Eagle Song - Complete Symphonic Concept Cast Recording

Most people have never heard of Eagle Song - something I'm taking a step to rectifying with this review.

Writers Roger Butterley and Justin Murphy have created a beautiful tapestry of sound. Touching on pop, country, soul, gospel and a contemporary Broadway sound, this musical is outstanding.

It recalls elements of Les Miserables - especially in the scope of the production. Also of Civil War by Frank Wildhorn.

It is almost entirely sung and tells the evocotive story of two families torn apart by the American Civil War - kind of like North & South to music!!
Two friends end up on opposite sides of the American Civil War and this is their story. But, it's also the story of their friends and families back home. Also, of their fellow soldiers.

The scope of the show is massive with multiple characters and storylines - but it's never confusing. The cd comes with a full lyric booklet (or at least did when I bought it) and the sound is brilliant.
Both Roger Butterley and Justin Murphy sing on this cd; and it is easy to be impressed by these incredibly talented guys! Their writing skills easily match those of much more successful composers.

One of the things I love about this show is the sheer number of songs I can sing along with. The rousing chorus numbers as well as the many soaring power ballads. Listen out for Monique Midgette singing the part of Charlotte. Her beautiful rendition of Another's Arms is perfection.In addition, other songs to particularly note are Bonded By Blood, Angel, Cavalry Life, Pretty Little Things and Never Forget.

This musical encompasses everything that is wonderful about musical theatre!! Here's hoping it gets staged on day.

The CD is getting increasingly hard to find, so, if you're a musical fan I'd advise you to buy this before it costs the earth! Not so long ago it was over £100!

Lion King - Deluxe 20th Anniversary Expanded Soundtrack

20th Anniversary Expanded Edition   The first release in Disney's new line of Deluxe CDs, entitled The Legacy Collection.   In my opinion The Lion King is the perfect choice for this Deluxe treatment. One of the things I've always loved about Disney soundtracks is that they cover my two favourite styles: Score and Musical. But, the original Lion King soundtrack was missing so much of Hans Zimmer's beautiful score it was insulting. Watching the film you hear all that beautiful African themed music and it makes the spirit soar. It captures the heart and takes the story of Simba to new heights. In short the score is the soul of The Lion King.   So, for that score to be so poorly represented on the first release of the soundtrack was a big disappointment. This was rectified slightly with the release of the brilliant Rhythm of the Pridelands which brought the incredible Lebo M to centre stage. Finally, when combined, much of the music from The Lion King was represented. Most, but not all - still missing was much of Zimmer's score.   While I don't think this release has given us a complete score, it's gone a long way to bridging the gap. Here we have three times as much score. Plus original Demo versions of the score. Plus two bonus songs - one of which never made it into any version of the film. This is the version of The Lion King film soundtrack I always wanted to hear.   It's also nicely presented in a hardback book style case, with full lyrics, some notes about the making of the film and some original concept art work.   Finally, the listening experience is as close to watching the film as you can get. The mood is there. The atmosphere is present. Now, you can follow the story through the music as each cue has been placed on the discs in order they appear in the film.   If you only ever buy one Disney soundtrack, surely it has to be this one? Utter brilliance from beginning to end.    TRACKLIST: Disc 1: 1. Circle of Life / Nants' Ingonyama (Song) 2. Didn't Your Mother Tell You Not to Play with Your Food (Score)  3. We Are All Connected (Score) 4. Hyenas in the Pride Land (Score) 5. I Just Can't Wait to Be King (Song) 6. Elephant Graveyard (Score) 7. I Was Just Trying to Be Brave (Score) 8. Be Prepared (Song) 9. Simba, It's To Die For (Score) 10. Stampede (Score) 11. Mufasa Dies (Score) 12. If You Ever Come Back We'll Kill You (Score) 13. Bowling For Buzzards (Score) 14. Hakuna Matata (Song) 15. We Gotta Bone to Pick With You (Score) 16. Kings of the Past (Score) 17. Nala, Is it Really You? (Score) 18. Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Song) 19. Remember Who You Are (Score) 20. This is My Home (Score) 21. The Rightful King (Score)   Disc 2: 1. The Morning Report (Song) 2. Warthog Rhapsody (Song) 3. We Are All Connected (Score Demo) 4. I Was Just Trying to Be Brave (Score Demo 5. Stampede (Score Demo 6. Mufasa Dies (Score Demo) 7. This is My Home (Score Demo) 8. The Rightful King (Score Demo) 9. Circle of Life (Performed by Elton John) 10. I Just Can't Wait to Be King (Performed by Elton John) 11. Can You Feel the Love Tonight (End Title) (Performed by Elton John)  

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - London Cast CD

Marc Shaiman's (Hairspray the Musical and numerous brilliant film scores) new musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a bit of a mixed bag. There are moments of brilliance mixed in freely with mediocrity. Personally, I found it to be a very enjoyable listening experience as a whole and I will be listening to it frequently - but I can understand why the critics have been quite harsh.

On first listen none of the new songs are very memorable. During that first listen I was thinking this is good; but after the CD finished I forget every one - with ONE exception: Pure Imagination, which wasn't even written for this show - knowing it from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory meant it wasn't a surprise I remembered it.

Apparently (if the internet is to be believed) audiences/critics were saying the second half of the show needed something 'more'. Then some bright spark came up with the idea of putting the most popular song from the film version of the story into this production. Does that work? Almost. Pure Imagination is a brilliant song and it fits nicely into this show; but it also highlights how unmemorable the rest of the songs are on first listen.

Now, having said that, there is a lot to love in this production.

Firstly: the kids are all excellent. There are moments where diction is a problem; but all is forgiven in the face of such incredible talent. Each child is given a moment to shine and they really give their all. Stand-outs are Charlie and Veruca.

There's also a nice blend of music styles in this show (similar to last years brilliant Bring it On - The Musical which I will probably review in the future) - used very effectively to accentuate each child's character. So, you get R&B for Violet, Electronica for Mike etc. It's very effective and makes for a more interesting listening experience.

Now, onto Mr. Wonka himself: Douglas Hodge. Mr. Hodge won an Tony for his performance in last years revival of La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway. I hated him on that recording. He sings through his nose and overacts. But, that is just a personal opinion. So, when I heard he was cast as Wonka for this production I was really disappointed. However, he is actually pretty good here. He still sings through his nose; but it's toned down quite substantially. It helps that he has some very nice ballads to sing (including the wonderful Pure Imagination).

Compared to other recent - and in some ways similarly upbeat - shows that have appeared in the West End and on Broadway (Matilda, Kinky Boots) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory does stand out as being one of the better ones.

If you like your music diverse and upbeat and want something you can sing along to (once you've listened to it a few times so the songs stand out!) then Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the show for you!

Recommended. 8/10.

Carrie: The Musical

What can I say? I've been waiting since the 80's to be able to hear a recording of Carrie: The Musical and it's finally here.
And boy, was it worth waiting for; because this is a superb recording of an incredible musical.

CarrieThe Musical is notorious for being the biggest flop in musical theatre history. Clips have appeared on YouTube and bootleg recordings have been widely available on the internet. Personally, I had only ever heard three of the tracks from the show: Carrie, on one of Lynzi Hateley's albums (she was the original Carrie in the broadway/UK flop), When There's No One on a Betty Buckley album and finally (and the best of the three) Unsuspecting Hearts sung by the incredible Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner on their album of the same name. As teasers for the music in this score they were tantalising; but the YouTube clips were worrying to say the least (especially on Out For Blood with it's awful choreography and legwarmers!). Finally a friend let me listen to a very poor quality recording of the Broadway cast and, if I'm honest, I could see why it was poorly received: the score felt messy and confused; unsure if it wanted to be a 'teen' show or a 'horror' show.

Stephen King's book and the brilliant Brian DePalma film are not a simple as they first appear and translating the story into a musical was never going to be easy.

Carrie is a complex character. As is her mother, Margaret. Their relationship is utterly crazy, but incredibly compelling. Throw into this mix an almost clichéd group of teens (modernised greatly for this production) and you have an eclectic mix of genres in one narrative piece.

In the original production the songs sung by Chris, Sue and the other kids really stood out as being dreadfully dated (even in the 80's) and out of place. Thankfully the writers have managed to ditch all of the utterly dreadful songs and replace them with ones that fit the feel of the show.
Personally, I feel this story needs the lightness of the teen scenes as they bring a much-needed humour to an otherwise desperately miserable story; but these scenes also provide a stark contrast to Carrie's life at home with her mother. This is a girl you can sympathise with and root for. You want her to get the guy, go to the prom, have her first kiss...and please...please no...not go batshit-crazy at the prom! Chris Hargenson's final humiliation of Carrie White and the subsequent devastation it causes is the ultimate cautionary tale - and that message of 'be more tolerant' and 'try to understand those who are different' comes across much more clearly in this recording.

Any fan of musical theatre is going to love finally being able to hear this wonderful score and, like me, will probably feel a little sad that the original production was never recorded for posterity. However, if this is the only Carrie we ever have it's a damned good one.

Marin Mazzie (Margaret White) and Molly Ransom (Carrie) are simply amazing, but everyone in the cast holds their own.

In a matter of days this moved into my Top 10 Musicals of All Time list. Every song is great, but as with every musical there are some standout songs: Carrie, Unsuspecting Hearts, And Eve Was Weak, Why Not Me?, Once You See, When There's No One and Evening Prayers.

If you're a fan of musicals, this really is one that you should have in your collection.

Aladdin - Original Broadway Cast

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Finally the last of my musical pre-orders has arrived; but has it been worth the wait?

Yes and No.

There is a charm and innocence to Disney musicals (both film and stage) that appeals to my inner child. They produce wholesome popcorn entertainment that doesn't challenge the mind or the ears too much.

I've always been a huge fan of Disney and a new stage version is a no-brainer purchase for me.

BUT....

Not all of their stage adaptations have worked as well as others. Tarzan instantly springs to mind. Some of their films simply don't translate to the stage as well as they should. Even The Little Mermaid (one of their most popular films of all time) failed on stage (although I loved the recording).

Still, when I heard that a stage version of Aladdin was being developed I was very excited (even more so when I read that they're also developing The Hunchback of Notre Dame - my favourite Disney film).

Anyway, the CD arrived yesterday and I've now listened to it three times.

It's good. But, it's not great. At least not to someone who has hundreds of musicals and has recently had the pleasure of hearing some brilliant contemporary shows.

So, what exactly is good or bad about this production?

The Good

The expanded opening song - Arabian Nights - does an excellent job of creating an atmosphere, introducing the characters and setting up the story. Loved it.

The cast. Everyone does a very good job. Adam Jacobs makes for a very charming and cheeky Aladdin especially. Also, Robin Williams is an incredibly hard act to follow but the Broadway Genie does a very good job of giving it his own interpretation.

The new songs - some of the new songs were actually written for the film (most notably Proud of Your Boy) and it's great to have them back. Others were written specifically for this production.

The Bad

The tendency to be too self aware. Having the Genie singing excerpts from Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid while amusing does pull the listener out of the show. As does making a joke about the fact that all the characters sing - a way of letting the audience know they're at a musical. It's all unnecessary and distracting.

Also, the rendition of A Whole New World leaves a LOT to be desired. This is the iconic song from this musical. It's a beautiful ballad and high-point of the film, but, for some reason the producers of this production decided that down-playing this song would be a good idea. Yes, it results in some of the new songs standing out to a greater extent, but it's an injustice to the song in my opinion.

There's nothing really original here. While I really enjoyed the new songs, I'm conscious of the fact that some of the melodies were very, very similar to previous Alan Menken (composer) songs. For example, new song Diamond in the Rough is very similar in its construction and format to Mushnik & Son from an earlier Menken show Little Shop of Horrors. This is not always a bad thing - but harsher critics than me will probably rip the show apart for something like that.

None of the above will bother younger listeners or casual theatre goers - who will probably lap up the atmosphere, catchy tunes, exciting story and incredible visuals. I guess I just wanted more from a Disney show.

If you like Disney I would recommend the Australian Cast Recording (aka The Live version) of Mary Poppins, the Broadway Casts of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.

Violet - Broadway Cast

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Original Broadway Cast. Composer: Jeanine Tesori.

Back in 1998 I bought the Off-Broadway cast recording of an unknown, but critically acclaimed, musical called Violet.

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I'd never heard of the show, or the composer. If I'm honest, I just bough it to bring an order I was placing up to a certain amount. Poor Violet.

Upon receiving the CD I listened to it a few times over the first few days of owning it. I really enjoyed it; but nothing really stood out. Nothing had me humming, or singing along. It was a nice recording and, as such, one I was happy to keep.

Then, while trawling through the Forthcoming Releases on Amazon.com, I saw that there was to be a new Deluxe 2CD Broadway cast recording, starring the incredible Sutton Foster.

But, given my underwhelming response to the 1998 recording (once again: poor Violet) you're possibly wondering why I would be interested.

That's easy!

First: In the interim composer Jeanine Tesori had risen to much success with excellent shows like Caroline, or Change and the amazing Shrek: The Musical.

Second: Sutton Foster. Sutton's performances in Shrek: The Musical, Little Women, Thoroughly Modern Millie have literally blown me away. She's a marvel.

Third: The reviews for the show were great and apparently the score had received a major revision with new songs and orchestrations.

It was all too tempting. So, I pre-ordered it.

I'm so glad I did.

Violet is the story of a young woman travel across America to visit a faith healer, in the hopes that he will be able to make her beautiful. As a child, Violet, fell into an axe, which split her face open. She's lived with the scar, and the stares of everyone around her, ever since.

On the bus she meets an array of people from all walks of life, including two soldiers. One black, one white - both of whom take a shine to Violet, despite her scar and her attitude.

Eventually, she does get to see the preacher - but, of course, it doesn't work. But, it doesn't really matter as she's fallen in love along the way, and that's all that matters.

It's a simple, beautifully executed story. The songs cover a range of styles from jazz to blues, via bluegrass, swing and broadway. Yet, somehow, the show gels perfectly.

Personally, I think this is in no small part, down to the fact that Sutton Foster is a revelation. This is a career defining performance (not that she needs one). Her rough ways, prickly personality, soft underneath approach to the character of Violet is genius and her voice aches with pain, passion, wit and warmth.

A truly beautiful musical that will probably never see the light of day in the UK. Why? Well, in my opinion, it's because the subject matter is not something us Brits can really associate with. We don't really buy into the whole faith healing preacher deal, so I don't think we'd really be able to suspend disbelief.

I might be unfairly judging my fellow countrymen, it's just my opinion.

For me, Violet, just entered my Top 100 musicals with the swing of an axe and the heart of a true star.

The Rescue - Bruce Broughton

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I've loved soundtracks ever since my mum first played me her old vinyl LPs of The Sound of Music. Over the years, as my personal taste in music developed, I moved away from song soundtracks (although I do still like a lot) and more towards the music only - or Score - albums. This is where I found my true love.

Not only does the score to a film remind you of the film in question; but it also can find a life of it's own away from the images on the screen. I'm sure many people know the Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark, or the theme from The Godfather, Jaws or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But, I bet some people don't know that those pieces of music are from films.

Somehow, music can transcend the initial limitations imposed upon it.

I've been very lucky to build my collection over the years to include some classic and soon-to-be-classic scores. Everything from the amazing score to The Great Escape (Elmer Bernstein) to Thomas Newman's beautiful scores for The Shawshank Redemption and Alexandre Desplat's work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Everyone listens to music differently. Digital formats, CDs, vinyl. In the car, doing housework. While reading, stitching, or a multitude of other activities.

Personally, it depends on the music. I like to listen to a score when I'm on my PC, reading or as background music. I listen to musicals with ALL my attention; usually with the book in hand, reading along with the lyrics. Pop/Rock etc I like on my MP3 player, or in the car or doing housework.

So, when I get a new score I wait until I'm on my PC or reading. I hit the 'repeat' button and just let the music wash over me.

The Rescue arrived yesterday and I did exactly that.

This is an action score at it's core. Rousing melodies and pumping themes abound. But, it also has it's quieter moments.

I've been a fan of composer Bruce Broughton ever since falling in love with his score for Harry and the Hendersons. But, over the years many of his scores have been neglected and left unreleased.

Thankfully, specialist CD companies like Intrada, La La Land Records and Varese Sarabande have offered collectors the chance to obtain these soundtracks. Often in expanded, or complete, formats. They go out of their way to obtain the rights to scores that were never released. They are utterly brilliant!

So, back in the 1988 when the film was released, the soundtrack never saw the light of day. But, Intrada managed to obtain the rights and we finally have the complete score.

It's a fun soundtrack and if you're familiar with Broughton's work you may recognise themes from Young Sherlock Holmes  and Harry and the Hendersons. They're not entirely the same; but there are definite similarities.

The Rescue is a fun score that I'm incredibly pleased to have in my collection.