Anyone Listening to the SHREK Cast Recording?- Page 6

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 12:35am

Try refreshing, maybe? I live in California and it's letting me download it. Itunes usually goes by East Coast time.

[Aswatrowinkenbo]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 12:38am

oh yay, closing itunes and reopening the store worked!

[lull89]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 12:42am

Does anyone know if there's going to be anything interesting/worthwhile in the booklet? I'm trying to decide whether I should just go ahead and download or invest in a hard copy.

[Aswatrowinkenbo]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 1:01am

i mainly wanted to download it from itunes since you get a bonus song

[paa_sf]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 1:26am

I just bought it an gave it a listen - what an unimpressive, unoriginal, boring, snoozefest. God Broadway just sucks now. It's nothing like it used to be. Yet another horrid show that the critics choose to support.

[FMills]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 9:59am

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
paa_sf just joined yesterday, in order to trash the Shrek CD. Huh, that's not suspicious at all. LOL.

I too downloaded it, and think it's pretty great. I do miss some of the stuff from Seattle though - the old Dragon number with Kecia, More to the Story (which I'm so glad they recorded!), and the Fairy Tale Characters Line-Up (though I do like their new number too.)

Who I'd Be is still the best song in the show - just glorious and beautiful. Also really like the new finale, which I never saw in Seattle. It's catchy. I wish they had included the dance break in Morning Person, and the puppet break in Travel Song. I understand why they didn't but I had such vivid memories of them, that it feels like a big hiccup when I'm listening to the CD. All in all though, a great listen.

[janice4]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 11:14am

I just ran out and got the cd. I have it on right now. I just love it.

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 3:39pm

Listening to it all the way through, I think I've finally come to a conclusion on my thoughts: it's cute. Nothing more, nothing less. There's a few pretty damn good songs in there, "I Know It's Today", "Freak Flag" and "Who I'd Be" have very high re-listen potential. And "Travel Song" and "Morning Person" are two little earworms that won't keep bugging me.

But I'm still disappointed Dreamworks elected to go the "safe" route with Shrek. This could have been the anti-Disney musical, but instead it's nearly exactly like it, cute and fluffy. Just because you make fun of Disney a couple times doesn't get you off the hook. The faux-pop songs like "I Think I Got You Beat" just makes it more nauseating because you can see them going "well that's what kids are into these days, right?" It needs more of an edge, and straight pop just doesn't do that. It's safe, it's cute. Be satirical! Be witty! Be edgy! Stop being so damn cute! You're SHREK, for god's sake!

I think the nicest thing I can say about it is that I didn't hate it. It isn't bad (it's a better score than Millie for what it's worth), and like I said, I like some of the songs. But they could have done better, and played it way less safe. The edgier, the better.

Oh, and chorus as the dragon? God, what a terrible idea...

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:00pm

Just bought it on iTunes and love it! It's hilarious! I can't wait to see the show. Love the Momma Rose reference in "Story of my Life." Sieber is hilarious. I can't stop cracking up during every song!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:21pm

I bought it today (haven't listened to it yet), but is anyone else very disappointed in the actual packaging of the CD? It reminds me of the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS revival and SWEET CHARITY revival packaging...very cheaply done.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:38pm

You mean it's that cheap, cardboard foldout packaging?

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:43pm

What?! Noo! I was looking forward to the usual big colorful booklet! And I'm surprised! This is one of the bigger names!

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:46pm

Yeah, I was hoping for an actual CD case...

There is a booklet with the lyrics, but it's tucked away on the inside flap of the cardboard foldout...so sad. I honestly expected more from a show of this caliber.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:47pm

That's really a surprise. Decca isn't exactly a small label, either. I guess anything to cut costs.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 3/24/09 at 5:53pm

Urg... I love keeping my plastic cases in pristine condition... Oh well... It's the actual cd that really counts...

[FMills]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 9:21am

Sounds like they went the environmentalist route. Makes sense that this, of all show, would go green. I like plastic CD cases myself, but my planet doesn't. Ah well.

[skb2010]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 11:38am

I like my packaging- my laptop. I do like having a hard copy, but it's cheaper to get it on iTunes.

[HaveToFinishTheHat]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 12:03pm

I don't think cardboard cases are necessarily the cheap route. I bet FMills is correct, and they decided to go for the 'greener' option. (All the cheap CDs that are sold at Walmart etc. are always in plastic cases.) Does the packaging feel flimsy?

[daspazoo]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 12:06pm

Aww...I'm bummed I didn't know that iTunes had a bonus track and I already bought a physical copy! Anyone care to share it with me?

And to whoever asked about the packaging, it also comes with four cute little stickers of Shrek, Lord F, Donkey, and Fiona.
E-mail

[daspazoo]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 12:08pm

*double post*

E-mail

Updated On: 3/25/09 at 12:08 PM

[lull89]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 12:53pm

The bonus track isn't Album Only, you can buy it on its own for 99 cents in the iTunes store.

[daspazoo]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 1:17pm

Oh, thanks Lull!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 1:23pm

I really like this cast recording, but am also VERY disappointed that they cut the dance break out of "Morning Person."

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 3/25/09 at 9:48pm

I just bought the cast recording, having never seen the show before, and I'm really impressed. The songs are very catchy, and some of them are really beautiful-- I don't understand the complaint about the score being 'unmemorable,' since so many songs are stuck in my head after only one listen. It was also definitely worth the money-- only ten dollars? I paid almost three times that for "Aspects of Love," and it only has about three actual songs.

Now, I do have to say, I cringed at several of the more awkward or gross lyrics, but at least all of the lyrics were effective and fit the spirit of the show. I mean, "Side Show" probably has the worst lyrics I've ever heard, but I still enjoy it, and Shrek's lyrics are Sondheim compared to those. My only other major complaint is that a lot of the ensemble actors doing 'character voices' are all doing the same character voice-- high-pitched, nasal, and shrill-- and it kind of grates after awhile, hearing so many of the same type of voice.

[paa_sf]

Posted: 3/26/09 at 12:13pm

Actually, I used to be active on these boards years ago and forgot my login ID, so I had to create a new one. The only reason I rejoined was to find out where the bonus track falls in the show. I assumed it was still in the show and wanted to put it in the correct order. I expected to like this CD a lot, considering I love the Shrek movies. However, the lyrics are trite. The forced rhyme's are completely laughable. The score is nothing unique or special. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, of course, but I think people get excited for anything new, whether it's good or not. I haven't seen the stage show (a friend who is a producer in NYC liked it), but as much as I tried, I do not like this CD at all.

I agree with goldenstate5 - they did play it safe...almost as if they wanted to ensure it as a hit. As far as a comparison with Disney, while I think it is better than that drivel that was AIDA and Tarzan, it doesn't even come close to what was achieved with BATB and TLK.

I know you're all shill paranoid on here, so think what you want.

I will likely make further attempts to like this show, but it's a huge disappointment.