Kinky Boots OBCR -- EW First Listen

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:17am

http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/05/20/kinky-boots-original-cast-recording/

I will share my thoughts later on... Interested in hearing what everyone else thinks.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:19am

It's my favorite cast recording in a long time.

[wicked4l]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:29am

Having seen the show many times, the recording is growing on me. I feel that it is VERY pop-radio aimed, is it just me? Disappointed that they cut the dance breaks in Sex is in the Heel and Everybody Say Yeah. I know a lot of shows do that, but the recording only has 15 tracks, 2 of which don't even deserve separate tracks (Charlie's Soliloquy and Reprise), so It would have been nice if they could have kept the extra minute or two. Everyone sounds great, I don't want to say auto tuned but it has that feel at some points. I'm not my father's son sounds the best in my opinion because it is so simple musically. The beautiful orchestrations sound thin. But I love the score and hope it takes home the Tony! Still my soundtrack for the summer!

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:30am

I listened to all three tracks...
Thanks for saving me money on both the CD and the ticket.

Will pass on both. Kinky Boots isn't for me.
Everyone else...enjoy it.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:35am

When I saw one of the first previews I couldn't wait for a recording of "The Most Beautiful Thing" to come out. The visuals of young Lola during that song are priceless.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:52am

I don't really care for it either. I commend Cyndi Lauper for writing a Broadway score, but it just isn't for me. The only song I really liked was Annaleigh Ashford's. I hope Entertainment Weekly continues to make these first listens a regular thing!

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:54am

^I hope so, too! If they keep it up, we would get Pippin in a week.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:59am

Maddie, don't tease!! Lol.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:06pm

I'm sure this is missing something without seeing the show's visuals and story presented, but this album is doing nothing for me to make me want to see it. The music seem unconnected from the emotional lives of the characters (or at least what I imagine they are supposed to be, maybe I'm giving it too much credit.) Vague, very catchy pop music.

Also, seriously: the accents. "The History of Wrong Guys" made me cringe; almost JEKYLL-worthy mangling there.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:14pm

This is the best cast recording of a pop score in recent years. Walks the line beautifully between musical theatre recording and pop album.

[joe5]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:31pm

Thanks for sharing the link ; After a few listenings and being a huge Lauper fan . I find the music and lyric's not very good . And left zero interest in seeing.

Everybody say Yeah ! I say Nah !

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:33pm

jnb, the accents during the singing were pretty much out, but in the scenes, they're relatively consistent.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:39pm

Not sure what you mean by "pretty much out," whether you meant not-present (certainly not the case with that song but I could see that with others and that's a fairly common phenomenon in pop music where European singers use larger, rounder American vowels when singing) or inconsistent, but there were parts of that where I thought she sounded like Shakira. I don't think anyone in KINKY BOOTS is Colombian...

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:48pm

Oh sorry, I wasn't specific enough: I just meant generally, the dialect seemed to be less present in the songs. In terms of Ashford's, once she starts the song, I don't even know where she was from anymore, but she sold it damn well for me!

[Ejm105989]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 1:11pm

Can't wait. Already pre-ordered the soundtrack.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 1:37pm

I love me some Annaleigh Ashford, but that recording of History of Wrong Guys sounds like it should be on the cast album of The Wedding Singer. Not a fan.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 2:16pm

>> "I feel that it is VERY pop-radio aimed, is it just me?"

Nope. I'm ridin' that train, too.

I have such mixed feelings about the score. I can't really see it or hear it as a "score". With the exception of the "club" numbers, all the songs are so very Lauper from the 80s.

Listening to just this recording alone, it's extremely hard to reconcile the score's time and place with that of the book. It's definitely very "American" sounding (with a very heavy Lauper stamp). I hear rhythms and musical themes of "the Who", "Devo" and Lauper.

...and is that really A BANJO I hear in "Take What You Got"? How veddy, veddy Northampton "British"...

Still, many of the songs are catchy and fun. "Hold Me In Your Heart" is a lovely showpiece for Billy Porter. They just don't create a 'score" when compiled. Updated On: 5/20/13 at 02:16 PM

[thommg]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 2:19pm

Put me in the "can't wait to see this" group. I really like this score and can't wait to see it staged. This is one of a few cast recordings I'm looking forward to owning this season. Cinderella & the new Pippin are a couple of the others.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 2:46pm

Oh garsh! I can't wait to see this! Got tickets for June 19th!

[jnb9872]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 2:54pm

I love your formatting style, John Adams. Putting quotation marks around "the Who" and "Devo" is just further delight.

The music on this is often very good. As a score for a musical, I don't know if it comes together into anything of significance, but I reserve the right to judge it until I see the show.

[musicalfool]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 3:03pm

Brian07663NJ, the whole album is there, not just the three tracks. Use the arrow button to the right.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 3:12pm

>> "I love your formatting style, John Adams. Putting quotation marks around "the Who" and "Devo" is just further delight."

I thought my "master stroke" was using both an apostrophe AND quotation marks around the word, "score":

They just don't create a 'score" when compiled.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 4:28pm

Oy. Cast recording. Not soundtrack. Soundtracks are for movies; cast recordings are for stage musicals. Major pet peeve.

I agree, having seen the show, I am loving what I'm hearing... but I doubt I'd feel that way had I not already seen the show.

EDIT: They have the whole recording up? Wow.

Updated On: 5/20/13 at 04:28 PM

[Sophiia]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 4:42pm

I love this cast recording! Just saw the show two weeks ago and had forgotten how much fun "The Most Beautiful Thing in the World" was. And Billy's voice sounds gorgeous. I have an mp3 of a different version of The History of Wrong Guys that I've been listening to tons because it's hilarious and I have to say I prefer that version to this official cast recording version... So that's weird. But overall it's great!

[binau]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 5:59am

"I'm sure this is missing something without seeing the show's visuals and story presented, but this album is doing nothing for me to make me want to see it. The music seem unconnected from the emotional lives of the characters (or at least what I imagine they are supposed to be, maybe I'm giving it too much credit.) Vague, very catchy pop music."

I complete agree. There seems to be a disconnect from those who have not seen the show vs those who have though. I don't understand what is good about this score at all. Can anyone please point out particular songs they think are a great example of musical theatre? (maybe a bit of context would help too).

Maybe I'll get it When I Grow Up..