Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

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Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:11pm

In any language.

Does anyone know?

"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:13pm

Complete is somewhat relative, because the show has had so many revisions and rewrites over the years....

Complete as in terms of what was originally performed or complete as in terms of what is licensed - the newest version, etc?

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:16pm

Hrm, I didn't know there were so many different versions floating about. I should read a book about the show.

I guess I mean relatively. The recording that has the most musical and/or textual material on it.

"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:19pm

for completeness I like the 2005 live European tour CD, but it is still missing some of my favorite songs like "Don't Put it Down" and "The Bed". Which is why I also enjoy listening to the John Barrowman London cast recording. Barrowman is delicious.

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:20pm

The two-disc Broadway Deluxe Collector's Edition is my favorite. It has both Broadway and Off-Broadway CDs, along with an audio inteview wtih Galt MacDermot, bonus tracks for the Off-Broadway version, and some pretty thorough liner notes. The movie and concert CDs are better sung, but sometimes they lack the gritty charm of the original casts.

"Your lyrics lack subtlety! You can't just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!"

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 4:34pm

So, this european tour album, its 2cds you say?

What I would want to do, is take the 2 CD broadway and off broadway discs and put them in a playlist with all the other missing material, even if it's another language.

Does anyone else do stuff like that? I've done that with shows like She Loves Me and On a Clear Day.

"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:16pm

I am a fan of the Actor's Fund recording.

for fierce, fabulous and fun times visit eric mathew's world. http://ericmathew.blogspot.com/

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:24pm

Love the two disk (off)Broadway CR. I don't think Hair works quite as well with typical broadway-sounding singers. I was listened to the Actors Fund Concert the other day and, while I liked it quite a bit, when you have all those trained, almost popish sounding voices (don't get me wrong, some of my favorite preformers are on that recording) it just doesn't work as well.

the OBC is fantastic. it captures the heart and "grittiness" of the show quite well.

that being said, do get the Actors Fund recording because it's SO MUCH FUN!

"Picture "The View," with the wisecracking, sympathetic sweethearts of that ABC television show replaced by a panel of embittered, suffering or enraged Arab women" -the Times review of Black Eyed

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:26pm

You can also get Disinhairted. It was a record made when the show came out with many songs that never found their way into the show. The LP shows up on ebay every once in awhile but if you search online you can find the whole thing mp3ized...not that i am promoting downloading that...at all... i am just saying somewhere in the internet universe it exists. You also get the only recording (I believe) of 'oh great god of power.' Which is in the show (at least was when i did it in 199

.

There are truly some awesome songs on it and it's quite interesting to see some of the rougher ideas they had for the show.

Personal Fav's:
Climax
Shiela Franklin
I Dig
So sing the children on the avenue

It's also awesome to hear an original idea for the ending entitled "washing the world." Which would have the cast come out with sponges, buckets, etc. start washing the theater while singing resulting in the cast exiting with the audience onto the streets to continue 'washing the world.'

#10

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 5:49pm

While there is no "complete" recording of Hair, my personal fave is the OBC, but for additional material, I look to the 1993 Australian cast recording. And for a wonderful contemporary spin on the show, nothing beats the 2001 Vienna cast (performed in English). The BCEFA Concert recording is my least favorite. It's just too clean and cutesy.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#11

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 6:26pm

I personally love the Actor's Fund Concert version; but that's mainly due to Raul Esparza's kick a$$ cover of 'HAIR'

Your aspirations are your possibilities-Samuel Johnson (and a little help from nomdeplume)

#12

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 8:22pm

I play the original Broadway (great to have it and the offBroadway on the same edition to compare) by far the most and if you like the show even slightly I feel it's essential. Then I playt he Actor's Equity concert which is a lot of fun. I have the Barrowman but he's WAY too Tom Cruise/Crest Smile for the role even when you don't actually see his glistening teeth--doesn't work for me and I find it a mixed bag in general.

I've been playing Hair a lot actually--this should be another thread but of the recorded other shows by Galt MacDermot what would people recommend is the next one to get next? I own Gentlemen of Verona (though haven't given it enough listens yet really)

E

#13

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:14pm

I can't handle the orchestrations of the John Barrowman London revival. I'm a HAIR purist - I really prefer the original Off Broadway and Broadway discs as well.

#14

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:17pm

I think the orchestrations are a big reason I don't care for it either--those and John himself just boost the "slick" ness...

I actually am one of those people who enjoy the Hair movie but I don't even own the soundtrack. I wonder if it would be worth listening on its own (of course it hardly would be complete)

#15

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 9:19pm

There's an anniversary soundtrack recording of the film and I really enjoy it. It was the first one I got my hands on as a kid, and while it's totally different, I enjoy the orchestrations and the performances, but I don't compare them to stage versions.

Is that whole Hare Krishna scene in the show. and if so, has it been recorded?

"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." -Keen on Kean
"Fenchurch is correct, as usual." - muscle23ftl

#16

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/27/07 at 11:10pm

My favorites go as followed:

Movie Soundrack
OBC and Off-Broadway Cast
Actors Equity concert

"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2

#17

re: Which recording of HAIR is the most complete?

Posted: 4/28/07 at 2:19pm

The Actors Fund Concert is absolutely stunning vocally but in truth it is a bit too polished and "musical theatre-y" for the intention of the show. It was meant to sound quite raw-that's not to say that you can't have good singers in it but on the Actors fund recording many are a bit to trained (a good example is Gavin Creel's "Goin' Down"-it's well done but doesn't fit the song IMO. Also, Shoshana's "I Believe In Love" is indeed fierce but completely stylistically off base) The structure is also slightly altered with the "Ain't Got No" and reprise. I must admit though Raul's cover of the title song is fantastic.

When I directed the show I made myself a composite CD of a whole bunch of recordings because I simply couldn't pick just one that I found to be the universal best. I would say in general stay away from the London recording. There is some truly busted singing on that one.

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