For Cats I think the Broadway cast recording is better than the London cast, but I would actually go with the original Australian cast recording. The show went through a lot of changes over the years and the Australian cast recording preserves those changes. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" is the final duet version of the song with the revised music, different from the jazzy original on the London cast recording and "Growltiger's Last Stand" includes the Italian aria instead of "The Ballad of Billy McCaw" on the London cast recording. Also, the Australian cast recording is the only recording in English to include "The Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles." It's not always easy to find, but you can get it used on Amazon for a good price.
So much about MERRILY changed from the Broadway premiere to its subsequent productions that I would recommend the OBC AND an additional recording. I prefer the 2012 Encores! CD, but that's likely because I saw that cast live...I have and enjoy the 1994 recording as well. But those two are very similar, so you don't need both.
Agreed. The Encores one is a bit more complete and has great new orchestrations by Tunick so that would be my choice. I like the York cast, but the orchestrations are really dinky.
Do you already have the OBCR of Company? It's an essential cast album IMHO. I always thought the 1972 London cast was impossible to find now, has it been reissued on demand or something? Either way, you probably know it's the OBCR with Larry Kert's vocals slotted in instead of Dean's (you can hear an echo of Dean in the background) with only Barcelona and maybe Being Alive being new recordings--the Being Alive is a bonus track on the Company OBCR.
I'm not too familiar with CATS, but for the other three i definitely agree that you should go with the original Broadway casts.
Much as I love the new orchestrations on the Encores! MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, I always find myself going back to the original version. I just like some of the old material better, and the cast is great.
I didn't see the revival of MAN OF LA MANCHA, but for me that recording pales in comparison to the original, which is pretty much perfect. The performances on that album are so good I never miss the unrecorded material included on the other recording at all.
Like EricMontreal said, if you don't have the OBC of COMPANY you've got to get that. One of the best cast recordings ever.
Richard Kiley is phenomenal on the OBC of "Man of La Mancha". The last track on the recording: (Dulcinea (Reprise) / The Impossible Dream (Reprise) / Man of Mancha (Reprise) / The Psalm / Finale) is worth the price of the whole thing alone.
Carlo, if he's offering the London 1972 (not 90s) Company, for free, than just get it. It's super rare and is basically the original, like I said. The way they place Larry Kert over Dean's vocals bugs me--especially on headphone you can hear Dean in the background--but Kert does have a more pleasing Broadway voice, though less of an intense performance. (The Broadway Cast on CD was remastered recently and is MUCH better sounding too--including "fixing" the opening busy signal which originally was in the wrong key.)