Initial opinions on RENT soundtrack- Page 7

[ashley0139]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:30pm

Ok, the Idina o-card is the picture that is the wallpaper on the RENT blog, with a little RENT thing in the lower right corner. I can't scan mine otherwise I would. Here is the picture, it's really big.

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/rent/downloads/maureen/maureen_wallpaper_800x600.html

[Marlene]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:37pm

I appreciate it ashley. I was hoping for new images.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:44pm

"I always wondered why there was the Life Support meeting was going on at like 11pm on a holiday."

Actually, many support meetings like AA have round the clock meetings available on holidays -- which are days when people often feel most guilty, lonely etc. Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, etc are considered high alert days for people hoping to maintain sobriety.

So it would actually make PERFFECT sense for Angel to be going to a Life Support meeting at 11:00 PM on Christmas Eve.
Updated On: 9/27/05 at 07:44 PM

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:46pm

I just bought mine from the Borders on Michigan Avenue (downtown Chicago). How disappointing... there was no Rosario cover available. One Borders employee asked me "do you mean the musical on stage" when I said "I'm looking for the soundtrack for the film RENT." Another didn't understand why I cared who was on the cover. First I was given Jesse (hate the photograph of him; it's pleasant, but it also makes the character look like he plays with garbage cans). Then when I asked for Rosario, the guy said, "Is this her" and then handed me Wilson. I say "no, that's a different character." Then he says "oh you mean the girl with the long hair" and hands me Idina. I say, "no, that's Idina Menzel" - which makes him give me this funny look like, "Why are you making me search through this pile of CDs." Finally, it became clear that Rosario just wasn't there. I settled for Adam. At least he photographed well.

I haven't listened to the soundtrack on CD yet. But... I looked through the flipbook and am really impressed by the stylized appearance of every scene. The singing on the table (Finale B) and the group singing outside to Roger (Another Day) continues to cause me some consternation, but I can see how it might work.

[MissElphie]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:50pm

I went to 6 different stores in downtown Toronto and none of them had the various characters, all the generic full cast. But I bought it anyway. And so far, I love it. I'm totally falling in love with RENT all over again...even though at no point did I ever seem to LOSE any love for it.

[Marlene]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:51pm

I'm on the verge of running down to tower right now...damn HW.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 7:52pm

I just realized this, no one has mentioned Shaun Earl as the waiter. He sounds almost exactly the same as he did playing Angel, so it through me off for a minute trying to figure out who was actually taking their orders.

Why did they switch "Feeling power" to "Power feeling" in Wilson's part of LVBB? I can't think of a reason why they would do that, especially since it makes more sense the other way around.

Updated On: 9/27/05 at 07:52 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:08pm

What I'm really hoping is that the movie will not have one of what I think is one the biggest flaws of the show...

People meeting each other and falling in love and 3000 things happening in the lapse of 3 hours...I mean, they wouldn't even make it to their house and back, let alone going shopping, lighting candles, going to a meeting, etc..

[TonyaFanatic]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:12pm

well, i got my copy. and i must say that i am rather dissapointed with it. i love rent's music, but i think the new orchestrations are very soft and toned down. everything was okay, but it jus didnt have that bite like it did the first time i heard the OBCR. on an individual basis, everyone did alright.
Taye- good, solid vocals
Idina- i wasnt happy. the thing about idina on Over the moon is this: idina can SING. i jus didnt get that. correct me if im wrong people but tell me when u heard her sing those words u werent jus taken aback by it on the OBCR. i don kno if she was told to tone it down or whatever but it wasnt good for me.
Tracie- a lovely new talent with a beautiful voice. im happy she's apart of this.
Anthony- vocals not as good as the OBCR but than again he's never been Luther Vandross or anything. just as along as his acting is as fresh and ripe as it was when i saw that show than ill be fine.
Jesse- beautiful voice. i really like his songs. all of them.
Wilson- nice, but once again i dont think T4U has that bite that it had. he's still got it though.
Rosario- lovely, little wispy voice. i could tell she wanted the acting be more a standout than her voice, which is fine because ive found that the MIMIs who belt like a mutha are usaually lacking in their choices and stuff.
Adam- i jus love his voice. i cant wait to see One song glory on film. i jus might cry.

Overall, i dont like this recording. but people! THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT WILL BE A BAD MOVIE. i loved CHICAGO, but I made it very important not to buy the soundtrack because i really didnt like the way the songs were done. im sure a lot of people feel the same way i do. im still very hopeful of this film because i think it's in the right hands.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:16pm

The thing with "Over the Moon" is that I think we do need to wait to see the film.
She cannot perform it like in the OBC because we must remember that acting for the stage is always bigger. If she did that in the movie, she would just look like she's crazy...

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:17pm

So when do us Amazon buyers get ours?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:21pm

"If she did that in the movie, she would just look like she's crazy... "

Isn't that part of why it's funny?

[TheHumanTorch]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:22pm

I just still don't get why they took down Without You... I know I'm still clinging to the OBCR, but why WHY???

[TinyDancer1202]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:24pm

Hey, Orangeskittles, how did you know that it is Shaun Earl as the waiter? I couldn't find him credited anywhere. He is my absolute favorite Angel, though, so it would be great if he has something to do with the movie.

I'm so friggin' excited for this movie to come out, and this soundtrack has just taken it up a notch. I'm trying not to pass too much judgement right away, because I think a lot of my feelings have to do with the fact that it is just different than what I have been listening to for the last eight years.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:26pm

"If she did that in the movie, she would just look like she's crazy... "

Isn't that part of why it's funny?

No, that performance would just be strange for a film, I'm sure her performance is much more subtle, because they can take advantage of close-ups, etc..

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:28pm

There is a poster on CB that was an extra in a few scenes and he said Shaun Earl he was playing the waiter.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:38pm

You mean that much of the comedy in "Over the Moon" doesn't come from people thinking "Wow, she's NUTS," bewcause I get the impression that many laugh because of that.

Still, I see where some of the "toning down" for film comes into play, but a lot of it seems unnecessary. I think the intensity of some of those moments ("The only way out is up" and the following "A leap of faith") has a purpose, and there is something lacking in the decision to tone that down. It would not have been too much if they took that shot from the audience's perspective...she IS performing this piece on a stage.

[blaxx]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:42pm

I think you should see the movie first. Maybe you'll then know why she sounds like that in the soundtrack.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:43pm

I'm listening to Out Tonight right now, and Rosario's voice sounds so mechanical. She sounds great, but you can definitely tell they did something to her sound, because it sounds like a machine.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:52pm

blaxx, I'm not completely judging before I see it, that would be unfair. And I can actuallly see it working well on film, I just feel that it's very likely the change didn't need to be made. But we'll see.

[Trisky]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:57pm

Given all the attention that Idina's gasping got towards the end of Wicked, I think my ear is now trained to listen for people gasping while they sing and oddly the only person I really hear doing that on this soundtrack is Anthony. I think he *sounds* great, but the little breaths in between lyrics are throwing me off a little.

I think Rosario does a decent job of giving character to her interpretation of songs (especially like that frustration on "I'm illin" in LMC) but her voice is very forgettable and a few times it actually sounds digitized. I found myself missing Daphne's voice more than I thought I would, but I still like Rosario as the choice for Mimi. It's a bit hard to explain, but totally mixed feelings on this one.

Jesse sounds fantastic and most of his choices for recreating these songs are right on the money. His voice is so full of charisma and hard earned experience that it just oozes out of him.

Taye sounds bored. Like, he kind of rolled out of bed and just got it over with, bored. I miss some of his bite in lines like "this is Calcutta."

Tracie and Idina both sound fantastic. As for OTM, there are several parts that I like, but if I could just inter-cut certain lines from the OBC, it would be perfect (like her first "leap of faith").

I've never really had an opinion on Adam and I still don't, other than to notice in the very back of my mind that he sounds more mature and therefore Roger sounds a lot more real (even if it doesn't really sell the "pretty boy front man" line now).

Wilson sounds older and Angel sounds more world weary and less bright, optimistic puppy dog-ish than on the OBC.

I think the ensemble was more haunting on the OBC in Life Support and Will I, but maybe that's because they seem more abrupt on this soundtrack, like it happens very quickly in the film.

Overall, I think it works for the context of film. I keep thinking if there weren't already a recording that existed, I probably would have no issue with this recording, at all. In fact, I appreciate a lot of the additional orchestrations. It's just hard to separate this into its own entity. Still, I can't stop listening. It's been on constant repeat and I find it's just seeping into my mind at the most inappropriate moments. That's what I like about this, it's very listenable and somehow more accessible than the OBC.

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 8:59pm

i really like it. its interesting to hear it faster and more like a rock albulm. But i think its really cool that way. cant wait for the film.

[kas]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 9:01pm

sante fe is my new favorite :) jesse is so charming and cool.

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 9:20pm

I'm really digging the new orchestrations. I like the CD a lot.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 9:39pm

Any reason as to why a few of the lyrics changed?

"we wont be back before its NEW YEARS DAY"<---Christmas Day
"rythm POWER FEELING harmony and heavy competition"<---feeling, power