Best 3-Song Sets

[EugLoven]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:17pm

Original (Off) Broadway (Revival) Cast Albums always seem to have a perfect 3-song set (that play consecutively) somewhere in the middle of the album. Just 3 songs (one right after another) that blend and flow so well together that you can't listen to them any other way. Name some of your favorites.

Additionally, the 3-song set usually includes an incredible roller coaster of emotion and action (usually the climax) of the plot, usually a rise and fall. At least that's the theme of my favorites:

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA
"Aiutami"
"The Light in the Piazza"
"Octect"

PARADE
"Factory Girls/Come Into My Office"
"That's What He Said"
"Leo's Statement"

SWEENEY TODD
"Epiphany"
"A Little Priest"
"God, That's Good"

WICKED
"As Long As You're Mine"
"No Good Deed"
"March of the Witch Hunters"

[OasisBroadway]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:30pm

RENT
Take Me or Leave Me
Seasons of Love B
Without You

Aida
Written in the Stars
I Know the Truth
Elaborate Lives Updated On: 2/1/06 at 05:30 PM

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:31pm

Two major quibbles with your list:

One, Sweeney Todd - the third song with Epiphany and Little Priest is Pretty Women before them, NOT God, That's Good after! Not only is the act break in there, but the three songs at the end of the act are PERFECT.

My other one -- March of the Witch Hunters???? You've GOT to be kidding me.

How about from 1776:
Momma Look Sharp
The Egg
Molasses to Rum

A Chorus Line:
Hello 12, Hello 13
Nothing
Music and the Mirror

Company:
Someone Is Waiting
Another 100 People
Getting Married Today

Follies:
Who's That Woman
I'm Still Here
Too Many Mornings

Follies:
You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through
Buddy's Blues
Losing My Mind

One more (Sondheim naturally) Into the Woods:
Your Fault/Last Midnight
No More
No One is Alone

So many more...so little time...

[EugLoven]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:34pm

Wow, Jason, I'd never have the balls to correct someone's opinion. I stand by mine.

Thank you for your additions. I agree on "Company"
Updated On: 2/1/06 at 05:34 PM

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 5:48pm

You really think March of the Witch Hunters is as good as the other two songs or did you put it in there because you like the other two so much?

As for Sweeney - I've never heard anyone list God, That's Good with the other two -- probably because on every other recording I've heard (other than this newest one) they're on separate cds. In the theater they're separated by 15 minutes of intermission. I've always viewed Pretty Women-Epiphany-A Little Priest as THE classic example of a three song string - the perfect 15 minutes of theater. They flow together, they BELONG together. That's just how I've ALWAYS seen it. And maybe I'm the one willing to say it, but I'll bet a lot of people agree with that.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion -- I'm not sure in this case this IS a matter of opinion. I don't see those songs as you listed them as "flow[ing] so well together that you can't listen to them any other way."

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 8:59pm

SWEENEY REVIVAL:

A Little Priest
God, That's Good
Johanna

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:08pm

Johanna
By the Sea
Not while I'm around
......................
Green Finch&Linett Bird
Ah, Miss
Johanna
......................
Pretty Women
Epiphany
A Little Priest

Okay I could go on forever breaking the Revival Cast Recording into three song sets but I'll stop.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:13pm

haha- Let's just say the whole disk...you can't pick the best when the whole CD is the best.

Updated On: 2/1/06 at 09:13 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:16pm

Didnt we have this exact same thread not too long ago?

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:18pm

wow Jason, hit on every great one, TOTALLY agree on Company(obviously), Chorus Line, and Into the Woods. Adding

*Caroline Or Change*
-Sunday Morning
-Lots Wife
-Salty Teardrops

*Kiss of the Spider Woman*
-Anything for Him
-Kiss of the Spider Woman
-Only in the Movies

*The Color Purple*
-What about love(reprise)
-I'm Here
-The Color Purple(reprise)

*The Wild Party*
-Gin/Wild
-Black is a Moocher
-People Like Us

*Evita*
-On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don't Cry For Me Argentina
-High Flying, Adored
-Rainbow High

[chip08ME]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:38pm

"A Chorus Line:
Hello 12, Hello 13
Nothing
Music and the Mirror"

"Dance 10; Looks 3" comes between "Nothing" and 'The Music and the Mirror"

I do agree with your choices for Company though!

[futurewinnerbud]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:51pm

I was just about to talk about the A Chorus Line quibble... how funny you correct someone snidly and then make a little flib-up yourself... well that's karma for ya

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC
Now
Later
Soon
(I think it counts as three songs though it's listed as one)

GYPSY
If Momma Was Married
All I Need is the Girl
Everything's COming Up Roses

WILD PARTY (LIPPA)
By Now the Room was Moving
Juggernaut
A Wild, Wild Party

CAROUSEL (it's like 3 1/2)
Overture
You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan/Mister Snow
If I Loved You

BARE
Ever After
Spring
One

[jam_man]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:54pm

Sweeney Todd
"Pretty Women"
"Epiphiny"
"A Little Priest" (though "God, That's Good!" is great, too)

Ragtime (even though there is a track inbetween a couple of thesse)
"Your Daddy's Son"
"New Muisic"
"Wheels of a Dream"

A Little Night Music
"Send in the Clowns"
"The Miller's Son"
Finale: Night Waltz

Updated On: 2/1/06 at 09:54 PM

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 9:58pm

NOPE -- on my CD which I have sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME - it says:

5. Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen
6. Nothing
7. The Music and the Mirror

Any doubts:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000254T/sr=1-6/qid=1138848828/ref=pd_bbs_6/103-3711194-9178204?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 10:05pm

It is Nothing, Dance 10 Looks 3, and Music and the Mirror

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 10:16pm

Tick, Tick...BOOM!
Come to Your Senses
Why
Louder Than Words

Into The Woods; Either:
The Last Midnight
No More
No One Is Alone

or

No More
No One Is Alone
Children Will Listen

Pippin
Simple Joys
No Time At All
With You

In Ragtime- Courtship is between Your Daddy's Son and New Music... otherwise I love that set too.

Songs For A New World:
The River Won't Flow
Stars and the Moon
She Cries

Sweeney:
Pretty Women
Epiphany
A Little Priest

[NCGuy]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 10:17pm

I think on the newest CD version, Dance 10 comes before Music and the Mirror, but on the original album (and the older CDs), Dance 10 comes after.

[Overthemoon6]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:03pm

Fantasticks
Try To Remember
Much More
Metaphor

DRS
The Reckoning
Dirty Rotten Number
Finale
*but I also really like Love is My Legs

Wicked
Defying Gravity
I Couldn't Be Happier/THank Goodness
Wicked Witch of the East (yes, I know this isn't on the OBCR, but I really love the song)

Spelling Bee
I Speak Six Languages
The I Love You Song
Woe is Me Reprise

[futurewinnerbud]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:27pm

I've been in the show twice... it goes

Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love 1
Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love 2: Mother
Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love 3: Nothing
Hello 12, Hello 13, Hello Love 4: Gimmie the Ball
Dance 10 Looks 3
Music and the Mirror


again that's karma telling you to not be so cocky...

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/1/06 at 11:46pm

ALNM:

Now
Later
Soon

City of Angels:
Tennis Song
Ev'rybody's Gotta Be Somewhere
Lost and Found

Ragtime:
Prologue
Goodbye My Love
Jounrey On

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 8:02am

Once again -- the original post is talking SPECIFICALLY about CDs and three tracks that play in order. On my CD, as evidenced by the amazon link, my order was correct. Maybe the original CD was out of order from the way the show was done in the theater. That isn't the point. When I listen to my CD of A Chorus Line, the order I listed the songs in IS the order that I hear them BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT'S ON MY CD, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one on here who has a CD from before the re-release. I am NOT wrong in this.

I stand by every word I have posted on this thread.
I've also noticed (since I'm in a particularly cantakerous mood):
1) no defense of the March of the Witch Hunters (so I assume I'm right about that)
2) everyone else who has posted on here has agreed with me that Pretty Women belongs in the trio, not "God, That's Good" because as a matter of FLOW, the former is the song that belongs, not the latter. (I also want to make it clear that I think the entire SHOW is genius - I'm not putting down the song, just that it doesn't fit with the other two in the way we're talking about here).

Let the flames fly fast and furious.

Posted: 2/2/06 at 8:13am

Promise
Once Upon A Time
Cross

-- Bare

THis is probably my favorite three block combo.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 8:16am

How old are you exactly? Anyway?
Overthemoon I agree with the Wicked Witch of The East Thing

BARE
Ever After
Spring
One

AIDA
Written in the Stars
I Know the Truth
Elaborate Lives
(I would like to find a recording w/o Pascal though)

[jasonf]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 11:24am

Is that at me how old am I? I'm 28. And grumpy today.

So sue me.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 2/2/06 at 3:13pm

Regarding what you think are poor choices of mine:

Yes, I'm standing by both my favorite 3-song sets for Sweeney and Wicked.

I chose them because I love the way they make me feel. Sure, Pretty Women flows better and March of the Witch Hunters doesn't have the best musicality. But when I (key word there is "I") listen to the 3-song set together, I like the way they make me feel. This was a personal favorites thread. Not a correct everyone's opinion thread.

And I've said it before but I'm a huge sucker for large, loudly orchestrated ensemble numbers. Hence my song choices. And I'm going on 21 years old.

Everyone, have a nice day. Seriously.