Last Recordings

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese limited edition Verve label jazz reissue featuring 24 bit remastering & the original artwork reproduced as a miniature LP sleeve. 2000 release. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Overture/Prologue
Honey, Honey
Money, Money, Money
Thank You For The Music
Mamma Mia
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Lay All Your Love On Me
Super Trouper
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
The Name Of The Game
Voulez-Vous
Entr'acte
Under Attack
One Of Us
S.O.S.
Does Your Mother Know
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Our Last Summer
Slipping Through My Fingers
The Winner Takes It All
Take A Chance On Me
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
I Have A Dream

Amazon.com

Put together by Abba's own Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! manages to cram over 20 of the Swedish supergroup's songs into a threadbare plot. It goes a little like this: Young Sophie is getting married and she's trying to identify which of three men is her father. That's about it. Wisely, the musical doesn't mess around with the songs, save for the insertion of some dialogue or for having some of them performed by a man (it works amazingly well). Abba fans will jump on this import of the London production, but traditional fans of musical theater should consider it as well. After all, Andersson and Ulvaeus's songs have always felt as if they were more than isolated pop gems and actually belonged to a longer narrative. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Mamma Mia.......2007-03-22

I have not stopped playing this cd. It is just great! It makes any trip in my car most enjoyable Happy I bought it!

Mamma Mia Musical CD.......2007-03-21

This is a grand list of songs from the original musical when it was first introduced in England. The songs from ABBA are very recognizable even if you haven't seen the show. But, making a trip to NY to see the Broadway production is a plus. ENJOY!

JUST GREAT MUSIC.......2007-03-08

I RECENTLY SAW THE SHOW MAMMA MIA IN LAS VEGAS. ALWAYS LIKES THE MUSIC OF ABBA, AND THOUGH THE PLOT WAS THIN, THE MUSIC WAS WELL PERFORMED. IN THIS PARTICULAR ALBUM, THE ENGLISH ACCENTS WERE A BIT MUCH, BUT THE SONGS WERE GREAT. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, ABBA.

Mamma Mia.......2007-01-29

Every time I hear the music and songs it brings back memories of seeing the Broadway Show

Not good at all.......2007-01-09

This is not what we wanted. The British accents throw it was off. We just saw it in NY and this is not what we were looking for.

The Last 5 Years (2002 Off-Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Best work by the new Sondheim
second time buying this
Jason Robert Brown's newest, not best.
If You Didn't Believe In Jason Robert Brown, You Should Now
The Last 5 Years

The Last 5 Years (2002 Off-Broadway Cast)
Jason Robert Brown , Norbert Leo Butz , and Sherie Rene Scott
Manufacturer: Ghostlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Songs for a New World (1996 Original New York Cast)
The Last Five Years - Vocal Selections
Parade (1998 Original Broadway Cast)
Tick, Tick... Boom! (2001 Original Off-Broadway Cast)
Wearing Someone Else's Clothes

ASIN: B000065CXP
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

Still Hurting
Shiksa Goddess
See I'm Smiling
Moving Too Fast
A Part of That
The Schmuel Song
A Summer in Ohio
The Next Ten Minutes
A Miracle Would Happen/When You Come Home to Me
Climbing Uphill
If I Didn't Believe in You
I Can Do Better Than That
Nobody Needs to Know
Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You

Amazon.com

Jason Robert Brown burst on the musical-theater scene with a bang when his first Broadway show, Parade, won the Tony for original score in 1999. This new offering is more modest in scale than Parade, but it allows Brown to refine his skills. A two-character, one-act play, The Last 5 Years retraces a relationship through a complex structure that involves varying viewpoints and a chronology that unfurls backward and forward. Brown himself plays the piano and leads a small ensemble, while Norbert Leo Butz (Thou Shalt Not) and Sherie René Scott (Aida) sing the composer's heartbreaking melodies. Brown's lyrics need a bit of work (he can be oddly crass at unexpected moments), but he knows how to write songs that incorporate a pop sensibility and a distinctly theatrical narrative drive. That in itself is quite an achievement. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Description

A fresh and contemporary musical from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown (Parade), "The Last 5 Years" chronicles a young couple's romance in a new and exciting way: Her story starts at the end of their relationship, his begins on the day they met. Funny and uplifting, the show captures some of the most heartbreaking and universally-felt moments of modern romance. Co-star Norbert Leo Butz was last seen on Broadway in Harry Connick Jr.'s "Thou Shalt Not," appeared in the hit musical "Rent," and portrayed the emcee in the touring production of "Cabaret." Sherie Rene Scott, last seen on Broadway in Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida," also starred in "Rent" and "The Who's Tommy." Songs: Still Hurting, Shiksa Goddess, See I'm Smiling, Moving Too Fast, A Part of That, The Schmuel Song, A Summer in Ohio, The Next Ten Minutes, A Miracle Would Happen/When You Come Home to Me, Climbing Uphill, If I Didn't Believe in You, I Can Do Better Than That, Nobody Needs to Know, Goodbye Until Tomorrow/I Could Never Rescue You.

Customer Reviews:

Best work by the new Sondheim.......2007-06-08

If you like Sondheim, you will like Jason Robert Brown. His music is more sophisticated than Jonathan Larson, and yet still akin to popular music for our generation! I feel this musical is his best-to-date, but I can't wait to see the new pieces in store. If you liked "Songs for a New World", you will not be disappointed in this work. It is a little more like a traditional musical with a plot that weaves between two parts of a couple, and how they move through their relationship together (the trick is, he is going backwards in time, she forwards--they meet at the wedding.)

second time buying this.......2007-03-28

i have bought this cd twice now. the first time it got stolen and i put off buying as long as i could, but it's just too good. jrb is a wonderful composer and w/ nlb and srs singing his stuff; it's just too good to pass up if you dig show tunes.

Jason Robert Brown's newest, not best........2007-01-19

Parade is fantastic in every way shape or form, its deep, emotional, full of everything, great lyrics and singers. The Last Five Years is good in every way shape or form. The concept is amazing (although it doesn't really come through unless you read the synopsis). The Lyrics really capture the internal monologues of relationships. The orchestrations are simple, which is fine for a show like this. The singers... I was surprised by. Norbert Leo Butz, has been stellar in the other shows I've heard him in, but this one has moments that make him sound amateurish. Sherie Rene Scott has an interesting voice, that sometimes sounds like it isn't being treated healthy. That really comes through in this CD, sometimes she doesn't sound very good. But overall, this is a great CD. Brown is wonderful, the singers are broadways hottest, the topics are very close to home. I would suggest this for almost everyone. Its new and edgy, but borrows some mechanics of the classics. Definitely one for collectors, and people who just started listening to musicals. Favorite Song: "Climbing Uphill"

If You Didn't Believe In Jason Robert Brown, You Should Now.......2007-01-10

Jason Robert Brown wrote a splendidly beautiful musical, semi-autobiographical, chronicling the 5 year span of a relationship. The first five minutes had me hooked. In these first five minutes, Kathy is "Still Hurting" after the torential breakup of her marriage due to many particulars including adultery. With this tender introduction to Kathy, I was immediately sucked into her world of pain, loss, and failure. "What about lies Jamie? What about things that you swore to be true?" It is a question we've all asked time and time again. The music here is outstanding as well. Brown has decided to use a piano, drum kit and a string quartet in lieu of full orchestrations. And this works very well for the cast of two characters. Brown's previous musical, the large-scale "Parade" won him accollades of acclaim from critics everywhere on his music and orchestrations. He knows how to write. After Kathy, sung to perfection Sherie Renee Scott (she has such a conversational way of singing, and not to mention seamless voice), Jamie enters the stage with samba beat singing about this "Shiksa Goddess" he's just met...and her name is Kathy! "WAIT!" I said. Didn't he just lie to her, hurt her, and isn't she still pushing through all of the aftermath of their divorce? And isn't he fine with it? It was then that I knew this was no ordinary musical. Brown has done something revolutionary on the Musical Theatre Stage. Throughout the course of the show, the characters are moving in different directions; not only in their relationship, but in time. Kathy starts at the end of the 5 year relationship and regresses to the beginning, whereas Jamie starts at the beginning of the relationship and progresses to the end. They rarely interact until their marriage, where they sing finally sing together. This is of course another beautiful duet ballad Brown has written a la "All The Wasted Time" in "Parade." In this song, they sing their vows which focus on how much they love one another despite what their fault may imply. During one of Kathy's earlier songs "See I'm Smiling," we really get a sense of how hard it can be when you can see the end of a relationship falling upon you. It's a hard song to get through, though mostly quiet as she smiles through her tears and tries to see everything as "fine." But it is not. When she finally breaks, it is because Jamie decided to go to a party celebrating his book, than take her out for her birthday. When this happens, it is some of the best writing musically and lyrically in musical theatre. The way in which the lyrics seamlessly blend into the melody making it sound as though she were really just talking; the ups and downs through the anger; the breaking point where she finally realizes it is no use. And Scott sings her heart out of it. It raised the hair on my arms.
Further into the show, we have some more beautiful melodies arise and wonderful lyrics. You never think that Brown is trying to hard to rhyme. Norbert Leo Butz has the pleasure to sing Jamie, and in "Nobody Needs to Know" we get an sense of the sadness that came with all of Jamie's fortune. He is not happy. He did love Kathy. Fame, however, tainted that and hurt him in the end. As he lies in bed with another woman, we see the regret of his loss of innocense. With his rock-belter voice, Butz pulls this off with just the right amount of self-pity, without over-indulging. The Last 5 Years is definitely one of the bright shining moments of musical theatre in the new millenium. Brown should have received much more acclaim for this, as it is not as widely known as it should.

The Last 5 Years.......2007-01-03

One of the best musicals I have ever heard. It's amazing.

Average customer rating:

So much fun!
BYE BYE BIRDIE
Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack
Love the movie...but the soundtrack?
Bye Bye Birdie was a good Buy Buy

Bye Bye Birdie (1963 Film Soundtrack)

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bye Bye Birdie
Bye Bye Birdie (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Bye Bye Birdie: The New Soundtrack Recording (1995 Television Cast)
Bye Bye Birdie
The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack)

ASIN: B0000AQRZS
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

Bye Bye Birdie - Ann-Margret
Opening Credits - Columbia Studio Orchestra, Johnny Green
Telephone Hour
How Lovely to Be a Woman - Ann-Margret
We Love You Conrad [Film Version][#][*]
Honestly Sincere - Jesse Pearson
Hymn for a Sunday Evening - Ann-Margret, Mary La Roche, Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell
One Boy - Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell
Put On a Happy Face - Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke
Kids - Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell, Maureen Stapleton, Dick Van Dyke
One Last Kiss [Gym Rehearsal Outtake][#][*] - Jesse Pearson
Lot of Livin' to Do - Ann-Margret, Jesse Pearson, Bobby Rydell
Sultans' Ballet [Film Version][#][*] - Columbia Studio Orchestra, Johnny Green
One Last Kiss - Jesse Pearson
Rosie - Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell, Dick Van Dyke
Bye Bye Birdie (Reprise) - Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell, Dick Van Dyke

Customer Reviews:

So much fun!.......2007-06-13

This is still such a classic and so much fun!

BYE BYE BIRDIE.......2007-03-03

I always enjoyed the film version of "Birdie" as well as the soundtrack and now this reissue includes "The Sultans Ballet" where Janet Leigh bites off more than she can chew when she invites a group of Sultans(Shriners) to dance. There are a couple of minor inclusions including "We Love You Conrad" and the rehearsal of "One Last Kiss" My only question is why didnt they use the complete version of "A Lot of Livin To Do" Even with the additional tracks the CD clocks in at 46 minutes so space wasn't a problem. It's quite understandable why the Russian Ballet was not included since it would be out of place on an otherwise perky and bright score.

While "Bye Bye Birdie" may not be one of the best scores it is zesty and cheerful to listen to on a gloomy day and as one of the numbers suggests it helps you to "Put On A Happy Face"

Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack.......2006-07-01

The product itself is excellent, but: 1) it took about three weeks to arrive; and 2) we didn't realize the film cut out and added so music. What we needed was a soundtrack for the stage production.

Love the movie...but the soundtrack?.......2006-05-04

I am a huge fan of the movie and the soundtrack is also amazing...the only thing I'm uspet about is that "One Last Kiss" on the cd is TOTALLY different!

Bye Bye Birdie was a good Buy Buy.......2005-08-02

Solid cast recording brings back the light-hearted msuicals of the 50s and 60s. Used as the primer for an upcoming stage version of the show, we listened frequently, and haven't tired yet.

Average customer rating:

Music
Surprisingly Coherent! Actually, it's fantastic!!!
goon moon <3!

Licker's Last Leg
Goon Moon
Manufacturer: Ipecac Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Anonymous
Era Vulgaris
Sick Sick Sick
Year Zero
3's & 7's

ASIN: B000OLHG8O
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Apple Pie
My Machine
An Autumn That Came Too Soon
Feel Like This
Pin Eyed Boy
Hardcore Q3
Tip Toe
Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You
Lay Down
Balloon?
The Golden Ball
Built In A Bottle

Album Description

GOON MOON is the spooky and dirgy alignment of a sorted and celebrated bunch. The band features Jeordie White, who is better known as Twiggy Ramirez from Marilyn Manson and current bassist for Nine Inch Nails, and Chris Goss, record producer for the likes of Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age, while also being the frontman of desert rock band Masters Of Reality.

Musically, the album is a true musical potpourri, which reflects the group's across-the-boards influences. No denying the recognizable sounds of both NIN and QOTSA, but also the influences of the new folk scene such as Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. With a lot of the weirder stuff being directly influenced by Deerhoof.

Also, included on the sessions are Zach Hill (Hella), Josh Freese (The Vandals/A Perfect Circle/NIN), Josh Homme (QOTSA), Dave Catching (EODM/Mondo Generator), Whitey Kirst (Iggy Pop), and Peter Perdichizzi (The Flys).

They include a cover of the early Bee Gees', "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You", which White chalks up to being a "huge Brit-pop fan".

With White being on a European tour with Nine Inch Nails, Goss hard at work producing the next Queens Of The Stone Age album, a tour seems out of the question, but they are confident they will be able to play at least a few shows in support of the new album.

Customer Reviews:

Music.......2007-07-06

Too often in music today, we become obsessed with the package. Is she cute? Is he mad, angry, nihilistic or otherwise angst ridden? If they're going to be cool in our book, they had better not say cheese when they're being photographed. We want them to be real and deep (see negative). We also want them to be good looking. Why is it that we're drawn to musicians who are good looking? Why does that matter when we're listening to a disc? I don't know what either of these guys look like, and I honestly don't care. They're musicians. I discovered Twiggy through Tweaker, an album that was highly promoted at my local record store. I also love just about anything and everything that comes from Mike Patton's Ipecac record label. This is something entirely different. On Golden Ball, for example, the two of them have managed to mingle a barber shop quartet style harmony as the background to the song; it then shifts and flips and flops all over the place. Best song on a GREAT album. I can definitely hear the Deerhoof by the way. An Autumn That Came Too Soon mixes a funky little bass line throughout the song. Prince once said of Led Zeppelin that their beauty lay in their diversity in that: "You felt a different color with each song." The same is true here. Each song has such a different vibe it almost sounds like a different group with each song as opposed to simply a different album from the same group. You can tell how hard these two worked on their craft in the confines of each song. Lay Down reminds me of a more listenable Arcade Fire. More interesting things happen in this song though, than anything in their monotonous, but brief catalogue. In an age where so little importance is placed on the craft of music, it's invigorating to hear that two guys got together and placed such demands on one another.

Surprisingly Coherent! Actually, it's fantastic!!!.......2007-06-11

I only recently became aware of Goon Moon, despite following Jeordie throughout his entire career as well as being a huge Queens of the Stone Age fan, and I came into this with rather low expectations.

Man was I wrong to have low expectations.

This album is equal parts fantastic musicianship, goofy humor ('We is hardcore' - 'Sadie is crazy, she likes to lick the ladies'), and flat out inventive weirdness. I think of it as a bizarre cross between Ween and Queens of the Stone Age with just a hint of old school Marilyn Manson. I guess what surprised me the most was just how much this album ROCKS. It's got that infectious rock n roll swagger to it that so many side bands and solo projects lack.

I downloaded this album just to check it out, and I'm so impressed with it that I'm buying it as well as Goon Moon's first record (which I hear is a bit more strange). Unfortunately this album is probably going to wind up being an over looked gem, but here you are, lookin' at it! Grab it!

goon moon <3!.......2007-03-28

goon moon is simply fun music. Not to mention, this new album is going to have a bee gees cover, which should be amazing. I also highly recommend the last album...so go buy it.

Steel Pier (1997 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Kander and Ebbs' Score Stands Alone
Great Score, lousy show.
Kander and Ebb in a Major Key
Weak Plot ... Nice Score
WONDERFUL!

Steel Pier (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
Fred Ebb
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003GAQ
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Overture - Orchestra
Prelude - Orchestra/Daniel McDonald
Willing To Ride - Karen Ziemba
Everybody Dance - Gregory Harrison/Mary Illes/Rosa Curry/Sarah Solie Shannon/Ronn Carroll/Gregory Mitchell...
Second Chance - Daniel McDonald/Karen Ziemba
A Powerful Thing - Gregory Harrison/Ronn Caroll
Dance With Me/The Last Girl - Gregory Harrison/Mary Illes/Rosa Curry/Sarah Solie Shannon/Daniel McDonald/Ensemble
The Shag - Orchestra
Everybody's Girl - Debra Monk
Two Step - Orchestra
Wet - Karen Ziemba/Daniel McDonald
Harmonica Specialty - John C. Havens
Lovebird - Karen Ziemba/Adam Pelty/Gregory Mitchell/Daniel McDonald/Ensemble
The Sprints - Gregory Harrison/Ronn Carroll/Daniel McDonald/Company
Entr'Acte - Orchestra
Leave The World Behind - Daniel McDonald/Karen Ziemba/Ensemble
Somebody Older - Debra Monk/Jim Newman
Running In Place - Karen Ziemba
Two Little Words - Kristin Chenoweth/Gregory Harrison/Daniel McDonald/Karen Ziemba/Adam Pelty/Company
First You Dream - Daniel McDonald/Karen Ziemba
Steel Pier - Gregory Harrison/Mary Illes/Rosa Curry/Sarah Solie Shannon
Steel Pier (Reprise) - Karen Ziemba/Gregory Harrison/Company
Final Dance - Daniel McDonald/Karen Ziemba/John Kander

Customer Reviews:

Kander and Ebbs' Score Stands Alone.......2007-01-21

The biggest criticism of this Broadway musical was the book. It allegedly meandered, bored the audience and included unfocussed or unnecessary sequences such as the "dream sequence". Well, I never saw the show and can only evaluate this score on its own merits. Based on that alone, it's a complete winner. Memorable songs, great performances, and the score itself tell a clear story that might have been muddled by an overly fussy book (again, that's from heresay...I never saw the show, which flopped in its initial presentation -- unfortunately, because there is much to admire and enjoy in this typically complex Kander and Ebb score).

First of all, top-rate performances abound here. Karen Ziemba makes every one of her songs sail into the stratosphere. She is a true wonder and deserved her Tony nomination against incredible competition (Bebe Neuwirth got it for the much more popular "Chicago", but Ziemba's her equal). Debra Monk once again makes her mark as a Broadway character actress, although her song "Everybody's Girl" is easily the worst song in the show and certainly beneath Kander and Ebbs' standard, but she wins you over with her energetic and well-placed rendition. Daniel MacDonald does a suberb job as the ill-fated hero, exposing innocence and wry commentary in his very presence, but he is equalled by Gregory Harrison's slimy and ultimately ferocious performance as Mick, the emcee.

The score evokes the time (the 1930s) without relying on pastiche to put it over. Of note, Ziemba's intro, "Willing to Ride", the ensemble "Everybody Dance" (which gives Harrison his chance to shine), "Two Little Words" (which provides the auspicious debut of a most impressive Kristen Chenowith and augers the great things yet to come for her), the touching "First you Dream" and, finally, the both ferocious and mournful reprises of the title song display a powerful and underrated score that deserves reevaluation.

If the book got it wrong, the composers and actors got it quite right the first time. This Original Cast Recording will always be proof positive of that undeniable fact. Always "dream".

Great Score, lousy show........2006-07-22

I think it's one of Kander and Ebbs best, better than Chicago and close to Cabaret. Sadly, the book ruined the show, it bored people. Yet, listening to the ravishing music on the CD, it's hard to realize that it all didn't come together. Maybe someday, someone will revise the book and make it work. Till then, enjoy the CD, it's absolutly gorgeous, had great character numbers, spirited dance numbers and dazzling ballads. The performances are wonderful, with Gregory Harrison (who knew Trapper John could sing?) , Daniel MacDonald and Karen Ziemba shining through on every song. The opening and closing theme is haunting.

Kander and Ebb in a Major Key.......2006-02-09

I first heard excerpts from this on Accuradio.com, and thought it sounded great. It is. In the Kander and Ebb canon, Steel Pier may not rank with Chicago, but I enjoy listening to it as much as to Cabaret. It's sweeter and less dark than either of those, but set in the same period (1933) and just as evocative of that period.

First, the performances of the leads are excellent. Karen Ziemba is superb. Daniel McDonald has a wonderful light baritone, and who knew Gregory Harrison (Trapper John, M.D.) could sing, let alone sing well. Debra Monk performs an excellent comic turn. Kristen Chenoweth's Broadway debut number was corny as can be, but did show off her talent and range well.

The music is just wonderful. Willing to Ride is a spirited waltz. Everybody Dance is a near-perfect Charleston opener top the dance marathon that forms the backbone of the plot. Power is a Powerful Thing may be a little weak in the lyrics, but its set to a spirited and charming ragtime melody. Dance with Me and The Last Girl are sung in a medley format. This is almost a shame because both numbers are excellent in their own right. In fact, The Last Girl is as gorgeous a ballad as you can find anywhere.

Wet is a tinkling, sparkling number in which Ms. Ziemba charms, and Mr. McDonald has a teriffic counterpoint melody. Ms. Monk has a showstopper in Everybody's Girl and a torchy number with Somebody Older. The Shag is a dance piece that may be the best number of all. It seems to alternate between twenties hot jazz and the swing that was just starting to be heard around then. There's also a great bluesy harmonica specialty number, whose only flaw is that it's too short. All in all, the score is a gem, especially compared to most of what we've heard in the last twenty years or so.

This is one of those recordings that makes you wonder why the show was a flop. I went back and read the reviews. Basically they didn't like the plot and felt the production strained too hard to be likeable, but lacked energy at the same time. The show also suffered from comparison to the stunning revival of Chicago that opened in the same season. The critics even managed to be lukewarm on the score. The show closed shortly after being nominated for eleven Tony's and winning none - that was the year Titanic swept the boards. With all that, I'd still say the score is marvelous when heard on its own merits. And I'd go to see a revival if someone would do it. Buy it. I recommend it without reservation.

Weak Plot ... Nice Score.......2005-08-06

The overall plot for Kander & Ebb's 1997 "Steel Pier" is fairly weak, but the score is actually quite good and sung by a terrific cast (Karen Ziemba, Daniel McDonald, Debra Monk, Gregory Harrison, and Kristin Chenowith). Not in the same league as their brilliant "Chicago", "Cabaret" or "Kiss Of The Spider Woman", but a worthy effort with several nice tunes.

Best tracks:

Willing To Ride
Second Chance
Running In Place
First You Dream

Unfortunately, "Steel Pier" was overshadowed by that season's remarkable revival of "Chicago" and dreadful "Titanic". A fine addition, however, to a theatre-lover's collection!

WONDERFUL!.......2005-04-28

I love this album! I bought it a few weeks ago and from the moment I listened to "Two Little Words" I knew this was going to be one of my favorites! The music absolutely gorgeous! I reccomend it!

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)

Average customer rating:

Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer

Philips and Decca Recordings, 1961-1979 (Limited Edition)
Janet Baker , John Shirley-Quirk , Graham Sheen , Johann Sebastian Bach , Ludwig van Beethoven , Hector Berlioz , Giovanni Bononcini , Benjamin Britten , Giulio Caccini , and Antonio Caldara
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000B0A0Q
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Customer Reviews:

Essential Performances from a Great & Beloved Singer.......2004-01-09

For those of us who grew up on Janet Baker's recordings (and were lucky enough to hear her "live" as well), the sound of her voice and her singular artstic personality - British restraint coupled with fierce emotional and spiritual commitment - are indelibly imprinted in our minds and hearts. The closest current equivalent is Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, another superb artist who has charted her own course, and not surprisingly there is some overlap of repertoire, in the music of J.S. Bach, of course, but also Berlioz's Didon and Beatrice, Handel's Ariodante and Britten's Phaedra (composed for Baker).
This wonderful compilation is complementary to EMI's 2-CD "The Very Best of Janet Baker" -- no overlap of repertoire whatsoever. Unlike that set, which focused on concert repertoire (with orchestra or piano) there's a generous sampling here of Baker's operatic roles including Handel, Mozart, Purcell, Rameau, Gluck, and Britten. Also welcome is "Phaedra," one of Britten's strongest late works. And it's good to have the Berlioz: "Cleopatre" and "Herminie" complete, the big aria from "Beatrice et Benedict." (Why EMI included nothing from her recording of the last 2 scenes of "Les Troyens" is unfathomable.) The wide time-span allows us to hear Baker's voice in all its youthful, "sappy" warmth, as well as in its artistic maturity (though truth to tell she was pretty much a complete artist from the start). There are a few signs of wear in later items, nothing serious, in fact rather less than I remembered. I could have done with fewer of the "Arie Amorose" in favor of more cuts from her Gluck LP, which I believe has never been issued complete on CD, but that's just personal preference. The focus here is entirely on orchestrally accompanied works (or, in the case of the marvelous early disc of Ravel, Chausson & Delage songs, with chamber ensemble) so for Baker the supreme interpreter of English, German and French song you'll need to go elsewhere (the EMI has a fair sampling, especially of her Schubert). But everything here is indispensible.

Average customer rating:

Great!
seven places is the best band the world
seven places is the best band in the world
seven places is the bes band in the world
Get this album

Lonely for the Last Time
Seven Places
Manufacturer: Bec Recordings / Emd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000098ZPO
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Yours
Everything
Landslide
Like It Never Happened
It Might Be Today
Along The Way
Lonely For The Last Time
Thinking It Over
Into Your Heart
Stay The Same
The Western Wall
LIttle
Awakening

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2006-12-14

I am going to give a rating of all the songs I like and don't like.
1. Yours- i love it 5/5
2. Everything- just as good 5/5
3. Landslide- even better 5/5
4. Like it never Happened- i little slower but neat! 5/5
5. It Might be Today- one of my favorites 5/5
6. Along- Naaah 1/5
7. Lonely...-I love all of it. 5/5
8. Thinking it over- ok 3/5
9. Into your Heart- My favorite 5/5
10. Stay the Same- another one of my favorites 5/5
11. Western Wall- YESS!! 5/5
12. Little- Great ending for the CD 5/5

seven places is the best band the world.......2004-06-13

seven places is the best band the world

it all started like this one time brother brought home this cd and i was listing to this one song on the cd and i loved it on the front of the cd it tells you the name of the band and the name of the song was landslide and the band was seven places and then i looked them up on the computer and i heard some of there songs on the computer and then i but the cd and i really loved it and now i almost know all the word to all the songs.

(...)

seven places is the best band in the world.......2004-06-13

it all started like this one time brother brought home this cd and i was listing to this one song on the cd and i loved it on the front of the cd it tells you the name of the band and the name of the song was landslide and the band was seven places and then i looked them up on the computer and i heard some of there songs on the computer and then i bought the cd and i really loved it and now i almost know all the word to all the songs.

seven places is the bes band in the world.......2004-06-13

Get this album.......2004-05-24

Seven Places is an AMAZING band. I got to see them live, and their heart for God is out of this world. They are really on fire for the Lord, and their music shows it.
Songs like "Landslide," "It Might Be Today," and "Yours" will get anyone's head banging and feet moving. Espeically Landslide! I love that song. It's too short though... Anyway, songs like "Everything" are awesome worship songs that display the band's passion for Christ. Kids, teens (like myself), and adults will all enjoy this album. Seven Places is gonna impact the Christian music industry like they already have.

Average customer rating:

Even after death, Laura can still give me chills.
definitive
A Must have CD
Remember Me: the Last Recordings
laura branigan remeber me

Remember Me: The Last Recordings
Laura Branigan
Manufacturer: Zyx Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

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Touch

ASIN: B0003HDTJY
Release Date: 2004-11-01

Tracks:

Challenge
If That's What It Takes
I Can See Again
Winner Takes It All
I Know You by Heart
Gloria 2004
Self Control 2004 [Mindworkers Radio Mix]

Album Description

European seven track mini album featuring Laura Branigan's last recordings after passing August 26th, 2004. Dancs.

Album Details

Branigan was Laying the Groundwork for a Comeback and Claiming her Rightful Place Among the Modern Divas When Nature Decided Otherwise. This Mini-album Compiles her Final Studio Visits with the Two European Hit Re-recordings of her Biggest Hits "Gloria" and "Self-control" Along with her Momentous Rendition of Abba's "The Winner Takes it All" Along with Four Other Completed Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Even after death, Laura can still give me chills........2007-07-07

Laura is the most phenomenal singer that there has ever been. Her new collection is bittersweet because, for each song I enjoy, I realize that I'm getting closer to the last new song I will hear from her. I have enjoyed each of the songs, and particularly love "I Can See Again" for her powerful voice and spiritual underpinnings. She was a remarkable voice that has sorely been missed. If you loved Laura's music, you will love this collection.
Mark

definitive.......2007-05-21

These final recordings by Laura Branigan are must haves for fans. She is in superb voice and the material is excellent. "The Winner Takes It All" is a great vehicle for her and "The Challenge" is very contemporary and inspiring. The ballads are truly touching and this listener believes she would have had a decent comeback with a full album. Sadly we will never know, but happily she left us with such a great catalog of music to remember her by. A voice to be missed, but that can still be cherished at the same time.....

A Must have CD.......2007-03-16

With a CD this is some of the last recordings from Laura.My favorite song is I know you by heart,What a powerful voice and she makes this song so touching.

Remember Me: the Last Recordings.......2007-01-15

A little unpolished because of her untimely death, excellent songs.

laura branigan remeber me.......2007-01-04

laura always had a great voiceit was a shame to lose her so young but the cd was wonderfully put together and her voice was as great as ever the remakes are awsome a great way to remember her by.

Average customer rating:

One of the best CD's out there!
a voice teacher and early music fan
Prelewd to Postlewd
Sounds like they're singing Christmas carols
A sly and rollicksome good time!

The Art of the Bawdy Song

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001Q93
Release Date: 1993-02-11

Tracks: