Hair benefit recording...I'm speechless.- Page 3

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:21am

"Hippie Life" does not fit in with the rest of the show. In a concert setting, perhaps it can slip in there a little more unnoticed in in the current and revised version of the script, it is written to be performed after the curtain call. The song is terrible, the lyrics absolutely heinous, and it's just pointless.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 1:32am

i like it
and i like Eden and harris
singin' it

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:07am

Are you familiar with the OBC?

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:16am

There are some really great songs on this recording, but I think I have to fall in the camp that thinks it doesn't all come together.
Hippie Life, I just despise, along with Harvey's "Air" and (and I know this is unpopular) Hudson's "Easy to Be Hard" I had to skip it, she seemed not to actually understand the lyrics of the song.

That said, I LOVED Pascal's "I Got Life" and Esparza's "Hair"

[JBSinger]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 8:43am

Yes, RustyJusty, it will be in my top 10 for the year, I'm sure. Its just awesome across the board and has been in regular rotation in my CD player since I got it.

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 8:55am

I was in a production of "HAIR" not too long ago and we cut "Hippie Life" as well as "Dead End".

As for the recording, I love it. It's not the OBC at all, but I've learned to appreciate for what it is. And I'm suprised no one's mentioned the "Black Boys/White Boys" trios. Maybe it's just because I'm a huge Kathy Brier fan, but that's one of my favorite songs on the recording.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 9:09am

I think Hippie Life is cut from most productions.

I asked two of the actors to sign the CD insert so far, and they both got quite excited to talk about how much fun the experience was. That was nice to hear.

[showmethetony]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 9:34am

oooooooooooooooooooh THE BED....Where is that??? I miss it on this cd and it seems like the folks performing could have done an awesome job and would have had tons of fun...I would've preferred The Bed over Hippie Life.

I did a production of HAIR in college - probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life...I was 20 and in love with everyone - seriously...It was the tightest cast I have ever been a part of and the score and the content in themselves were pretty demanding. (Yeah for HAIR - it got me to quit smoking - my voice couldn't handle it) I think a lot of people just look at it as a show about hippies, but it was and is so much more than that. I find it to be incredibly powerful and poignant and I think some of the voices on the cd do capture that. I'm bummed I missed the live performance, I heard it was amazing. I had a ticket but couldn't make it in the end due to a work conflict - stupid work!!!

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 9:41am

i love anything featuring the talents of annie golden. FRANK MILLS is a strange number and she brought it off with wit.

[Katecab99]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 10:04am

i LOVE the recording almost as much as i enjoy the OBC. there's just something about an OBC album that never gets replaced in my mind!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 11:01am

"Frank Mills" is the best song on the CD - it's the only song that has any sense of authenticity and meaning to it.

"Black Boys" is also a highlight, but I cannot listen to "White Boys-" it's just obnoxious, especially the shrill, ear piercing "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" in the introduction of the song.

"The Flesh Failures" is okay when Norm Lewis isn't singing it - and I hate the way the chorus sounds when everyone starts singing- it's so flat and uninspired!

[Hoof]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:27pm

Has anyone else been searching on iTunes? I've tried under several search names and am unable to find it.

Pweese help. :0(

[supafreak]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 12:56pm

i'm in the middle on this one. some songs i think are performed wonderfully, others i cannot skip over fast enough. those in the first group are
*Gavin's "Going Down"--i always skipped it on the OBC but he does something special with it here...
*Laura's "Initials"--great concept--love it!
*Raul's "Hair"--how can you comment on perfection?
*Liz's--"Good Morning Starshine"--again, perfection!
*"What a Piece of Work is Man"--love the voices....very smooth.
*Flesh Failures--no, not an ideal rendition, but WOW...what a finale
*Shoshana's "I Believe in Love"--what can this girl NOT do vocally?!
*Julia's "Where Do I Go?"--Jennifer Hudson could take a lesson from Ms. Murney--power ballads are so much more powerful when they're SUNG, not RIFFED.

Those in the "CANT STAND" category

*Jennifer Hudson's "Easy to be Hard."--see above. played it once, skipped it every time since. hate it just as much as i love Gavin's song.

*Black Boys/White Boys

[emo_geek]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 2:34pm

I love hippie life!

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 8/24/05 at 3:07pm

I too love Annie Golden's "Frank Mills." It's perfection. I actually watched the HAIR film this past weekend. I wish that Ms. Golden had more to do vocally in it. So nice to see some great theatre talent in there. I also love that the "White Boys/Black Boys" segment has Laurie Beechman, Nell Carter and Charlaine Woodard in it too.

[ForTheLoveOfLea]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 9:25pm

I just bought this at Barnes and Noble on Friday and it hasn't left my CD player.

Gavin Creel's voice is like butter. I want to lather myself in it.

I love Laura Benanti. . . and Ana Gasteyer.

I was never a fan of Adam Pascal, but I really like him on this recording. Same with Raul.

I hate Harvey, but I love Air. And Jennifer Hudson.

"The Flesh Failures" is one of my favorite songs ever but I definitely prefer the original recording to this one even though I do like Norm Lewis.

I also agree that "Hippie Life" is kinda pointless. Its rather redundant to say you love your hippie life if its your choice to be a hippie.

[Jon]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 10:29pm

I've only heard a few clips from it, but from what I've heard, it sounds as if the singers never bothered to learn the actual melodies of the song correctly. They seem to prefer "riffing", or "making it their own", or just making it up as they go along. It sounds like American Idol on acid.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 11:32pm

i downloaded "hippie life" and i can't stop listening to it. i need to buy this cd as soon as possible. i can't believe i don't own it already.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 8/29/05 at 11:36pm

Great cd except a few notable misses. Shoshana, Eden, and Jai ROdriguez are all a "bit much" on their tracks and try too hard to impress. Hard when compared to Lilias, Norm, Raul, and Julia who all do it with such ease.

[elvenprincess971]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 1:16am

Lol.. Hippie Life pissed me off because it wasn't in the original show... i was like "Where did this come from?" Now its just...okay... lol. I LOVE Shoshana's "I Believe In Love"!!! And Toxic Audio's "Electric Blues" was so awesome. I was kinda disappointed in Sherie's performance though...

[brdwybsnss]

Posted: 8/30/05 at 3:46am

I have to completely disagree with you about Sherie. I think she is glorious perfection on thay song. The flawlessness and ease is actually pretty amazing to me and perfect for the song. Her voice is seamless - I believe those high notes are Es.

Also, I think Hippie Life is really thrilling.