Underrated Sondheim Songs- Page 2

[commasplice]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 1:11pm

Definitely agree that most of Pacific Overtures is underrated.

I feel like the Liebeslieder material in Night Music doesn't get the credit it deserves (kind of like the transitions in Passion).

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 1:24pm

I love Into the Woods - forgot about "On the Steps of the Palace" - probably my favorite rhyme scheme of all time. I even use that song to teach rhyme to my students when we study ITW.

I also wanted to add from my previous list "That'll Show Him" from Forum (it always makes me laugh) and, though Sondheim only wrote the lyrics, "What Do We Do We Fly" and "No Understand" from Do I Hear a Waltz.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 2:30pm

I always though The Worst Pies in London from Sweeney and Getting Married Today from Company were really underrated.

[Jon]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 3:18pm

"Poems" from Pacific Overtures - I love how it starts so simply, then the accompaniment/orchestration builds slowly in intensity. The harmony on the duet section is thrilling.

[binau]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 4:31pm

[QUOTE]I always though The Worst Pies in London from Sweeney and Getting Married Today from Company were really underrated.[/QUOTE]

Really? I thought they were among the most popular songs from each musical..

[Lovelylady17329]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 4:56pm

"I Read" from Passion
"Talent" from Bounce
"The Gun Song" from Assassins
"My Friends" from Sweeney....not sure if it is exactly *underrated* but the song is pure genious anyhow

[Kad]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 5:00pm

After going through my Sondheim playlist..

I love "Ariadne" from The Frogs, as well as the movie version of "The Glamorous Life".

[Kad]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 5:00pm

After going through my Sondheim playlist..

I love "Ariadne" from The Frogs, as well as the movie version of "The Glamorous Life". And, though I'm not sure if it is underrated per se, but "Now/Later/Soon" is brilliant.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 5:17pm

"What More Do I Need?"

[binau]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 5:23pm

""My Friends" from Sweeney....not sure if it is exactly *underrated* but the song is pure genious anyhow"

Yeah, I'm [i]sure[/i] this is one of his most popular songs so I wouldn't say it is underrated at all :P.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 6:29pm

"In Buddy's Eyes"- Is it really underrated? Maybe Barbara Cook made it a little more popular, but it doesn't get sung as often as "Losing My Mind" or "I'm Still Here", two other popular (and fabulous) songs from Follies and it certainly deserves to. It's brilliant.
"Uptown Downtown"- Maybe PalJoey can enlighten us on why the hell it was cut from Follies and replaced by the wonderful, but inferior, "Lucy and Jessie"? His opinions on the show are always valid and welcome. I think that it is not only a better song, but makes its point clearer than "Lucy and Jessie."
"Green Finch and Linnet Bird"- A stunning aria
"I Read"- Some of those lyric lines ("There is a flower...", "If you have no expectations...", "The more you cling to things...") are just brilliant and the music really defines Fosca very nicely.
The "Now/Later/Soon" trio also comes in mind. I've been using this word too often today, but I think it is just orgasmic the way the three come together.

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 6:33pm

Marry Me a Little

[KathyGriffinLovesYou]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 6:38pm

This isn't really underappreciated but I love it more than the average person- Green Finch and Linnet Bird.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 6:55pm

'Memory' from Cats

Best post of the thread.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 7:02pm

"This isn't really underappreciated but I love it more than the average person- Green Finch and Linnet Bird."

Oh, "Green Finch" is pretty underappreciated. I mean, they were thinking of cutting it from the film for God's sake! If they had, they could have just gotten a piece of cardboard to play Johanna. And it's a brilliant aria that ranks with "Glitter and Be Gay."

[ahmelie]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 8:18pm

"I Remember" from Evening Primrose. I absolutely *adore* that song.

[jv92]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 8:30pm

How about the entire score of Evening Primrose?

[LotteTBS138]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 9:37pm

Gun Song/Ballad of Czolgosz from Assassins

I just feel that the Balladeer has to do circular breathing at the end!

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 9:49pm

Lotte, I've played the Balladeer in Assassins and the end of that song was one of the hardest passages I've ever sung! Plus I was playing banjo at the same time. Definitely not easy. Brilliant, but not easy. :)

Mister Matt, I was going to say "On the Steps of the Palace," but I was afraid of saying anything from Into the Woods since I don't know if anything from that show could be considered underrated. But it's definitely one of my favorite songs (if not my favorite) from that show. I love that lyric! It's so well-written. Of course my other favorite from that show would be "Moments in the Woods," but again, is it overrated? I'm not so sure. But those are two wonderful, wonderful songs.

~Steven

[jv92]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:11pm

Oh, let me add "No More" from Into the Woods to my list. I think it's pretty damn brilliant and despite marvelous recordings by Mandy Patinkin and (my favorite) Barbara Cook, it doesn't get sung as often as "No One Is Alone" or "Children Will Listen." 'Tis a crying shame.

[heathurr2]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:16pm

Oh my! There are so many, I can't even think of them all right now.
Definitely 'What More Do I Need?' from Saturday Night
and 'Bang' from A Little Night Music...
ALL of Merrily... as far as I'm concerned
'Too Many Mornings' from Follies
'Children and Art' from Sunday...

I'm also loving the stuff from Stavisky thanks to The Story so Far... You never hear about those songs.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:19pm

jv92, I've got to agree. "No More" has my favorite line in the entire show: "Where are we to go? Where are we ever to go?" The song is beautiful.

~Steven

[heathurr2]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:22pm

"jv92, I've got to agree. "No More" has my favorite line in the entire show: "Where are we to go? Where are we ever to go?" The song is beautiful. "

Agreed once more. I've got the song playing right now. It's also my favourite song from the show.
'can't we just pursue our lives, with our children and our wives
until that happy day arrives
how to do you ignore...'

[James2]

Posted: 11/12/08 at 10:31pm

"Pretty Little Picture" from Forum
"Remember" from A Little Night Music
"Like It Was" from Merrily We Roll Along
"Beautiful" from Sunday in the Park
"Stay with Me" from Into the Woods
"I Love to Travel" from The Frogs
"Hades" from The Frogs
"Fear No More" from The Frogs

And even though he only wrote the music for this one, let's not forget the jingle he sang when he guest starred on The Simpsons.

"President or Ayatollah/Everyone loves new Buzz Cola/(whisper) With lemon"

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/13/08 at 3:39am

Water Under the Bridge from the sadly never made Rob Reines movie musical Singing Out Loud. But please NOT the Liza Minelli version on the new box set (she actually told a fan I know who said how much he loved the song that she didn't get it and found it dreary) The Debbie Shapiro Gravitte take on Unsung Sondheim is to die.