New Broadway Cast Recording - Hair

[East Village]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 8:09pm

So what did they do, record this in a box with a couple of instruments and someone's friend who once mixed sound for a YouTube video?

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 8:11pm

yup! you caught them :)

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:33pm

Haha, funny...NOT.

I love this cast recording. <3

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:56pm

Um, this is the most well produced Cast Recordings since 'In The Heights'. This is the first and only cast recording that I've actually listened to straight through multiple times a day. It's my new favorite recording.

ETA: Wait, are you talking about those crappy CD's on iTunes or the brilliant new cast recording of the 2009 Hair revival?

Updated On: 5/29/09 at 10:56 PM

[snl89]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:58pm

Yeah, I've got to say, I think it's an INCREDIBLY well produced recording! I've been listening to it practically nonstop :)

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 10:59pm

It's very good, but some of the orchestrations sound a bit too much like an MTI recording of "Hair School Edition", especially on "Manchester, England" and "Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love".

"The Flesh Failures/Let the Sunshine In" is amazing, though.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 11:01pm

^ Me and you agree on The Flesh Failures. It might just make me water, just a little.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 11:03pm

Walking in Space gives me chills.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 11:06pm

The only song that I genuinely don't like is "Yes, I's finished on Y'alls Farmlands".

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/29/09 at 11:39pm

The Vienna cast is still my favorite (sung in English) but this is up there! GREAT recording.

[[tos]fan999]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:09am

Since I bought it on Tuesday, I've listened to this recording 13 times all the way through, plus certain songs even more. I love this recording.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:18am

I'm waiting for the hard copy. I hope it's as well packaged as "In The Heights" and "Next to Normal."

[wicked_beast4]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:27am

Picture of the eco-friendly cardboard packaging, like Next to Normal's. From the Hair Twitter.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:46am

Aw it didn't work, but I can imagine what it looks like. I'm excited!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:56am

I have been listening to this new cast album NON-STOP since I got it last week... specifically, the section of songs from "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" to the end. So so so goddamn emotional and beautifully sung.

I am love love loving Gavin Creel's lung-power in "Flesh Failures"... there's a portion of the song he DOES NOT BREATHE (whereas both the OBC and Actor's Fund recordings, Claude stops to inhale).

Plus, it's great to hear the gun-shots in "Ain't Got No (reprise)" and the yip yip yip yip yip yip yippee authentically done.

FIERCENESS

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 12:59am

my favorite thing about this recording is how FREE everyone sounds. Usually, in a cast recording, it's like "we have to have this perfect" but in this it genuinely sounds like they are having a blast recording it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 1:06am

I seriously thought I was going to be unable to resist buying this on iTunes even though I much prefer to own physical CDs. Then I listened to the clips on iTunes and was a little surprised to hear how flat it sounds. I'm going to wait til the end of June to buy the disc when it comes out and hope an uncompressed version of the recording sounds more vibrant and dynamic.

I want something as spacious sounding as the Spring Awakening cast recording, which, at least in comparison to the HAIR clips, sounds so much more rock and roll.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 1:07am

I'm really surprised they didn't go with recording this live a la Passing Strange or, dare I say, Brooklyn.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 1:08am

I love this CR. Currently, my most played song from it is Frank Mills :) but Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine in isn't too far behind!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 1:09am

When I heard the clips I thought the exact same thing, RippedMan.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 2:15am

I'm curious as to why they didn't go that route? It seems like they're all about the organic approach and whatnot, so why not just record it live? It's cheaper too, right?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 2:28am

I've actually played "Where Do I Go?" the most so far.

But it's a gorgeous recording. I can't get enough of it!

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 7:57am

My favorite recording since In The Heights as well. It's incredible! Best recording of the year BY FAR!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 8:06am

Stunning recording.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/30/09 at 8:57pm

I can do without the American Idol-ish riffing throughout.

Gone are the days when singers had great voices and didn't need to do vocal acrobatics for a show-off effect.

Just listen to the Original 1968 Broadway Cast Recording and you'll see how great a simple voice can be. Yes, some of the voices were shrill and flat but oh... those songs sounded the way they were supposed to. Not like American Idol anthems.