Elaine Paige

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
This platinum collection contains the hits 'Another Suitcase In Another Hall', 'I Don't Know How To love Him', 'Without You' and many more. Warner. 2005. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Merano - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Murray Head
The Russian And Molokov/ Where I Want To Be - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Tommy Korberg/Denis Quilley
Opening Ceremony - The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas/Bjorn Skifs
Quartet (A Model Of Decorum And Tranquility) - Elaine Paige/Tommy Korberg/Denis Quilley/Bjorn Skifs
The American And Florence/Nobody's Side - Elaine Paige/Murray Head
Chess - LSO/Anders Eljas
Mountian Duet - Elaine Paige/Tommy Korberg
Florence Quits - Elaine Paige/Murray Head
Embassy Lament - Tommy Korberg/The Ambrosia Singers/Anders Eljas
Anthem - Tommy Korberg

Tracks:

Bangkok
One Night In Bangkok
Heaven Help My Heart
Argument
I Know Him So Well
The Deal (No Deal)
Pity The Child
Endgame
Epilogue: You And I / The Story Of Chess

Amazon.com

Chess is a musical that sounds like it shouldn't work but instead succeeds surprisingly well. This is the original concept album that was recorded before the musical was staged in London. Chess is the story of a love triangle told against the backdrop of an international chess tournament during the height of the cold war. The composers are Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the Bs in ABBA) and the lyrics are by Tim Rice, who supplied the words for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, as well as Disney's Aladdin (with Howard Ashman), The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. The six-member cast does a beautiful job with the songs, which are a combination of ballads, rock, and operatic choruses. Murray Head's version of "One Night in Bangkok" became a surprise hit in the mid-'80s and it still turns up on the turntables in dance clubs around the world. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

This should never have worked at all.......2007-06-18

And on that basis alone, you've got to cut it some slack. Fortunately, not all that much slack turns out to be necessary.

While "Chess" may be a document of an era that no longer exists, there's a lot more going on than the surface metaphor. It holds up very well indeed. When it aims for humor, it generally succeeds, and likewise when it aims to devastate. What more can you ask for?

A GREAT AND OFTEN OVERLOOKED MUSICAL FROM THE 80-IS.......2007-03-04

`Chess' is a musical that should be counted among the best of what the 1980-is had produced: side by side with `Cats', `The Phantom of the Opera', `Les Miserables' or `Miss Saigon'. The score as heard on this concept album, written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (formerly of ABBA) and with the exceptional lyrics written by Tim Rice, stand proof to this. And yet, due to various reasons, like the changing of the director half way through London staging; a heavy rewrite for Broadway and a pan review from Frank Ritch (a.k.a. `The Butcher of Broadway'), `Chess' seems to be unjustly neglected.

This concept album is the main reason why the show has so many ardent fans until this day. Tim Rice wanted to write the show with the main plot revolving around chess for years and after his long time partner Andrew Lloyd Webber remained uninterested, he found the new collaborators in Ulvaeus and Andersson. The subject matter follows two international chess players in a championship, a Russian (Tommy Körberg) and an American (Murray Head) and a woman called Florence (Elaine Paige) who is a manager to the American but falls in love with the Russian. The story also draws a parallel between the game of chess and the cold war/real life situations.

This concept album was recorded in 1984, two years before the original London production took place. As the authors noted in the accompanying booklet, it was a work in progress and thusly the story is not quite readable here from the musical numbers alone. Despite that fact (which is amended by the synopsis included in the booklet), this album remains a winner. The score (played here by the London Symphonic Orchestra) itself makes an intriguing bland of the famous ABBA sound, the classical; the rock and the pop enhanced by the orchestral solo passages and the strong choral parts. The lush orchestrations add an epic touch to it and on the whole it is melodic and hummable, packed with great tunes. Some of the songs achieved huge success outside the musical: `I know him so well', a duet between Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson, held the number one spot on the UK singles charts for 4 weeks in February 1985 and won Ivor Novello Award as the Best Selling Single; Murray Head's `One night in Bangkok' became one of the biggest dance hits of its time, often heard today. Some other notable tunes include `The Anthem' (Russian's deliberation on his homeland); the soaring rock songs `Where I want to be' and `Pity the child' (in the former, the Russian reflects upon his life under the spotlight; in the latter, the American ponders about his own unhappy childhood) or the gentle `Heaven help my heart' (in which Florence weighs up her relationship with the Russian).

A special reference must be made to Tim Rice's excellent lyrics. With `Chess' he managed to keep up to the high standards he set himself in `Jesus Christ Superstar' and Evita'. Again in this case he shows he is a lyrical wizard, with his familiar cynical touch. `The story of chess', in which he gives a history of the game in a couple of crafty verses, is a pure masterpiece. The same can be said of the song `I know him so well', where the two women reexamine their relationship with the same man. As a whole, `Chess' owes a lot of its appeal to Tim Rice's written word.

The cast on this album ranks the high standard of the material. The principal parts (sung by Elaine Paige, Tommy Körberg and Murray Head) are delivered in a strong and impeccable fashion.

This 2-disc edition comes with a booklet containing a note from the authors, a text about chess, a full synopsis and a libretto, together with the photos of the principal singers.

Anyone interested in the modern musical theatre should find `Chess' to be a great score with great lyrics, which should be enough to satisfy any aficionado.

Chess.......2007-01-15

A magnificent musical, i have enjoyed the music since i first heard it and read the storyline. Had been unable to find it in our local music stores.Very pleased to find it on your site.

One of my favorites!.......2007-01-12

I love "Chess"! I still remember the first time I heard the single "One Night in Bangkok" on my car radio. I thought it was so unusual and so very cool, so I tracked down the album and bought it. Then I taped it onto a cassette, which is what I've been listening to for years, so I finally broke down and got it on CD. Of course, it's on my iPod now. I've seen the musical, and I loved that, too.

Concepts get better with practice.......2006-11-27

I love this show! That said, I do not care for this version of it. The inclusion of the word "concept" in the title means it is just that. This was, thankfully, not the final version of the show that would later spawn the hit song, "One Night In Bangkok".

With most Broadway musicals, the musical numbers tell the basic story of the show. If you listen to the recordings of Phantom, Mama Mia, Beauty and the Beast, you can discern the basic storyline of the show. Listening to this particular recording of Chess, though, will leave you wondering "What was that?" The Broadway arrival of Chess saw a much needed reworking of the storyline and arrangement of the musical numbers. This recording seems too much like a mish-mash of songs that don't really relate to each other.

For musical fanatics (like myself), I say "yes, you should have this recording in your collection", if only to understand how much work went into the show before it opened on Broadway.

If you are only buying the album because of "One Night In Bangkok", purchase the Broadway recording instead; you'll be much happier with the performance by Phillip Casnoff rather than Murray Head.

The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)

Average customer rating:

Musical Pleasure
The Premiere Collection
beautiful
Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects
Superb collection

The Premiere Collection: The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Original Cast Compilation)

Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Disco | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Gold: The Definitive Hits Collection
The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection
Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Premiere Collection Encore
Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection

ASIN: B000002O5W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Phantom Of The Opera
Take That Look Off Your Face
All I Ask Of You
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Magical Mr. Mistoffeles
Variations 1-4
Superstar
Memory
Starlight Express
Tell Me On A Sunday
The Music Of The Night
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Pie Jesu

Amazon.com essential recording

There are many, many Andrew Lloyd Webber albums out there, including cut-and-paste compilations and songbooks from individual artists, most notably Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, and even Jose Carreras. The Premiere Collection is probably as authentic as you can get in a hits album, however. In addition to the most popular selections from the original casts of Evita, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar, the 57-minute album includes two selections from Tell Me on a Sunday (also recorded by Bernadette Peters as Song and Dance), the title tune from Starlight Express, the "Pie Jesu" from the Requiem, and a snippet from the Paganini Variations, thereby allowing you to hear the good stuff without having to spring for the complete albums. Note that the three selections from Phantom of the Opera are the 1986 pop singles instead of the cast recordings, meaning Steve Harley rather than Crawford sings with Brightman on the title tune and Cliff Richard subs for Steve Barton on "All I Ask of You." (Crawford does sing "The Music of the Night," of course.) This 1989 compilation was too early for Aspects of Love or Sunset Boulevard, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is ignored, but these omissions are rectified in the follow-up album The Premiere Collection Encore, and the American-slanted version, The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Musical Pleasure.......2007-07-03

I enjoy all of this music, listening frequently. Some not original cast members, so less than 5 star. Product exactly as advertised.

The Premiere Collection.......2007-01-17

My sister had this and it got destroyed. She wanted an other, This was the only place I have found it!! Very hard to find! I have been to every music store in my area. She loved it!! And was so happy to have it again. Anyone who loves Andrew Lloyd Webber will love this. As it has many songs from some of his most famous plays with the original cast. Great item.

beautiful.......2006-12-21

This CD is a great compilation of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hits. If you are just looking for a "quick fix" for your Broadway craving, this is a great value.

Fair Album with 1 starlight and 0 aspects.......2004-07-09

I think this album is F-A-I-R because it has one starlight express song and zero aspects of love songs. This is why i liked the album The reason i said that this is a fair album is that I like Starlight Express better. Song i like are "The Phantom of the Opera", "Take That Look off Your Face", All I Ask of You", "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", "Mr. Mistofflees," "Superstar," "Memory", "Starlight Express", "Tell Me On A Sunday", "Music of the Night", "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", and "I Don't Know How To Love Him". I dislike the following songs:" Track 6" and the last one because the last one was hard to understand and track 6 is instrumental.

Superb collection.......2003-08-11

... It is a collection of the best of ALW's creative efforts, and a collection of great performances. Anyone who loves "Broadway" should have this disk in their collection.

Average customer rating:

A nice album but not that outstanding
Elaine Paige
almost had a WHAT????????
Encore
La Paige is definately a synonym for the word "excellence".

Encore
Elaine Paige
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Elaine Paige
From a Distance
Love Songs
Evita (Original London Cast)
Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration

ASIN: B000002J85
Release Date: 1996-07-30

Tracks:

As If We Never Said Goodbye (Sunset Boulevard)
The Perfect Year (Sunset Boulevard)
Memory (Cats)
I Know Him So Well (Chess)
Another Suitcase In Another Hall (Evita)
I Don't Know How To Love Him (Jesus Christ...
On My Own (Les Miserables)
I Dreamed A Dream (Live) (Les Miserables)
Mon Dieu (Piaf)
Hymne A L'Amour (If You Love Me) (Piaf)
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Piaf)
With One Look (Sunset Boulevard)
Don't Cry For Me Argentina (Live) (Evita)

Amazon.com

London's premier theater diva takes center stage in Encore, a career retrospective covering selections from Elaine Paige's most famous roles (Cats, Evita, and Chess), her 1993 salute to legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf, and West End hits Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Misérables. Released in 1995 around the time she took the role of Norma Desmond in London (which she eventually took to Broadway), the 53-minute album also includes three of Sunset Boulevard's biggest hits as well as two selections ("I Dreamed a Dream," "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina") recorded live for BBC Radio in 1993. For those more used to Paige's brassier American counterparts, this is an excellent introduction. Fans, of course, will need no convincing to pick up this CD. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

A nice album but not that outstanding.......2006-04-09

I really adore Elaine Paige performance especially when I saw her at the Masterpiece Concert in Beijing. (which by the way is a nice DVD) I read the reviews on this album and decided to get it for the review about it was so wonderful. Well, I can't say that I totally like it. There are some truly wonderful music and some that I don't care for. Here's my thoughts:

There are songs from 7 musicals featured in the album. Let's start with "Sunset Boulevard." There are 3 songs from it and all of them are wonderful. I can say that she has become my favourite Norma Desmond. Next are songs from "Evita," a show that made her really famous since she's the original London Evita. "Don't Cry for me" here is the live version which is quite good but I have some other better versions to be frankly. I don't like how they turn "Another Suitcase" into a pop song. It kinda ruins it for me a bit.

The third show is "Cats," another trademark of Elaine Paige. Again, "Memory" is not what I expected. I like the version from the Original London Cast Recording or the Movie version better. Then there's "I Know Him So Well" from "Chess," a duet with Barbara Dickson. There's nothing I could say about this song. It's brilliant and is a lot better than the Broadway version. Then come "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from "Jesus Christ Superstar"... Well, the song's fine, not impressive or anything.

Songs from "Les Miserables" are the ones that I have my expectation on the most. The live version of "I Dreamed a Dream" is sooooo good. I love it. I can picture her as a great Fantine but her "On My Own," on the other hand, is just so-so. I think she's a bit old for Eponine or maybe I'm just use to the Frances Ruffelle's version. And the last three songs are from "Piaf." This really surprises me! I wasn't prepared to like the songs this much since I didn't know anything about the show at all. "Mon Dieu" and "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" is absolutely wonderful. But the best song goes to the English version of "Hymne a l'Amour". It's so good and so heart-wrenching. I wish she would record it in French one day.

So there you have it, my opinion on the album. There are some wonderful songs on the album but I still skip a lot of them from time to time. Get it if you're a true fan of Elaine or interested to experience some of her works. For I think this album really shows off her past experience on different musical roles.

Elaine Paige.......2006-03-10

Elaine Paige has a wonderful voice. This CD shows off her talent.

almost had a WHAT????????.......2004-08-17

To be brief ~ Schwartzkopf after seeing/hearing Callas as Violetta said "WHY BOTHER?" .... i.e. this GAL IS IT!.

A wonderous experience, to cherish, to love, to ...{yeah!} ... and adore!

** see Elaine Stritche's comment about Burton [Stritch at Liberty].

Encore.......2003-08-19

In December,1997 I planned a trip to London to sightsee and see "Sunset Blvd" with Petula Clark. On arriving at the theater,a change notice that P. Clark was on Christmas leave and Elaine Paige was in the lead role. Disappointed at the time,I was greatly pleased with the performance of Elaine. Her delivery of the music had an emotional effect on me. At that time I became a "FAN". I purchased the CD in England and play it often. I have purchased several of her CDs, but "Encore" is her best!!

La Paige is definately a synonym for the word "excellence"........2002-08-24

The first time I conscientiously (Sorry, I don't feel like fetching a dictionary to make sure I spelled that correctly) heard Elaine Paige sing was in the film version of "CATS"...and after her soul-bearing rendition of "Memory", I was literally in tears. (My only current regret is that the RUG hasn't yet released the film version CD of "CATS", but CATS fans, don't fret-it IS coming-someone from RUG just confirmed it!) After that, I went out and bought this CD...and it's my favorite CD. Every song on there is magnificent, from her hit "Memory" to her songs from "Evita". Also, La Paige delivers her "Piaf" songs in that flawless French of hers..."Mon Dieu" is definately a highlight, along with "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien". After listening to "I Know Him So Well", it's easy to see how she and La Dickinson set a word-record with that song. This CD is a must-have for any fan of La Paige, whether you're just being exposed to her for the first time or whether you're an old fan of hers. You'll lfind yourself singing these songs instantly. Every beat of music, every note...it's worth it. When Elaine sings, she bears us the depths of her entire soul, and trust me, it's QUITE deep. And, for anyone out there thinking that people who aren't very tall can't succeed, this one's for you- Elaine Paige proves that statement wrong. She may not have the height, but she makes up for it with her immense talent...and after you do the math, she's a giant. An extremely talented one. Elaine Paige rules.

Tracks:

Requiem for Evita - David Essex, Elaine Paige
Oh! What a Circus/Requiem - David Essex, Elaine Paige
On This Night of a Thousand Stars - Mark Ryan
Buenos Aires - Elaine Paige
Goodnight and Thank You - David Essex, Elaine Paige
I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You - Joss Ackland w/ Peter Bayliss, Elaine Paige
Another Suitcase in Another Hall
New Argentina - Joss Ackland w/ Peter Bayliss, David Essex, Elaine Paige
Don't Cry for Me Argentina - Elaine Paige
High, Flying Adored - David Essex, Elaine Paige
Rainbow High - Elaine Paige
And the Money Kept Rolling (In and Out) - David Essex
Waltz for Eva and Che - David Essex, Elaine Paige
She Is a Diamond - Joss Ackland w/ Peter Bayliss
Lament - David Essex, Elaine Paige

Album Details

Original London Cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita.

Customer Reviews:

Beware; Excerpts.......2006-12-05

I bought this thinking it was the entire show. It's missing some of my favorite songs, such as "Rainbow Tour." Elaine Paige is great, but I don't care much for David Essex as Che.

THE HIGHLIGHTS DISC OF THE ORIGINAL LONDON PRODUCTION.......2005-09-17

Over the years Andrew Lloyd Webber has made many musicals, some more successful and appealing to the public than the others. Most people will, however, agree that "Evita" remains one of his most satisfying works to this date. Numerous reasons confirm this statement. Just like in its predecessor "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita" is almost entirely sung-through; the lyrics are witty and appropriate; the subject matter is again a personality larger-than-life who rises from obscurity and dies at the peak of its fame, thus becoming a legend; the score is captivating and appealing to the listener, at home or in the theatre.

Following the suit of the Superstar, ALW and Tim Rice first published Evita as an album, which appeared in 1976. It was an instant success and soon afterwards the preparations began to put it on the stage. The veteran of the musical theatre direction, Hal Prince, accepted the offer to adapt the original album and Elaine Paige, then an unknown actress and musical theatre performer was cast in the role of Evita. The show premiered in London in 1978, winning acclaiming reviews and numerous awards. And yet, since the concept album was selling so well, the authors felt it unnecessary to release another full version of Evita, with the London cast. That is why we only have this highlights 53-minute recording of the original London production. The story of Evita is widely known, but for those who are new to this let's repeat the essentials: We follow the life story of Eva Duarte Peron, wife of post-World war two president of Argentina, Juan Peron. However, the musical is very loosely based on the actual life of the real Evita. The story follows Evita from the day of her death in July 1952, and then we have flashbacks until that moment, covering her coming to Buenos Aires, alleged love affairs, meeting Peron, being the first lady and dying of cancer at 33.

Being the first theatre version of the somewhat revised concept album material, this disc is not the best recording available. There are several drawbacks. First, it lacks a great part of the show, since all we have here are snippets, i.e., the main musical numbers, meaning it is a bit difficult to follow the story if you are a first-time listener, even though the booklet provides a basic story outline. One of the other obvious weaknesses is the minimalist orchestrations used on this recording. After the lush and epic sound of the concept album featuring the London philharmonics and a rock band, here we have the usual pit orchestra, consisting of only the basic instruments. Thus the beauty of the score remains somewhat lost and is only traceable in hints. The authors seem to be aware of it, since for the upcoming Broadway recording of the show, the orchestrations were improved and sounded clearer.

In addition, the cast performance here is also mixed. Although the role of Eva Peron raised Elaine Paige to stardom, I find her performance not the best, simply because her voice sounds too young. With time her vocal abilities matured, but here she just doesn't reach a much needed uncompromising determination of the character, the way Patti LuPone did on Broadway or Julie Covington on the original album. That is not to say that Elaine performance here is altogether bad, but it could have been much better. David Essex, on the other hand, is a very good Che. He has the strong vocal power Colm Wilkonson and Antonio Banderas both demonstrated in their interpretation, which leaves one wondering why was Mandy Patinkin cast in the role when the show was transferred to Broadway, since he had a very light and unpleasant voice. Joss Ackland, an esteemed British actor is a well chosen Peron, with a suitable dark note in his performance.

The CD comes with a couple of the production photos, but no lyrics are included.

For those of you who are getting acquainted with the story of Eva Peron for the first time I must point out: Bear in mind that this musical is only loosely based on the life of the real Evita. As much as Tim Rice's lyrics are craftily made, they lack a lot of historical accuracy. As a historian I became very interested in Eva Peron's life story so I did some research after seeing the movie. It turned out that the authors based their entire work on a single book called EVITA: THE WOMAN WITH A WHIP by Mary Main. It was based on rumors, lies and myths, written with the single purpose of slandering Eva Peron as much as possible. It contains no footnotes and no bibliography. The authors used it mainly because it was one of the few books available on the subject in the English language during the 70-is. So one should be very careful in making any conclusions based on the musical or the movie alone.

So this disk is more of a welcomed addition for the collectors of the Evita cast recordings, rather than a first-choice album for the new listeners. The latter should get one of the three available 2-CD albums: the 1976 concept recording with Julie Covington, the 1979 Broadway cast with the best Evita of them all, the Tony-winning Patti LuPone, or the very good 1996 movie soundtrack with Madonna in the lead. They all have the complete score and are much more satisfying than this highlights album.

Not the Original Broadway Cast, but not bad.......2005-08-17

This soundtrack does not, in my opinion, rate as high as the Original Broadway Cast album with Mandy Patinkin and Patti Lupone, but it is not too bad. It is incomplete, which was a disappointment. Elaine Page doesn't hold a candle to Patti Lupone as Evita, and the Che leaves much to be desired. The highlight of this album is "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" which is simply superb. It was worth buying the cd just for that song. Some of the lyrics are different, which was interesting to hear, because they changed them around a bit when Evita was brought to the US. If you are an Evita lover I would suggest this album, but if you are just being introduced to Evita I would suggest going with the Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin cd.

Misleading CD cover.......2005-05-07

I wanted the complete Evita soundtrack, and this rendition was terribly disappointing. The cd ends abruptly mid story. Voices are spectacular of course, but the cover suggests this is the original London peformance and a buyer, like me, expects the entire musical score. I wouldn't buy this again.

MISSING SO MANY GOOD SONGS.......2004-07-11

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF EVITA! THIS MUSCIAL IS VERY GOOD, YET IT HAS SOME WEAK SPOTS, BUT THAT DOSN'T MEAN LONDON SHOULD TAKE THEM OUT IN THE FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION OF EVITA. THERE ARE A LOT OF MISTAKES AND THINGS THEY SHOULD OF ADDED. HERE'S A LIST.

*THEY SHOULD OF ADDED 'RAINBOR TOUR' I LOVE THAT SONG
*BUENOS AIRES SHOULD OF BEEN LONGER
*A NEW ARGETINA SHOULD OF BEEN LONGER
*THEY SHOULD OF ADDED 'DICE ARE ROLLING" ANYTHING THAT HAS THE 'A NEW ARGETINA' MUSIC I JUST LOVE.
*THE COVER LOOKS TOO OLD. IF THEY WERE GONNA PUT IT ON A CD, THEY SHOULD OF MADE A NEW LOOK OR COVER.
*IT SHOULD OF HAD 23 SONGS INSTEAD OF 15

THERE ARE A LOT MORE REASONS WHY THIS CD WAS DREADFULL BUT I DON'T WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME. I SAY BUY THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST WITH THE EXELLENT PATTIE LuPONE. WHO CARES ABOUT THAT ESSEX GUY.

Essential Musicals
Average customer rating:

A great CD of showtunes!

A lyrical Elaine Paige

Only TWO Songs Make This Mandatory...

What happened here?

Essentially Confused!

Essential Musicals
Elaine Paige
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

Elaine Paige

Evita (2006 London Cast)

ASIN: B000JCES7A
Release Date: 2006-10-30

Tracks:

Where Is Love? [From Oliver!]
Edelweiss [From The Sound of Music]
Hopelessly Devoted to You [From Grease]
You Must Love Me [From Evita]
Bring Him Home [From Les Misbles]
Something's Coming [From West Side Story]
If I Loved You
All I Ask of You [From The Phantom of the Opera]
Someone Else's Story [From Chess]
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right out of My Hair [From South Pacific]
Aquarius [From Hair]
Surrender [From Sunset Boulevard]
Broadway Baby [From Follies]

Album Details

2006 Anthology of Recording by the British Singer/Actress Famous for her West End Starring Roles in "Evita" (Originally Portraying Eva Peron, the First to have a Hit Single with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina") , "Cats" (Originally Portraying Grizelda, the First to have a Hit with "Memory"), "Chess" and More. This Album Provides a Showcase of the 13 Most Popular Songs from her Discography as Voted by the Listeners to her Radio Two Sunday Show.

Customer Reviews:

A great CD of showtunes!.......2007-05-19

I just got this CD and my initial reaction is why were previous reviewers so harsh?! I think it is a wonderful CD. Yes, the arrangements may not be traditional, but how many recordings of the same song arrangements by various artists do we need? I think she is putting her twist on some standards and the result is refreshing. No one has mentioned her version of Edelwiess which is absolutely terrific! Very similar to the arrangement Linda Eder did a few years ago. If you are an Elaine Paige fan or just a fan of a great vocalist, this CD is well worth it!

A lyrical Elaine Paige.......2007-02-03

I listened to this CD more than 10 times after I bought it. I think Elaine's voice is still fine and sweet. She takes a different approach to these songs, more lyrical rather than dramatic. She chooses to use head voice to articulate high notes and the songs sound light and tender. But the lacking of big musically dramatic moments has certainly disappointed fans. I think the main problems here are the arrangement is too pop-like, and some songs sound like ballads in the 80's. When listening to them one can hardly relate those songs to the original musicals. Hope Elaine will never choose the same producer again in future, and hope it won't take long before another all-new material CD of hers is released.

Only TWO Songs Make This Mandatory..........2007-01-08

Ditto to ALL the negative comments you'll read from the other reviews here... but two songs make this a must-buy for any lover of Elaine Paige: "You Must Love Me" and "Someone Else's Story". And Thank God these are the only two songs where the orchestrations don't destroy the original melody. These songs "complete" the characters that Elaine originated on stage(especially for CHESS), and Elaine's vocals are just fine on both numbers. However, how she could destroy OTHER songs from shows she's appeared in(HAIR and SUNSET BOULEVARD in particular) is totally beyond comprehension. Outside an "Andrew Sisters" swing version of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair", I don't think you'll be listening to this CD more than once.

What happened here?.......2006-12-26

I have always loved Elaine Paige from the time I first heard her on the concept album of Chess (which is brilliant)to the recently released Center Stage (another brilliant collection). I also had a rare opportunity to see Elaine in Sunset Blvd in NYC. On each subsequent album since Chess she has always "blown me away" but I was not ready to see her live and was truly awe struck by her incredible vocal ablilties and stage presence.

Essential Musicals has been long-awaited by fans who were growing weary of "best of albums" and needed something new from Ms. Paige.

The selection of songs is quite good. I don't mind the subdued vocals because she can and has pulled it off beautifully before.

However, the orchestra drowns out Elaine's voice and she ends up taking a back seat to them -- which to Elaine's fans that should not be allowed.

Didn't anyone listen to the final cut of this collection and maybe realize that the orchestra's volume is set on 8 and Elaine's is on 2?

I will always love and purchse anything Ms Paige records because I am a devoted fan. But I gotta say this album leaves me really cold.

I am sad and hope I dont have to wait another decade for something truly new by Ms. Paige.

Essentially Confused!.......2006-12-01

I was so excited about this album. I love Elaine and never miss her radio show. I was prepared for her voice to be different as it's apparent she doesn't have the upper range she used to. The cover was gorgeous-however there are only a few gorgeous moments musically. I give it 3 stars for the songs I enjoyed and the fact that it's Elaine and anything less than 3 stars I can not give her. The bright spots for me were--Broadway Baby, You Must Love Me, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair, and All I Ask of You. The majority of songs on this album confused me. The arrangements did not sound as much original as they sounded like 80's muzak! I was really looking forward to her version of Bring Him Home as I've always thought a woman should record this song--but again the arrangement was odd and I found it a let down! I think it sad that at this stage of her career Elaine has recorded an album so definitely beneath her usual greatness. Side note--I saw her live in London and she sounded sooooo much better that she did on this album-particularly on If I Loved You and Someone Else's Story! That made me even more sad that we didn't get that Elaine here. Maybe she needs a new producer?

Cats: Original Cast Recording (1981 Original London Cast)

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Cats: Original Cast Recording (1981 Original London Cast)

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)

ASIN: B000BSM28Y
Release Date: 2005-11-14

Tracks:

Overture
Prolugue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats
The Naming Of Cats
The Invitation To The Jellicle Ball
The Old Gumbie Cat
The Rum Tum Tugger
Grizabella, The Glamour Cat
Bustopher Jones
Mungojerrie And Rumpelteazer
Old Deuteronomy
The Jellicle Ball
Grizabella, The Glamour Cat
Memory

Tracks:

The Moments Of Happiness
Gus: The Theatre Cat
'Growltiger's Last Stand' Including 'The Ballad Of Billy McCaw'
Skimbleshanks
Macavity
Mr. Mistoffelees
Memory
Journey To The Heaviside Layer
The Ad-dressing of Cats

Album Details

2005 Digitally Remastered Edition of One of the Best Loved Musicals of all Time and in the Lloyd Webber Canon.

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Christmas ~ Elaine Paige
Still haven't received it--ordered in Oct. '06!
Outstanding album with great song selection

Christmas

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Essential Musicals
Cool Yule
From a Distance
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Elaine Paige

ASIN: B00004SE5T
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Customer Reviews:

Christmas ~ Elaine Paige.......2007-05-12

A have to have album! I searched for many years to find this out of print Christmas album. It is wonderful - the songs are traditional English Chrismas with just a couple of new, Tim Rice authored additions. For all Elaine Paige fans a "have to have" in their collection. Enjoy! -- if you can find it.

Still haven't received it--ordered in Oct. '06!.......2007-01-12

How can I review this item when you REFUSE to ship it to me?

Outstanding album with great song selection.......2006-11-30

Elaine borrowed Tim Rice's Christmas songbook to aid her decision about which songs to record, thus avoiding over-reliance on the obvious songs that everybody has heard so often. Of course, Elaine is such a superb singer that she could have recorded an album filled with standards and it would still have sounded great. Instead, Elaine has selected a mix of familiar and obscure songs, but of the familiar ones, some have not been covered very often.

Two pop songs that aren't actually Christmas songs but which sit comfortably on this album have been included, these being Wishing on a star (Rose Royce) and A winter's tale (David Essex). Also here is Ave Maria, another song that isn't strictly a Christmas song. Two of these three can be found on Elaine's sensational double CD release of 2004, Centre stage.

All the remaining songs are about Christmas including covers of Peace on earth / Little drummer boy (David Bowie and Bing Crosby), Walking in the air (Aled Jones), Light of the stable (Emmylou Harris), I believe in Father Christmas (Greg Lake), Santa Claus is coming to town and Coventry carol. Some of these are better known than others, but all are better known than Father Christmas' eyes (an original song), Coldest night of the year (Jimmy Webb - from his Animals' Christmas project) and Thirty two feet and eight little tails (previously recorded by Dale Evans, also by Gene Autry).

Unavailable for many years (more than a decade), this album is back in print not before time. This time around, it's at a budget price so it's better value than ever.

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THE BEST

Love Songs
Elaine Paige
Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige
From a Distance
Encore
Essential Musicals

ASIN: B0001CLZRY
Release Date: 2004-02-16

Tracks:

From a Distance
As Time Goes By
Feeling Good
Mad About the Boy
They Say It's Wonderful/I Got Lost in His Arms
With Every Breath I Take
Kismet Suite: Stranger in Paradise/He's in Love/This Is My Beloved
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
I Only Have Eyes for You
Love Can Do That
If I Love You
Only the Very Best
Oxygen
Heart Don't Change My Mind

Album Description

2004 compilation for one of the most recognizable names in theater, features 14 tracks including, 'From A Distance', 'As Time Goes By', & 'Feeling Good'. BMG.

Album Details

A Collection of Love Songs Including "From a Distance", "as Time Goes By" and " Mad About the Boy".

Customer Reviews:

THE BEST.......2004-09-26

WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE FINEST FEMALE VOCALIST IN THE WORLD

The British Invasion: Broadway 1981-1992

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The British Invasion: Broadway 1981-1992

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Put on a Happy Face: Broadway 1959-1967
Broadway Magic: Broadway 1968-1980
Broadway Today: Broadway 1993-2005
A Time of Hope: Broadway 1935-1946
Center Stage: Broadway 1947-1958

ASIN: B0007ZENZQ
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

The Phantom Of The Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How could I ever know [The Secret Garden]
The American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Doctor Jazz
Me And My Girl
Suddenly, Seymour

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London ain't got the same soul.
An "OK" HAIR...Nothing Special
Very Good, However.....
Glad to have it back in print
GET OUT YOUR LOVE BEADS AND LET YOUR HAIR DOWN

Hair (+ Extras)
Galt MacDermot , Gerome Ragni , James Rado , Original London Cast , Elaine Paige , and Paul Nicholas
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hair - The American Tribal Love Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast)
Hair
Hair: Original Soundtrack Recording - Special Anniversary Edition
Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000008131
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Aquarius
Donna
Hashish
Sodomy
Coloured Spade
Manchester, England
Ain't Got No
Dead End
Sheila Franklin/I Believe In Love
The Rally
Air
Initials
I Got Life
Going Down
Hair
My Conviction
Easy To Be Hard
Don't Put It Down
Frank Mills
Be-In (Hare Krishna)
Where Do I Go?
Electric Blues
Black Boys/White Boys
Walking In Space
Abie Baby/Gettysburg Address
Three-Five-Zero-Zero
What A Piece Of Work Is Man/Walking In Space (Reprise)
Good Morning Starshine
The Bed
Eyes Look Your Last/Ain't Got No (Reprise)/The Flesh Failures (Let The Sun Shine In)

Amazon.com

"America's first tribal love-rock musical" went the advertising, and nobody could argue with that. Hair opened on Broadway in 1968 and immediately became a smash, although no one could quite discern what it was about. Something like, "War is bad, drugs are good, racism bites the big one, and nudity is nice." Like the show itself, not all the sentiments expressed on the album have dated well, but the quality of the music is undeniable. The songs weren't really classifiable as rock, but they accomplished what all good pop songs set out to do: stick in the craw. Indeed, several of its tracks later became hits for pop acts, including "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" (Fifth Dimension), "Hair" (Cowsills), and "Good Morning, Starshine" (Oliver). This re-release compiles the original 1968 London cast recording with 1970's Fresh Hair and includes songs cut from the original stage production. --Dawn Eden

Customer Reviews:

London ain't got the same soul........2006-11-06

Get the Broadway recording, the limeys sound like vocalizing robots. It's still good because the material rocks, but every listen I can't help but compare it to the NYC crew, and they come up lacking every time. This is definitely not a quintessential Hair recording.

An "OK" HAIR...Nothing Special.......2005-11-22

You can read about the history of this recording in the other posts... my only "two cents" is that there were some tracks on the "FRESH HAIR" release that topped their American counterpart "DisinHAIRited" that I wished had been included on this cut. Also, I'll put in another cry that "The Flesh Failures"(to me, the whole soul of this musical) wasn't included- that is a true crime!
Otherwise, the performers ALL are lacking in charisma and voice to the OBC. I never really cared for Paul Nicholas(Claude)- he's especially lacking in vocal talent as "Jesus" in J C SUPERSTAR from the start. If you only want ONE recording of the show, stick with the Original Broadway Cast...for the most part, they are unmatched on ANY recording of HAIR (and I've got about 40 cast recordings of the show!).

Very Good, However............2004-05-23

If you are an avid collector of Ragni & Rado's Hair items, this is a definite item for your collection. Several disappointments though: the exclusion of "Flesh Failures/Let The Sun Shine In" that was on the LP version of The London Cast. Granted, the Original London Cast did an unusually weak job of that number, which may be why they left it off the CD release. In its place is a somber but beautiful combo of "Ain't Got No/Let the Sun Shine In," which was taken from a lesser known LP called "Fresh Hair," which featured songs for the musical that did not make the final edit.

Which brings me to my second disappointment... with the material from "Fresh Hair" in their hands, it would have been fun to include more tracks from that album like "2000 Year Old Man," "Washing the World," and "Mess Of Dirt." Not all the lyrics in these songs were the sharpest (and a few were really bad!), but the music was great; it would be a shame to see these lesser known pieces of "Hair History" vanish completely.

These personal Guajardian gripes aside, this is a really good soundtrack, with occasional dialogue from the play. The rendition of Aquarius is even more exotic than the Broadway Cast. Their spin on "Hare Krishna/Be In" includes verbal assaults from Hippie Haters thrown in, which is a nice touch. And the title track rendition is right up there with that of The Broadway Cast.

I won't go as far to say I like The London Cast as much as The Broadway Cast, but it is very good, and comes in a comfortable second. If you are a casual "Hair" fan, I would say go for the Broadway soundtrack. If you are even just a tad more than just a casual fan, this is definitely a soundtrack you should add to your CD rack.

Glad to have it back in print.......2003-08-31

I have both the 1968 London cast record as well as the 1970 Fresh Hair record. I was glad when I heard they combined the two recordings to make a more accurate recording of the musical.

My compaint with this CD is that they leave off the "Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In" from the 1968 version and replace it with an improvisation on the theme from the 1970 Fresh Hair. The 1968 version was much better and actually represented what was performed on the Shaftsbury stage. There was room on the disc to include this number as well as a couple more of the shorter Freash Hair songs. It would have been nice to hear Elaine Paige sing "Wash the World" on CD.

GET OUT YOUR LOVE BEADS AND LET YOUR HAIR DOWN.......2003-02-09

The London recording of "Hair" is unquestionably the most complete and listenable version of the great grand daddy of "rock" musicals. "Hair" was originally produced in London only months after the Broadway opening, and this new Decca recording combines the two separate London recordings to approximate the full score. The re-recording and re-mastering is brilliant. RCA tried to do this with the American versions with dismal results: a flat sound, a lot of discordant music and absolutely no excitement. But this cast album is bouncy, breezy and completely recreates the excitement of the original Broadway production. This recording even has little Elaine Page somewhere in the chorus! So get out the love beads, the bong and bellbottoms, and tune in, turn on and let your hair down. (Submitted by staff member Stephen J. Finn)

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