My 2014 MISS SAIGON Live Recording Has Dispatched!- Page 5

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 11/30/14 at 9:04pm

"I just listened to it on Spotify and am disappointed by Eva's performance, while technically having a great voice it lacks the emotionality of previous recordings. Also don't like her timing in the songs. After the glowing reviews I expected more."

There's way too much AMERICAN IDOL singing from Eva Noblezada for my taste, which I should have expected given that and other shows like GLEE's popularity. Yes, she can belt her high E's but her head voice and mixing need work. "Paper Dragons" had a vocal line when Kim originally sings the phrase "Paper dragons in the sky" upwards but Eva now takes it down. And the low E in the "Sun and Moon" reprise is missing. I get that that's a super low note that can be difficult for women to sing but I love hearing it.

I'm still cringing at some of the lyrics especially in "I Still Believe" - "In the silence of my secret tears" sounds like something Frank Wildhorn would write.

And "Maybe" has to go. This lady on the recording sounded like she could've been Chris's mother, not his wife.

Plus, I'm not 100% convinced this was a bona fide live recording. Isn't there an altercation after Kim's section in "The Movie in My Mind?" For some reason, it was all instrumental and no bickering/fighting is heard on the CD. I've been told certain "live recordings" are doctored and canned applause was added to make the listener believe it was a live performance. I'm betting some sections of this latest SAIGON recording used that recording technique and engineering.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 3:29pm

I'm still cringing at some of the lyrics especially in "I Still Believe" - "In the silence of my secret tears" sounds like something Frank Wildhorn would write.

You mean Leslie Bricusse, Nan Knighton, Jack Murphy, Don Black or Christopher Hampton? The lyricists for Wildhorn?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/1/14 at 3:33pm

^Thank you.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 12/7/14 at 2:40am

Fine. The Kim alterations in "I Still Believe" have that stench of a number of songs the melodies of which were composed by Frank Wildhorn with lyrics provided by whoemever Wildhorn was collaborating if you really want to split hairs. End result is still the same: "I Still Believe's" new lyrics for Kim are on par with the cheesy awfulness of the lyrics of songs set to Wildhorn's music for his theatrical productions..

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/7/14 at 9:52am

One of my Facebook friends posted a link to the "Theatrical Trailer" on YouTube and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think it used too much of the Dreamland sex as opposed to stuff that actually speaks to the heart of the show.

The orchestrations sound amazing, and whoever's playing the Engineer is sufficiently creepy...and a little wacky.