Follies is shipping!- Page 4

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 12:32am

""^Yes! That confused me at first because sometimes people say that someone fell apart and they mean they broke down or that they were crying""

Perhaps they didn't want her to say a** on the recording? Or maybe the Widda Go'man said no to it for the recording.

Did someone say there were changed lyrics in The Young 4's song?

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 12:50am

WHY did i not preorder this?

I'm a doofus.

[jaapjan]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 4:18am

Why oh why do I live in the Netherlands?...it always takes weeks before a cd arrives from the States.
I sooooo want to hear this. Visited the show in September and absolutely adored it !
Thanks for the wonderful reviews... now I want to hear it even more.... patience is a virtue.. well I don't have it

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 6:13am

I should have pre-ordered but thought I'd wait as I was more excited for the Sondheim book, Look I Made a Hat (which I hope ships by this weekend knowing Amazon). Jealous, but pobably will have to wait for Christmas...

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 9:02am

You did not pre-order it because you are involved with Jerry Herman. Simple enough.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 3:23pm

My copy came in the mail today!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 3:28pm

Mine still hasn't come.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 3:30pm

Jordan, don't you live in the city? That's odd. I got mine in North Jersey yesterday.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 3:39pm

Yep

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 3:44pm

Hmmm. You definitely got the shipment email? PS Classics screwed up one of my orders once, and it never came.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 4:27pm

I just got mine and am listening to it. It sounds outstanding and, as aforementioned, I've never heard this score before so I'm very impressed with this being my first listening experience!! What is also impressing is how quickly we actually got a recording! The packaging is great, and the awesome bookley includes all lyrics and spoken dialogue. This might be my favorite for a while...

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 4:32pm

I have it now as well, and it's incredible. There are far too many great things about it to even begin to list. Just having this orchestra so beautifully recorded is enough of a gift, let alone the great vocals from the cast, all the dialogue, etc. Truly stunning.

[SingOutLouise2]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 4:35pm

I got mine today and I live in California. I'm listening to it now.

[Pippin]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 5:09pm

Got mine. Sounds amazing!! the dialogue portions are great, and the packaging is gorgeous!!

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 5:27pm

I just got mine today (I'm in Chicago). I just started the prologue, and the orchestra sounds great so far!

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 8:07pm

Do you think if I order it now it'll get here before the digital release?

[lizabombs]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 8:07pm

Got mine today, too. Sounds great. The orchestra sounds hot, way more alive than the Papermill recording. I could do with less chatter in "Who's That Woman?" but most of it is enjoyable.

I will say, though, and I've noticed this about more recent cast recordings: does it seem like the actors over enunciate, or what? I'm all for good diction, but at times it feels like they are prizing diction over anything else, and too perfect diction (while great in the theatre, so you can understand it on first hearing) makes everything seem too stilted on a recording.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 9:05pm

inlovewithjerryherman:

Considering there are still 12 days until the official release date, I would think if you ordered it through PS now you'd still get it early, if they're shipping the new orders in a timely manner!

[Jackson Upperco]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 9:50pm

First time poster, long time lurker here. I'm 17 years old and I currently live in Orlando, Florida. I love the classics, FOLLIES being one of my favorites. Cole Porter is my favorite composer and I'm not above getting into a heated debate about his work. Because of my age, I may not have all the experiences that most of you do, but I collect recordings and study the things that I'm passionate about. And I like to think that I can hold my own. I have strong opinions and admittedly, have a bit of a bias against some of the newer material being produced, and some of the performers. But I have an open mind, and I love it when something comes along and changes it!

So, I wanted to post my review of the new recording. I got it today and listened to it all in one sitting. I've since gone back and listened to a few tracks. I have not seen this production live, but I've seen the video clips online, and have heard recordings of both the DC and Broadway productions. I also have numerous recordings of past productions, and they, of course, influence my opinion about the newer productions. And I just wanted to post my thoughts.

First of all, going in to the recording I had some preconceived notions based on what I'd heard, seen, and read. They are as follows:
1) Peters is overacting and has trouble singing her songs.
2) Maxwell is the strongest of the four.
3) Paige is talented, but isn't suited for her role.
4) Burstein is overhyped.
5) Raines hardly makes an impression.

The orchestra in the "Prologue" and "Overture" is great. Really beautiful music. The dialogue comes off very well, I thought. Sometimes better than the actual numbers. I wish they'd have gone ahead and recorded the whole show! "Beautiful Girls" is wonderful. Hayes is great! I revere the original production, but this track will probably become my go-to for this song. "Don't Look At Me" is great. They both sound well. Admittedly, Collins is still my favorite Sally. And the original rendition of the song is my favorite. But they both come across well and I am very pleased. "Waiting For The Girls Upstairs" is also well done. Although, I have to be honest and say that I detest the sound of the young counterparts. They have that young, modern Broadway sound that really irks me. Very shrill, common, and something that's always bothered me. Peters sounds great on the recording and all four of them mix very well together! Now, the trio. Let me say this, I love the "pastiche" numbers. They are, with a few exceptions, my favorite songs in the show. From what I've seen and heard, the original has never been topped. "Rain On The Roof" and "Ah, Paris!" are rather forgettable here, but that's okay. "Broadway Baby" has always been the focal point of this trio. And Shutta is unmatched in my mind. I love Ballard and Stritch and will listen to their renditions often, but Shutta is the top. I'd heard good things about Houdyshell and really enjoyed the clip on the PS Classics site. But, I was honestly, disappointed. I felt like she was trying too hard. The mesh-up at the end sounds great, though. Next comes Ben's first solo song-- "The Road You Didn't Take." Raines worked best, in my mind, when he was with others. This rendition didn't do anything for me. Now "In Buddy's Eyes" is a wonderful song any way you slice it, and Peters sings it beautifully and didn't overact, as I feared she might. Again though, she has nothing on Collins. Tough shoes to fill. "Who's That Woman?" comes upon us and at one time in the original production, was the Act One Finale. Great song. And from the video clips of the original production, great choreography too. I'd also heard great things about White but was not impressed by what I'd seen for myself. My mind wasn't changed listening to her rendition of the song. Truthfully, while the original 1971 and 1985 concert recordings of this song are my favorite, there is no one Stella that I hold high above all the others. I suppose it would be McCarty.

On to Disc Two, and "I'm Still Here." Being a MUNSTERS fan, hearing De Carlo sing was a real treat for me. Her rendition has always been my favorite. When I heard of Paige's casting, I was not surprised, but a little disappointed. I have always thought she had a beautiful voice, but never really cared for what I saw of her acting. I'd seen her shouting this number online and was not thrilled with the interpretation. Interesting, yet. But, fitting? Well, she fares better on the recording. And she sings it well-- she's Elaine Paige! But, certainly not the be-all, end-all. Next up is my favorite of all the non-pastiche numbers, "Too Many Mornings." Raines and Peters sound wonderful here. It's a beautiful rendition... but they're not McMartin and Collins. "The Right Girl" is up next. Wonderful orchestrations, great performance. I have to say, I was not impressed with Burstein before I heard this recording, but I'm a total convert. I really enjoyed it. Despite his age, he's a great Buddy. I wish I could say that I enjoyed "One More Kiss" as much. I did not care for Heidi's voice. Young Heidi's was wonderful however. But I still prefer the original. "Could I Leave You?" comes up next. And I was really surprised. The audio and video that I'd come across presented a stronger Phyllis then what I heard here. Her songs were surprisingly soft-spoken. It took some getting used to. It's successful, but not as powerful as I'd anticipated. I think she actually sounds too young here. "Loveland" was orchestrally great, vocally kind of shrill. And then the "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow"/"Love Will See Us Through" I didn't like at all. Again, I didn't like the young counterparts. But "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me-Blues" was great. Burstein is just as good, to my ears, as Nelson. Really enjoyed this track. "Losing My Mind" was vocally superior and not overacted as in that video clip. (That really bothered me.) Love Peters, but I go back to the same thing: I miss Collins. Now, "The Story Of Lucy And Jessie" is one my favorite songs, maybe because it was patterned off of Cole Porter's style of music. I think Maxwell was trying to be really seductive here. It worked. I'd listen to it again. Not sure if it's my favorite rendition though. There's something really thrilling about Smith's version of this number. "Live, Love, Laugh" is the last number. Great orchestrations. Ben's breakdown isn't great, but it's probably the best offically recorded version we have.

Those are my thoughts. Excuse me for rambling, I just felt like sharing. To sum up though, I enjoyed the recording very much. Peters impressed me, and Burstein really impressed me. Maxwell wasn't as high above the others as I thought, she's actually equal to Peters in terms of success here, I think. Raines is fine. Not great. But very well. The supporting players give it their all. They are only okay. Love the Roscoe though. The orchestrations are lovely. And I'm glad to have some of the dialogue. But, I (save for maybe Burstein and the Roscoe), would choose to listen to the original.

Thanks for reading!

[rougeduck]

Posted: 11/17/11 at 9:55pm

Jackson...JACKSON! This is awesome. Welcome. And awesome review.

[tdl83]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 12:49am

Jackson Upperco....welcome!

Your review was superb!!!

What an excellent writer....

Can't wait to hear more from you in the future....


Still, this recording is not complete....and it is not the definitive one to have.

To have everything you need the OBC and the Papermill recordings. Those are memorable.

[Hest882]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 1:13pm

Yes, it's wonderful to see such an articulate young theater fan!

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 3:45pm

To have everything you need the OBC and the Papermill recordings. Those are memorable.

To be fair, you were the producer of the Papermill recording. Prior to this recording, Papermill was my favorite. But the four leads are far more exciting and better on the new 2011 recording, though I do love McKechnie. I'd say they are the two best out of all of the FOLLIES recordings. For me, the OBCR is such an unlistenable travesty. I rarely listen to it; the cuts are just too painful. When I'm in the mood for the OBCR, I listen to the wonderful soundboard audio.

[Kad]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 4:08pm

Papermill is obviously a necessity simply for its inclusion of the cut songs. I also really enjoy Dee Hoty.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 6:14pm

Mine finally arrived. 'Tis a glorious recording.