Bright Star Cast Recording- Page 4

[Jshan05]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:33am

Scarywarhol said: "God, those lyrics are hard to get through. Music still sounds great, as does the talent. "

 

Agreed. While I love the music itself, the lyrics are not so great. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, when a man's gotta do what he's got to." I know bluegrass lyrics are often simple, but these lyrics are redundant and lacking in complexity altogether. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:50am

Double Post

Updated On: 5/5/16 at 11:50 AM

[TFMH18]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:56am

"Agreed. While I love the music itself, the lyrics are not so great. "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, when a man's gotta do what he's got to." I know bluegrass lyrics are often simple, but these lyrics are redundant and lacking in complexity altogether."

I actually think that's exactly the point. You have to look at who is saying these lyrics: it's Jimmy Ray's father, whose entire belief system is antiquated. He's telling his son that he can't pursue love and has to pursue resources simply because, well, uh because he says so. There isn't actually a legitimate reason behind it, and the lyrics are meant to reflect that. 

Updated On: 5/5/16 at 11:56 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:57am

I apologize if this becomes a double post, but something goofy is going on with the order of the posts. I'll delete if it self-corrects:

Scarywarhol said: "God, those lyrics are hard to get through. Music still sounds great, as does the talent."

For me, I think the missing aspect of the lyrics is 'poetry'. As an example, I compare the simple lyrics of Man of Constant Sorrow (from Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?). Just that one, simple phrase, "I am a man of constant sorrow" conjures a deeper emotional message than simply repeating, "please, don't take him", or "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when a man's gotta do what he's got to" over and over. For my tastes, I think the lyrics of this score don't meet the standard of beautifully simple poetry that can be found in many traditional American folk songs and Bluegrass.

Regarding the use of repetition, I was most disappointed in the song, "Please, Don't Take Him". Given the drama of the moment, I found myself thinking, "Honey! Try some new words, 'cause the ones you keep repeating aren't working!" I feel like a mother in this situation might reasonably dig a little deeper in the well...?

I also feel that the use of repetition is too limiting to the story-telling. Do you really want to just stop there? You've said it all? Don't you want to expound, or tell me anything more?

I DO like the use of repetition in, "Another Round". (I mean, I really don't hate the score!)

There's a line where Emily Padgett repeats, "Pour me..., Pour me..." which cleverly sounds like, "Poor me! Poor me!" I wish there was more of that kind of thing. (I don't have a printed copy of the lyrics. Does anyone know if those particular lines are written as, "Poor me"?)

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 12:04pm

Yeah...I'm not really buying that these characters, including writers, know about twenty-five words when they start singing, and none of them really rhyme. I also think a lot of bluegrass artists would not be keen on the idea that their words are all simplistic yokel speak.

 

I like the music a lot, and I though the show was fun in a sweet and completely inoffensive way. I do expect a much higher level of craftsmanship in Broadway lyrics. They can be character-specific, but I don't think that's my complaint here. I agree with John Adams about the lack of "poetry."

Updated On: 5/5/16 at 12:04 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 12:49pm

Wish this was on Spotify!! 

[starcatchers]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 1:12pm

John Adams said: "I apologize if this becomes a double post, but something goofy is going on with the order of the posts. I'll delete if it self-corrects:

Scarywarhol said: "God, those lyrics are hard to get through. Music still sounds great, as does the talent."

For me, I think the missing aspect of the lyrics is 'poetry'. As an example, I compare the simple lyrics of Man of Constant Sorrow (from Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?). Just that one, simple phrase, "I am a man of constant sorrow" conjures a deeper emotional message than simply repeating, "please, don't take him", or "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do when a man's gotta do what he's got to" over and over. For my tastes, I think the lyrics of this score don't meet the standard of beautifully simple poetry that can be found in many traditional American folk songs and Bluegrass.

Regarding the use of repetition, I was most disappointed in the song, "Please, Don't Take Him". Given the drama of the moment, I found myself thinking, "Honey! Try some new words, 'cause the ones you keep repeating aren't working!" I feel like a mother in this situation might reasonably dig a little deeper in the well...?

I also feel that the use of repetition is too limiting to the story-telling. Do you really want to just stop there? You've said it all? Don't you want to expound, or tell me anything more?

I DO like the use of repetition in, "Another Round". (I mean, I really don't hate the score!)

There's a line where Emily Padgett repeats, "Pour me..., Pour me..." which cleverly sounds like, "Poor me! Poor me!" I wish there was more of that kind of thing. (I don't have a printed copy of the lyrics. Does anyone know if those particular lines are written as, "Poor me"?)

 

"

 

The lyric is "Pour me."

I think to discredit the entire score based on the two weaker points of it is a little much. I will agree that "A Man's Gotta Do," despite the redundancy of the whole thing, fits perfectly with the character. 

 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 5:22pm

I recognized that the lyrics weren't the best, but for the most part, they didn't bother me. But just to chime in on the conversation about the characters... Carmen Cusack's and Paul Nolan's characters are introduced as brainy readers, the kind of people who seem like they're about to break away from the restrictions of their small towns. Of course, I don't think he gets to go to college but she does and she becomes the editor at this fancy publication. A.J.'s character is an aspiring writer. Sure, he's green but he wants to be poetic and use big words that people have to look up in the dictionary. And his love interest works at the library. At least for these characters, poor lyric writing is less justified. 

[TFMH18]

Posted: 5/5/16 at 5:27pm

"At least for these characters, poor lyric writing is less justified."

AJ's character literally has a line that goes, "Down, dejected and dubious." That's a pretty "literary" lyric-- consonance and all. As for the repetitive lyrics, when Carmen's young self is pleading for them not to take her baby, it's primal. She isn't coming from a place of intellect. 

I don't really know why I'm defending it. The lyrics are simplistic. I guess for me, it really does not take away from the beauty of the score. 

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/6/16 at 8:30am

Favorite snippets in the score that make me smile:

If You Knew My Story - The whole song. Best song in the score for me. Drew me into the recording immediately. But…. ‘Ya know that little break that begins at ~2:25 (If ‘ya knew my story, you’d have a good story to te-e-e-ell me I’m not alone…), and the upward-moving chord progression on the words “not alone”? Totally grabbed me.

I Can’t Wait - “mmmmm-mah, mmm mah-mah ba-by”

Another Round - That little line where Emily Padgett sings, Pour me…, Pour me…, Pour me… Pour me another round! over the ensemble of men singing the refrain. It sounds like a woman who’s had a rough week at work and really needs to get deeee-RUNK! (Poor me! Poor me! Poor me! Pour me another round!)

Sun Is Gonna Shine - The refrain is a pleasant earworm.

The instrumentation throughout. The best adjective I can think of is “sparkling”. All those little ornaments and counter-melodies from the banjo, mandolin, piano (in the upper octaves), etc. Love ‘em.

Updated On: 5/6/16 at 08:30 AM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 5/6/16 at 9:02am

Finished listening to the album. What a beautiful score. The lyrics are kind of eh but I'm over looking it because of the score and the sheer talent of Carmen Cusack and Paul. Wow. I've decided to see this show in June when I come for orientation.

[brian1973]

Posted: 5/6/16 at 9:32am

The 'Mans gotta do' song is just as terrible on recording as it was in the theatre. That should have been re-written. The rest of it is just gorgeous