Technical Flaws in Cast Albums *complaint thread*

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:13pm

Surely I'm not the only anal retentive cast album fan here. I was listening to CHicago today (the original cast) and there's a weird flaw that drives me crazy and yet is SOOO minor and is on all CD copies it seems I doubt many would notice it--in the first SECOND of When You're goot to Mama, during the first word of the Emcee's speech there's a loud *click* that seems to be a technical error--not a sound from the orchestra (I know some people hate the sound of orchestra music pages being changed but I don't mind that).
Of course there's also the microphone distortion in Now You Know Merrily OBCR when Mary's voice in her solo suddenly has a bit of feedback (this is cleaned up a bit in the remaster but...)--similar to Patti in the Baker's Wife original cast album during Meadowlark (but I know that CD was recorded VERY low budget so we should just be thankful to have it)

Anyone else notice these? Know more?

[misschung]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:17pm

Oh I just noticed that part in Merrily - I never noticed before, but I don't listen to it that often.

I hate that kind of stuff too

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:19pm

I don't really know if this is a "flaw" but I have always had a problem with the way the Wicked Cast album sounds. It is not a good representation of the score as heard on stage. The acting performances come off as totally marked "I hope you're happy" before Defying Gravity is totally monotone.

I was shocked it won the Grammy. Not becuase I dont enjoy the score or the show, but simply becuase I loathe the actual cast recording. Anybody else have this problem?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:19pm

Eric, here's an old threat where maybe you can find out more about people's pet peeves regarding flaws on cast recordings.
Vocal Flubs on Cast Recordings

Posted: 6/3/07 at 7:25pm

Thanks I guess I meant more technical **** ups--like the click in the start of Mama. But I'll check out the thread!

One other though--anyone else find the Mary Poppins album have an odd echo to it??

E

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 8:16pm

The Producers album has a terrible ringing sound in most of its tracks. Put on a pair of good ear phones and you'll hear it. Also, on the same album, you can hear who I think is Mel Brooks, saying something to the effect of "it was funny" when "Old Bavaria" ends. It is right after the last note becomes silent. You hear it immediately after and it clearly was not picked up directly by a microphone as it is very faint. Once again, good earphones will aid in hearing this quirk.

Posted: 6/3/07 at 8:27pm

Yeah earphones can be good and bad when it comes to noticing these--I never heard that click on Chicago till I had earphones where it's very obvious (I actually thought my CD was scratched till I downloaded another copy of the song and it had the same error--yes I'm obssessive)

Ditto the Mary Poppins echoing is much more obvious

[thesinger]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 8:52pm

After "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop" ends, you can hear a distinct vibrating sound that bugs the hell out of me. Very low quality recording.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 6/3/07 at 9:55pm

On the new COMPANY recording, if you listen closely after Bobby says "You ever sorry you got married?" in 'Sorry-Grateful', you can hear either a chair or a stand squeak.

Very annoying after a while.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:59am

On the See What I Wanna See recording, especially the beginning of Coffee I can hear rustling that always annoys me.



Also, does anyone else notice the VERY first sound on the Spring Awakening recording, like a dying chicken is what they're using as the strings in their pit?

[Khashoggi]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 2:48am

Wow. You people are anal.

Posted: 6/4/07 at 6:30am

HAHA that's the point

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 7:00am

On the BKLYN CD, right when Eden starts her vocal run after singing "I can feel it for you" (right after the YOU), it sounds like there's a sudden change in volume with the track. I can't explain it, but I am going to find the exact spot later.

[ggersten]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 7:27am

My Annie CD has a problem in that the voices seem to disappear into the background as if they're only being picked up by a distant microphone during Hard Knock Life.

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 8:15am

Oh, I have so many. The first one that pops into my head is the whole problem with people ending words at different times, and that has been a pretty common thing on the Spring Awakening CD. Especially with the letter 's.'

[misschung]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 8:37am

really? I never noticed SA, I will have to listen for that

[Justin D]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 10:30am

I still cant get over Idina's honk in defying gravity, i always thought it was one of the horns being blown out of tune, but i was told it is one of Idina's "things"

[jpbran]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:23am

This is something I posted on another board (and still haven't gotten the specifics):

"...on the Complete Miss Saigon CD, a tuba or something messes up big time, blurting out an unexpected note. Can't quite remember where either (at work without my iPod). I'll post specifics if I remember later..."

[Jon]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 11:58am

On the original Gypsy cast recording (on vinyl) you can hear a drum stick being dropped during the "small world" section of the overture. It was cleaned up forthe CD.

And, not a "flaw", but just trivia: During "Some People" you will hear the voice of Stephen Sondheim saying the line "You aint geting 88 cents from me, Rose!" They forget to tell the actor playing Rose's dad to be at the recording session.

[broadwaybaby77]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 12:24pm

I just found the moment that kills me from SA.

In "The Guilty Ones", around 2:25 the ensemble sings "huge and dark, all our heartsssssssss..." I love the way the ensemble sounds vocally, but the whole not-getting-the-cutoffs-at-the-same-time thing just makes me snap.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:01pm

The Spring Awakening album in general is pretty sloppy in its production. The cutoffs are horrible throughout, and the producers felt the need to overdo the left and right balances and put the sound mix so far out to each side rather than centralizing them.

Akiva

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:33pm

Honestly, half the time on the Spring Awakening OBCR, it sounds like the cast all have really bad lisps.

[JRybka]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 1:59pm

it is not a technical thing but Ms. Peters note when she sings... "Hearrrrringggggg" in the song UNEXPECTED SONG from Song & Dance

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 3:09pm

Oh, that Peters note on "Unexpected Song" is still shocking. I had the album, and thought it would be fixed on the CD. I cannot believe they didn't find a way to take it down, minimize the warble, or just redo it. Did they walk away from the session and think that's the take we'll use? When one watches the infamous COMPANY recording taping session, the precision afforded umpteen takes (Pamela Myers' "..Hundred People" springs to mind), it's hard to fathom some of the bad notes that get through.

Then there are pitch problems. An old friend was in the original production of PROMISES PROMISES, and she cannot listen to Orbach's performance, it's so flat on most songs. She said it was simply not a fixable problem. People loved him, however. To be fair, I don't recall noticing in performance -- on the album -- especially "She Likes Basketball" -- you do wince.

I also think John C. Gallegher sounds hoarse on SA. Especially on "Don't Do Sadness," though not with dire results.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 6/4/07 at 3:22pm

Edit: this wasn't really a techincal mistake, srry. Updated On: 6/30/07 at 03:22 PM