darkness, but thanks to the highly DIGNIFIED people in the world, this cd is available!! BUY IT!!!! I *ORDER* YOU!!! YOU CANNOT BE DIGNIFIED WITHOUT THIS REPLACING YOUR "RAP" GARBAGE WITH THIS JEWEL!!!!

Why the 1903 "Wizard" was forgotten.......2004-03-20

This truly remarkable 2-disc collection of old cylinders, discs, music boxes and piano rolls explains why the 1903 musical version of "The Wizard of Oz" did not survive the early thirties. It wasn't because it was before its time or even of its time, but simply because it was way behind the times. Its producers resisted composer's Paul Tietjens' attempts to write plot-driven numbers. His contribution survives only in the incidental music preserved on piano rolls (and the most interesting element on this collection) linking very disparate and even incongruous vaudeville acts by various authors and performers that graced the stage during the musical's multi-decade run. In other words, Baum was telling a story and the songs were telling another... As fascinating as they are for historical reasons, those numbers are commonplace, mostly uninspired flash-in-the-tin-pan ditties, with timid syncopation and a stong reliance on musical clichés. There is not a single standard among them and not even a decent lyric where "fine" doesn't rhyme with "mine" and "love you" doesn't rhyme with "I do"- or even "I know you know I know you do", as happens more than once. As an assemblage of shtick pieces and ephemeral sentimental or nonsensical ditties, this collection cannot be topped and it represents a monumental effort. Without it and its very generous and informative liner notes, I would not have the same appreciation for the absolute genius of Victor Herbert's operettas ("Babes in Toyland" came out the same year) where the more memorable songs are plot-driven and introduced and linked by the most luscious, inventive and varied incidental music ever heard outside an opera house. This sort of unified concept would culminate in Jerome Kern's "Show Boat" and it remains a truth today that the integration of plot and music - reminiscent of opera - is the true secret of successful and perennial musicals, whatever the current idiom. This collection also makes one appreciate the complete originality of the Hollywood film for actually going back to Baum's books, entrusting the songs, lyrics and music to Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg and Herbert Stothart and scrapping the musical's colourful but checkered history (except for casting ex-vaudevillians as the main characters, of course!). Highly recommended for its nostalgia value, its irreplaceable rarities and a better understanding of the history of American popular music.

A long overdue revisit to a classic American musical.......2003-09-30

Although it was one of the most financially successful stage musicals of the early 1900's, very little information is presently available on the 1903 production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. In what was obviously a labor of love, David Maxine has done much to correct this oversight by releasing a 2-CD set with over 145 minutes worth of extremely rare recordings of music from this and other OZ-themed musicals dating back to before World War I. Recorded materials include vintage acoustical disc and cylinder phonograph records, piano rolls, and music box discs, many of which go back almost a century. In addition, he has included two booklets worth of historical background information on the 1903 WIZARD OF OZ production, its stars, the individual musical numbers, and lyrics for the songs included on the CDs. (Lavishly illustrated with rare old black and white photos and artwork, these booklets, and the information they contain, are themselves worth the price of the set!) Several bonus CD tracks are included that offer rare recordings by Montgomery & Stone (the original Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow) and Bessie Wynn, who was also in the 1903 cast. Not just for dedicated Oz fans, this set is a "must have" for anyone interested in the history of American musical theater and American popular culture of the early 1900's.

Long-Forgotten Broadway Hit Gets First Rate Revival.......2003-09-17

One hundred and three years ago, author L. Frank Baum published the best-selling children's book of the 20th century, THE WIZARD OF OZ. Although the book was adapted several times as plays, silent motion pictures, animated cartoons, and radio shows in the next few decades, it is the 1939 MGM film that most people think of as THE WIZARD OF OZ. The success and popularity of that film completely eclipsed the memories of previous incarnations and even the book itself in popular culture. However, prior to the film's release, there was a successful stage version which premiered on Broadway in 1903 and delighted audiences for many years, making stars of Fred Stone and David Montgomery, the original Scarecrow and Tinman. As with the MGM film, chilren who saw THE WIZARD OF OZ on stage carried fond memories of the production into adulthood. Ray Bolger was so impressed with the Fred Stone's Scarecrow, that he remembered it vividly as an adult and based his own protrayal of the character in the movie on Mr. Stone's stage version.

Unfortunately, time and Judy Garland have pushed the once popular Broadway Smash into history. It has been all but forgotten...until now.

As the show moved from theater to theater and casts changed, so did the songs. Many of these were recorded on the primative equipment of the day: Wax cylinders, 78-RPM records, piano rolls, and music Boxes, and surprisingly many of these still exist. Now, thanks to those hard-working gents at HUNGRY TIGER PRESS, you can own these historic recordings on this awesome 2-CD set. THE WIZARD OF OZ: Vintage Recordings From The 1903 Broadway Musical contains over 145 minutes of terrific early 20th century music. You won't find "Over the Rainbow" or "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead!" here. Instead, this WIZARD OF OZ contains tracks like "Budweiser's a Friend of Mine", "Sammy", "Hurrah for Baffin's Bay", and "Rejoice! The Wizard is No Longer King", each one a portal over the rainbow to the Broadway stage of a century ago.

Obviously the play was quite different in plot from the movie--Dorothy travelled to Oz with her cow Imogene instead of Toto, for starters--, but the songs represent the style of popular music of 100 years ago and are collected here in a beautiful compilation. The set contains two booklets of liner notes which contain credits, lyrics, a written history of the production, and are extensively illustrated with photos and illustrations. Although the sound quality of the source material is not always up to today's standards, the songs are presented in the best versions possible, and the music is highly enjoyable. With 60 tracks and the wealth of information contained here, both written and photographic, this 2-CD set is good value for the money. A must-have for all collectors of WIZARD OF OZ memorabilia, an insightful look at popular music and Broadway history from a century ago, a glimpse into ethnic and racial stereotypes that were accepted at the time, and a curiosity for fans of the 1939 film, this set is big on appeal. Kudos to the Hungry Tiger Press for rescuing this treasure trove of musical history from obscurity!

Ultimate Irving Berlin, Vol. 1
Average customer rating:
Ultimate Irving Berlin, Vol. 1
Irving Berlin
Manufacturer: Pearl
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005RKQR
Release Date: 2002-02-26