Songs From The Capeman (1997 Concept Cast Album) [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The diminutive one travels back to his Brooklyn youth for both the sound and story of his recent, ill-fated Broadway musical. Unlike the heavily produced Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, there's a sweet simplicity to this delicate blend of doo-wop choirs, Latino rhythms, jazz horns and acoustic instrumentation. Meanwhile, Simon's true-life gangsta tale should be viewed as an earthy flipside to Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. Unlike the play, the album as a whole is grade-A Simon (which is all the man's ever produced, One Trick Pony excepted). --Jeff Bateman

Tracks:

Adios Hermanos
Born In Puerto Rico
Satin Summer Nights
Bernadette
The Vampires
Quality
Can I Forgive Him
Sunday Afternoon
Killer Wants To Go To College
Time Is An Ocean
Virgil
Killer Wants To Go To College II
Trailways Bus

Amazon.com

The diminutive one travels back to his Brooklyn youth for both the sound and story of his recent, ill-fated Broadway musical. Unlike the heavily produced Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints, there's a sweet simplicity to this delicate blend of doo-wop choirs, Latino rhythms, jazz horns and acoustic instrumentation. Meanwhile, Simon's true-life gangsta tale should be viewed as an earthy flipside to Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. Unlike the play, the album as a whole is grade-A Simon (which is all the man's ever produced, One Trick Pony excepted). --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2007-07-04

I first heard this album (cassette recording) when I was 15 years old in 1998. I was amazed. Great music, lyrics, emotion...it was wonderful. I still don't know the entire history of this album and Broadway musical. I just can't believe there are only a handful of people that can see how magical this album is. The originality and broad range of music tells such a story; it's just like you're reading a book: your imagination sparks here and there with flashes of people, neighborhoods, and life from a West Side Story-esque era where life seemed easier, but was really much harder. I've played this music for my friends over the years and none have seemed to be as captured as I am. Yes, there are cuss words and other profanity issues -- but it's no different than anything else we find amusing; books, movies, television, other music, etc. I'm 24 now and still am blown away when I listen to this album! I highly recommend this album for those of you who find originality, brilliance, and entertainment a must in life!

Gone dry.......2007-02-10

There's no surprise that Capeman failed as a stage show. It was, after all, supposed to be a musical-- and there is nothing on SONGS FROM THE CAPEMAN that qualifies as melodic. Name ONE tune here that you can (or want to) whistle, for that is a litmus test of a successful Broadway show-- the audience leaves the theater contentedly humming or whistling parts of the score.

This music is so very forgettable and tuneless-- it's the absolute worst Paul Simon has ever written. Clearly, his creative well went dry after GRACELAND, and that is a darn shame.

Listen to the 30-second samples before you buy this one. It may not even be worth owning for completists.

Capeman review.......2007-01-04

a wonderful album. Marc Anthony is on here before he broke big. Satin summer nights is a do-wop magical song with these spanish ladies in the background that just melt me with their luscious voices.

there are some swears in here, consistant with what you'd expect from street gangs.
a touching, memoriable album you should enjoy it.

Yes, I agree with Patrick Arbuckle's review.......2006-03-08

Patrick's review hit it right on the money. Yes This is a wonderful album. Take care, Kevin Chapman of Flemington, NJ Miss you Patrick

His Best Since Hearts and Bones.......2004-06-29

Being a man of few published words, I will let the album speak for itself. It is Paul Simon at the top of his game. Every Song is a Gem and you would have to be coated in plastic for this brillance not to move you. The first, middle and ending song are pop genius. For me, this album belongs up there with Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds and Simon's Hearts and Bones and Graceland.

Average customer rating:

Great!
A Most Beautiful Loser!
A wonderful departure!
Gushingly positive review of The Capeman
Awful

Songs from The Capeman
Paul Simon
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Rhythm of the Saints
Surprise
Hearts and Bones
You're the One
One-Trick Pony

ASIN: B0002EQ7EM
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Tracks:

Adios Hermanos
Born In Puerto Rico
Satin Summer Nights
Bernadette
The Vampires
Quality
Can I Forgive Him
Sunday Afternoon
Killer Wants To Go To College
Trailways Bus
Shoplifting Clothes (Unreleased)
Born In Puerto Rico (Demo) - w/ Jose Feliciano
Can I Forgive Him

Album Description

In a remarkable career spanning six decades, singer-songwriter Paul Simon has amassed 9 Grammy awards and has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. The first occasion recognized has brilliant work as one half of Simon & Garfunkel. Simon's second induction, in 2001, heralded his equally massive contributions as a solo artist and composer. The songwriter's solo catalog is one of the most diverse, literate, adventurous, and musically rich in all of popular music. Today regarded as one of the greatest composers of the rock n' roll era, Simon is an American treasure, now celebrated by these five expanded and remastered classic albums.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2006-12-17

Paul Simon is at the top of his form. This is an inspired
musical. It is definitely some of Paul Simons best work.
The collaborative effort between all the singers is uplifting.
The other singers match Simon in feeling.
Here is my take on why it didn't make it on Broadway. Cape Man
was not sentimental. But still could have made it with one main
down on one knee love song and theme.Cape man was mising the all out grunt so necessary for the sophisticates of broadway. Then all those New Yorkers
would have had a a tear or two and left happy.

A Most Beautiful Loser!.......2006-07-15

How could this musical fail? It had a good theme, a wonderful score and the lyrics are so powerful. It's a pity it was misregarded and underrated when it opened, and it also upsets you if you think that other terrible musicals - far below from this work - have even made it for the Tony Award. Paul Simon's talent is at his best in this inspired creation and some of the songs are simply marvelous, like "Trailway Bus", one of Simon's finest compositions ever. I highly recommend this album, not only for Paul Simons's admirers but to anyone who considers music and musicals an art form.

A wonderful departure!.......2006-05-10

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this album was. I thought Paul Simon was past his prime. I was WRONG! From the first track I think this album pulls you in. The doo-wop and latin tinges show that Paul still isn't afraid to try something different. It's a very enjoyable album that had me hooked from first listen.

Gushingly positive review of The Capeman.......2006-04-12

Maybe enough time has now passed for the initial negative reaction to The Capeman stage show to fade into the distance. Like everyone else, I never saw it, so can only rely on the accepted wisdom that it was bad. The "soundtrack" album, though, is a complete and utter masterpiece no matter which way you look at it.
I'm certainly a Paul Simon fan, but not blindly so - like most enthusiasts I have my opinions about the higher and lower points in his career (and no two opinions about these things are ever the same). The Capeman is perhaps Paul Simon's highest achievement; sheer unadulterated brilliance from start to finish. Its lack of acceptance, even among many Simon fans, could be due to the perception of it as overly self-indulgent. I find great artists like Simon are often at their best when they are at their most self-indulgent, if self-indulgence is what this is.
Simon synthesises the musical influences from his youth - doo-wop and salsa from the end of the 50's in NYC, to tell a story he remembers from the same period and place. The musical combinations are often incongruous and "challenging", but ultimately brilliantly evocative, while never resorting to pastiche. On top of all this is the "theatrical", storytelling aspect of the album, which somehow works perfectly in its own right - I can only imagine that any stageshow would have been a distraction to the words and music. Even with Simon himself taking on the vocals for multiple roles (I think he intended to but never got around to releasing a full cast album?), the story and characters come across vividly, and the narrative power and scope are unprecedented. Simon's "character" monologue-style singing shows his narrative vocal strength like never before (and yes, there is some rude language - the kids better skip this and stick to their Limp Bizkit and Eminem albums if you don't want them to grow up warped). Marc Anthony and Ednita Nazario have never had better material to sing, and do a magnificent job.
Ultimately, this album stands as a monument to top-class, brave and adventurous songwriting. As such, it of course had to fail commercially, and it's a shame to think of someone like Paul Simon being discouraged by poor public reception to great work such as this. Some people are used to working their whole lives in obscurity, but to someone like Simon it may come as a shock when something he does is so disparaged. I guess Amazon is one place to try to address the balance.

Awful.......2006-03-25

Wow, what happened to Paul Simon? Hard to beleive the artist who gave us the wonderful Graceland and There Goes Rhymin Simon could serve up this terd. No wonder it flopped big time on the stage. Since Graceland, he has been in dramatic and swift decline and he has hit bottom here. Four-letter words, no melodies, I could write this garbage. Avoid at all cost....

Average customer rating:

Songs from The Capeman
Paul Simon
Manufacturer: Wea/Rhino
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000GW88OW
Release Date: 2006-10-02

Tracks:

Adios Hermanos
Born in Puerto Rico
Satin Summer Nights
Bernadette
Vampires
Quality
Can I Forgive Him
Sunday Afternoon
Killer Wants to Go to College
Time Is an Ocean
Virgil
Killer Wants to Go to College, No. 2
Trailways Bus
Shoplifting Clothes [#][*]
Born in Puerto Rico [#][*][Demo Version] - Joseliciano, Paul Simon
Can I Forgive Him [Original Demo][#][*]

Album Description

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Rhino. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Songs from The Capeman
Paul Simon
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

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General | Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000JU7ICO
Release Date: 2006-12-04

Tracks:

Adios Hermanos
Born in Puerto Rico
Satin Summer Nights
Bernadette
Vampires
Quality
Can I Forgive Him
Sunday Afternoon
Killer Wants to Go to College
Time Is an Ocean
Virgil
Killer Wants to Go to College, No. 2
Trailways Bus
Shoplifting Clothes [#][*]
Born in Puerto Rico [#][*][Demo Version] - Joseliciano, Paul Simon
Can I Forgive Him [Original Demo][#][*]

Album Description

Limited Edition European pressing of this album comes house in a miniature LP sleeve. WEA. 2006.

Album Details

2006 Digitally Remastered Reissue of the Classic Paul Simon Album in a Limited Edition LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Cover.

Average customer rating:

Songs From The Capeman - Words + Music
Paul Simon
Manufacturer: Warner Bros.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000IWUZJG

Product Description

Exclusive interview with Paul Simon & selections from his Broadway musical 'The Capeman'~~~Segment One: Born in Puerto Rico - Satin Summer Nights - Quality - Bernadette - The Vampires~~~Segment Two: Sunday Afternoon - Time Is An Ocean - Can I Forgive Him - Virgil - Trailways Bus - Adios Hermanos.

Music:

Music

Music