Jesus Christ Superstar - the best recording???

[merriwether]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 4:55pm

i was surprised when i went into my cd library yesterday and found that i had no copies of "Jesus Christ Superstar" - i have a live version of the 2001 revival on my itunes and the JCS:Ressurection that the Indigo Girls did, but that's it.

so i am determined to get a cd of JCS before easter. but there are SO MANY, which is the best? i was thinking about picking up the original concept album on LP at Half-Price Books, but what CD version would be a good accompaniment to the record?

searching amazon got me all confused as well:
- original concept
- 1971 broadway
- movie soundtrack
- 20th anniversary recording
- 1997 London studio
- 1996
- 2001 revival

OVERLOAD OF JCS!!!! give me some guidance, point me in a good direction.
Updated On: 4/7/09 at 04:55 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 5:16pm

I like the movie soundtrack with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson. It has the best overall cast IMO.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 5:48pm

How many times are we gonna do this one? You might have wanted to search first. Having said that, the best overall recording in my opinion is the London studio cast recording with Steve Balsamo as Jesus. Zubin Varla is my second favorite Judas (after Tony Vincent) though unfortunatly Janna Ampil as Mary and Alice Cooper as Herod do nothing for me. The recording would be perfect if "Superstar" didn't fade out and "The Crucifixion" didn't have that horrid glitch at the end which for whatever reason has never been fixed. Because of that I usually just listen to the 2000 DVD audio since the actual CD is just highlights. That cast for me is perfect except for Jérôme Pradon as Judas. Yikes. But then we get Tony Vincent as Simon which is almost forgivable. If you can't get the DVD audio then just get the London studio cast recording.

[EVIE]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 6:02pm

My favorite recordings of JCS are not in English. They're the recent Dutch cast CD and the Spanish cast with Sesto and Carrasco. If you only want an English recording, I second the London recording with Balsamo and Varla.

[merriwether]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 6:17pm

jesus CATSNY, im new here - sorry!

but what's the difference between me posting a new thread and me replying to an old thread - either way it puts this topic back on the top page of threads.

sheesh.

[tourboi]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 6:49pm

My vote goes to the London revival recording with Steve Balsamo. The entire cast is top notch, and the orchestrations just shine on that recording. It's my favorite.

[artifact11]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 6:59pm

The original concept album was remastered for cd- forget the lp, it's all you'll need. Throw in the movie version and you'll have it all, including Could We Start Again Please.

Trotting out this thread again is as familiar as asking which singer does the best version of Nobody's Side (answer, Elaine Page).

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 8:18pm

I have to agree with tourboi - The Studio recording is absolutely phenominal and far and away my favorite.

Side note - I was lucky enough to see the revival with max Essen on as Jesus and Shayna Steele on as Mary, of course paired with Tony Vincent as Judas. Talk about a trio.

[txbeachie]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 12:25am

The original concept album is by far the best. The recording quality may not be what we get today, but the passion and the grit of it is wonderful. Not to mention ALW's father plays on it and it has the original Moog synthesizer. My next choice would be the original Bway. Ben Vereen is amazing as Judas!

I don't like the movie version. Ian Gillian is way better than Ted Neely ever was!

I think the modern revivals are too slick.

Too much JCSS geekdom from me!

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 1:14am

Get the Australian Arena recording, perfect!

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 1:18am

For the best orchestrations I would go with the original concept album, for the best jesus I would go with the Steve Balsamo recording.

[Quasi]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 2:40am

I like the Vienna concert cast with Drew Sarich. Its in English too.

[Square Peg2]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 2:47am

1992 Australian recording, no contest.

[Princeton78]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 7:27am

I'm a fan of the studio recording with Paul Nicholas and Claire Moore.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 7:41am

My personal favorite is the very hard to find one the Indigo Girls did with other friends. :) Totally studio and some...non-traditional casting choices. <3

[dgjbear]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 8:13am

This was the music that got me into theatre in 1972! I haven't heard all the versions but my personal favorite is the 1997 London version - Steve Balsamo's voice is amazing (also saw and liked that version a lot). 2nd is the movie version.

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 8:24am

Having over 150 recordings of JCS, I can tell you that there is no perfect recordings. The only one's that come close are the Vienna recording with Drew Sarich as Jesus, and the orginal concept recording with Murray Head.

[LotteTBS138]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 8:59am

I prefer the 20th Anniv with Paul Nicholas, Claire Moore and Keith Burns

[RevolutionaryCostume]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 11:50am

I vote for the Original Concept. . its deliciously dirty.

-Jacob.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 3:31pm

I agree with those who favor the original concept album. The grittiness, rawness, and immediacy of those performances has not been matched. I find most of the modern recordings, though often filled with very talented performers, to be too slick and pop-sounding, clean in a way that I don't think Superstar was ever intended to be. I think it's due to the fact that Ian Gillian and Murray Head were not there to give a performance that had to be recreated eight times a week, but just to wail and rock with an abandon that would terrify somebody doing a long run.

And with iTunes, or whatever computer program you use to play your music, it is extremely easy to insert "Could We Start Again, Please?" from either the movie soundtrack or OBC recording, and then you still have Yvonne Elliman for continuity's sake.

[Weez]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 3:48pm

- 1997 London studio

That's the one I have. I love it. Alice Cooper as King Herod is a bit O_o but Balsamo and Varla are FABULOUS. :3

[EVIE]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 5:18pm

"Having over 150 recordings of JCS..."

WOW!!

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 8:26pm

I'd like to throw in my hat to say that while the '73 film orchestrations (not counting the rock band, which is basically the rhythm tracks from the concept album) are a bit gauzy and "Hollywood", Ted Neeley gives the performance of his life as Jesus.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 9:04pm

Same with Carl Anderson and Judas, IMO.

Glad someone else mentioned the movie soundtrack.