Music Review: The Greatest Showman Soundtrack

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Wonderful songs that capture the movie

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Movie musical

Produces a great soundtrack

All fans will wear out

A Great Soundtrack

When I saw The Greatest Showman last month, one of the reasons I loved it was the songs.  That’s always a good thing for a musical, right?  I loved them so much that a few days later, I went out and bought the soundtrack, which I have been enjoying ever since.

The soundtrack contains 11 tracks, which are all the songs in the movie.  In keeping with a traditional musical soundtrack, there are no instrumental tracks on the disc.

Unlike many musicals, these have a modern feel, some of them could easily pass for pop songs, in fact, and most of them are very upbeat.  If you are looking for traditional Broadway style songs, look elsewhere.

If you’ve missed the movie, you should fix that right away.  But to give you a little background, it tells the story of PT Barnum as he starts the show that would eventually become the circus he is most famous for.

And if you are looking for great music, you’ve come to the right place.  Obviously, some of them apply very much to the story here.  For example, the disc opener, “The Greatest Show,” is very much a song for this movie.  But it’s a very fun number that gets the entire cast involved in inviting the audience into the show they are about to put on.  Since this song opens and closes the movie, it works for the audience of P.T. Barnum’s show as well as us.

Another similar song is “The Other Side,” the song where Barnum convinces Phillip Carlyle to become his partner.  However, it really is a fun song that brings a smile to my face each time I hear it.  Of course, that might be because this High School Musical lover is happy to have Zac Efron on another soundtrack.

For the rest of the songs, I refer you to my comment about pop songs.  Oh, they have content that fits the movie, don’t worry, but out of context they still work.  For example, while “A Million Dreams” is a young Barnum singing to his future wife about his dreams, it really does work outside the movie.  Oh yes, the aging characters complicate things as a radio single, but it’s still a great song outside the movie.

Likewise, “This is Me” is a fantastic anthem of personal acceptance.  “Tightrope” is a great reminder of the struggles that arise in life when our priorities get out of whack.  And the cause of those wrong priorities?  Thinking it will “Never Enough.”  Heck, even the duet “Rewrite the Stars” could work for any lovers facing problems, although it does fit Zac Efron and Zendaya’s characters perfectly.

About the only tracks I don’t absolutely love are the two Reprises we get, one for “A Million Dreams” and the other for “Never Enough.”  They don’t add much to the disc.  But this is a soundtrack, so they should be included for that reason.  I get it.  I’m being very nitpicky here.

Speaking of which, I am going to have to pay more attention next time I see the movie since I’m surprised there is no reprise for “The Greatest Show.”  I’m guessing the one track gets divided up in the movie, but I was expecting the song to open and close out the disc.  Again, this is something I’m noting only in passing.

I’m counting down until this movie hits Blu-Ray so I can watch it to my heart’s content.  Until then, I will be playing The Greatest Showman Soundtrack to relive these moments again and again.

CD Length: 39:51

Tracks:

1. The Greatest Show

2. A Million Dreams

3. A Million Dreams (Reprise)

4. Come Alive

5. The Other Side

6. Never Enough

7. This is Me

8. Rewrite the Stars

9. Tightrope

10. Never Enough (Reprise)

11. From Now On

Music Review: The Sound of Music - Live! Soundtrack

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great songs, great new recordings

Cons: “Do-Re-Mi” cut

The Bottom Line:

Classic musical

Brought to life by great new cast

Plenty of talent

A New Recording of Broadway’s Sound of Music for a New Generation

I have a confession to make.  As much as I love the musical The Sound of Music, I only have one soundtrack from it – the original Broadway cast.  At some point, I really do intend to buy the Julie Andrews movie version, but there are a couple songs that the movie cut I loved.  However, that sound track I have has some issues, and I’ve wanted to replace it for years.  Enter the Cast Recording from the recent The Sound of Music - Live, and I’ve found exactly what I’m looking for.

All of your favorite sounds from the musical are here.  We’re talking “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Every Mountain,” Edelweiss,” and “The Sound of Music,” among others.  However, if you are only familiar with the movie, some things are going to be different here.  The movie changed the order around, but this one sticks to the order from the original Broadway play.  When I was in the play in college, I must admit the new order took a little getting used to, but once you do, you won’t mind at all.

The only change this disc makes as far as songs go from the original is the song that Captain Von Trapp and Maria sing after they fall in love.  Here, we get the song from the movie, “Something Good.”  Honestly, I don’t care for either of the love songs, so I’m ambivalent about this.

The soundtrack uses a full orchestra, as it should.  The instruments sound amazing, and it’s easy to get swept up in the beauty of the music.

And the singing?  It’s wonderful.  Carrie Underwood’s acting as Maria was criticized in the movie (and rightly so), but if you watched the movie carefully, she came alive whenever she was singing.  That means there are no issues whatsoever with the songs she’s in.  (And honestly, the couple of lines she speaks on the recording are better acted than Mary Martin’s acting at the same spots.  Yes, I went there.)  The rest of the cast is great.  The kids don’t miss a note.  Audra McDonald is amazing as Mother Superior.  Stephen Moyer has a great voice, so his songs as the Captain are top notch.  Rounding out the main cast of singers are Laura Benanti as Elsa (the Captain's ill-fated love interest) and Christian Borle as Max who both do fine jobs as well.

So let’s talk about those two songs cut from the original movie.  Both are songs that Elsa and Max sing.  Captain Von Trapp joins them on the second song.  From the first act, there’s “How Can Love Survive?”  Elsa and Max sing this song to the Captain as a bit of a joke.  The idea behind it is that, since the Captain and Elsa are rich, they have no struggles to overcome, so how can they possible make it.  After all, the famous couples in love overcome great odds.  It’s part bragging (Elsa), part jealousy (Max), and quite funny.

The second song cut from the original movie is the first song from the second act - “No Way to Stop It.”  Again, there’s some biting humor to the song, but there is a seriousness underneath it all.  It comes as the Captain, Elsa, and Max are discussing the growing Nazi threat, and Elsa and Max try to use this song to convince the Captain that he should not try to fight the Nazi’s.  I especially love how Stephen Moyer plays this song.  In the movie, it was easy to tell how disgusted he was, but it still comes across in his voice on the recording.

There are some other songs on here that are lesser known.  The disc starts off with the nuns’ evening prayers.  We get the song sung during the wedding as well as the two dance songs from the party in the first act.  And the final track is the instrumental piece that pays over the credits.

I have to comment briefly on the fact that this was recorded in a studio and not the soundtrack taken from the filmed live performance.  I can understand why (partly because this was released before the movie), but I do still find it ironic.

The only flaw I can find with this disc is the fact that they took out the middle section of “Do-Re-Mi.”  Yes, the song can get repetitive and long, so maybe that is why.  But since they included the entire song in the movie, I’m a little confused as to why it isn't all here on this recording.

Still, that’s not nearly enough to be a deal breaker.  I’ve found a new preferred version of the play soundtrack with The Sound of Music - Live Cast Recording.  Still, I’m going to get the original movie soundtrack some day.

CD Length: 61:22

Tracks:

1. Preludium

2. The Sound of Music

3. Maria

4. My Favorite Things

5. Do-Re-Mi

6. Sixteen Going on Seventeen

7. The Lonely Goatherd

8. How Can Love Survive?

9. Reprise: The Sound of Music

10. The Grand Waltz

11. Landler

12. So Long, Farewell

13. Climb Ev'ry Mountain

14. No Way to Stop It

15. Something Good

16. Processional & Maria (The Wedding)

17. Reprise: Sixteen Going on Seventeen

18. Edelweiss (The Concert)

19. Reprise: Do-Re-Mi (The Concert)

20. Reprise: So Long, Farewell (The Concert)

21. Finale Ultimo: Climb Ev'ry Mountain

22. End Credits

Music Review: Mary Poppins - Original Live Cast Recording

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Old favorites and great new songs

Cons: A few don't work without visuals; too many Jane and Michaels

The Bottom Line:

Musical on stage

In front of live audience

Proves it's delightful

A Second Broadway Cast Recording for Mary Poppins

Last year, I finally got to see Disney's Broadway musical Mary Poppins.  Not surprising since I love the movie, but I loved the play version as well.  And since I love to get soundtracks for plays I've seen, I bought the Original Live Cast Recording afterward.

There are already two cast recordings floating around out there, which is surprising for a show that isn't that old.  I chose this one because they have made some tweaks to the show since it first opened, including adding the song "Playing the Game."  Since this is the version I saw, this was the version I decided to get.

You might have noticed that this is a live recording, something I don't remember seeing for other soundtracks before.  I was recording down in Australia over the course of five nights.  The sound quality is excellent, and you'd never know it wasn't recording in the studio while the cast is singing.  You do get applause between most of the songs, which doesn't bother me at all.  The only time you get the audience over the singers is during the final "Bows" track.  No big deal there since they should be clapping.  The only real issue I have is that they used five different sets of kids to play Jane and Michael Banks over the course of those five nights, and you can tell since their voices keep changing between songs.  A minor point.

If you haven't seen the Broadway version of the show, you are in for some surprises.  Yes, you'll recognize many of the song titles from the movie, although not all the songs make it over.  However, their place in the play and at times the words of the songs are often quite different.  True, you get some songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar" that haven't been touched.  The same is true of the lyrics of "Jolly Holiday," although the setting is different and there's an interlude with the kids.  "Let's Go Fly a Kite" is lyrically the same as well.  The heart of "Step in Time" remains the same, and outside of a few pronouns, the didn't mess with "Feed the Birds."

But then there are the songs that are very different.  The best example is "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."  There are so many new lyrics to this song, it is an absolute delight.  I can't help but laugh at some of what they came up with.  And Mary Poppins really does say the word backwards here, not syllable by syllable like in the movie but actually taking the letters backward.  It's quite impressive.

And of course, there are the new songs.  "Anything Can Happen" is my favorite, and I think it's a song that Disney himself would have loved with it's optimistic look at life.  They repeat melodies and lyrics from some of the songs, most noticeably "Precision and Order" and "A Man Has Dreams" in multiple tracks.  It really helps give the soundtrack a more unified feel.

Then there's the song "Playing the Game."  It's a pretty song with a haunting melody in a minor key.  Yet it's a bit creepy as Mary seems to turn a bit mean as she brings Jane and Michael's toys to life to try to get the kids to treat them properly.  It was definitely the scariest part of the play, and that comes across in the song.

And that includes the songs sung by Miss Andrew, Mr. Bank's old nanny who appears at one point here.  Her two tracks, both entitled "Brimstone and Treacle" are so over the top they are kind of fun.  Okay, so they don't work out of the context of the play like so many of the classic songs do, but I like them.  The second time around is her showdown with Mary Poppins, and much of that is lost without the actual action on stage, but I would have been disappointed if they had left it out.

One thing I appreciate is that there is enough music here you can follow the story.  It helps that I had seen it first, but as I listen to the sound track again, bits and pieces of it come back to me.  Between the dialogue they include and the 25 tracks, you get a good chunk of the play.

So let's talk accents.  Despite the fact that this was recorded down under, I feel the characters sound British.  And those accents never get in the way of understanding the lyrics.  Bert's voice can sound nasally at times; I miss Dick Van Dyke's Bert, bad accent and all.

The CD comes with a think booklet with all the lyrics and spoken bits from the CD attributed to the correct character.  That's helpful on a couple of songs, although after a couple of listens it's easy to tell who is who.  There are also pictures of those songs from the stage on each page, which is a fun bonus.

While I will also love the songs from the original movie, this version of them is fun, too.  I'm glad to have Mary Poppins: The Original Live Cast Recording in my collection.

CD Length: 1:15:48

Tracks:

1. Prologue/Chim Chim Cher-ee

2. Cherry Tree Lane Part 1

3. The Perfect Nanny

4. Cherry Tree Lane Part 2

5. Practically Perfect

6. Jolly Holiday

7. Let's Hope She Will Stay

8. A Spoonful of Sugar

9. Precision and Order

10. Feed the Birds

11. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

12. Playing the Game

13. Chim Chim Cher-ee (Reprise)

14. Entr'acte: Run Away

15. Brimstone and Treacle Part 1

16. Let's Go Fly a Kite

17. Good for Nothing

18. Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise)

19. Brimstone and Treacle Part 2

20. Step in Time

21. A Man Has Dreams/A Spoonful of Sugar (Reprise)

22. Anything Can Happen

23. The Task is Done

24. A Shooting Star

25. Bows/Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Reprise)

Music Review: The Lion King - Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Original classics combined with many fun new songs

Cons: The chanting tracks mean nothing to me

The Bottom Line: 

A classic story

Upgraded for Broadway stage

Creates more fun songs

Good Soundtrack for Another Animated Movie Turned Broadway Musical

After the success Disney had turning Beauty and the Beast into a Broadway musical, they turned their sights on The Lion King.  I bought the soundtrack not too long after I saw it, but then I let it sit for years until just this month.  As a result, some of the visuals that go with the songs are foggy memories at best, which is unfortunate since you need most of those to truly appreciate this soundtrack.

The story for the play follows the movie very closely, so it's not surprise that these songs sound pretty much the same.  Okay, so you do have to get used to a new cast singing them.  The biggest change there is Rafiki.  They give that character "Circle of Life" and make her a woman.  I've got nothing against Tsidii Le Loka's voice here, but it takes a few listens since the other is so iconic.  On the other hand, John Vickery's deep voice as Scar sounds so similar to Jeremy Irons' original that I had to double check and make sure he wasn't reprising the role on Broadway.  That makes "Be Prepared" very good.  Scar should be deep and threatening.  They've also changed the final couple of lines in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," giving them to Simba and Nala and making it much more of a love song.  Frankly, as funny as the original ending is, I think this one works better.

But if we just had the 5 original songs, this wouldn't be much of a musical, now would it?  And it's these new tracks where the disc runs into a bit of a problem.  Many of them are good, but I'm not a fan of all of the.

The original song writing team of Tim Rice and Elton John came back for three of the songs, and I really enjoy two of them.  Up first is "Morning Report."  This expands on the scene where Zazu the bird is giving Mufasa the news of his kingdom while Mufasa is teaching young Simba to pounce.  What I love about this one is the fact that it is filled with puns.  I'm laughing the entire way through it.  Equally fun is "Chow Down."  This song is given to the hyenas as they think they are going to get to eat young Simba and Nala.  Again, it's pretty funny.  But it also stands out because, unlike the rest of the soundtrack, this is a rock anthem complete with electric guitar.  The hyenas voices are a bit on the cartoony side, but that's a minor complaint.

Which brings us to "The Madness of King Scar."  The final addition from Tim Rice and Elton John takes place in the second act and shows us just how Scar is reacting to the pressures of being king and the guilt over what he's done to his brother and nephew.  It's a decent idea, but it goes on much too long with too many changes and breaks.  Plus it ends with him threatening to make Nala his queen, which I don't like at all.

One issue I have with the soundtrack are the tracks that are African chants.  I have a feeling they would mean more to me if I saw them on stage.  Here, they are just chanting, and I quickly grow tired of hearing them.  That means tracks like "Grasslands Chant," "The Lioness Hunt," and "One by One" are simply filler for me.  And "Rafiki Mourns" is actually one I skip since the wailing noise is just so hard to listen to.  However, when they work the chanting into other songs like the incredible "They Live in You," which is a reminder to Simba that he has the strength of his forefathers in him, it adds so much flavor and power to the song.  I love it there.  I also enjoy it in the dramatic fight songs "The Stampede" and "Simba Confronts Scar."

In the second act, Nala and Simba each get their own solos that are just amazing.  Nala's is "Shadowland," in which she sings about leaving her home.  But even more powerful is "Endless Night."  This song finds Simba crying out to the dead Mufasa, "You promised you'd be there/Whenever I needed you/Whenever I call your name/You're not anywhere."  After listening to this for a week, there are several songs that get stuck in my head, but I love it when it is this one.  The chorus behind him and the orchestra are so powerful together that it brought tears to my eyes the first few times I heard it.

While I few of the songs did work for me, the classics from the movie and most of the new tracks do.  Anyone who loves The Lion King should add the Original Broadway Cast Recording to their library to get more to the story.

CD Length: 1:04:44

Tracks:

1. Circle of Life

2. Grasslands Chant

3. The Morning Report

4. The Lioness Hunt

5. I Just Can't Wait to be King

6. Chow Down

7. They Live in You

8. Be Prepared

9. The Stampede

10. Rafiki Mourns

11. Hakuna Matata

12. One by One

13. The Madness of King Scar

14. Shadowland

15. The Lion Sleeps Tonight

16. Endless Night

17. Can You Feel the Love Tonight

18. He Lives in You (Reprise)

19. Simba Confronts Scar

20. King of Pride Rock/Circle of Life (Reprise)

Music Review: Annie - 1999 Television Film Soundtrack

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great cast gives great version of these songs

Cons: Not all the songs from the play

The Bottom Line: 

A fan of Annie?

Liking this soundtrack will be

Easy Street for you.

The Sun Always Comes Out Today with This Soundtrack

I realize what I am about to say will not be cool with many adults, but I love Annie.  Okay, not the original movie version, but the Broadway play and the 1999 movie.  And that's one reason why I love the soundtrack to that made for TV movie.

This version of the story stuck a little closer to the Broadway play.  It went back to the songs from the musical that were cut out or replaced in the original movie.  However, they left some other songs from the play out.  Specifically, they went with the choice to deemphasize some of the songs and scenes related to the 1930's setting, so some of the lesser remembered songs that dealt with that are missing.

The good news is, all the classics are here and as good as you remembered.  Frankly, it's hard to believe how many great songs there really are in this musical.

The newcomer to this soundtrack is Alicia Morton as Annie.  I'm not quite sure what her background is, but she is wonderful here.  Her voice is perfect for her many solos.  Just listen to her belt out that final note on "Tomorrow," and you'll be impressed.

There are lots of familiar names in the rest of the cast.  Broadway vets Audra McDonald (Grace Farrell) and Kristin Chenoweth (Lily St. Regis) are here, and not surprisingly, they do a wonderful job.  The multi-talented Victor Garber is a wonderful Daddy Warbucks.  Alan Cumming is the villainous Rooster Hannigan.  And look for the original Broadway Annie, Andrea McArdle, in a cameo as the Broadway Star-to-be in the song "NYC."  But the biggest surprise to me was Kathy Bates as Miss Hannigan.  I knew she was a great actress, and she didn't surprise me in the role; I just didn't know she could sing.  But she belts out her numbers with ease and holds her own with the rest of the talented cast.  No, there isn't a bad performance in the bunch.

What can be said about the songs?  As I mentioned, all the classics are here.  You've got "Maybe," which Annie sings as she wishes for her parents to come back and claim her from the orphanage.  There's the well known "Tomorrow," which she uses to cheer herself up.  Personally, I'm a huge fan of "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile."  Plus I love the duet "I Don't Need Anything but You" that Warbucks and Annie sing near the end.  And the villains have some great numbers too, like "Little Girls," which Kathy Bates sings with relish, and the show stopping "Easy Street."

All the songs are backed by a full orchestra, so you get the feeling that you are sitting in a live performance.  With the upbeat "NYC" and "Easy Street" to the slower "Something was Missing," there is plenty of variety in tempo to keep you listening.

The CD runs about forty-two and a half minutes, which is almost half the length of the movie.  (It clocked in at an hour and a half without commercials.)  It's easy to see why some of the songs were cut here since they had to fit the movie in the TV time allowed.  What might surprise and annoy you are all the reprises that are included.  However, I just got back from seeing the play version again, and all of them are in the play, so it's actually nice to have them included.  Basically, any time they sang in the movie, it's on this disc.

Really, the only change they made to the traditional score was combining the reprises of "Maybe" and "Tomorrow" and giving them to Audra McDonald's Grace Farrell.  What's interesting is that in the play, Annie actually sings this reprise of "Maybe" to cheer herself up.  But in the movie, Grace sings the medley to cheer up Annie near the end when she thinks she is going to have to leave Warbucks.  It's a great moment and really allows Audra to shine.

Really, if you are looking for a soundtrack to Annie, I would recommend this one.  No, it's not complete, but it has all the best songs with some great singers.

CD Length: 42:33

Tracks:

1. Overture

2. Maybe

3. The Hard-Knock Life

4. The Hard-Knock Life (Reprise)

5. Tomorrow

6. Little Girls

7. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

8. NYC

9. NYC Reprise/Lullaby

10. Easy Street

11. You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Radio Version)

12. You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile (Cast Version)

13. Something was Missing

14. I Don't Need Anything but You

15. Maybe/Tomorrow (Reprise)

16. Little Girls (Reprise)

17. Finale/I Don't Need Anything but You

Music Review: Broadway Stories by Sandi Patty

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great songs from a wide range of musicals

Cons: If there is one, I sure can't find it

The Bottom Line: 

Show stopping music

Sung by incredible voice

Such a great CD

Will Leave You on Your Feet Shouting "Encore!"

As much as I love musicals, there are way too many gaps in my knowledge of them.  That’s been pointed out to me again when I bought Sandi Patty’s Broadway Stories, a collection of songs from musicals.

Now, my lack of knowledge hasn’t hampered my enjoyment of this disc in the least.  Sandi is backed by a full orchestra, so it sounds very much like a soundtrack.  I may not know the full context for the song, but her performances are still wonderful.

The songs I do know best show up in two medleys.  Up first is “The Sound of Music Medley.”  As the title implies, there are lots of songs from one of the best known musicals here including the title song, “I Have Confidence,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” and “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Every Mountain.”  Even though the track clocks in at over 7 minutes, not all of each song is here, but the arrangement spends plenty of time on each song, and it’s easy to sing along.  As an added bonus, there’s a kid’s choir helping with “Do Re Mi” and another choir backing her on “Climb Every Mountain.”

The other big medley, clocking in at eight and a half minutes, is “A Doll Sings the Guys.”  I don’t know all the songs here, but there are some big ones that stand to me are “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” from Oklahoma, and “Get Me to the Church on Time” from My Fair Lady.  This track more than any other shows off Sandi’s acting ability as she really gets into each character she’s portraying.  It brings an extra smile to my face.

There’s one more medley, “Swingin’ Love Medley.”  As the title suggests, the song has a fun big band/swing feel to it as it celebrates love.  There are only three songs in this track, including "I Just Found out about Love," This Can't be Love," and "Our Love is Here to Stay."

The other seven tracks are all individual songs.  They range from the slower “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” to the more energetic “All of Me.”  I would say the songs tend toward the slower side of things, but they are interesting in their own right.

One highlight is “Smile.”  I’ve got to say I expected it to be a preppy upbeat number, but I do love it because of the descriptions as the singer tries to encourage someone who is down to smile.  The orchestra also gets a wonderful bridge here.

On the other end of the emotional spectrum is “Send in the Clowns.”  Sandi gives this one everything she’s got, and the result is heart breaking as she sings from the point of view of someone who has missed her life focusing on career over people.  The melody is haunting, which really helps draw you into the song.

Closing out the disc is the encouraging “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”  Sandi’s voice soars over the orchestra and the background choir.  It is soul stirring and makes me feel like I can face anything.  When I’m doing listening to it, I’m ready to stand up and cheer.

The booklet that comes with the CD talks a little bit about each song – either the history of the song or why Sandi chose to include it.  Since I know so few of these songs, it helps give me a context for them and I appreciate them much more as a result.

Not only is this a little bit different in Sandi’s career, but it’s something different in my collection.  It’s a great change; Broadway Stories will be enjoyed for a long time to come.

CD Length: 49:23

Tracks:

1. Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man

2. Smile

3. Swingin’ Love Medley

4. The Sound of Music Medley

5. The Man I Love

6. All of Me

7. A Doll Sings the Guys

8. Send in the Clowns

9. Love is Only Love

10. You’ll Never Walk Alone

Music Review: Fiddle on the Roof Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great recordings of some classic songs

Cons: Maria Karnilova's voice; some missing songs

The Bottom Line:
So many great songs

My minor complaints aside

A classic soundtrack




This Soundtrack is Not as Shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof

I got to see a production of Fiddler on the Roof this weekend.  I’d forgotten just how good the musical is.  It also inspired me to pull out my Original Cast Soundtrack again.

Now, I bought this particular CD back in the late 90’s when I was in the play.  I listened to the songs I was part of quite a bit so that I could learn them.  Granted, I was only in the chorus, but that still meant I was listening to quite a bit.  Now, I listen to the entire thing and enjoy it just as much.

One thing to note about the soundtrack is the use of stereo.  I’m sure in the 60’s it was extra special since it was new technology.  Even now it’s fun.  For example, on the first track, the different groups that sing do so in different speakers.  It almost makes you feel like you are seeing it on stage.  That also shows up on group numbers like “Sunrise, Sunset” and “The Rumor” as well as the duet “Now I Have Everything.”  The songs that are solos play in both speakers equally.

If you aren’t familiar with the play, it follows the story of Tevye, a Russian Jew around 1905.  As the play opens, he and the villagers fill you in on their lives and the “Traditions” they follow.  The rest of the play sees their traditions and their way of life fall apart as Tevye’s three oldest daughters don’t wait for the matchmaker to find them a match but fall in love on their own and even dance with men.  This plays out against the Communist revolution and the Jews being driven from their homes.

The first act is fairly light, and that’s reflected in some of the songs.  The daughters sing the fun “Matchmaker” as they dream of their future husbands, until the eldest wakes to up to the potential bad husbands they might get stuck with.  “To Life” is a show stopper that finds the men celebrating and dancing in the local bar.  It’s in the second act that things get much more serious, as reflected in “Far From the Home I Love,” which the second daughter sing as she leaves home to join her fiancée in Siberia.  Then there’s “Anatevka,” which the village sings as they learn they much leave in three days.

Naturally, those later songs are slower than the fun earlier numbers, although the tempo changes regularly overall and keeps things interesting.

Zero Mostel originated the role of Tevye, a part he revived many times in his career.  It’s easy to see why he became so famous for it after listening to this disc.  Tevye’s famous solo “If I Were a Rich Man” is absolutely wonderful.  And he brings such life to his monologs in “Tradition” and his part in the group number “To Life” while showing his emotions in “Sunrise, Sunset.”

Unfortunately, I can’t quite say the same for Maria Karnilova, who plays his wife Golde.  She’s got a voice that tends to squeak some.  While it works great for the comic moments of “Do You Love Me?” and “The Dream,” it doesn’t work quite so well for “Sabbath Prayer.”

In between these two extremes, the rest of the cast is fine.  It might feel slightly dated since this is the 60’s overall, but I still enjoy it.  The cast is accompanied by a full orchestra, including fiddle solos to start and end.  The orchestra never over powers the cast but provides a rich backdrop to their voices.

This particular release included two previously unreleased tracks.  The first is the instrumental “Wedding Dance” which includes the famous bottle dance and some more music they danced to right after that.  Again, this track holds memories for me as I was a bottle dancer when I was in the play.  Sadly, I’ve forgotten most of the dance but not how terrified I was of dropping and breaking a glass bottle during a show.  (I broke several in rehearsal, but never on stage.)

The other never before released song is “The Rumor.”  This short song is the lightest moment from the second act and was cut from the movie.  It finds some news about Tevye and his family getting out and flying around town, but every time it is shared, it changes with comic results.  It’s silly, and I love it.

There are some tracks missing from a complete recording, although I don’t know if these are available anywhere.  Tevye’s internal monologs as his daughters ask for permission to marry the men they’ve fallen in love with are usually never listed as songs, but he does sing.  The bigger omission to me is “Chavaleh (Little Bird),” which is maybe a good thing since it’s so heartbreaking it would probably make me cry every time I listened to it.

My issues with this soundtrack are minor.  While I’ve kept my eyes open, I’ve never seen another one I thought would be better than this one.  It’s got several classic songs and many of the tracks are fun even outside the play.  The Original Cast Soundtrack of Fiddler on the Roof belongs in any serious soundtrack collection.

CD Length: 49:47

Tracks:

1. Prologue: Tradition

2. Matchmaker

3. If I Were a Rich Man

4. Sabbath Prayer

5. To Life

6. Miracle of Miracles

7. The Dream

8.Sunrise, Sunset

9. Wedding Dance

10. Now I Have Everything

11. Do You Love Me?

12. The rumor

13. Far From the Home I Love

14. Anatevka

Music Review: Snoopy - the Musical - 1983 London Cast

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Most of the tracks are lots of fun

Cons: A few are overly sad.

The Bottom Line:
More Peanuts music

Most of these songs are so fun

Must for fans of strip




Lesser Known but Still a Fun Soundtrack

If you ask someone to name a musical based on the comic strip Peanuts, you'll immediately hear about You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  But there was a follow up called Snoopy: The Musical.  While not quite as good as the first one, there are still lots of fun songs here.

I have never seen the actual play, but only because I've never had a chance.  I did see the hour long animated version they made in the 80's, and this one follows the format of the original.  Basically, this is a day in the life kind of play where each scene is something different and doesn't really tell one complete story.  The songs reflect this, and each one stands on its own.  That makes the soundtrack very accessible to anyone.

As far as I can tell, there are two recordings of the soundtrack.  There is one from a San Francisco cast, but it doesn't appear to be complete.  I've also heard that the voices are annoying, but since I haven't listened to it, I can't comment.  Based on that information, I bought this disc, the Original London Cast.  I was worried that the British accents might bother me since these are supposed to be the Peanuts kids, but honestly I don't notice it at all except a couple of times when the characters are talking.

Ironically enough since this is named Snoopy: The Musical, most of the songs about Snoopy or that he sings aren't really my favorites.  For example, the first song, "The World According to Snoopy" is okay but pretty much only because it is the intro.  "Snoopy's Song" isn't much better as he complains about his life.

I love Peanuts, so I realize there has always been an undercurrent of sadness to the strip.  However, a couple of Snoopy's songs go far beyond that.  "Mother's Day" is about how Snoopy misses his mom and how he'd love to be back with her.  There are all kinds of things that are supposed to be funny in here about how Snoopy knows how much his mom loved him because she made sure he got picked by a family before his brothers.  Sorry, but I don't find it that funny.  Likewise, his longing to return to "Daisy Hill" because his life was better there doesn't resonate well with me.

On the other hand, some of his other songs are pretty good.  "The Big Bow-Wow" is a fun showstopper about how he's going to be the most famous dog.  It has lots of references to other famous dogs, too.  But my favorite of his songs is "The Great Writer."  I've always loved Snoopy's failed writing career, and this is a classic bad story as he sets out to write a novel that makes absolutely no sense.  He even thinks hard over his opening line before arriving at "It was a dark and stormy night."  This song has lots of talking/singing for the story, but there is a chorus that Snoopy does sing.

Almost all of the rest of the 20 tracks on this CD are great.  The rest of the cast consists of Charlie Brown and Linus for the guys and Lucy, Sally, and Peppermint Patty on the women's side.  Very few of them get solos, so it's a bit of a surprise that Peppermint patty gets two.  "Hurry Up Face" is about her desire to appear more mature.  But I absolutely love "Poor Sweet Baby."  It's a hauntingly beautiful song she sings to Charlie Brown after he confesses his desire to be married to someone who would comfort him by calling him poor sweet baby.  Charlie Brown's big solo is "Where Did that Little Dog Go?"  Here, he sings about how Snoopy doesn't seem to need him like he did as a puppy.

But my favorite of the rest of the cast solos is "The Vigil."  This song finds Linus waiting very impatiently for The Great Pumpkin to show up in the pumpkin patch.  It's upbeat tempo really gets his impatience across, and I can't help but laugh as he keeps talking himself to waiting longer and longer.

And there are plenty of songs for groups of some kind.  For example, the three ladies sing "I Know Now" about all the wisdom they have learned in their life.  They start out slowly a cappella, but then the orchestra comes in and the tempo picks up.

Then there's "Edgar Allen Poe" which finds the kids worried about having to answer questions about the famous writer in class when they aren't prepared.  Well, Linus is prepared, and you can learn quite a bit about the writer from this song.  It's in a minor key with a very catchy melody.

"Clouds" finds the gang seeing incredible sights in the clouds floating by overhead.  "When Do the Good Things Start?" features the entire cast as they figure out how they will wait for something exciting to happen.  "Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be" features lots of comparisons designed to motivate you to be better.  You've got to listen carefully to all the words in this one.  It's pretty funny.  Finally, "Just One Person" slows things down for the final number about how encouragement from one person can grow.

The accompaniment is pretty standard Broadway here.  We've got an orchestra that plays for almost all of the songs.  There are three instrumental tracks as well.  Most of the group numbers are fairly upbeat but the individual songs fall into the mid-tempo to slower range.  There's enough variety here to keep you interested from start to finish.  What's amazing is the adults manage to have childlike voices without being overly childish and annoying.  They really capture their characters well.

It's a shame that Snoopy: The Musical isn't that well known.  If these songs are any indication, I think I'd really like it.

Cast:

Teddy Kemdner - Snoopy

Zoe Bright - Lucy

Mark Hadfield - Linus

Susie Blake - Sally

Nicky Croydon - Peppermint Patty

Robert Locke - Charlie Brown

Anthony Best - Woodstock (To the best of my knowledge, he doesn't sing here)

CD Length: 58:40

Tracks:

1. Overture

2. The World According to Snoopy

3. Snoopy's Song

4. Woodstock's Theme

5. Hurry Up Face

6. Edgar Allen Poe

7. Mother's Day

8. I Know Now

9. The Vigil

10. Clouds

11. Where Did That Little Dog Go?

12. Dime a Dozen

13. Daisy Hill

14. When Do the Good Things Start?

15. Entr'acte

16. The Great Writer

17. Poor Sweet Baby

18. Don't Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be

19. The Big Bow-Wow

20. Just One Person/Bows

Music Review: Big River - Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Many fun and beautiful songs

Cons: Some weak songs (near the beginning); Country style (if you don't like that)

The Bottom Line: 

Join Huck and Jim on

A musical raft trip down

The Mississippi

Classic Literature Turned Into a Musical with a Country Flavor

Years ago, I saw Big River, a stage musical version of Mark Twain's classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Frankly, I kind of forgot about it until a theater company I love staged a version of it.  As I spent the afternoon tapping my toes to the music, I knew I had to get the original cast soundtrack.  And it was worth it.

Yes, this play was on Broadway, starting in 1985.  In fact, it won 7 Tony awards that year.  However, this is not your typical Broadway musical, as you see as soon as the "Overture" starts.  The first instrument you hear is harmonica.  Throw in a fiddle and a banjo, and you've definitely got a Country infused musical.  Yes, there are other, traditional instruments here, but those are the three you'll notice the most.  Given the original setting for the story, the 1840's South, the music fits the story so well.  I can't imagine anything else.  Granted, it helps that Roger Miller wrote all the songs, and he is best known for his Country music.  Really, it's a perfect match.

The story of the musical follows the book pretty closely, so that means we start off in St. Petersburg where Huck is attempting to fit into his new life as a respectable citizen.  That struggle (as well as Twain's thoughts on organized religion) are captured in "Do Ya Wanna Go to Heaven?"  It actually starts out with organ and is a very drum heavy march.

Things turn fun with "The Boys."  This is Tom Sawyer's gang singing about the trouble they will get into with a life of crime.  The harmonica is back, and the lyrics are pretty funny despite the fact that they are singing of a life of crime.  I can't help but smile as I listen to it.

The same can't be said for "Guv'ment."  Now I'm not going to fault the singer, John Goodman.  Here's, he's playing Huck's Pap.  I just don't like the lyrics which are basically a drunken rant.  There's some foul language here (which doesn't bother me as much when it pops up in other songs).  It's just a very irritating song that I am more than happy to skip over.

Tom is back in "Hand for the Hog," a silly song about how a hog would make a much better pet than a dog.  Frankly, it's a bit too silly and doesn't really feel like it fits with the rest of the play, even when you see it in the play.

Just like the book, the musical really doesn't get going until runaway slave Jim and Huck leave St. Petersburg for their trip down the Mississippi.  And these two get the best songs of the musical, too.  Daniel Jenkins and Ron Richardson absolutely shine in their three duets as these lead characters.  The first is "Muddy Water," sung as they are just starting their trip.  Just as their spirits and hopes are high, this is a fun foot stomper that you'll want to sing along with.

Things are much slower for "River in the Rain," a love ballad to the Mississippi.  Again, you can definitely hear that harmonica.  More than anything, this is Ron's big moment, and he absolutely shines here.

Finally, the pair gets to sing "Worlds Apart."  It's actually a rather melancholy song about how, even though they are becoming friends, their skin color will keep them from ever being really truly connected.

There are some touches of other genres of music in the score.  Spirituals factor heavily into two of the songs.  The first of these is "The Crossing" which Huck and Jim hear as several recaptured slaves cross their paths near the end of the first act.  Meanwhile, when Jim gets captured late in the second act, he sings "Free at Last" which again draws from that genre of music.

For something completely different, there's the jazz feel of the song that conmen the Duke and the King get to sing.  "When the Sun Goes down in the South" has that Dixieland feel.  And the lyrics about how easy people are to fleece are rather fun.  The Duke also sings "The Royal Nonesuch," a very upbeat song that features fiddle and banjo, so it's got more of a country feel to it.  Incentally, the Duke is performed here by Rene Auberjonois, probably best known for Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine of the crazy French chef from The Little Mermaid.

And I can't end this review without commenting on a couple of ballads sung by the character of Mary Jane Wilkes, a character that the conmen try to fleece in the second act.  Okay, so technically, both songs are trios.  "You Oughta Be Here with Me" is a sad song she sings with her sisters as they look at the coffin holding their dead father.  Equally as poignant is "Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go" which she sings with Huck and Jim as Huck is torn between his allegiance to these two characters.  Patti Cohenour performed role on the recording, and she blends so well with her costars.  The harmonies are absolutely outstanding.

As I said earlier, the early songs are rarely that great, but as the play gets going, they truly become memorable.  You'll need to be able to stomach a healthy dose of Country as well.  But I can't imagine better music for this story.  Since the book is so well known, you can pretty much buy and enjoy these songs without having seen the play.  You already have the context for them.

I'm glad that Big River has come back into my life, and I'm glad to have the original cast soundtrack in my collection.  It's sure to bring a smile and tug at your heartstrings.

CD Length: 45:47

Tracks:

1. Overture

2. Do Ya Wanna Go to Heaven

3. The Boys

4. Waitin' for the Light to Shine

5. Guv'ment

6. Hand for the Hog

7. I, Huckleberry, Me

8. Muddy Water

9. The Crossing

10. River in the Rain

11. When the Sun Goes Down in the South

12. Entr'acte

13. The Royal Nonesuch

14. Worlds Apart

15. Arkansas/How Blest We Are

16. You Oughta Be Here with Me

17. Leavin's Not the Only Way to go

18. Waitin' for the Light to Shine (Reprise)

19. Free at Last

20. Muddy Water (Reprise)

Music Review: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown - 1999 Revival Cast Soundtrack

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Funny songs sure to make you laugh if you like Peanuts

Cons: Ilana Levine's voice, "My Blanket and Me"

The Bottom Line:

Updated soundtrack

Classic show gets a new life

Peanuts fans rejoice

My New Philosophy?  You Need This Charlie Brown Soundtrack

In 1999, Charlie Brown finally made it to Broadway.  If I have my history straight, the original production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown was off-Broadway.  Unfortunately, this revival didn't last long after it lost the Tony for Best Musical Revival even though Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for Best Supporting Actress for her star making role as Sally Brown.  Yeah, I know, whatever.  The point is, this show's short life was a real shame because, based on the soundtrack, it must have been a pure delight.

For those not familiar with the musical, it follows a day in the life of Charlie Brown, the main character in Charles Schulz's classic comic strip Peanuts.  There is no real story; each scene tells its own joke.  The same holds true with the songs.  You can listen to this soundtrack without seeing the play and not miss a thing.  In fact, I bet you would still enjoy it even if you didn't know the characters, although knowing them certainly does help.

This production made some changes from the original cast recording.  It uses a small orchestra to flesh out the sound of the music.  It sounds great, too.  They also tweaked the arrangements slightly, giving the entire thing more of a pop feel.  The result is songs that today's music lovers will absolutely enjoy.

They also took out Patty, a character who hadn't been in the strips for years (I'm guessing she was gone by the time Peppermint Patty was introduced in the 70's.) and added the previous mentioned Sally Brown.  Plus they wrote two new songs to give Sally and Schroeder chances to shine.

Schroeder's song is "Beethoven Day."  The majority of the six person cast is actually part of the song as Schroeder sings of his desire for a national holiday to celebrate his hero.  Of course, he does fear that it will become too commercialized, and the other's ideas of newspaper ads and bake sales start to worry him.  It's a fun, upbeat number that is easy to sing along with.

However, arguably my favorite song in the entire musical is "My New Philosophy," the song added for Sally.  In this three minute number, she changes her life philosophy four times, much to the annoyance of Schroeder who seems to think that anything lasting should take some time.  What does he know, right?  There are lots of funny lines here, and the upbeat melody is very catchy.

Of course, the classic songs are here as well.  A favorite from these is "The Kite."  Poor Charlie Brown spends two minutes trying to get his kite to fly.  This is a great example of how they've changed the music for the better.  While it still has a strong piano base, the strings in the background (and wind sound effects) really make things much richer.

The ensemble numbers are some of the best again.  "The Book Report" never fails to make me laugh as Lucy, Charlie Brown, Linus, and Schroeder take very different approaches to writing a book report about Peter Rabbit.  Lucy just recaps the plot, aiming for exactly 100 words.  Schroeder gets sidetracked talking about Robin Hood.  Linus prepares a doctoral level dissertation on the book.  And Charlie Brown?  He puts it off until the last minute, stressing about it the entire time.  (If there is any doubt why I call myself Charlie Brown this should help explain why.)  The four characters go back and forth, so it takes a concentrated listen the first couple of times to fully follow the song.  And they do add the other two characters, Snoopy and Sally, to the background as they go about chasing rabbits.

All six characters sing in "Glee Club Rehearsal."  While Schroeder is trying to get the rest of the cast to practice an a cappella version of "Home on the Range," Linus has taken Lucy's pencil to keep her from telling Sally what Linus called Sally.  And don't worry, Snoopy just hums along.

They actually do a good job of letting Snoopy talk to us without talking to the rest of the cast.  "Snoopy" for example, is a solo as he sings about how great his life is.  It's a nice slow number most of the time.  There is one part where he becomes a vicious jungle creature, and the music ups the dramatic, adding to the humor.

His other song is "Suppertime," the big production number.  This song comes the closest to Snoopy and Charlie Brown interacting as Snoopy gets all excited when his suppertime comes.  But we can just assume those one or two lines actually are just said to us.  The song itself is fun.  The words are minimal, but it's got a great jazz feel complete with sax.  You can almost picture Snoopy doing a soft-shoe routine to it.

And of course, there's the final song.  "Happiness" is a quiet song as the gang sing about the simple things in life that can make someone happy.  It's one of the slower numbers on the disc with plenty of strings.

As much as I love this disc, there are a couple of flaws.  Linus' song, "My Blanket and Me" just doesn't translate well to a soundtrack.  Much of the song is Linus dancing with his blanket.  It just doesn't hold up quite as well as the others to repeated listens.

Then there's Ilana Levine's voice.  She plays Lucy, and tries really hard to capture the character with her voice.  For the most part it works; she certainly sounds like I would picture Lucy sounding.  However, Lucy has the most demanding vocal score of the musical.  And when she has to hit those higher notes, it just becomes too screechy.  You can notice it a little bit on "Schroeder" and "Little Known Facts."  But where she really falls apart is at the end of "The Doctor Is In."  Granted, I have yet to hear someone not struggle for those notes at the end, but the effort here is cringe worthy.

A definite bonus to this version of the soundtrack is the booklet that comes with the CD.  It's got a complete credits list, a bit of background on this version of the musical, photos of the cast in character, and then all the words, including who is saying them.  That really does help on a couple of songs when the characters are talking or singing over each other.

I have always loved Peanuts, so I can't help but love You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.  For my money, the 1999 Revival Cast recording is the version of the soundtrack to get.  You'll find some new laughs and contemporary arrangements of all your old favorites.  What's not to love?

Cast:

Anthony Rapp - Charlie Brown

Roger Bart - Snoopy

Ilana Levine - Lucy

B. D. Wong - Linus

Stanley Wayne Mathis - Schroeder

Kristin Chenoweth - Sally Brown

CD Length: 47:18

Tracks:

1. Opening/You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

2. Schroeder

3. Snoopy

4. My Blanket and Me

5. The Kite

6. The Doctor Is In

7. Beethoven Day

8. The Book Report

9. My New Philosophy

10. T-E-A-M (The Baseball Game)

11. Glee Club Rehearsal

12. Little Known Facts

13. Suppertime

14. Happiness

15. Bows

Music Review: Annie - Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Many great songs no matter who sings them

Cons: A bit dated arrangements

The Bottom Line:

It's Annie's first cast

Singing now familiar songs

Get stuck in your head

Soundtrack to be Enjoyed Tomorrow – and Today

Judge me as you will, but I really do enjoy the musical Annie.  So somewhere along the way, I bought the original Broadway cast recording to supplement the 1999 TV movie version I usually listen to.  I don’t drag it out that often, but when I do I enjoy it.

The soundtrack includes all the classic songs we associate with the musical.  It opens with “Maybe,” in which Annie sings her dream of her parents.  There’s her other solo, the famous song “Tomorrow.”  And all the orphans join her to sing about their life in “It’s a Hard-Knock Life.”  Moving over to the villains, we’ve got Miss Hannigan’s lament “Little Girls” and the song she sings with her brother and his girlfriend, “Easy Street.”

Of course, as we’re going through the familiar songs, there are some differences.  The other orphans actually join Annie in the final two lines of “Maybe,” something that caught me off guard the first time I heard it.  The version of “Easy Street” here leaves out much of the talking that takes place during the song when performed on stage, and I miss it.

But the biggest change comes in “I Don’t Need Anything but You.”  This duet between Daddy Warbucks and Annie includes two extra verses I’ve heard no where else.  And since I love the song, I enjoy hearing those verses.  Those kind of changes happen as a show goes through its first initial production (I’ve noticed it on other soundtracks I have), but I wish they hadn’t chopped them.

Both movies versions have cut out some songs that really help anchor the piece in the 30’s, and those songs are here.  Early in the musical, we get “We’d Like to Thank you Herbert Hoover,” a song as known as “Hooverville,” at least in the two productions I’ve seen recently.  This song is the rantings of the poor who are just struggling to get by during the Great Depression.  Also falling into this category is “A New Deal for Christmas.”  Frankly, while I get the attempts to tie things into history (FDR is a character after all), I don’t feel this song works with the rest of the play.

There is only one reprise on this disc, and that’s the reprise of “Tomorrow” as sung by Annie, FDR, and members of his cabinet in the second act.  Frankly, I find this version of the song hilarious, and I’m thrilled to have it here.

The music is dated.  Part of that is on purpose as the composer was trying to capture the popular music of the 30’s for the songs.  That part actually works well and creates some of the most memorable numbers here from the jazzy “Easy Street” to the toe tapping “You’re Never Fully Dressed without a Smile” or the Charleston inspired “I Don’t Need Anything but You.”

However, another part of it doesn’t work.  The arrangements, including the vocals, feel like old Broadway soundtracks.  Even though this is from the 70’s, there’s a certainly feel to it that gives it away.  I find that puts me off a bit when I’m listening to it.  And the horn section is very front and center on this disc, too.

When I got this disc, it came with some bonus tracks.  There’s the first public performance of “Tomorrow,” but the real gems are the songs that were originally written and then cut from the musical.  We even get a description of the original opening.  And who would have guessed the Miss Hannigan’s original name was Miss Asthma?  Anyway, it is easy to see why these songs were cut.  You can see how the ideas behind some of them, like “Apples,” turned into other songs (in this came “We’d Like to Thank you Herbert Hoover.”)  Others, like the song written for the fake "Parents" to sing as they try to claim Annie, just would have slowed things down.  Of these, the most interesting one is “Just You Wait.”  Written for Miss Asthma, the tune was saved, but the lyrics were changed to “Little Girls.”  Again, the musical is better for it.

Of course, one danger from this soundtrack is getting the songs stuck in your head for days.  And it’s always something like “Hard Knock Life” or “Little Girls” and never “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”

No, the original Broadway cast version of Annie is not my first choice when it comes to this musical’s soundtrack.  But when I want to hear those songs I am missing, I do enjoy hearing the entire show here.

CD Length: 1 Hour

Tracks:

1. Overture

2. Maybe

3. It's the Hard-Knock Life

4. Tomorrow

5. We'd Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover

6. Little Girls

7. I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here

8. N.Y.C.

9. Easy Street

10. You Won't be an Orphan for Long

11. You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

12. Tomorrow (Reprise)

13. Something was Missing

14. I Don't Need Anything but You

15. Annie

16. A New Deal for Christmas

Bonus Tracks:

17. Introductory Remarks

18. Apples

19. Lead-in and Song: We Got Annie

20. & 21. Lead-in and Song: Just Wait

22. & 23. Lead-in and Song: That's the Way It goes

24. & 25. Lead-in and Song: Parents

26. Lead-in and Song: I've Never Been so Happy

27. Tomorrow (First Public Performance) 

Music Review: VeggieTunes 4 by VeggieTales

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: "Hope's Song"
Cons: Most songs too short and not that good out of context
The Bottom Line:
Most songs are too short

And not fun out of context

"Hope's Song" is worth it

Most of These Songs Don't Work Outside the DVD

It used to be that after every few DVD's, VeggieTales would release a CD with songs from those episodes.  They stopped not too long after VeggieTunes 4 came out.  And it might give us an idea why.

This CD contains songs from The Ballad of Little Joe, A Snoodle's Tale, and An Easter Carol.  I got it for one particular song, and I'm glad I have it.  But it's not something I would sit down and listen to all the way through.

The Ballad of Little Joe recasts the story of Joseph from the Bible in an old Western setting.  As you can imagine, the songs from that story are very country.  You've got the French Peas singing "Happy Ki-Yi Birthday," or the ballads as Joe shares his "Dream of a Dozen Cactus."  I really like the feel of the "Oh Little Joe" songs (they've got three reprises).  They use an old timey piano sound that makes it feel like the soundtrack to a silent movie.  Surprisingly, they don't include the silly song from this DVD ("Belly Button" in case you are keeping track).  None of these songs are over 1:10.  And while there is a bit of humor to them, they just aren't as fun outside of the context of the story.

A Snoodle's Tale didn't have too many songs, so it doesn't take up too much time on the disc.  The only Silly Song is from this episode.  "Sports Utility Vehicle" mocks all of us who drive SUV's around town.  Yes, there are some pretty funny jabs, but I doubt that pre-school kids, the intended audience, will get them.  The other two songs are "I Want to Dance" and the reprise.  And frankly, again, the songs don't work that well outside the story.  Although the soaring melody of the first one and the disco reprise make them a little more fun.

The songs that actually do work are the ones from An Easter Carol.  "Another Easter Day" starts with some beautiful instrumentals before the singing vegetables come in and introduce the setting.  It feels like the opening number of a musical.  "113 Years Ago" is filled with lots of story points.  It starts out rather simple with piano at the forefront, but the orchestra takes over as the drama amps up near the end.  For pure fun, "You Didn't Listen Ebenezer," the vision Nezzer has about the upcoming visit to set him straight, is filled with lines that make me laugh.  "Boids" is mostly talking with percussion behind the characters.  It reminds me of the opening song from The Music Man.

But the song I bought the disc for is "Hope's Song."  As far as I know, this is the only place to get the original recording as sung by Rebecca St. James, who voiced the character who sang the song in that video.  There's no talking, just Rebecca's great vocals backed by a beautiful orchestra.  It's a powerful song with a simple Gospel message in it.  And it was worth getting the disc so I could have the song.

Of course, the disc starts with the VeggieTales theme song, which I had elsewhere.  It does end with a slightly different version of the "What We Have Learned" song.  This time, it's the Western version from the end of the Little Joe episode.

Even though there are 19 tracks, it's less than 32 minutes long.  That's because so many of the tracks are really brief.

And I guess it's those short tracks that irritate me so much here.  I'm just beginning to get into the song, and then it's over.  Of course, I'm not the target audience, and kids might enjoy it more than I do.

So maybe it was a good thing that they stopped the VeggieTunes series after volume 4 came out.  Outside of "Hope's Song," I know it won't get much play in my CD players.