Black Sunday [Clean]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
If a case can be made for gangsta rap, Cypress Hill is the act to make it. The trio of L.A. Latinos has the commercial clout and its raps are mercifully free of the misogyny, homophobia, and anti-Asian, anti-Jewish racism that so often mars the genre. Member/producer D.J. Muggs creates an eerily lean soundscape of whining sirens, off-kilter funk rhythms, metallic percussion, nasal taunts, and gruff warnings that's the aural equivalent of today's nerve-rattling cop flicks and mob movies. --Geoffrey Himes

Product Description
Limited Digipack Release --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Black Sunday,Cypress Hill,Sony,Alternative Rap,Hardcore Rap,Latin Rap,Pop,Rap,Rap & Hip-Hop,West Coast Rap

Tracks:

I Wanna Get High
I Ain't Goin' Out Like That
Insane In The Brain
When The Sh-- Goes Down
Lick A Shot
Cock The Hammer
Lock Down
Lil' Putos
Legalize It
Hits From The Bong
What Go Around Come Around, Kid
A To The K
Hand On The Glock
Break 'Em Off Some

Amazon.com

If a case can be made for gangsta rap, Cypress Hill is the act to make it. The trio of L.A. Latinos has the commercial clout and its raps are mercifully free of the misogyny, homophobia, and anti-Asian, anti-Jewish racism that so often mars the genre. Member/producer D.J. Muggs creates an eerily lean soundscape of whining sirens, off-kilter funk rhythms, metallic percussion, nasal taunts, and gruff warnings that's the aural equivalent of today's nerve-rattling cop flicks and mob movies. --Geoffrey Himes

Album Details

Limited Digipack Release

Customer Reviews:

The album that got me into rap.......2007-06-14

Okay, so the first CD I owned with rapping on it was, technically, C+C Music Factory, but forget that. 'Black Sunday' was the album that truly got me interested in hip-hop. Like every other white boy in America, I heard 'Insane in the Brain' on the radio and was hooked. Luckily, it's just about the worst song on the album.

From the siren-call that opens to the album to the syncopated beat in 'Break 'Em Off Some,' this album just doesn't quit comin' with dusty funk loops, rough-edge beats and hilarious herb references. The Amazon.com reviewer said this album presaged the sound of Dre's 'Chronic,' buuuuut according to Amazon's Web site, 'Chronic' was already out when this dropped in '93, so I'm not sure how they came up with that.

Regardless, I would argue that Muggs' and Dre's styles are not really very similar at all. Dre's sound was a lot more crisp, whereas Muggs opted for a smoky, vinyl-scratchy ambience that really suits the treble tones in B-Real and Sen Dog's voices.

I always make the argument that while 'Temples of Boom' was Muggs' best album in terms of production, 'Black Sunday' is the group's best album overall. I stand by it. A true hip-hop classic.

Can I Get A Hit From The Bong? (Rating: 8 out of 10- -4 stars).......2007-03-16

Cypress Hill's (B-Real, Sen Dog, & DJ Muggs) second album "Black Sunday" was an excellent album, from a Latin Hip Hop group based out of Los Angeles. If you haven't already figured out, Cypress Hill mostly rhymes about getting smoked out through out their career. And those rhymes are all over this album. That mixed with DJ Muggs production really makes the vibes in this album easy to catch. I believe "Insane In The Brain" was the lead single on this album, and it's a good song. B-Real handles most of the vocals through out the album. When I hear Sen Dog's voice and his ad-libs on here, he cracks me up because of how he sounds, but his rhymes are dope as well. Along with rhyming about smoking weed, they also rhyme about shooting people like "Hand On The Glock" (aka "Hands On The Pump Part II") and "Cock The Hammer". "When The Ship Goes Down" is another excellent track by B-Real with Sen Dog's background vocals. (I'm aware of the actual song title, but I placed the title in my review from the radio edit of the song.)

As for flaws, the only thing is lack of subject matter. Not too often Cypress Hill detours from the topics of smoking weed and guns on this album (they even put facts about marijuana inside of the linear notes that are interesting). That is the only inferior about this album. It's an excellent album from 1993, a time when gangsta rap was in full swing. If you're a big time smoker, you'll probably relate to this easier than others. But if you want to hear some west coast tunes from the early-mid 90's, you'll probably like this album.

Lyrics: B+
Production: A-
Guest Appearances: N/A
Musical Vibes: A+
Overall: A-

My favorite tracks: I Ain't Going Out Like That, Insane In The Brain, When The Ship Goes Down, Cock The Hammer, Hits From The Bong, A To the K, Hand On The Glock

Peace!

"Cypress Hill" Part 2.......2006-12-19

Cypress Hill's second album, 1993's "Black Sunday," is another great album of funny, pro-weed paranoid lyrics from B-Real, Sen Dog and the crew, amazing beats courtesy of DJ Muggs, and just overall original and fun hip hop music. This album is very similar to their debut, "Cypress Hill," but the quality of the music is just as good, if not better in many spots, than on their debut. They went with the philosophy of if it ain't broke, don't fix it on "Black Sunday," and it works perfectly. On this album you start to see a little bit of the rock influence that they would later explore more in the late 90s, and Muggs steps his production up a little bit while staying with the heavy bass, slow beats, woozy synths, and smoky sampling and instrumentation that made him famous. B-Real and the MCs stay with the same kind of subject matter as on the debut, centering around smoking, humorous recollections of urban violence, and Latino references, but it doesn't sound even slightly redundant. B-Real's nasal rumble and Sen Dog's deep bellows and chants are as awesome as ever. This is the second classic album from the pioneering Los Angeles Cuban rap collective, and I recommend it to all hip hop fans.

The album begins with the self-explanatory "I Wanna Get High," with its great chorus and verses from all parties. The production is laced with deep, funky bass and a distant sounding siren, showing Muggs's signature style. The upbeat and drum-staticky "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That" follows, another high point. The next song is maybe the most well-remembered song of early 90s rap, the song that made the group a household name, "Insane in the Brain." This song is a classic, boasting a memorable chorus, great production, and funny verses, creating a legendary song that is still so widely recognized today. "When the S... Goes Down" has a great beat and good chemistry from the MCs. "Lick a Shot" sounds reminiscent of the late 80s LA hip hop style, but the lyrics make it totally Cypress Hill. "Cock the Hammer" displays once again the signature weirdness that is B-Real, Sen Dog, and Muggs. The tough "3 Lil' Putos" preaches tough violence with threatening sounding lyrics. The smoker's anthem "Hits From the Bong" has a great beat and chorus, as does "What Go Around Come Around, Kid." "A to the K" is funny, and "Hand on the Glock" follows in similar procession. The album ends with the excellent "Break `Em Off Some," an upbeat and funky production. Like on their debut, short songs like "Lock Down" and "Legalize It" provide focused, beautiful beats courtesy of the legendary DJ Muggs.

Bottomline is that if you liked "Cypress Hill," you'll love "Black Sunday," because basically it's the same ideas musically and lyrically, just advanced two full years. This album is a consistent classic, and all kinds of rap fans are certain to enjoy it. I could definitely make an argument that this is Cypress Hill's best album, but regardless it is definitely among the finest albums of hip hop's greatest year, 1993, and has stood the test of time, sounding fresh and original even thirteen years later. I think everyone can enjoy "Black Sunday" and I highly recommend it.

Fun, but fake... .......2006-10-06

Don't get me wrong, I really like their songs -- they're catchy as hell...
but like most "gansta" rappers, they are posers. I don't think they have even come close to ever killing anyone. In "When the Sh** Goes Down", they talk about gettin the "sawed off Glock", which makes NO sense. A Glock is a handgun. What are you going to do, saw off the grip?! Even Biggie used to say some totally uneducated things about firearms (taking the safety off a Glock? Glocks don't have external safeties, genius!) Just because you smoke weed doesn't make you gangsta. Try picking up a gun and actually learning about how it works before you spit all this b.s. about your gat-toting hardness. Again, I like these guys, but I know to take it all with a grain of salt. This is a band selling a product.

Rap in its prime.......2006-03-27

Although Cypress Hill is as laid back as they portray themselves to be, they can very much bring color, ingenuity and astonishing lyrics. From tracks like 'I Want to Get High' to 'Insane in the Membrane', this is one of the best rap albums in the past two decades.

This team of three originated from latin poetry in the mid-80s to a hardcore rap format. Influenced by the likes of Wu Tang and Public Enemy, Cypress Hill have managed to make many hits, and along the line influence Naughty By Nature, Redman and Dialated People. This album is exceptional in the sense that the lyrics are humorous, factual, powerful and poetic.

This group is legendary for their constant refrence to weed; a source that potentially helped them become one of the most popular artists in rap. This is a five-star album - enjoyable and a timeless classic.

Average customer rating:

very pleasant to listen to
Wonderful worship music
Excellent !!!

Sunday Morning Jam
Quiet Time Players
Manufacturer: Alliant Music Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sunday Morning Jam, Vol. 2
The Covenant Project - Gospel Jazz
Piano Prophet
Sunday morning Jam Vol 3
Songs for the Soul, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0009UVCIK
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

Power In The Blood
I'm Going Through
Thank You Lord (For All You've Done For Me)
Living Word
Blessed Assurance
Hold To God's Unchanging Hand
I'm Going Away
Sweet Medley: He Sweet I Know/Sweet Jesus
Have Thine Own Way Lord
Speak To My Heart
When You Pray
Sweet Hour Of prayer

Customer Reviews:

very pleasant to listen to.......2007-04-11

I really enjoy listening to this cd. I play it during the day when I am in my office. It's relaxing, and it allows me to enjoy some of my old favorite songs.

Wonderful worship music.......2007-02-23

I always like a different take on gospel music. This is a wonderful surprise on the old classics. Paul Wright's keyboard skills are phenomenal. I just truly enjoyed the vibe...had me jamming in the office. God's manifestation is amazing.
Keep up the good work fellas.

Excellent !!!.......2005-09-13

Donald Hayes and Derick Jackson are phenomenal musicians. I have never heard gospel music that was so passionate and soulful, with yet a gentle hint of jazz and and R&B flavor. This is a high spirit album. This band is definitely under rated!!!!

Michael Harris

Average customer rating:

Sunday Morning Jam, Vol. 2
Quiet Time Players
Manufacturer: Alliant Music Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Sunday Morning Jam
Sunday morning Jam Vol 3
The Covenant Project - Gospel Jazz
Him
Hymn & I

ASIN: B000EUMK5O
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Tracks:

Soon And Very Soon
Follow Me
How Great Thou Art
Speak To My Heart
Amazing Grace
I Surrender All
I Don't Know About Tomorrow
I Need Your Spirit
Come To Jesus
Worship Medley: Oh Come Let Let Us Adore Him/My Faith Looks Up To Thee/Holy, Holy, Holy/Praise God From Whom All Blessing Flow
Peace Be Still
Hallelujah

Average customer rating:

"Eloquent, Exquisite, Exciting"
A Gem!

Dreamer: A Portrait of Langston Hughes
Darryl Taylor , William Warfield , Maria Corley , Erik Santos , and Patricia Terry-Ross
Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Voice of Langston Hughes
The Negro Speaks of Rivers: Art Songs by African-American Composers
You Can Tell the World: Songs by African-American Women Composers

ASIN: B00006I9HH
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

My People - William Warfield
Heart
Island
The Weary Blues - William Warfield
Litany
A Black Pierrot
March Moon
Negro - William Warfield
The Negro Speaks Of Rivers
My People
Song To The Dark Virgin
Evil - William Warfield
Joy
Lonely House
Minstrel Man
Sunday Morning Prophecy - William Warfield
In Time Of Silver Rain
Carolina Cabin
Madam And The Census Taker - William Warfield
Lovely, Dark And Lonely One
Sylvester's Dying Bed - William Warfield
Sandman/Birth
Bound No'th Blues
To Artina
Down Where I Am
The Dream Weaver/Bouquet
Still Here - William Warfield

Customer Reviews:

"Eloquent, Exquisite, Exciting".......2004-08-18

"Dreamer" is unquestionably the finest recording of original songs by black composers available today. The singing of tenor, Darryl Taylor is superb and demonstrates a vocal beauty, musicianship, and interpretive sensitivy that is rarely equaled. The selection of poems of poet laureate, Langston Hughes is first rate, and even more important, the songs themselves are original, varied and well written. I think every listener will find "Dreamer" an exciting musical experience, and I predict for Darry Taylor a distinguished career as an interpreter of art songs. For the Naxos price, buy two albums and give one to a friend!

A Gem!.......2002-10-17

This collection is a gem! Langston Hughes was a very "musical" poet who was inspired by a variety of forms, from jazz to classical. His poetry in turn inspired a whole generation of composers, thirteen of whom are represented here in fifteen art songs. Additionally, eight Hughes poems are read by William Warfield.

The String Quartet Tribute to the Velvet Underground + Nico

Average customer rating:

The String Quartet Tribute to the Velvet Underground + Nico

Manufacturer: Vitamin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Tributes | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00009UW0S
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Sunday Morning
I'm Waiting For The Man
Femme Fatale
Venus In Furs
Run, Run, Run
All Tomorrow's Parties
Heroin
There She Goes Again
I'll Be Your Mirror
The Black Angel's Death Song
European Son

Product Description

Tracks:

I Wanna Get High
I Wain't Goin' Out Like That
Insane In The Brain
When The Ship Goes Down
Lick A Shot
Cock The Hammer
Interlude
Lil' Putos
Legalize It
Hits From The Bong
What Go Around Come Around, Kid
Hand On The Glock
Break 'Em Off Some

Amazon.com

Album Details

Limited Digipack Release

Customer Reviews:

The album that got me into rap.......2007-06-14

Can I Get A Hit From The Bong? (Rating: 8 out of 10- -4 stars).......2007-03-16

"Cypress Hill" Part 2.......2006-12-19

Fun, but fake... .......2006-10-06

Rap in its prime.......2006-03-27

Average customer rating:

Motion Picture Classics Vol. 2
Arthur Fiedler & the Boston Pops
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Motion Picture Classics, Vol. 1
Award Winning Movie Themes: The Sixties
Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection

ASIN: B000003EZS
Release Date: 1990-04-10

Tracks:

The Apartment: Main Theme
Tom Jones
The Sandpiper: The Shadow Of Your Smile
Gigi
Charade
Breakfast At Tiffany's: Moon River
The Longest Day
The Cardinal: Stay With Me
A Man And A Woman
Mondo Cane: More
Brave Bulls: La Virgen De La Macarena
Never On Sunday
Black Orpheus: Manha De Carnaval
The King And I: March Of The Siamese Children
Pinocchio: When You Wish Upon A Star
Mary Poppins: Chim-Chim-Cheree
My Fair Lady: Get Me To The Church On Time
Georgy Girl
West Side Story: Tonight

Love Blows as the Wind Blows: English and American Songs / Jonathan Lemalu

Average customer rating:

Promises Kept
Third Time's a Charm for Larger-Than-Life Lemalu and His Transatlantic English Repertoire

Love Blows as the Wind Blows: English and American Songs / Jonathan Lemalu

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel
Jonathan Lemalu - Songs (Brahms, Fauré, Finzi, Schubert)
Vaughan Williams: Willow Wood
Russian Album
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B000B63IF2
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Who Is Silvia?
When Daffodils Begin To Peer
How SHould I Your True Love Know?
Sigh No More, Ladies
Dover Beach Op.3
A Song Of Enchantment
Silver
Tit For Tat
The Mouse And The Bumblebee
Baby, Baby, Naughty Baby
As I Walked By Myself
Santa Chiara
When Lights Go Rolling Round The Sky
I. In The Year That's Come And Gone
II. Life In Her Creaking Shoes
III. Fill A Glass With Golden Wine
IV. On A Way To Kew
I. Come Away, Come Away, Death
II. Who Is Silvia?
III. Fear No More The Heat O' The Sun
IV. O Mistress Mine
V. It Was A Lover And His Lass
Song Of Black Max (As Told By The De Kooning Boys
George
Waitin

Customer Reviews:

Promises Kept.......2005-12-01

Some months back Jonathan Lemalu was introduced to us with a collection of Opera Arias, a recording that showed great promise of an important voice but also one that raised questions about the durability of the vocal technique. He sounded promising: with this excellent recording he shows that those promises are being kept!

In an entertaining potpourri of English songs the handsome and charismatic New Zealand baritone proves that he can complete with the likes of Thomas Hampson and Bryn Terfel and while he has not yet the finesse that only comes with time (he is a young 29!), the communicative powers are clearly present.

Lemalu's voice is rich and dark when the music demands (as in Barber's 'Dover Beach' accompanied by the Belcea Quartet) and yet he can lighten the tone and color and take on the technically difficult light and airy tunes which abound on this recording. His astute and sensitive collaborator is Malcolm Martineau who provides just the right mood for each of the songs selected. He seems completely at ease in this medium and his enunciation is crisp and clear. He makes the listener feel assured that here is a new star on the rise in the bass-baritone cadre, He is a joy to hear! Recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Third Time's a Charm for Larger-Than-Life Lemalu and His Transatlantic English Repertoire.......2005-11-14

Having just come home from Jonathan Lemalu's recital with pianist Malcolm Martineau in Berkeley, I am convinced that the New Zealand-born Samoan is fast moving to the front ranks among bass-baritone singers. His third solo disc, the second to be released in 2005, is further evidence of his burgeoning talent, this one focusing exclusively on an eclectic mix of English and American songs accompanied again by Martineau. With an ebullient personality that comes across on record as well as on stage, Lemalu has a large, rich voice capable of surprising nuance and particularly resonant in its middle and lower ranges. Only 29 years old, he carries a tone more callow than his more mature colleagues like Bryn Terfel, but Lemalu's more youthful sound, as well as his large-scale theatrical sense, is placed at a greater advantage with this program than in his previous opera arias disc. That's because the 25 tracks here are short pieces from a variety of sources ranging from poems about childhood to well-known passages from Shakespeare to off-kilter cabaret songs.

There was a tantalizing glimpse of Lemalu's affinity with English art songs on his 2002 debut recording, for example, John Ireland's strapping "Sea Fever". Here he tackles two more Ireland works with the melancholy swoon of "Santa Chiara" and the rollicking "When lights go rolling round the sky". Lemalu also tackles Roger Quilter's "Four Shakespeare Songs, Op. 30", with ease. He downshifts his powerful chest voice to enhance the open yearning of "Who is Silvia?", deliver the vocal pizzicato of "When the daffodils begin to peer", perform the sonorous "How should I your true love know?" and provide a confident reading of the advisory "Sigh No More, Ladies". As an intriguing contrast, Lemalu sings Gerald Finzi's more animated version of "Who Is Silvia?" written a decade after Quilter's, the second of a five-Shakespeare song cycle called "Let us garlands bring".

Lemalu achieves a particular depth of pathos on "Fear no more the heat o' the sun". Accompanied by the assured Belcea Quartet, Samuel Barber's "Dover Beach Op. 3", the longest continuous piece on the album at nearly eight minutes, is a moving and eloquent sea metaphor for finding love against the most dire of odds. The quartet shows up again to great effect on four highly atmospheric songs from George Butterworth's "Love blows as the wind blows" starting with the haunting "In the year that's come and gone" and ending with the reflective "On the way to Kew". Sounding very much like pieces from his epic "Peter Grimes", Benjamin Britten's "Tit for Tat" provides the source for three selections ideal for Lemalu's immaculate taste - the wistful "A Song of Enchantment", the mournful "Silver" and the more emphatically dramatic title song.

Richard Rodney Bennett provides three selections from "Songs Before Sleep" written expressly for Lemalu, all based on nursery rhymes, including the energetic "The Mouse and the Bumblebee" and the pensive "As I walked by myself". The comical side of Lemalu's personality pops out in William Bolcom's "Cabaret Songs", the first two bordering precariously on camp - the Kurt Weill-sounding "Black Max" about a dastardly pimp, the quixotic "George" about the life and death of a drag queen, and the moving "Waitin". This is an exquisite recording of a major talent that continues to grow.

Tell Me on a Sunday (2003 London Revival Cast)

Average customer rating:

AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE GREAT SONG-CYCLE SHOW
Excellent
let me tell you this is awsome
Not too bad.
You Can't Expect Everyone . . .

Tell Me on a Sunday (2003 London Revival Cast)
Andrew Lloyd Webber , Don Black , and Denise van Outen
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Beautiful Game (2000 Original London Cast)
Song & Dance: The Songs - Original Broadway Cast Recording
The Likes of US
The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast)
Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)

ASIN: B000092PSR
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Take that Look Off Your Face
Let Me Finish #1
It's Not The End Of The World
Goodbye Mum, Goodbye Girls
Haven In The Sky
First Letter Home
Speed Dating
Second Letter Home
Tyler King
Capped Teeth And Caesar Salad
You Made Me Think You Were In Love
Capped Teeth And Caesar Salad
It's Not The End Of The World (If He's Younger)
Third Letter Home
Unexpected Song
Come Back With The Same Look In Your Eyes
Let's Talk About You
Take that Look Off Your Face
Tell Me On A Sunday
It's Not The End Of The World (If He's Married)
Fourth Letter Home
Ready Made Life/I'm Very You
Let me Finish #2
Nothing Like You've Ever Known
Fifth Letter Home
Somewhere, Someplace, Sometime

Amazon.com

This 2003 cast recording is an update of a song cycle by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Don Black. First produced in London in 1982 as half of an evening titled Song and Dance, Tell Me on a Sunday is pretty much a one-woman show and a vehicle for a versatile singer with strong acting skills (Bernadette Peters won a Tony for it in 1985). This time, Denise Van Outen, a Chicago alum, takes on the role of the young British woman who goes to New York in order to get over a broken heart. Overall, this is one of Sir Lloyd Webber's most rocking scores, even if too often the results sound like the work of someone desperately trying to sound au courant. "Haven in the Sky," for instance, is a quasi-dance track with a trip-hop beat. When the heroine goes to L.A., the tone turns to folk-rock ("Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad"), but the composer is defeated by Black's clunky lyrics. Kudos to Van Outen for infusing perky charm into even the tritest moments. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE GREAT SONG-CYCLE SHOW.......2006-06-26

`Tell me on a Sunday', one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most interesting shows, has an interesting history. The composer wrote this rather short piece in the late 70-is, when he already made great success with his shows `Jesus Christ Superstar' and `Evita', written in the collaboration with Tim Rice. While looking for the subject for his next big show, he composed this song-cycle, which was to be his first collaboration with the lyricist Don Black, with whom he has subsequently written as much as he has with Rice.

The show tells the story of a young English girl in New York, going through various love affairs and dealing with the life in another country. It is entirely sung-through and although various characters are mentioned, we only hear the English girl. The role was originated by Marti Webb and the show had its premiere as a one-off performance recorded for TV by BBC in 1980. Two years later, Webber created a double-bill show, whose first part was comprised of `Tell me on a Sunday' and the second included `Variations', a set of instrumental songs based on Paganini, which he wrote for his cellist brother Julian. The music of `Tell me on a Sunday' was neatly endorsed by the audiences, since it included the beautifully composed set of pop and ballad songs, among the finest Lloyd Webber has ever done. The orchestrations were very well made, as can be heard on the Song and Dance Cast recording.

Yet, as the new millennium approached, it was clear that this little show (which never demanded the big effects and the monumental sets like, for example, `The Phantom of the Opera' or `Sunset Boulevard') has the potential of being modernised to match today's standards while still retaining its original appeal. So in 2003, a new touring UK production was set, featuring Marti Webb and the young Denise Van Outen, and it is this new and modernised production we get to hear on this CD.

The changes to the material are done very satisfactory. The parts of the subject matter have been changed, so what we eventually get is a `Sex and the city' type of musical. In the original version the girl wrote the letters home to England and now she is using email, mentioning `Friends' and benefiting from online dating opportunities. The old standards, such as `Take that look off your face', `Unexpected song', `Nothing like you've ever known' and the title songs are all here, but they have been re-orchestrated in an updated rock and pop manner, whereas the original orchestrations had a bit more classical touch. Don Black's lyrics remain as witty as always.

There are five new songs Lloyd Webber has written especially for this production. They are all nice melodies, especially `Heaven in the sky' (describing the girl's plane trip), `Speed dating' (a clever lyrical description of online dating), `Tyler King' (a rocky description of one of the girl's flames) and a personal favourite called `Somewhere, someplace, sometime' (a conclusion of story in which the girl contemplates about her unsuccessful love affairs, telling herself she mustn't loose hope and that love will eventually arrive).

Denise Van Outen, upon which the whole show lies, gives a persuasive rendition. She is full of energy, both in terms of voice and acting, and she managed to bring something new to the role that is considered to be Marti Webb's best performance.

The booklet contains full lyrics, but as with most ALW's recordings, there is no synopsis.

For those familiar with this show, this recording will be a fresh update. The others will also find it appealing. Both the old Song and Dance recording and this new version are worth checking into.

Excellent.......2004-08-27

I was blown away the first time I listened to this CD. I got it after listening to Song and Dance and also talking to some of my coworkers who had seen the musical in London's West End. Van Outen has an incredible voice. The new songs written for the revival made me laugh.

While it's not my personal favorite, it's a staple in my musical theatre collection.

let me tell you this is awsome.......2003-11-04

i own the original london cast with martti webb and the broadway cast with Bernadette Peters and i loved them both and now i got this one and it is awsome. Cause on each recording the girls give it her own twist and make it her own. cause you know the show was originally written for martti webb and she sung the hell out of it. but i love all 3 recordings cause they each have new songs, tempos and lyrics. but each is sung in the a diffrent style and in diffent meaning and feeling. i would recomend this to nayone who is a webber lover like i am!

Not too bad........2003-10-20

I actually think this is one of ALW's better musicals. It is very simple and benefits from it compared to the more pretentious later works of his.

This is also a nice recording of the show. Sure, Denise van Outen is no Bernadette, but she's not bad either. Besides, the orchestrations are a zillion times better here.

The new songs are mainly trash, except Somewhere, Someplace, Sometime, which serves as a much needed finale to this piece. It is by no means Sondheim, and it borrows the first notes from (the now cut and actually more interresting) The Last Man In My Life.

I would recommend getting the OLCR complete with the second "Dance" act before this, but it is a nice addition if you like TMOAS or S&D.

You Can't Expect Everyone . . ........2003-08-30

To be just like Bernadette Peters. I've listened to both and I Love both. van outen brings her won charm and spunk to this recording as well as having a killer voice. I saw this show in London, and as many of the other reviewers haven't I suggest going to amazon.co.uk to read the reviews of people who actually have. For the informantion of those who have not seen the show, It's a one woman show based on a television muiscal that lloyd webber and black wrote for Marti Webb in the 1980s. I'd definitely reccommend this, and I'd also suggest Bernadette's recording because It's nice to see what other people have done with the material. You can also hear how Sarah Brightman (lloyd webber's ex) sang the music on her album the andrew lloyd webber album. She does the title song and the immortal Unexpected Song.

Average customer rating:

Kings X - I Seem To Be In The Minority, But I Really Love This Album
A Big Disappointment for a Long-time Fan
Some people are idiots
This album is the acoustical equivalent of an '80's party.
And so it is....

Black Like Sunday
King's X
Manufacturer: Metal Blade
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Christian Rock | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Alternative | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ogre Tones
Out of the Silent Planet
Live All Over the Place
King's X
Gretchen Goes to Nebraska

ASIN: B000095J1L
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Black Like Sunday
Rock Pile
Danger Zone
Working Man
Drams
Finished
Screamer
Bad Luck
Down
WOn't Turn Back
Two
You're The Only One
Johnny
Save us

Customer Reviews:

Kings X - I Seem To Be In The Minority, But I Really Love This Album.......2007-07-20

"Black Like Sunday" is an album of previously unreleased material that stretches all the way back to the beginning of the band. I seem to be in the minority here as this disc seems to get really trashed by a lot of Kings X fans, but I have to admit that I really love it. This is all old material that was re-recorded for this album. Yes, some of it sounds a bit dated, but I still really dig it. The band actually stretches out instrumentally on the almost 12 minute track Johnny. A lot of fans seem to look at this as unneeded noodling, but I wish Kings X would do more stuff like this. I have always found it frustrating that a band so instrumentally competent never seems to want to show it off keeping most of their compositions in the 3 to 4 minute range. There are several great songs on this album as well, "Black Like Sunday", "Rockpile", "Screamer", and several others. I really find it surprising how much many Kings X fans loath this album. Personally I think it is great and find this more satisfying than a lot of the band's more recent works.

A Big Disappointment for a Long-time Fan.......2007-06-26

It pains me to give a King's X album such a low score. I mean, I own the entire catalog, I've seen the band live at least ten times, and have even had beers with the guys after a show. I remember hearing them for the first time as a kid watching late-night TV when their video for Over My Head made a splash for a while on MTV. I've been a fan ever since. But, alas, I have to be truthful and honest about this collection, as nothing less will benefit the band or fans.

This is a sub-par album for any band, let alone one as stellar as King's X. As many have already mentioned, it's a modern recording of a bunch of rehashed throw-away tunes that didn't make it onto their first album, Out of the Silent Planet. They were put in the circular file then, and that's honestly where they should have stayed. The sound is dated, the structures are boring, the lyrics are juvenile and banal...need I go on? It's cheesy, 1980s pop-rock that is barely saved by the fact that it being played by a band with incredible execution.

Screamer is novel enough, but that's the problem: it's merely a novelty song to show off Doug's screaming ability. Rock Pile has a decent enough verse, but the chorus is sickeningly goofy. Johnny is the epic tune that doesn't justify its epic length...Ty's long solo is the most pointless, meandering bunch of swoops and ambient sounds he's ever put together into a single chain. The title track is passable.

Honestly, this album should be avoided by anyone except collectors. It is definitely not the place to start if you're just trying to get into King's X. If you really want to support this band, buy their latest CD, Ogre Tones, which is an excellent, excellent album. It has a great variety of sound, and should satisfy both their later fans that are used to the "heavy" version of King's X as well as their earlier fans that long to hear the soaring guitar and Beatlesesque harmonies. I'm a fan of both eras, truly, and I think it's their best CD since Please Come Home Mr. Bulbous, and possibly since Dogman (another awesome disc that everyone should own).

Avoid this one, but don't avoid King's X. I'm one of those music nerds who owns like 1500 CDs, and if I had to give up all but, say, 100 of them, I would take up slots in that batch for all of my King's X CDs. This is one of the best overall rock bands still recording that hasn't ever sold out and keeps pumping out great tunes. They deserve many a listen...just don't start with Black Like Sunday.

Some people are idiots.......2006-06-02

This is what stevering or whatever his name put in the first line of his "review"

"I don't even have to buy this CD to know the direction that the band have taken"

What kinda idiots does this? Well ALOT of them! Too many people review stuff they never listned too.

Why put a negative spin on something you've never heard?? Are you trying hurt the band? Do you have mental issues? did the band let you down somehow and your getting back at them?

Thisis a great cd worthy of your money.

This album is the acoustical equivalent of an '80's party. .......2006-04-27

This album is the acoustical equivalent of an '80's party: Pleasing escape into a punk-past, but riding a little tight in the crotch.

It's so bad --it's good!

I've been a King's X fan since 1989 or so. The epic Gretchen was the first I heard, and like everyone else - it blew me away. I saw them live - finally - when they came to Saskatoon, SK just last week... An incredible experience long overdue!

Only a band with a fan-base as well-established as KX could have pulled off this album (for what it is). Black Like Sunday is NOT likely an album which will woo prospective K-X listeners; the songs are just so ancient. While the title track, Rockpile, Dreams, Working Man, Bad Luck, Won't Turn Back, etc. do smack of garage-punk-band lyrics/cadence from the '80's, their contemporary performance is, of course, flawless. These songs won't win any originality awards. That said, I think that vintage stripped-down sound works well for songs like Finished, Screamer, Down, Two, and Johnny. These ones are keepers.

If you're looking for the latest, greatest King's X CD, look elswhere. (Perhaps the trio just got tired of hearing people whining for them to remake "the old sound"?) If you are already a longtime fan and want to cringe nostalgically together at gawdy sonic roots... look no further.

I'm glad they released this less-than-serious album. Now I'm looking for them to move on.

And so it is...........2006-02-20

I don't even have to buy this CD to know the direction that the band have taken.
As in the other major 3 piece letdowns, Rush, this band has had enough of creativity and chosen a sedentary direction for their music. Pretty much everthing after "King's X" was mediocre, AT BEST. You can always tell a band's most inspired work, and it's almost ALWAYS at the beginning of their fame. Gosh, these guys used to KICK A**. I don't know what happened. Maybe they do, but they're not talking.

You know, it's really COOL and eclectic to have solo careers, but not at the mercy of the collective collaboration. I listened to a little of ALL of their solo stuff and it just seems that some people just don't GET that they're meant to play TOGETHER AS A BAND...... Their individual efforts just don't stand on their own merits. I wouldn't know what it was like to be a "professional musician" but I'd be willing to bet it's a little like living too long inside your own ego and not having a chance to step out every once in a while for an unbiased, fresh look at what you've become. Kind of like a heroin addict, I would imagine.

Doug (or as he eclectically likes to call himself "dUg"), Ty and Jerry, you guys are the ultimate band, and had the right idea on "Gretchen". Once you've painted your masterpiece, I guess everything else pales by comparison. Considering the kind of lousy excuse for music that is out there these days, you guys still rock.

Soul Music:

Soul Music

soul music

Recommended Music:

Bohemio Enamorado

Gregorian Advent & Christmas

Jumpin' the Blues

Music: The Masquerade Is Over [Import]

Live at Last [Live]

Japa

Jazz Singer/The Fabulous Favourites! [Import] [Original recording remastered]

Johan Julius Christian Sibelius: Violin Concerto (2 versions); The Tempest

Having Fun

Jazz Dance Classics, Vol. 4

Girls Can Tell

Golden Series

Inmortales el Bolero

Music by Finzi, Vaughan Williams and Holst

Vibrant Tones