Um, this is the most well produced Cast Recordings since 'In The Heights'. This is the first and only cast recording that I've actually listened to straight through multiple times a day. It's my new favorite recording.
ETA: Wait, are you talking about those crappy CD's on iTunes or the brilliant new cast recording of the 2009 Hair revival?
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas." -Danmeg's 10 year old son.
Yeah, I've got to say, I think it's an INCREDIBLY well produced recording! I've been listening to it practically nonstop :)
I don't need a life that's normal. That's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay. Something next to normal is what I'd like to try. Close enough to normal to get by.
It's very good, but some of the orchestrations sound a bit too much like an MTI recording of "Hair School Edition", especially on "Manchester, England" and "Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love".
"The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In" is amazing, though.
^ Me and you agree on The Flesh Failures. It might just make me water, just a little.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas." -Danmeg's 10 year old son.
I'm a professional. Whenever something goes wrong on stage, I know how to handle it so no one ever remembers. I flash my %#$&.
"Jayne just sat there while Gina flailed around the stage like an idiot."
The only song that I genuinely don't like is "Yes, I's finished on Y'alls Farmlands".
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas." -Danmeg's 10 year old son.
Picture of the eco-friendly cardboard packaging, like Next to Normal's. From the Hair Twitter.
"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
I have been listening to this new cast album NON-STOP since I got it last week... specifically, the section of songs from "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" to the end. So so so goddamn emotional and beautifully sung.
I am love love loving Gavin Creel's lung-power in "Flesh Failures"... there's a portion of the song he DOES NOT BREATHE (whereas both the OBC and Actor's Fund recordings, Claude stops to inhale).
Plus, it's great to hear the gun-shots in "Ain't Got No (reprise)" and the yip yip yip yip yip yip yippee authentically done.
my favorite thing about this recording is how FREE everyone sounds. Usually, in a cast recording, it's like "we have to have this perfect" but in this it genuinely sounds like they are having a blast recording it.
"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2
I seriously thought I was going to be unable to resist buying this on iTunes even though I much prefer to own physical CDs. Then I listened to the clips on iTunes and was a little surprised to hear how flat it sounds. I'm going to wait til the end of June to buy the disc when it comes out and hope an uncompressed version of the recording sounds more vibrant and dynamic.
I want something as spacious sounding as the Spring Awakening cast recording, which, at least in comparison to the HAIR clips, sounds so much more rock and roll.
I'm curious as to why they didn't go that route? It seems like they're all about the organic approach and whatnot, so why not just record it live? It's cheaper too, right?
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
I can do without the American Idol-ish riffing throughout.
Gone are the days when singers had great voices and didn't need to do vocal acrobatics for a show-off effect.
Just listen to the Original 1968 Broadway Cast Recording and you'll see how great a simple voice can be. Yes, some of the voices were shrill and flat but oh... those songs sounded the way they were supposed to. Not like American Idol anthems.