RENT movie soundtrack grows on you

[Kass983]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 10:15am

I know there was already a thread about initial reaction. Initially was taken aback, I mean I would expect that many changes with a new cast but not with most of the original cast. What I was not appreciating was that this medium will be the intoduction for the, unfortunately, massive numbers of people that don't attend live theatre. It's got to be quick, this is an instant society we live in.

It's still a fun, engaging soundtrack and hopefully will entice many to encounter the real thing; I mean live theatre AND the original score. The soundtrack, while great for us to have in addition to our OBC, is actually more for the true newbies. It's an introduction. Let's let them enjoy their first impressions and thirst for more and all that is RENT. We'll turn them out yet!

Adding Tracie to the cast was ingenious. The woman is phenominal. Not as crazy about Rosario as a singer, but know she will do well playing Mimi.

I would have preferred they cast another Broadway performer, there are so many. But the movie needs to make money, and let's be honest, we want this movie to reach people. Rosario's presence is the key to that, not her singing ability. She's good, she's just not on par with the rest of them and it shows. That being said, I think the only performances I'm seriously annoyed with are Without You and Goodbye Love, no emotion. Someone should have told her. Her others are adequate in my opinion, with the exception of her voice getting drowned out on Out Tonight.

The soundtrack sounds better on a mp3 player, or ipod then on my computer. Anyone else encounter this? I hear digital music when it plays on my computer, less so on a player. Things that make you go hmmm, hmm?

I'm now used to Roger acting through his voice instead of belting, which we all know he can do...obviously from Civilian and the bonus track Love Heals. Maureen not belting on OTM still puzzles me but, I'm hopeful it will all make sense in the end.

Yes, it is growing on me, as the OTHER Rent CD. It's all good.

[whatyouown223]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 11:34am

Her voice may not have any emotion, but listen to her act. She's a really great actress. Like even with simple lines "If you close your eyes, It's true you sold your guitar..." She can't be over the top with emotion, it's a movie. She has to be suttle.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 11:40am

See, for argument's sake, I don't think it's just "a thing for newbies." Over the past year or whatever it's been, I've come to see RENT the show and RENT the movie as two separate entities, mostly because they're totally separate media. That was really hard for me at first, because there's so much that DOES cross over -- not just the story and the music, but the cast too, and in a project like this, the casting was of tremendous importance. It's a new incarnation, but I think to say it's only for people who don't know of it in its original carnation is really to dumb it down.

As for your computer issue, I don't think it's just this CD. Computer speakers are crappy; any CD would sound better on non-computer speakers.

Updated On: 10/1/05 at 11:40 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 11:47am

I kept finding myself going...'No, no, that's not quite right".....or waiting to see if they cut specific things.
I too had to finally seperate the movie from the Broadway production......which indeed was difficult

[Kass983]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:06pm

"Dumbing it down" was not at all my intention. I'm just saying that we know and love RENT; it matters more to us about the music and the story than to others. The fact that the soundtrack takes some getting used to is something only known to people that are familiar with the play. This is not true for those that may have seen a trailer or two and their curiosity is piqued. You are correct though in pointing out my flawed simplification. No, it is not just for the newbies; it's for us as well. We just tend to be a little biased...but we RENTheads are very adaptable!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 12:11pm

It's a different experience, absolutely. And of course someone who just sees the trailer and picks it up on a whim is going to be far less nitpicky about it. Sorry if I misread.

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:19pm

I didn't write anything on the initial reaction thread, but since I've listened to it several times now, it's not really initial anymore:

I do not hear any emotion in Rosario's voice. Obviously its been discussed, but even after several times, I don't hear anything... especially in comparison to every other actor in the movie: including Tracie, who was not part of the original company.

Tracie Thoms was an excellent replacement for Freddie. I love her voice, and she seems to get along with the cast really well. I'm excited to see her in the movie also.

Adam I think I had to get used to... I was weirded out at first, maybe it was because I felt that he was singing it wrong, the rhythms were different & that freaked me out. I love "Your Eyes" and all of the songs that Adam sings in, and now I'm glad that there are differences between teh OBC and the soundtrack.

It was weird hearing Seasons of Love first... and also hearing "Rent" without additional background [Mimi and Joane].

I can recognize Taye Diggs voice a lot more now, same as every other character... which is weird, because I guess certain parts I was uncertain of who it was singing.

I wrote a lot more than I meant to...
--korenglish

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:26pm

I totally agree that it grows on you. I think Traci is great and have yet to like Rosario at all! When I first listened to the cd I became very nervous about the movie but hopefully it will still WOW everyone!

[kangaroo]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:29pm

I became nervous when we could hear those preview clips on the RENT website... I definitely agree that the soundtrack does grow on you though. But I honestly concur with everyone else, I have yet to have Rosario to grow on me, and Tracie I liked from the beginning.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:32pm

*pops in*

TracIE.
FreDI.

*runs out*

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:37pm

Anyone here a Green Day Dookie influence?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:39pm

I can't remember the person's exact title, but someone who worked on the record also did something related to sound mixing for Green Day.

I'm not familiar enough with Green Day to know, but it's totally plausible.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:41pm

Rob Cavallo produced the CD and also produced Dookie.

I love it, but need much more time for a review. I definatley think Tracie is excellent

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:41pm

Rob Cavallo.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:52pm

You'd think I'd know these things, rather than going "some guy, who did something..."

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 5:54pm

was just listening to it again.......I have to get over this feeling that it's just not quite right in parts.......

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 6:33pm

i loved it from the momnet i got it. Of course there are some flaws but hey, i can deal. But im mostly disappointed with 'Over the Moon'

Posted: 10/1/05 at 7:19pm

uh! i pre-ordered mine and payed extra to have it delievered this past week, and it never showed up!
i'm dying to hear it and give my opinion.

rawr!

[Musical_nerd]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 7:26pm

I think that at first, the soundtrack sounded funny.. but only in a different way. I think people are reacting negatively to it only because they've been listening to the OBCR for so long that it's the only thing ingraved in their mind. My favorite part is the weird voice Adam Pascal uses when he says "candy bar wrapper" and the random moo at the end of Over The Moon.

Updated On: 10/1/05 at 07:26 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 7:30pm

Can we get some love for the LMC squeak? Because it's fab.

[VivaBohemia]

Posted: 10/1/05 at 10:21pm

I just bought mine tonight.

I am so so happy with the recording. I couldnt be more excited for the movie. Anthony really gave me chills during goodbye love. I think the OBC members have grown so much. It's a much smoother sound, and I think 10 years later, and with all of them having much more expierience under their belts, it really shows in this recording.

I think the harmonies are more together, they all have more control over their voices, and while theres not as much "raw, gritty talent" I think it does justice to what they started in '96. And do add to that post about "An interesting think about Adam Pascal" I dont know what everyone is fussing over. I can hear just as much of the "original" Adam as the
"new" Adam. Its just not as "Let me scream this soung and sound angsty" as the original, and that works. Just my opinion anyways :)