Rufus

Track Listings

1. Slip N' Slide

2. Keep It Comin'

3. There's No Tellin

4. Maybe Your Baby

5. I Finally Found You

6. Feel Good

7. Satisfied

8. Haulin' Coal

9. Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)

10. Love the One You're With/Sit Yourself Down

11. Sit Yourself Down - Rufus

Rufus,Rufus & Chaka Khan,Mca Special Products,Funk,Pop,R&B,Soul

Rufus

Tracks:

Do I Disappoint You
Going To A Town
Tiergarten
Nobody's Off The Hook
Between My Legs
Rules And Regulations
Not Ready To Love
Slideshow
Tulsa
Leaving For Paris
Sanssouci
Release The Stars

Amazon.com

Recorded in Berlin and executive produced by the Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant, Rufus Wainwright's fifth album offers an ounce of restraint from the man that dressed up as Sir Lancelot's crossed girlfriend Lady Shallott on the cover of his last. Well, not really. Having fallen in love and curbed his self-destructive streak, the New York-born singer-songwriter has certainly sharpened his wit on Release the Stars but the songs remain as ornate and over-the-top as ever, drawing as much inspiration from opera and the musical theater as the desire to purge personal demons. So while Wainwright spends considerable time here pondering the state of the world ("Going to a Town") and his own battles with drug and sexual addiction ("Sanssouci"), every note is punctuated by a choir, orchestral swell, or big burst of brass. It wouldn't be Rufus with anything less. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal.......2007-08-04

Absolutely stunning. I got choked up a few times, just because he's so damn GOOD. I don't understand why anyone would rate this album less than 5 stars, or say that it isn't up to Rufus standards. It's a brilliant album, and a joy to listen to.

There are a few songs which are more focused on sound and feeling than lyrical depth, but that's alright with me. The sound and feeling he achieves are more than worth the somewhat shallow lyrics. One review referred to this album as "operatic", and I agree. It has soaring notes, grand swells and fine orchestration reminiscent of Queen.

A wonderful album. I hope Rufus Wainwright continues to produce music, because his talent is undeniable. My heart is bursting with love for this man.

Terffic but Not Quite Up To My "Rufus" Scale.......2007-08-03

Anybody who's heard Wainwright's previous albums, particularly Want I or Poses, would have sky-high expectations for any new album. Such was the case with myself and Release The Stars. My verdict is this album is uniquely catchy and beautiful, but not quite up to my Rufus standards.

My personal favorite track is "Do I Disappoint You?" and I think others will agree. It uses a wide arrangement of instruments and voices through out the song, giving it the most opera like feel. The lyrics have a certain depth to them that is beautiful and relate able , but also unusual.

Another standout track is "Between My Legs" whose heavy use of guitar and humor regarding sexual impulses make this song extremely catchy. The last minute is also quite moving, but I'd prefer it without the spoken word (I believe Rufus is one of those people who should often stand alone)

Other favorites include "Going to A Town" which heavily centered on Rufus's voice and his dislike for America and creates a pleasing but not as memorable song as some of his other work. Leaving For Paris, one of the more sentimental tracks, is mostly Wainwright, who sings in a hushed voice, and his piano. The track is obviously slower but also very beautiful and emotional.

Sansscoui is a debatable track for me. Though I find it catchy and like it a lot, for some reason it fails to stick in my head. I have the same problem with "Release The Stars", a fine track with the obvious Judy Garland influence Rufus has talked about but without lasting appeal.

Overall, I love this album and I enjoy listening to it, but I can't say I'm completely impressed as I have been in the past. Wainwright's voice is lovely and spot on as always and his wide arrangements of different types of instruments, sounds, and genres make this CD worth it.

Not an album review.......2007-07-16

Rufus Wainwright is one of those performers that just blinded me by how brilliant he is in music. I actually came upon him after Poses and before his Want albums were released by recommendation from a musician who played in a blues-rock band. So, of course, being curious about Rufus, I set out on a quest. And became immediately enchanted!
Now, I could give you a synopsis of this album..but it seems everybody else on here already has (and much better than I would have done it). So I decided to save you the trouble and just explain why I feel Rufus is a beacon for the musical artists that are currently out today. Maybe it's because I'm now 33 years old. But I pretty much grew up during the time of the 90's music scene. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. Not to mention, I'm more of a hard rock/metal fan, w/ some flourishes for other forms. But when I first heard Rufus...he was sooooo different from anything I've ever heard. He invokes classicism, jazz, blues, pop....such an extraordinary range of instruments that I was literally dumb-struck by how brilliant he is in musical forms.
Not to mention his voice seems to contrast to his music. Hinting, at times, the banality & cynicism life seems to offer. But, yet, there's still the sense of good things to come. This isn't music for everybody, I will admit. This music runs much deeper, not just in thought...but also in emotion. From theatrical pomp to Glam Rock to Jazz-infused cabaret...to even Classical-ornamentation. It's sooooo much bigger than anything I've ever been exposed to. It didn't surprise me at all that he's getting recognition overseas in Europe and other countries than here in the states. His music is not easily digestible here.
Some would say his music is pretentious, over-wrought...perhaps vain. And, you know what? I'd say you're probably right. But, living in times of where we're more concerned about Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, a never-ending war (which seems to have no viable conclusion or end IMO), Rufus' music seems to shed light on the state of the world. I was shocked to hear one of my friends (who is gay) say he doesn't like Rufus because he thought his music is "scary"?! He'd rather listen to the Pussycat Dolls. Is that all this world has to offer, I wonder?

Better and Better.......2007-07-08

What I like best about this album is that it is emblematic of Rufus' ever-maturing talent, both in subject matter and musical stylings.

A few standouts: "Do I Disappoint You" (love this track - bombastic opening as only Rufus can do. Compare with "Oh What a World" and "Agnus Dei" from the Want One and Want Two CD's), "Going to a Town" (written about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina - and NOT Anti-American as some have said), "Slideshow" (love the melody, not sure how well the subject matter goes with it though), and "Tulsa" (wasn't sure about this one at first, but now I like it - and it's not really about sleeping with Brandon Flowers, as many seem to think).

All in all, this CD makes good listening. I can't wait to hear what Rufus will come out with next.

Such a drama queen..........2007-07-04

I've wanted to like Rufus. I've tried to like Rufus. I bought this just for "Going to a Town"- an amazing song, and the lyrics are spot-on. But the rest of the disc is so melodramatic and off-the-charts narcissistic that I find it completely unlistenable. Rufus, can't you rein it in just a little bit?

Average customer rating:

Rufus Best pop cd
operatic pop folkie
In Which Rufus Argues with Himself
Splendid
The CD That Brought Me To Rufus

Poses [Bonus Track]
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rufus Wainwright
Want One
Release the Stars
Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B00005Y7AW
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Tracks:

Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk
Greek Song
Poses
Shadows
California
The Tower Of Learning
Grey Gardens
Rebel Prince
The Consort
One Man Guy
Evil Angel
In A Graveyard
Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk (reprise)
Across The Universe [Bonus Track]

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

The scrutiny of success that came early on--being named Best New Artist by Rolling Stone in 1998, the year of his debut album, for example--would have smothered many another emerging talent. But it failed to stopper the singular, unclassifiable, ranging gift of singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. His sophomore album, Poses, advances beyond the earlier, cabaret-inspired effort with a suite of songs marvelously varied in arrangement and texture but linked by Wainwright's characteristic theatrical panache. "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" catalogs excess with playful self-censure, but Wainwright's whimsical ironies often take a bruising, poignant turn, whether in the pseudo-upbeat "California" or, most movingly, on the title track. The dying fall of Wainwright's lusher melodies--echoes of "Across the Universe" as well as ultrachic Beatles tunes such as "Michelle"--meshes remarkably with the poetic substance here as he explores a landscape of wistful self-knowledge caught between longing and decadence. Yet even through all the layers of picturesque, postmod observation, Wainwright conveys a sense-filtered experience that gives urgency to his hauntingly mumbled opacities. With Poses, the young artist proves his authenticity. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Rufus Best pop cd .......2007-07-04

Wow! What a rich experience. Rufus Wainwright's voice is amazing. He has a classical voice but in this popular medium he makes his vocals very accessible. He clearly benefitted from being raised by his musical McGarrigle mother The McGarrigle Hour and also from his talented singer songwriter Wainwright father Strange Weirdos: Music from and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up.

This is the best cd to start with if you are introducing yourself to Rufus Wainwright's music. Each song has a distinctly different feel to it and uses different musical talents. Although I think of "Poses" as his best cd, the song "Going to a Town" on his new cd "Release the Stars" is one of the best songs of 2007, reflecting on the impressions one gets lately from spending time in America and anywhere else in the world.

operatic pop folkie.......2007-01-05

Rufus is just brilliant. This is when he was still trying to appeal to a straight audience, I imagine, but the songs are beautiful and just different from everyone else who's out there....I recommmend hight to anyone who wants to hear a singer.

In Which Rufus Argues with Himself.......2006-06-30

Rufus's second album really is what the title claims: an album of poses--that is, facades--where the appearance of the wizard and the man behind the curtain are not at all the same.

A prime example is "Greek Song," nominally a plea for the Mediterranean object of desire to forget everything and sink into some kind of bronzed, sportscar-riding fantasy land. "All the pearls of China fade astride a Volta." Why then, with this plea to the Greek god of eros, does the music come from China (by employing a kind of pseudo-Asian pentatonicism, complete with what surely is an erhu-influenced violin solo)? In other words, why does the music illustrate the very thing the Mediterranean object of desire is being asked to forget? The "pose" of the words and the language of the music are working against each other.

Then we have the absolutely intriguing "Grey Gardens." I am not the only reviewer who has been fascinated by the bizarre mixture of references in the lyrics. Just in case, the song opens with a sample of "Little Edie" Bouvier commenting on the difficulty of separating past and present, taken from the 1975 documentary "Grey Gardens;" the name Tadzio, heard throughout the song, seems to refer to the boy with whom the character Aschenbach is infatuated in Thomas Mann's novella "Death in Venice." (See also Visconti's film (1971) & Benjamin Britten's powerful opera (1973), both of the same title.) Whatever these elements might mean to Rufus personally, for the listener the obvious idea linking "Grey Gardens" and "Death in Venice" is that very often a powerful divide exists between what society demands and what one's personal desires urge. Aschenbach and the Bouviers are lost to society, having chosen to follow (or having fallen victim to) their own desire; nevertheless, Rufus's lyrics make a plea to Tadzio to get him through this crisis, presumably to return to society. This is curious. Here again, the lyricist is praying to a Mediterranean god of eros. But how can you ask the object of desire to rid you of your desire for him? You can't, quite simply! And that's the point: it's all a pose in that the lyricist doesn't really want to be rid of the crisis at all. Analytically, I think Rufus has used the classic Schubertian technique of modal mixture (major/minor third scale degree) to embody the conflict between society and desire, but even at the end of the song, where one might expect the music to 'solve' the problem, the mixture is still present: the music doesn't want to shake free of the crisis, despite all the clamor from the lyrics.

A final quick example can be found in "One Man Guy" (Nick Hornby speaks a little about this in his "31 Songs" (1993)), a song by Rufus's father, Loudon. Despite the fact that the lyrics are about a man who is fundamentally a creature of solitude, when the first proper chorus starts, Rufus is joined by a vocal ensemble. How can you sing "One Man Guy" in chorus? It's a pose. Yet again, the music and the lyrics are at odds.

Splendid.......2006-06-13

1. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk 9/10 - very clever lyrics
2. Greek Song - 7/10 - didn't like this one much
3. Poses 10/10 - one of the most sincere songs I've ever heard
4. Shadows - 8/10 - this one took a while for me to stomach
5. California - 7/10 -I never quite got what all the hype was about
6. The Tower of Learning - 3/10 - should have omitted this one from the album
7. Grey Gardens - 10/10 -found the 'Tadzio' reference both strange and enchanting
8. Rebel Prince - 10/10 - Hit the replay button a million times on this one
9. The Consort - 11/10 - the kind of song that makes adult men cry
10. One Man Guy - 7/10 - obviously just a 'filler' song
11. Evil Angel - 10/10 - this one made me think of the 'dark' ages and gargoyles and vampires, yet it's such a morbidly serene song.
12. In a Graveyard - 10/10 - touching and sad
13. Cigarettes and Choclate Milk - 9.5/10 - nicely done, upbeat version of the original song

I must admit this album took a whole year to grow on me. Beside Poses and Cigarettes and chocolate milk, I didn't listen to the other songs for months because I couldn't stand them...now you can't get me to stop listening to this album. Went to one of his concerts a few months ago and he is entertaining and human. What a great performer!

The CD That Brought Me To Rufus.......2006-03-20

I am a VERY LATE arriving Rufus Wainwright fan. I didn't get into Rufus until last year (2005). I heard of Rufus and saw some of his music videos before. I thought they were alright, but not very exciting. (I also thought he was pretty cute.) Then I borrowed "Poses" from the public library last year and now I'm hooked! My favorite songs are "Greek Song" and the title track. I also love the Francais on "Rebel Prince." I now have three of his albums (I'm missing Want One).

Average customer rating:

Not as good as "Want Two"
WANT MORE...
rufus wainwright
Lush Operatic Pop Sensation
Masterpiece

Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
Rufus Wainwright
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Release the Stars
Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B0000C7PSW
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Oh What a World
I Don't Know What It Is
Vicious World
Movies of Myself
Pretty Things
Go or Go Ahead
Vibrate
14th Street
Natasha
Harvester of Hearts
Beautiful Child
Want
11:11
Dinner at Eight

Album Description

The third album from the precocious singer-songwriter makes an even greater grab for mainstream acceptance. Recorded at Woodstock, it features instrumental touches from former Bob Dylan guitarist and Texas legend Charlie Sexton as well as drums laid down by the Band's Levon Helm. Marious Devries (Bjork, Madonna, Massive Attack) helms the producer's chair on this one, bringing young wainwright a polished sound.

Customer Reviews:

Not as good as "Want Two".......2007-06-01

Although I love Rufus' voice, I think this CD is not than good.
"Want two" and "Poses" are much better

WANT MORE..........2007-04-19

Rufus Wainright is shamefully ignored by the "mainstream" thats they're loss...POP possibly..but the level of his music goes beyond complex,with extremely clever lyrics.Discovering his music has been one of most enjoyable musical journeys I've had. Yes he's gay get over it and give a listen.You might open your mind and heart a bit.

rufus wainwright.......2007-03-09

I love the music. I first heard it on the TV series "Nip/Tuck". Great

Lush Operatic Pop Sensation.......2007-02-07

This is my all time favorite Rufus CD (to date). It's got the clever lyrics and phrasing I've come to love from Rufus, along with lush production numbers that showcase his stylistic voice and range. "Oh What A World" is the signature track from the album for me, and "Vibrate" is a clever track you'll love if you're a fan of singer songwriter tracks.

It's Rufus at his best, and a MUST for a new or convinced fan.

Masterpiece.......2006-11-11

This CD is a masterpiece. There is no denying it. Want one and Want two are pieces of work that Rufus will have a hard time creating again. You really do have to listen to both back to back - which may take about 3 hours since they are pretty long, but these are definitly works of art. I encourage all to purchase and listen. I've given both as a set as gifts. It takes a while to warm up to because it's very different. But Rufus displays his fragilness in these two works and backs them up with his strong artistic, soul searching, bold self at the same time. Partake!

Average customer rating:

one of his best albums
A true original
Why isn't this guy better known..GENIUS
Third Time Charmed
Interesting debut that gets better with every listening

Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Dreamworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Poses [Bonus Track]
Want One
Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
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Martha Wainwright

ASIN: B000007SFM
Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

Foolish Love
Danny Boy
April Fools
In My Arms
Millbrook
Baby
Beauty Mark
Barcelona
Matinee Idol
Damned Ladies
Sally Ann
Imaginary Love

Amazon.com

The singer/songwriters working today who point to Tin Pan Alley and Broadway musicals as central inspirations can be counted on an index finger. Rufus Wainwright is quite an anomaly--but, then again, he's the son of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. Wainwright has been compared to Randy Newman for his piano-based orchestral sense, but unlike Newman, he rarely turns those poppy conventions against themselves: he's always sentimental and sincere about the fluff he explores. When he drives his melodies and lyrics hardest--as on the Beatlesque "April Fools" and the barroom "Matinee Idol"--his considerable imagination is most convincing and entertaining. Fans of folk simplicity should skip this one, but the more adventurous may find the charm in Wainwright's ambitious debut. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews:

one of his best albums.......2007-05-13

for his most earliest work, it shows a lot of talent

A true original .......2007-04-06

Rufus is one of the best musicians around. I was lucky enough to catch him in concert (at a small Indiana college) a few years back in support of "Poses" and he was just amazing. His eponymous debut CD is vivacious, out there (in more ways than one), catchy, meaningful, and Broadway-esque (I've often thought that a few of the songs could make a great soundtrack for a Broadway musical). I have every CD that Rufus has put out there, but Foolish Love (the first song on his first CD) has always been my very favorite of all his great tunes. By the way, just to put in a word for another under-appreciated artist, his father, the great Loudon Wainwright III, is certainly worth checking out (he has a gazillion CD's) if you have any appreciation for Rufus.

Why isn't this guy better known..GENIUS.......2007-03-19

Ahhh..Rufus awsome crafting of music and lyric & great songs,but no one gets to hear much of you.They're sad loss those of us who have discoverd you will always look for more from you..Stand out tracks ..Danny boy..foolish love..april fools..barcelona..

Third Time Charmed.......2007-03-14

So his whining voice got a little tiresome, I needed money for ... things, and, yes, I can go years without listening, so I sold the bugger and neglected to upload it to the iPod. Hence, it's worth keeping:

"I have something for you to eat in the kitchen darling."

"I'm not hungry mother. Please! I just want to go to my room."

And maybe it's the silly little fag in me that longs for a life of nothingness with some substance, a lot of talent, developing taste, and it's fun to watch fated stardom grow up and couple proper stylization of poor little rich boys with the bourgeois righteousness that is innately prepared for press. The gentle beast. So great. Whittling away at his mind with substances, Rufus pulled it out beautifully in this album.

And one day, mayhaps, in ...

I'm addicted. I'm buying it for time 3. I named my dog Schubert because of "Imaginary Love" in 2000. I will never forget thinking he winked at me during a show with about 2 dozen people before ... well, you know ... (millions did and) before he ever sang about chocolate milk.

Interesting debut that gets better with every listening.......2007-01-08

Being a fan of Loudon Wainwright III's music for many years, I was curious about what kind of songs his son might turn out. The younger crowd was all abuzz , showing lots of love early for the boy, something his dad could have used a bit more of.

I picked up this disc several years ago. I gave it a listen, and then put it away again until I was ripping music to fill my new mp3 player.

I've listened to it over five times today.

Before posting this, I read ALL 177 prior reviews. I cannot believe that the two opposite camps are discussing the same CD. What the `Pro-Rufus' group says is great, the `Con-Rufus' group tears down, and vice versa. Controversy always follows the provocative, especially if it has merit or value. Otherwise, no one would care about it.

Most of the the reviews are either "5 star" or "1 star", there are hardly any twos or threes. Regardless, the one thing out of line are the rating numbers, especially those based on Wainwright's smoldering good looks or his alternative lifestyle. Folks, this is a music CD. Let's keep our comments focused on the musical content.

I agree that his music defies genre. It's not what typically passes as `singer-songwriter' fare. I think this CD might reflect what Rufus' first Broadway-musical might end up sounding like. He has that kind of potential.

Yes, the album is overproduced. Sometimes this is good and adds to the melody and lyric like on `Barcelona' or `Matinee Idol'. Other times it comes off bloated and unnecessary, as in `Baby', `Damned Ladies', or `Millbrook'.

In his 11/30/99 review, the prolific reviewer "music fan" made a perceptive observation: "Wainwright made his debut much in the same way Rickie Lee Jones did"... Yes, I remember the same kind of controversy about Rickie Lee. You either liked her vocal style or not. And a lot of people felt strongly about it either way.

I'm a great fan of Loudon's music, and back in the day it took a few listens to get used to his voice, too. The bright spot with Rufus is that he doesn't need to sing in that whiny nasally way all the time. 'Beauty Mark' and `April Fools' are evidence of that. It all comes down to whether you like his vocal stylings or not.

My other difficulty is that I can't always grasp what it is he's singing about. Another reviewer said "his love songs are so personal that they really portait true emotion". Maybe that's the problem, the love songs ARE too personal. Why do I struggle with it? Is it because I'm a straight, middle-aged dad, is it because I'm just not hip anymore, or are the songs genuinely obtuse? I think I like `Sally Ann' and `Barcelona', but what are they about? Beautiful melodies with cryptic lyrics don't always make friends of their listeners.

There are bright spots in this disc, but you have to listen to it a good many times to hear them, a factor that hampers the music's accessibility. Sister Martha's clear background vocals are a precious contribution. `Beauty Mark', `In My Arms', and `April Fools' are easily my favorite songs.

If you are undecided on whether to purchase `Rufus Wainwright', I suggest you borrow a copy or take one out from the Library before you buy it.

Because in order to give this its due, you truly must give it several listenings. Therefore, I will burn this disc to my mp3 player after all, and give it a few more listens. Some of these songs truly sound better every time I hear them.

Average customer rating:

Elfman Does It Again
good mix of score and songs
Goob's Story
5 Stars for AAR

Meet the Robinsons

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ratatouille
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Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End

ASIN: B000N0KVQ0
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

Another Believer - Rufus Wainwright
Little Wonders - Rob Thomas
The Future Has Arrived - The All-American Rejects
Where Is Your Heart At? - Jamie Cullum
The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion) - Rufus Wainwright
Give Me The Simple Life - Jamie Cullum
The Prologue
To The Future!
The Science Fair
Meeting The Robinsons
Goob's Story
A Family United
Pop Quiz And The Time Machine Montage
The Evil Plan
Doris Has Her Day
Setting Things Right
There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow - They Might Be Giants
Kids Of The Future - Jonas Brothers

Amazon.com

Disney's animated adventure may be driven by themes of futuristic time traveling, but its musical score is a delightful, pop-driven hybrid that turns on decidedly back-to-the-future sensibilities. Rob Thomas' hook-rich single "Little Wonders" and the All-American Rejects' collaboration with Danny Elfman "The Future Has Arrived" give the collection an immediate contemporary edge. But just as winning are disparate pop performances from Rufus Wainwright (the Nilsson-esque opening gem "Another Believer" and lilting "Motion Waltz"), while nouveau UK crooner Jamie Cullum turns in a swinging, piano jazz take on Wainwright's "Where Is Your Heart At?" as well as an inviting cover of "The Simple Life" in the same vein. Elfman's orchestral score returns him to the vibrant milieu of his early Tim Burton collaborations, supercharged here by a manic energy that seems equal parts Simpsons, Bernard Herrmann and Carl Stalling. Bringing the collection full circle is a big-band cover of Disney's vintage "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" theme performed with loopy big-band charm by They Might Be Giants and the Jonas Brothers more disposable Kim Wilde update, "Kids of the Future." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Elfman Does It Again.......2007-05-07

What can anyone say other than Danny Elfman is like gold when it comes to scoring movies (especially light hearted family fair). Anyone who likes classic Elfman (ie: Beetlejuice, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, etc) will love this score. From start to finish, another great effort.

good mix of score and songs.......2007-04-02

I bought this CD because (1) I'm a big Disney fan and (2) I'm a big Danny Elfman fan. And it didn't really disappoint me on either front.

First, the songs. Rufus Wainwright's "Another Believer" is a great, Beatles-esque ditty that I loved the first time I heard it during the movie. The All-American Rejects' "The Future Has Arrived" is also pretty great. Rob Thomas's "Little Wonders" is another solid song, although in my opinion it doesn't quite fit the movie as well. There are several other songs, but mostly they are unremarkable. The one remaining exception is They Might Be Giants' cover of "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from the Carousel of Progress. That's a very apprpropriate inclusion; it fits the theme of the movie extremely well, and is also a good tip of the hat to Walt himself.

As for Danny Elfman's score, it's one of the better he's put forth in the past few years. It's very much in the vein of "classic" Elfman (that is, late '80s and early '90s Elfman). If you're a fan of his, you will love it.

Goob's Story.......2007-04-01

-I'm guessing that most of the people that will buy this album will do so for the pop songs and those bunch won't be disappointed. I usually don't listen to that kind of stuff but I did find them very enjoyable even though I don't know any of the bands or singers featured on the album

-On the score side of the album it is the same Elfman charm that we're familiar with. The score does get a little too close to "Corpse Bride" for me to fully love it but it does have it's great moments that are a treat to listen to. It does have that zany and offbeat charm from "Flubber" but thankfully doesn't get too chaotic. The weird little thermalin sounds in "To the Future" did confuse me at first, but after seeing the movie *in 3D I might add* I realized why they were used and now love it.

-For me the best parts of the score are the more peaceful moments which makes "Goob's Story" the highlight on the album for me. It's played in the movie for the scene when the young kid Goob is being told by his older self to be angry and bitter following the events of his baseball game. "A Family United" is also a nice little moment that I wish there could have been more of on the album. I used to think this was the only Elfman score without a title sequence but turns out I was very wrong.

-If you already owe "Corpse Bride" and "Flubber" then there's really no need to get this album, but if you're a die hard Elfman nut like me then you will need to get it just to feel complete. Oh and yes, the songs are also awesome

5 Stars for AAR.......2007-03-06

Ok, so I listened to parts of this cd, and the one song I really really love is The Future Has Arrived, by The All-American Rejects. That song is really cool, and I love listening to it. Tyson Ritter's vocals sound amazing in this (and every other song he sings in )Nick,Mike and Chris also sound great. And I love hearing the backing vocals by Mike and Nick this time, and not just Ty. The purchase is worth it to be able to listen to The Future Has Arrived!
-Jennifer

The Very Best of Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan

Average customer rating:

Pretty Darn Good
The Very Best of Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
Review
Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, I've Veal For You, I Think Olive You
Rufus & Chaka, Simple the best!!!!

The Very Best of Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1
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Ask Rufus
Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000002P4I
Release Date: 1996-11-19

Tracks:

Do You Love What You Feel
Tell Me Something Good
Dance Wit Me
Hollywood
Stay
Once You Get Started
You Got The Love
At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)
Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)
Sweet Thing

Customer Reviews:

Pretty Darn Good.......2007-05-24

I enjoyed just about every song on this CD. I would recommend adding this to anybody's collection.

The Very Best of Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan.......2007-05-09

Arrived in timely manner, plays well, sounds great!
Very happy with purchase!

Review.......2007-01-20

This is an outstanding CD. It captures the best of Chaka Khan and is a must have album.

Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, I've Veal For You, I Think Olive You.......2006-10-15

The Very Best Of Rufus, Featuring Chaka Khan, is like the little girl with the little curl right in the middle of her forehead - when it's good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it's horrid. Don't let that stop you, though, with Chaka Khan; the highs are so high they redeem the lows.

At 5' 1" tall, Chaka Khan is the mouse that roared; from Aretha Franklin to Gladys Knight to Stephanie Mills it would be hard to find another female R&B, soul singer who can match her for sheer power. No matter how much smoke there may be in the air, Khan's voice pierces like a laser. There is something fun, even endearing, about watching someone so small, with hair exploding around her head like a mushroom cloud, delivering such a mighty payload.

Backed by the raw groove of Rufus, that roundhouse delivery really shines on tracks like Tell Me Something Good and You Got The Love. These two tracks alone are worth the price of the CD. Sweet Thing, a little more mellow, is almost as good as they are, while At Midnight has infectious, almost delirious drive. After that, things get shakier.

Khan's primary problem is that, while she's a fabulous belter, she's not really a singer as such. (To see what I mean, check out Echoes Of An Era, where she fronts an all-star jazz line-up and attempts standards - with unsatisfactory results.)

Because she brought no particular vision or point of view to the table, Khan was forced to ride the waves of musical fashion, and had the extreme bad fortune of hitting her peak just as disco was defoliating the landscape. Consequently, much of her output was little more than pointless screeching superimposed onto relentless dance beats. (Stop the madness!)

This CD captures Khan during that brief time in her career when everything lined up correctly. It was short.... but it was sweet.

Rufus & Chaka, Simple the best!!!!.......2005-09-15

I recently brought this album because I'm a big Chaka Khan fan, I think she's one of the best soul singers EVER!!! I also brought this album because I heard some of the songs on the radio and other artist covered or sampled their songs. When I heard the whole album, I was so glad I brought it. I think every song is amazing, the group is great and Chaka is just Chaka, what more can you say, INCREDIBLE!! I wish there were more tracks on it and one of my favorite Rufus & Chaka Khan songs called "Everlasting Love". After listening to this album and knowing a little history about the group, I think that Rufus was one of the funkiest and soulful groups of all time. I hope one day they get their proper due and respect, which they so deserve, and will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. For those who like Chaka Khan as a solo artist need to purchased cd this and see how it all began.

Average customer rating:

Want Two
My Second Favorite Rufus
essential
And again . . .
beautiful

Want Two (CD/DVD combo)
Rufus Wainwright
Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Poses [Bonus Track]
Release the Stars
All I Want

ASIN: B000654ZDC
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Agnus Dei
The One You Love
Peach Trees
Little Sister
The Art Teacher
Hometown Waltz
This Love AFfair
Gay Messiah
Memphis Skyline
Waiting For A Dream
Crumb By Crumb
Old Whore's Diet

From Amazon.co.uk

A wild-card songwriter with a familial pedigree and an ever-expanding cult retinue, the raffish but assiduous Rufus Wainwright--outré, gay, and sage--is not one to shy away from invigorating his songs with a lurid theatrical honesty. Want Two perhaps reflects Wainwright's revised priorities since stepping back from the recreational medication precipice. Opening number "Agnus Die"--a medieval Catholic liturgy given an eastern flavor and performed with Hungarian instruments--seeks spiritual laundering and clemency, but this virtue is offset by the implied vice and self-loathing of grand finale "Old Whore's Diet," a brilliantly irrational sprawl of skewed genius taking in Latin-American grooves and a doomy operatic Radiohead-esque requiem. Between these polar extremes lies Wainwright's eye for improbable observational finesse. Few others could express the first lovestruck flush of teenage infatuation with such deliberate inarticulacy ("Art Teacher") or envisage the coming of a "Gay Messiah" dripping in testicular fluid. He's evidently an attention-craving naughty boy with a love of Serge Gainsbourg, Elvis Costello and harpsichords, but on Want Two Rufus Wainwright makes sex, drugs, politics--and yes, belated redemption--sound positively velvety. --Kevin Maidment

Customer Reviews:

Want Two.......2007-07-15

The product was in excellent condition. Rufus Waingwright is a genius, adorable to watch and can't get his music out of my head. There was a DVD with this purchase along with a CD. Both were excellent.
I am crazy about this entertainer!

My Second Favorite Rufus.......2007-07-04

Rufus Wainwright demonstrates his range of skills from bordering on operatic vocals and orchestration on "Agnus Dei" to pop sounds in "The One You love". One of Rufus' greatest talents is creating musical moods appropriate for expressing the story told in his songs. He also draws us in to an assortment of stories and feelings. Amongst the best on this on are Agnus Dei, Peach Trees and The Art Teacher. I appreciate his vocals and orchestrations throughout but the lyrics on about every other song are pretty lurid. But if you love Rufus, you've gotta have it. My favorite Rufus is "Poses [Bonus Track]." But the song "Going to a Town" on his new cd "Release the Stars" is one of the best songs of 2007, reflecting on the impressions one gets lately from spending time in America and anywhere else in the world.

essential.......2007-05-09

Rufo is one of the most important artists of the last years and this work is, in only a word, beautiful!

And again . . ........2006-11-11

beautiful.......2006-08-15

This album has some of the saddest songs - The Art Teacher, This Love Affair, and Waiting for a Dream. The sort of songs that you can put on Repeat for hours.

The Art Teacher is especially poignant for anyone who has had similar experiences.

Waiting for a Dream has spectacular imagery:

"Diving through the rising, through the rising waves of night
Keeping a reflection of you in hindsight
But in turning back the brackish waters will not reflect you
After you have turned the color black of death or something like that..."

also

"There's a fire in the priory
And it's ruining this cocktail party.."

This Love Affair is particularly mournful, but has some odd lines like "I don't know why I'm watching all these white people dancing" (although that means, to me, that watching white people dancing is a pathetic waste of time)

And as always, I love the classical and opera influences.

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys

Average customer rating:

Fun--but not great
aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Disappointment would be an understatement
Zzz...
another set of hopes are smashed

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Anti
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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American Sea Shanties and Songs
Orphans [Fold-out Digipak with 24-page booklet]
Shanties & Songs of the Sea

ASIN: B000GGSMD0
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Tracks:

Cape Cod Girls - Baby Gramps
Mingulay Boat Song - Richard Thompson
My Son John - John C. Reilly
Fire Down Below - Nick Cave
Turkish Revelry - Loudon Wainwright III
Bully In The Alley - The Old Prunes
The Cruel Ship's Captain - Bryan Ferry
Dead Horse - Robin Holcomb
Spansih Ladies - Bill Frisell
High Barbary - Joseph Arthur
Haul Away Joe - Mark Anthony Thompson
Dan Dan - David Thomas
Blood Red Roses - Sting
Sally Brown - Teddy Thompson
Lowlands Away - Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
Baltimore Whores - Gavin Friday
Rolling Sea - Eliza McCarthy
Haul On The Bowline - Bob Neuwirth
Dying Sailor to His Shipmates - Bono
Bonnie Portmore - Lucinda Williams
The Mermaid - Martin Carthy & the UK Group
Shenandoah - Richard Greene & Jack Shit
The Cry Of Man - Mary Margaret O'Hara

Tracks:

Boney - Jack Shit
Good Ship Venus - Loudon Wainwright III
Long Time Ago -White Magic
Pinery Boy - Nick Cave
Lowlands Low - Bryan Ferry w/Antony
One Spring Morning - Akron/Family
Hog Eye Man - Martin Carthy & Family
The Fiddler/A Drop Of Nelson's Blood - Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold - Andrea Corr
Fathom The Bowl - John C. Reilly
Drunken Sailor - Dave Thomas
Farewell Nancy - Ed Harcourt
Hanging Johnny - Stan Ridgway
Old Man of The Sea - Baby Gramps
Greenland Whale Fisheries - Van Dyke Parks
Shallow Brown - Sting
The Grey Funnel Line - Jolie Holland
A Drop of Nelson's Blood - Jarvis Cocker
Leave Her Johnny - Lou Reed
Little Boy Billy - Ralph Steadman

Amazon.com

Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski hatched the idea for Rogue's Gallery while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"--that idea being to cast genteel rock superstars like Bono, Lou Reed, Bryan Ferry, Andre Corr, and Sting to reinterpret gritty seafaring standards for an exhaustive 43-track double-disc set produced by Hal Wilner. Throw in a bunch of credible folk stars (Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson), their offspring (Rufus, Teddy) and a string of other curious characters (Jarvis Cocker, Antony) and what results is one of the strangest compilations in recent memory, if not exactly the most historically authentic or, well, digestible. Nick Cave embraces the role just a little too hard on "Fire Down Below," while Ferry can't help but sound like he's singing for the cast of "The Love Boat," but cut through the chaff and there is some real bootie here: Bono's "Dying Sailor to His Shipmates," Jolie Holland's "The Grey Funnel Line" and "Boney" by a mysterious tramp called Jack Sh**, which must be some kind of anagram for Johnny Depp. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

While working on the two "Pirates Of The Carribean" films, Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski became fascinated with the lore and fable of the pirates and sailors who ran the high seas. Enter legendary producer Hal Wilner, who brings his knack for matching maverick musicians with extraordinary material. Artists on this double disc set include Bono, Sting, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson, Lucinda Williams, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and many more. "Rogue's Gallery" offers a look at the hardships, the horrors, the lusts and lurid depths, and the crystal beauty that led men to the sea in ships for hundreds of years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun--but not great.......2007-07-03

What a concept--a pirate song co-produced by Verbinski and Depp inspired by the "Pirates of the Carribean" series. It should be great and in places, it is. The big question I came away with is--who is Jack Sh**? That one definitely has me guessing.

I won't belabor the song content or the production value. I think the most notable reviews have got that down pat, although I'm not marking down as far as they have because I'm giving points for originality being a fan of Spike Jones and some other truly demented people.

One thing to note: this is not a CD you'd buy if you were looking for something to amuse your kids. Some of the content is very bawdy and Mom and Dad would have some serious 'splaining to do to the little pirates. There's both some language and some situations that are more twisted than a Hangman's knot.

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!.......2007-06-09

Some of the songs are quite good(mellow)others a little odd. Its what I expected, but not what you would expect.

Disappointment would be an understatement.......2007-06-04

It is not unusual to find sea shanties performed by not the greatest musicians or singers in the world. It is not unusual to find shanties sung by people who have difficulty keeping perfect pitch, or tempo. But at least they understand what the music is about, and sing it with heart and enthusiasm and a love for the genre.

Hal Wilner should stick to whatever genre it is that made him know enough to be approached by labels, because he clearly has no understanding, and less enthusiasm for *this* genre.

If you love lively music from the maritime era, you can only be bitterly disappointed by this collection. Out of 43 tracks, I found 15 that were salvageable. Sort of.

I've already tossed this onto the pile to go to the resale shop. It wasn't worthy the cost of shipping.

Zzz..........2007-04-04

I have to admit that I have no idea what kinds of music the pirates sang aboard their ships. I know it probably wasn't "yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," but I expected something different than this. I think my expectations have been colored by groups like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, The Tossers, and the Real McKenzies. I have an annual Pirate Party and I was hoping to find some good music here to get people in the mood for a treasure hunt or pirate liar's dice, but instead, the music on this CD is something I'd put on if the party went on too long and I wanted to encourage people to leave. Some of it is actually awful and the rest is too slow and plodding to inject much energy into any situation.

I appreciate what was attempted here (contemporary artists paying homage to sea chanteys in the spirit of our romanticized version of the pirate era) but it just doesn't really work. The effect is similar to what would be achieved if the London Philharmonic Orchestra attempted to play rap "music" with Luciano Pavarotti rhymin' while flashing gang signs.

another set of hopes are smashed.......2007-03-29

the selection of titles attracted me. The quality of the arrangements, the voices, and the music---are all quite bad.

It is VERY sad that these same titles, could not have been produced for quality. They sound like a nightmare.

I Am Sam - Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
I Am Sam CD
I AM SAM SOUND TRACK IS GREAT!
Disc of Beatles Covers Offers Lots of Room for Reinterpretation, Some Quite Wonderful
Strawberry Fields Forever!...FIVE STARS PLUS for this music!

I Am Sam - Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Manufacturer: V2 Ada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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I Am Sam

ASIN: B00005TT77
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Tracks:

Two of Us - Aimee Mann & Michael Penn
Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan
Across the Universe - Rufus Wainwright
I'm Looking Through You - The Wallflowers
You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Eddie Vedder
Strawberry Fields - Ben Harper
Mother Nature's Son - Sheryl Crow
Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds
I'm Only Sleeping - The Vines
Don't Let Me Down - Stereophonics
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Black Crowes
Julia - Chocolate Genius
We Can Work It Out - Heather Nova
Help - Howie Day
Nowhere Man - Paul Westerberg
Revolution - Grandaddy
Let It Be - Nick Cave

Amazon.com

Jessie Nelson's poignant tale of a mentally challenged man named Sam (Sean Penn) who recruits a lawyer to help him regain custody of his young daughter leans heavily on the lead character's obsession with Beatles songs, and his innocent trust in their wisdom and emotional truth. It's an artistic gambit that shrewdly lends itself to this mostly rewarding collection of Beatles covers by a wide range of contemporary artists, many of whom no doubt leapt at the chance to record a treasured song by their own musical heroes. The renditions are by and large faithful, and inform the elemental genius of the originals by the strength and variety of the artist's voices alone. The husband-wife team of Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Sean's brother) can't help but find resonance in "Two of Us," just as Nick Cave's latter-day, heart-on-his-sleeve crooner infatuation makes "Let It Be" all his own. It's the reinterpretations that are riskier. While Paul Westerberg's stripped-down, nasal reading of "Nowhere Man" perceptively underscores Lennon's inherent Dylan fetish and Howie Day turns "Help!" from anxious plea to desperate dirge, Grandaddy smugly alt-rocks the energy right out of "Revolution." The Beatles hardly need anyone to burnish their reputation, but this album goes a long way toward underscoring their most undersung legacy as rock's most transcendent melting pot. -Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2007-07-26

I love this CD! It's fun to hear the remakes of familiar Beatles hits done by contemporary artists, in a respectful and classy way. Puts a new spin on an old favorite.

I Am Sam CD.......2006-11-10

Beatle's lyrics combined with today's musical talent. A great combination! If you love the Beatles, you'll love this CD. I keep ordering "one more", it's taking care of a lot of people on my holiday gift giving list!

I AM SAM SOUND TRACK IS GREAT!.......2006-11-04

I REALLY ENJOYED THE MUSIC WHEN I WATCHED THE VIDEO AND FELT INCLINED TO BUY THE SOUND TRACK. I AM GLAD I DID. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTD.

Disc of Beatles Covers Offers Lots of Room for Reinterpretation, Some Quite Wonderful.......2006-07-21

I have to admit I have never seen the 2001 movie from which this soundtrack is based, nor do I know the significance of the Beatles music to the characters. However, once I heard Rufus Wainwright's acoustic cover of "Across the Universe", a touching performance that puts his yearning, mournful voice to good use, I was curious what other surprises could be in store on this disc. I later found out the reason these musicians were recruited for the recording was a matter of economics. Producer Andy Gershon wanted to use the original Beatles recordings, but apparently, Michael Jackson, who owned the rights to the Lennon-McCartney catalogue, was charging $300K for each song they recorded. As it turns out, the resulting disc is pretty solid, offering a great variety of reinterpretations of familiar songs - some quite wonderful, others less so but none too painfully.

Husband-and-wife folk rockers Aimee Mann and Michael Penn kick things off with a pleasing version of the optimistic "Two of Us". Pleasing also describes Sarah McLachlan's take on "Blackbird", which is greatly aided by Sean Ashby's delicate strumming. The pace picks up with the Wallflowers' jaunty "I'm Looking Through You" complete with Rami Jaffee's Austin Powers-sounding keyboards and Jackson Browne providing harmony vocals. Eddie Vedder's uniquely scratchy vocal delivery is well served by "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" where he accompanies himself ably on guitar and harmonica. Ben Harper gets into an appropriately psychedelic mood for "Strawberry Fields Forever" with particularly lush strings and fulsome horns, though he gets carried away with the bombastic ending.

Things start to fluctuate at this point in the disc. Sheryl Crow sounds somnambulant and rather constricted on a country-twanged "Mother Nature's Son", a sub-par choice for her slick performing style; and the plaintive Ben Folds barely registers on the too-brief "Golden Slumbers". In the one track that sounds like a Fab Four impersonation (or more accurately, a Beatlemania facsimile), the Vines cover "I'm Only Sleeping" in a comparatively generic manner. The Stereophonics make "Don't Let Me Down" sound like a mid-1970's Rod Stewart pop-rocker, while the Black Crowes put their familiar blues-oriented stamp on the most psychedelic of Beatles songs, "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds".

Chocolate Genius, led by Marc Anthony Thompson, refashions John Lennon's touching paean to his mother, "Julia", into a hazy dirge that actually brings a surprising resonance to the song. However, sounding a bit too much like MacLachlan, singer-songwriter Heather Nova lends little distinction to her version of "We Can Work It Out", granted one of the most lightweight songs in the Lennon-McCartney canon. Howie Day effectively slows down "Help!" into an atmospheric, almost halting plea of quiet desperation. Dylan sound-alike Paul Westerberg croaks through "Nowhere Man" with little flair; and in perhaps the biggest departure from the original, the now-defunct indie band Grandaddy turns "Revolution" into a chugging slow-poke rocker. On the final track, Aussie musician Nick Cave lends his recognizably barren style to a somewhat desultory "Let It Be". It's a mixed bag for sure, but what really comes across is the unbeatable craftsmanship and magical yin-and-yang perfection of Lennon and McCartney.

Strawberry Fields Forever!...FIVE STARS PLUS for this music!.......2006-05-09

It will always be incredibly challenging to match the artistic talent that The Beatles possessed. Nevertheless, this set of songs by the artists on this CD is as good as it gets to achieving a proper, respectful tribute to The Beatles with thoughtful and passionate cover songs.

The CD has a whopping 17 tracks for almost an hour of music from the movie (or inspired by the movie) I Am Sam. The music was beautifully woven into the movie; but even with just this CD you'll be blown away! It's a must-have for fans of The Beatles, the artists here, and fans of great rock everywhere.

The CD starts off strong with a rendition of "Two Of Us" by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn. I think their personal relationship helped make them harmonize so well for this song. The Black Crowes do an excellent job with the musical arrangement for "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds;" the drums are first-class! Sheryl Crow injects a great country music accent to "Mother Nature's Son." Sarah McLachlan performs a very sensitive rendition of "Blackbird;" and the CD ends beautifully with one of my very favorite Beatles songs, "Let It Be" performed by Nick Cave with Chaz Jankel on piano. Awesome!

Amazon writes that some of the "reinterpretations (on this album)...are riskier." I don't agree. While risks were taken, you won't know it! For example, Grandaddy does a great job of adding their own spice to "Revolution" and Paul Westerberg's voice was rather pleasing to my ear on "Nowhere Man."

The quality of the sound is excellent; and all of the musical arrangements are very thoughtfully produced. The liner notes come with a few color pictures from the motion picture I Am Sam; and you also get the song credits.

Overall, this CD is the product of an exceptionally talented group of artists who perform a noticeably sensitive suite of covers of great Beatles songs. This album will touch a nerve in you and leave you wondering why they couldn't have recorded even more. The singers expressed even the finest of nuances in the meanings of every word in every song; and I treasure this album as one of my preferred CDs. If this were a vinyl album I would have worn the grooves off of it long ago.

Average customer rating:

An amazing and utterly underrated work
Good, but not Brown's best
Parade the Musical
Last Five Years is Better
Truly Passionate

Parade (1998 Original Broadway Cast)
Jason Robert Brown , Brent Carver , Carolee Carmello , Christy Carlson Romano , and Rufus Bonds
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs for a New World (1996 Original New York Cast)
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Wearing Someone Else's Clothes
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The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00000IMFL
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Tracks:

The Old Red Hills of Home
The Dream of Atlanta
How Can I Call This Home
The Picture Show
Leo at Work/What Am I Waiting For?
Interrogation: "I am trying to remember..."
Big News!
Funeral: There Is a Fountain/It Don't Make Sense
Real Big News
You Don't Know This Man
The Trial: People of Atlanta
Twenty Miles from Marietta
Frankie's Testimony
The Factory Girls/Come up to My Office
My Child Will Forgive Me
That's What He Said
Leo's Statement: "It's hard to speak my heart"
Summation & Cakewalk
A Rumblin' and a Rollin'
Do it Alone
Pretty Music
Letter to the Governor
This Is Not Over Yet
Blues: Feel the Rain Fall
Where Will You Stand When the Flood Comes?
All the Wasted Time
Sh'ma
Finale

Amazon.com

The big winners at the 1999 Tony Awards were revivals or old dance numbers recycled into new shows. Yet earning the most nominations, nine (and taking home two awards, for book and original score), was an honest-to-goodness new American musical by a young American composer-lyricist, Jason Robert Brown (who was 28 when the show premiered at Lincoln Center in December 1998 and was best known for his song cycle Songs for a New World). In addition, the subject matter is serious and dark, based on the true story of Leo Frank, a New York-born Jew living in Atlanta who was falsely accused of raping and murdering a young girl, and not surprisingly, the run was limited to 84 performances.

The original cast recording survives, however, and from the stirring opening anthem, "The Old Red Hills of Home," Brown's score is full of riches, mixing period American styles with strong melodies, intricate counterpoint, selective dissonances, and natural lyrics that give their characters true, expressive voices. Leading the strong ensemble cast are Tony nominees Brent Carver and Carolee Carmello as the persecuted Leo and his wife, Lucille, who had been drifting apart before the wrenching events pulled them back together. They express their relationship in some of the show's best songs ("Leo at Work/What Am I Waiting For," "You Don't Know This Man," "All the Wasted Time"). Masterfully evoking scene and character through his beautiful, bouncy, or harrowing music, Brown depicts youthful abandon ("The Picture Show"), the city's hysteria, the tender memories of the girl's mourners ("It Don't Make Sense"), and the murder trial, including its fantasy scenes of false testimony. Parade is a powerful work that will long linger in your memory, and it's one of the most important musical theater releases of 1999. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

An amazing and utterly underrated work.......2007-07-09

I first became acquainted with this musical when I was 10 years old and they performed This Is Not Over Yet on the Tony Awards. At theatre camp, we actually did a dance number to People of Atlanta. But it wasn't until last summer that I bought the cast recording of this amazing score and fell in love with this show.

From the first sounds of the snare drum, Jason Robert Brown's rich, varied, and absolutely gorgeous score sucks you in. Words cannot express how I feel about this score. So many powerful, moving, heartbreaking, and thrilling moments. It's stunningly clear why this score won the Tony. And yet, this show always seems to recede into the background. An undeserved fate to be sure. In my eyes, this is a truly important addition to musical theatre on the same scale as such shows as Ragtime, LaChiusa's The Wild Party, Floyd Collins, and The Light in the Piazza.

As for the cast, my goodness!!! What voices!!!! They are what make this score glitter. Words cannot describe their performances either.

This score is too good to be true. That the bankruptcy of its production company was what led to its premature demise is a tragedy. For goodness' sake, buy Parade, a true hidden gem in the musical theatre canon.

Good, but not Brown's best.......2006-11-25

"Parade" is an excellent show, as anyone who has seen it will tell you. It has the power to move an audience to tears. Historically accurate or not (and honestly, I couldn't tell you), it is a very powerful, very finely crafted piece of theatre as a whole.

The score by itself, on the other hand, is just good. Not excellent, but good. Were there an option to rate this CD at 3.5 stars, I would. There are some amazing moments in this score--for example, "The Old Red Hills of Home" is simply breathtaking, while the funeral music ("It Don't Make Sense") is heart-rendingly beautiful, then overpoweringly furious. When it's not amazing, though this score tends to just sit there, not going anywhere. Anyone familiar with Jason Robert Brown knows that his other scores--"The Last Five Years" and "Songs for a New World" (I'm not counting "Urban Cowboy")--are pure genius. While Brown is obviously passionate about this material, for some reason it's not as consistently inspired--or inspiring--as his other scores. It's still good, but because of those discrepancies I have mentioned, it is not great.

Despite all this, I would recommend this CD very highly to anyone intersted in musical theatre. I disagree with a previous reviewer who said that anyone to whom Sondheim's work is soul food will find this score unfulfilling. True, it's not pure genius, but, once again, as a whole, it's thoroughly worthwhile.

Parade the Musical.......2006-10-29

Although little known, Parade has some of the best music of a new musical in the last twenty years. Since Parade only played for a short time on Broadway and has received few productions elsewhere, it is almost completely unknown by the general public, yet it has a fantastic score with music from a wide variety of genre from ballad to ragtime to hymns. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who loves music.

Last Five Years is Better.......2006-08-04

The score for "Parade" is not bad, but I enjoyed Brown's "The Last Five Years" so much more!

Truly Passionate.......2006-04-24

My first exposure to Jason Robert Brown was The Last 5 Years. After hearing this, I thought that it didn't live up to it's hype, so I was a little skeptic about Parade. This one, however, delievers. From the grand opening of "The Old Red Hills of Home", I knew this was something special. The story in this is a deep and tragic tale that really tugs at the heart strings. I really felt for this poor man that was being accused of this crime, but felt even more for Mary Phagan. The moving ballad "It Don't Make Sense" is one that could have probably have been used after Columbine to depict the agony felt there. Overall, I think that the story combined with the big and powerful music really served this incredible story justice. The final duet "All The Wasted Time" really summed up the entire relationship of the two leads, and it made it so hard to say goodbye to Leo. Jason Robert Brown truly impressed with this recording, which is one the best Broadway soundtracks I've heard. I think I'll give The Last 5 Years another try.

Soul Music:

Soul Music

soul music

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