Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller (1995 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As good as Pomus and Gordy were, they can't compare with the premier rock & roll songwriters of the pre-Beatles era: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Chuck Berry, and Percy Mayfield. The team of Leiber (the lyricist) and Stoller (the composer) created such enduring standards as "Kansas City," "Hound Dog," "Stand By Me," "Spanish Harlem," "Jailhouse Rock," and many more. Those songs and 33 more were assembled into a bookless Broadway musical called Smokey Joe's Cafe, which was nominated for eight Tony Awards. If this soundtrack album is any indication, the show was an abomination, an act of self-betrayal by Leiber and Stoller, who not only participated in putting the show together but also co-produced the album with Arif Mardin. Instead of remaining true to the songs' rock & roll roots, the soundtrack producers have allowed the obscure stage performers to commit Broadway's worst sins: excessive earnestness, undernourished rhythms, and bombastic over-singing. Everyone in the cast has a good singing voice, but no one has a distinctive musical personality. Michael Park's Presley parody on "Jailhouse Rock," B.J. Crosby's confusion of vocal power for vocal attitude on "Hound Dog," and Victor Trent Cook's syrupy version of "I (Who Have Nothing)" prove Broadway chorus dancers are no substitute for real rock & roll singers. --Geoffrey Himes --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller (1995 Original Broadway Cast), Music, Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber, 50's, 60's, Brill Building Pop, Original Cast Recordings, Pop, Pop/Rock, Rock & Roll, Show Tunes, Showtunes / B'way

Average customer rating:

Great

Smokey Joe's Cafe

THE BEST

competing dances

Fabulous

Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller (1995 Original Broadway Cast)
Mike Stoller
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Smokey Joe's Cafe: Songs of Leiber & Stoller

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ASIN: B000002J4V
Release Date: 1995-05-30

Neighborhood
Young Blood
Falling
Ruby Baby
Dance With Me
Neighborhood (Reprise)
Keep On Rollin'
Searchin'
Kansas City
Trouble
Love Me/ Don't
Fools Fall In Love
Poison Ivy
Don Juan
Shoppin' For Clothes
I Keep Forgettin'
On Broadway
D. W. Washburn
Saved

Tracks:

Baby, That Is Rock & Roll
Yakety Yak
Charlie Brown
Stay A While
Pearl's A Singer
Teach Me How To Shimmy
You're The Boss
Loving You
Treat Me Nice
Hound Dog
Little Egypt
I'm A Woman
There Goes My Baby
Love Potion #9
Some Cats Know
Jailhouse Rock
Fools Fall In Love
Spanish Harlem
I (Who Have Nothing)
Neighborhood (Reprise)
Stand By Me
Neighborhood (reprise 2)

Amazon.com

As good as Pomus and Gordy were, they can't compare with the premier rock & roll songwriters of the pre-Beatles era: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Chuck Berry, and Percy Mayfield. The team of Leiber (the lyricist) and Stoller (the composer) created such enduring standards as "Kansas City," "Hound Dog," "Stand By Me," "Spanish Harlem," "Jailhouse Rock," and many more. Those songs and 33 more were assembled into a bookless Broadway musical called Smokey Joe's Cafe, which was nominated for eight Tony Awards. If this soundtrack album is any indication, the show was an abomination, an act of self-betrayal by Leiber and Stoller, who not only participated in putting the show together but also co-produced the album with Arif Mardin. Instead of remaining true to the songs' rock & roll roots, the soundtrack producers have allowed the obscure stage performers to commit Broadway's worst sins: excessive earnestness, undernourished rhythms, and bombastic over-singing. Everyone in the cast has a good singing voice, but no one has a distinctive musical personality. Michael Park's Presley parody on "Jailhouse Rock," B.J. Crosby's confusion of vocal power for vocal attitude on "Hound Dog," and Victor Trent Cook's syrupy version of "I (Who Have Nothing)" prove Broadway chorus dancers are no substitute for real rock & roll singers. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Great.......2007-03-30

The album is great, i needed it because i work at a dance studio and i have a dance to the song Trouble. The song and whole album is awesome.

Smokey Joe's Cafe.......2007-01-24

Smokey Joe's Cafe is an execellent Broadway play and the musical soundtrack is great listening. The songs of Leiber and Stoller bring back memories of the 50 and 60's. The songs are classics that last for all time.

THE BEST.......2006-04-02

Wow, they can dance AND sing! When the blond does the shimmy my heart stops. Like to crack an egg on her a**

competing dances.......2005-08-06

I think this is a cd with great selection of good music. It has great musioc for solo and duo and even small and large group songs for competion. dance competions!!!!!

Fabulous.......2004-11-25

I'm in High School, and we've performed Smokey Joe's Cafe 3 times already as a One-Act Play. I have to say that this is just an amazing show! Not only are kids our age into it but the older people are grooving with us too!

People just go estatic when you perform memorable songs, like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog". And it's always great to hear people humming or singing to themselves "Poison Ivy" and "Kansas City".

These are classic and timeless songs that will never pass out of existence.

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