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The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)

What's left to be said about Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera a decade after its premiere? That it's maddeningly ubiquitous? A stitch-up of various themes shoplifted from the Italian operatic repertoire? A critic-proof crowd pleaser that's probably being staged somewhere in the world as you read this? A megahit that will likely outlive Titanic in the pop-culture pantheon, Phantom has largely redefined--for better or worse--the manner in which modern musicals are conceived, staged, and marketed. Its influence has reached far beyond the traditional confines of London and Broadway. A favorite example: an abridged version that was the centerpiece of Los Angeles's longest-running transvestite revue, replete with 14-inch chandeliers and a man-playing-a-woman-playing-a-man in the title role. --Jerry McCulley

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Futures

Cast Recording;

Original recording remastered;

Box set;

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Customer Review:

the best

This is the best cd I have ever heard. I love the music it is great.

Mess up the Phantom ---> Awful recording

I love POTO in all its interpretations. I love the ALW musical. But the OLC cast does nothing for me. Every time I hear Crawford's nasal, whiny voice I want to bang my head against the wall. Brightman's "acting" is non-existant and the passion was left out completely. Buy the Canadian CD with Colm Wilkinson, the original Swedish recording or the movie-soundtrack. But skip this sterile "performance"....

An overblown mess ~ and insipid fans

When I read the review below mine I was close to lose my faith is people who can put their dislike for something in polite words. I've never seen such shallow and insipid bashing of a movie that is just as...good...as this mess. I like Leroux's story but Webber failed to capture its essence and most of its fans or "phans" fail to understand it too. The cast, except for Steve Barton, is below mediocre (Crawford should stick to comedy, Brightman needs lessons before she ever opens her mouth to sing again...) and the music is nothing but 2-3 themes which are repeated until even a ditz can hum along. Skip this awful mess and listen to the beautiful interpretation of Yeston and Kopit, or, even better, read the book. This recording is not a keeper and I could care less if the "phans" vote my review down. (Biased as they are)

One word on the movie: At least it's what it is, entertainment. And it doesn't take itself so seriously, plus I prefer it to be a rock-opera with edge instead of "Opera Lite" for those who fail to appreciate the real thing.

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Keywords: Cast Recordings; Music Theater; Musical Theater; Musicals; Pop; Show Tunes; Showtunes / B'way;

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Romanza

From his childhood on the family farm in rural Tuscany to the worldwide stage, Andrea Bocelli has achieved phenomenal success. His singing is only partially the point, and his fame owes much more to the aura of romance and the romantic archetype that's attached to him. Romanza is by far Bocelli's largest success, winning adoration thanks to the swooning vocals and the easy, sometimes lush, always pop-safe instrumental textures and melodies. As far as his opera chops go, Bocelli has won the approval of Pavarotti but likely will not wow enthusiasts. The upside is that Bocelli will likely grow the opera pie, convincing labels to take on more operatic projects. --Andrew Bartlett

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Customer Review:

raw and pure

There is something about Bocelli's voice that is completely revealed, raw, yet pure. His songs climax and grow. I have some opera fans who snub his voice because they say it not purely classical, yet that is what I love about him. He is different not completely one or the other- just a beautiful honest voice.

I have been studying singing on my own with singing CDs
"Voice Lessons To Go", by Vaccarino which I gladly recommend as well. I was inspired to improve my own voice by him and Sara Brightman on this CD so that I can sing along with them. I am also signing up for a music appreciating class this fall at the community college for fun! Hey we must enjoy our 40's!

Breakthrough Album

This was the CD that bridged the gap between pop and opera. This is something that no other opera singer was able to do, certainly not on such a grandly successful scale. With his singing diversity of style (alternating between a bluesy pop voice and a clear and powerful operatic one), Andrea Bocelli did a fantastic job of putting together a great collection of first-rate songs and adding his own tremendous voice to them, a simply stunning achievement. Many of the songs are deeply moving with breathtaking moments. If you like Bocelli, you must give Sarah Brightman a chance, another opera diva with an accessible reportoir who does the pop thing very well.

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

italian review

Im a freshman at uc berkeley (yeah with that she bangs guy). andrea is MUCH better. i don't mind him going into pop. next pavarotti pretty much, i think. i finished taking upto italian 4 (basically the prereqs for an italian studies major), and this cd helped me review my italian. it has a lot of that subjunctive tense that i hate, but i still remember it through this cd. it's so powerful. especially the song with "fosse dentro te." and then there's that really mellow ballad. i don't know the names of this song cuz i downloaded the whole album off of winmx. oh yeah, "vivo per lei" is also a great song too. the german translation of that song is cool too.

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Keywords: Choral; Classical; Classical Crossover; Classical Vocal Crossover; Classical Vocals; Italy; Sacred Choral Music; Solo Voice(s) and Orchestra; Vocal; Vocal Music;

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Dimanche a Bamako

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Customer Review:

enchanting melodies

The reviews for this album are all over the web and i have yet to see one that doesnt praise. The marriage of Amadou and Mariam's w. african/malian style with the rythm and pop sense of Manu Chao makes for tunes that get stuck in your head and continuially weave in and out of your brain. Listen a few times and you're hooked. The vocals are beautiful, the guitar solos are serpentine and the rythms engaging.
I had the import before it was available in the us. It is certainly now receiving the attention it deserves from the critics!! The album has already won the equivalent of a grammy in France.

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Keywords: Africa; Afro-Pop; Int'l & World Music; International; Mali; Pop; Worldbeat;

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

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

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Futures

Soundtrack;

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Customer Review:

Keep An Open Mind

First, a warning: if you're the kind of person who holds Beatles music sacrosanct, and believes nobody but the Beatles should be playing Beatles songs, you'll probably dislike this album intensely. Stay away from it.

For the rest of us (those of us who prefer that our music not be trapped in amber): if you like to hear good songs thoughtfully reinterpreted, this is the album for you. Some covers will probably appeal more than others, according to taste, but don't let your preconceptions stand in the way of liking a song on its merits - for instance, I'm not any kind of fan of Eddie Vedder or the Stereophonics in other contexts, but their respective cover versions here are favorites of mine.

So, once again: if you don't believe any popular music recorded since 1970 is worthy of your attention, don't buy this album. Everyone else: open your mind and your ears, and give it a spin.

A Travesty

I accidently heard this and think it is a terrible album. Why would anybody in their right mind want to listen to bad cover versions of classic songs by mediocre "artists?" Why not listen to the originals? Nobody should be allowed to touch The Beatles' music. Ever. The horrible versions of "Strawberry Fields Forever" and the masterpiece "Let it Be" are especially heinous, but they are all terrible in their own ways. Some are almost insulting. The people contributing to this soundtrack can only wish that they'll be remembered and relevant in 40 years. Maybe I'm sounding harsh, but if you are truly a Beatles fan, you will probably agree with me. Oh, and the movie was terrible too.

Ghastly

This is piece of filth. Beatles songs should not EVER be covered--especially by this untalented menagerie of "performers." The ghoul who sanctioned this album should be tracked down and psychologically evaluated (and imprisoned with a life sentence). I would never wish the trauma associated with listening to this garbage on my worst enemies. The songs are butchered beyond belief and some are almost unrecognizable. I shouldn't have expected any better based on the quality of the film and cast. Any true Beatles fan will be horrified by how badly these treasured songs were brutally maimed. I honestly get nauseous when seeing the track listing. I have never even heard of most of these singers (for good reason, obviously). So please do EVERYONE a favor and buy the original Beatles albums if you want to hear the songs the way they were meant to be heard.

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Keywords: Alternative Pop/Rock; Pop; Soundtrack; Soundtracks; Soundtracks & Film Scores; Tribute Albums;

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