PARADE 2023 Broadway Cast Recording Thread — Page 3

What a lovely cast recording, everyone sounds great and I'm grateful it exists. 

EDSOSLO858 said: "I’m curious why Interscope decided to release this album, when they’ve never released a Broadway cast recording before. Probably because they worked with Platt on theDear Evan Hansen film soundtrack."

Could be. I’m bummed there’s no digital booklet.

Sound quality can depend heavily on what you're using to listen as well as the quality of your streaming service or download. I think the album sounds pretty good except for Real Big News when it seems the orchestra is overpowering the vocals but it's just that one track for whatever reason. I adore Jay so it's kind of a bummer that it's that one track for me.

I listened to the album on Apple Music (lossless) with AirPods Pro (I also listened to some of it on a Dolby Atmos-capable soundbar). I have to agree with the people who say this is a mixed bag with weird/rushed sound mixing. I think the biggest problem with the way this was mixed is that it offers no space; the orchestra is flat but the solo singers are right on top of you, so it doesn’t give you room to breathe or offer any sense of range or dynamic. The cast sounds uneven with some of the featured characters coming out on top. I haven’t seen the show yet, but I can tell that it probably sounds much better live, and that’s not what you’d want from a cast album. Sadly, nothing improves upon the original recording for me with far superior vocal performances from Brent Carver, Carolee Carmello, and the actor who plays the Young Soldier.

I personally think Ben Platt’s vocal performance on CD is as good as the theatre and the strongest on record of the 3 Parade recordings. He also sounded excellent in the theatre (can’t say the same with Evan where I thought he was vocally tired by the time I saw him). I thought Diamond sounded a little stronger in the theatre than on CD and it doesn’t help that Carmello has virtuosic vocals that Diamond could never match, but she is a great actress of course (and singer too but not next to Carmello).