#1
Posted: 4/17/14 at 10:03pm
Just curious if anyone else has listened to the full recording of Stephen Ward. I listened to samples a few months ago and was unimpressed. But then I decided to give the full album a chance, so I purchased it on itunes. I rather like it. It definitely helps to listen to the album from start to finish, as a complete work, and not jump around to different songs.
We all know ALW’s most recent offerings have not been stellar, and while Ward is not a complete return to the “glory days” (shoutout to Norma), it’s definitely a step in the right direction. The show overall is far more sophisticated than Love Never Dies, Woman in White, Whistle Down the Wind, etc. The music is, as always, a little derivative of his other work, mainly Sunset Boulevard, Cats, and Evita, but the songs are successful on their own.
Thematically Stephen Ward is very much a blend between Sunset Boulevard and Evita, with its dark themes, sarcastic tone, and wit. Also, Stephen, who is dead, narrates the story, as Joe does in Sunset Boulevard, and the show’s critique of government and scandal, etc., is reminiscent of Evita. Also, throw in a little Jesus Christ Superstar, with the human sacrifice aspect (one of the songs is actually called “Human Sacrifice”) and the mob mentality.
Sure, the lyrics are not great, but they get the job done. Certainly a step up from the lyrics in Love Never Dies.
Anyway, curious to hear from others who have listened to the recording in its entirety.
We all know ALW’s most recent offerings have not been stellar, and while Ward is not a complete return to the “glory days” (shoutout to Norma), it’s definitely a step in the right direction. The show overall is far more sophisticated than Love Never Dies, Woman in White, Whistle Down the Wind, etc. The music is, as always, a little derivative of his other work, mainly Sunset Boulevard, Cats, and Evita, but the songs are successful on their own.
Thematically Stephen Ward is very much a blend between Sunset Boulevard and Evita, with its dark themes, sarcastic tone, and wit. Also, Stephen, who is dead, narrates the story, as Joe does in Sunset Boulevard, and the show’s critique of government and scandal, etc., is reminiscent of Evita. Also, throw in a little Jesus Christ Superstar, with the human sacrifice aspect (one of the songs is actually called “Human Sacrifice”) and the mob mentality.
Sure, the lyrics are not great, but they get the job done. Certainly a step up from the lyrics in Love Never Dies.
Anyway, curious to hear from others who have listened to the recording in its entirety.
