Henious Cast Recordings- Page 2

[Love4Cheno]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 10:04am

Mamma Mia is the most heinous recording I have ever heard, sound-wise and "talent"-wise. AWFUL.

Whoever did the sound engineering for the BKYLN cd should never work again.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 10:23am

Once on This Island - London
City of Angels - London
Mamma Mia - London
Jesus Christ Superstar - 20th Anniversary
Fiddler on the Roof - London
Flora, the Red Menace - Off Broadway (barely audible at full volume)
Company - Broadway revival

[PleaseChangeMe]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 10:25am

-- Many times more recent, revival cast recordings are appealing because the sound quality is better than recordings made 20 or 30 or more years ago. The OBC recording of HAIR, even on CD, sounded just awful. I love the show but in the past I could barely listen to the CD. (Last year a re-mastered CD was released and the quality is much better.) --

I completely agree. The re-mastered versions of the OBC and OOBC are included in a two-CD set - perfect!

As for worst... Les Mis. It makes me fall asleep everytime. And Company isn't bad, but around 4 minutes into the song, someone goes HORRIBLY flat sustaining 'LOOOOOOOOVE'!

[eslgr8]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 12:53pm

Why oh why is there only ONE recording of Mamma Mia??? I've seen the touring production twice in L.A. The first time was with Dee Hoty in the lead and she absolutely blew me away. So did her replacement whom I saw two years later. You'd think with the caliber of voices in the American version that a Broadway Cast Recording would have been made. My God, they even made a "Newest Cast Recording" of Grease even though the main difference between that one and the "New Cast Recording" was Brook Shields instead of Rosie. When I saw Mamma Mia at the Pantages earlier this year, and they were hawking CDs to the audience, I wanted to shout out "Don't waste your money. It's nothing at all like what we're hearing tonight."
(But I L-O-V-E Footloose and Wicked!!!) Updated On: 12/23/04 at 12:53 PM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 12:57pm

The INTO THE WOODS revival CD is one of my alltime least favorite recordings.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 1:06pm

I think the girl you're referring to is Kathy Dietch or something like that.

Am I one of the only people that thinks FOOTLOOSE is a fine recording? It's not amazing, but there's nothing off about it - it's fine. I don't see the problem with it.

And Matt, I have to agree with you. Even though I think the sound and performers have great sound on the CD, I can't listen to it because of how wretched it was on stage. I vowed never to put myself in the position to hear Molly Ephraim sing again, then I saw her in FIDDLER now knowing she was in it. That's irrelevant - I just relaly really hated the revival.

I also think A CHORUS LINE obc is very dull sounding.

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 2:02pm

OBC Chorus Line- I have the record and I love it, but the CD sounds terrible. On the record, at the beginning of "I Hope I Get It" after "a 5, 6, 7, 8" the music is supposed to be LOUD and sound amazing. The record accomplishes this, the CD does not, and all throughout the CD the dynamics are all screwed around with. So, I love the music, but prefer my LP over the CD.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 2:21pm

Yes, theaterguy2! I noticed that, too, when I first listened to that song. Her voice DEFINITELY cracks. Sure, it's not a big deal, but it's a recording. Do one more take! Then piece them together in editing... that is pretty common.

I noticed that during "(The Legend of) Miss Baltimore Crabs" from HAIRSPRAY, this form of editing is used. I can hear it from the dialogue near the end between Lil' Inez and Velma von Tussle to Velma's final sung line. "No, but you can bow and exalt... BREAK ...'Cause I am Miss Baltimore Crabs!" During that BREAK is where they were pieced together. The quality, volume and tone of Linda Hart's voice is different. This also happens during the beginning of "Without Love" from the dialogue between Link and Tracy to Link's first sung line. "They can stop us from kissing, but they can't stop us from singing... BREAK ...Once I was a selfish fool..." They must have recorded the dialogue separate from the sung lyrics.

[Eponinez.Rain]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 2:31pm

I got the Les Miserables OBC from the library after owning the other three recordings, just to see if it was as bad as people said, and it was WORSE. Way to slaughter a great show, ugh.

I also personally found the London Recording of Into the Woods ghastly. I think it was just Little Red Riding Hood, though, she sounded like she A. had cotton balls stuck up her nose and B. was just stuck up in general and condescending (which doesn't really work for that character). I didn't really listen to the whole thing though (I personally thought the revival recording was much better, but maybe its just me...), so the other OLC performers were probably a lot better and I just didn't get a chance to hear them. Little Red Riding Hood just ruined it for me, though.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 2:38pm

"And Company isn't bad, but around 4 minutes into the song, someone goes HORRIBLY flat sustaining 'LOOOOOOOOVE'!"

You don't know how much I wany to slap whoever that is.
But it stops bothering you after the umpteenth listen.


And the Into the Woods revival recording isn't that bad. It is okay. I just hate all the changes to the score. Hate them.

And Vanessa William's Last Midnight is horrednous.
Due not only to her performance, but also because of the lyric changes.
Why?

[Herbert_Von_Krolock]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 2:46pm

I'll throw in my opinion with The OLC Mamma Mia. Simply awful recording....

[Drew7810]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 3:14pm

Peter Allen's LEGS DIAMOND is just awful!

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 3:38pm

König der Löwen

[maybethistime]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 3:54pm

I forgot- Chicago revival. Ann Reinking just doesn't sound good on it, and she was amazing in Annie, so I know she can sing amazingly.

[magruder]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 3:57pm

I think the story about Ann Reinking on the Chicago recording is that her father or someone close to her passed away the day of the session. Can anyone clarify? I remember some such story at the time. She's not at her best, certainly, but I don't think she's a total loss, as some have stated.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 12/23/04 at 4:15pm

Yes, that's my response to the ITW changes. It really wasn't necessary. Two wolves made the song lose focus, but what bothered me the most was the Last Midnight changes. One of my favorite lyrics:

You're so nice
You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice
I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right...

was replaced.

Oh, and where does Bernadette go flat in Midnight?