Worst cast album — Page 2

Not getting all the hate for the Seventies JCS albums. "Too Seventies"? You do know that's when it was written, right? The '96 studio cast, and the productions that resulted after it came out, have always made me feel like Andrew Lloyd Webber is ashamed of the original and wanted to mold it more into the shape of his later work. I'm reminded of what Stephen Sondheim said when Saturday Night was unearthed at the end of the last century: "It’s not bad for a 23-year-old. There are some things that embarrass me so much [...] but I decided: Leave it. It's my baby picture. You don't touch up baby pictures -- you're a baby." I wish Webber and Tim Rice had taken similar thoughts into consideration.

Having said that, it should come as no surprise that I'm with AEA AGMA SM on the concept album. True, it has imperfect notes, rough moments, the orchestration's a little primitive -- it doesn't have that acrylic slickness and polish that marks Webber's later work (especially revivals of this show). There's a rawness you'll find the way you might find in certain points of the best classic rock albums. And not all of the later material that expanded and further deepened the piece is there (I, for one, welcome the extra lyrics in "Hosanna," "The Temple" and "Trial by Pilate," and enjoy what "Then We Are Decided" and "Could We Start Again Please?" bring to the show). But it has passion and drama, in spades, to say nothing of some of the best rock vocals and instrumentation on any album anywhere.

Back on topic... the worst cast recording I believe I've ever heard is the Jay/TER recording of JCS with Dave Willetts, Clive Rowe, and Issy Van Randwyck. Damn, did John Yap ever miss the point of that show.

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Updated On: 10/18/15 at 08:25 AM

Adore the show and always wished that the OC of Godspell was better. I like raw but it was a little too raw and unbalanced. Guess most of my complaint was that they didn't use Original San Francisco or Toronto casts instead of NY; they were far superior.

Also, original concept album of JCS is dynamite compared to the cast albums I've heard. Saw the original tour of the concert version with the concept album cast. Grandstand stage right for the chorus, rock and roll show in the center. I even stopped making out with my girlfriend in the last row of upper deck of the Oakland Arena to watch and listen. Amazing experience.

MrsSallyAdams said: "Several minor shows from the 50's and 60's got recorded with poor sound quality.

However the most recent major show I can think of is "Billy Elliot." I was shocked when I heard the album for the first time. Surely a show this successful can't have this weak a score I thought. Yes it's a dance show but imagine how much better it would be if someone had bothered to develop the central relationship between Billy and his teacher through... oh lets say... songs. Songs about how Billy feels in the dance class and why the teacher devotes her time to him? Perhaps he and his best friend could express their complicated relationship through a song that didn't sound like a bad out take from La Cage Aux Folles.

There's a reason "Electricity" was performed at all the promotional events. It's nearly the only section of the score interested in developing a character through music.

"

I love Billy Elliot, but I think this hits the nail on the head when it comes to explaining why the score is the worst part of it. I can't listen to those songs encouraging us to "shine" or "boogie" or whatever. And even "Grandma's Song," which is about developing the character, is kind of terribly written.

Roscoe

Your description of Wicked cast recording could also be used to describe the show.

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The original west end recording of Martin Guerre: one of the male performers is out of tune.

The original west end recording of Martin Guerre: one of the male performers is out of tune.

I never noticed that before.

I find the Sister Act album very disappointing, after the sheer joy of the show. Should've done a live recording, IMO.

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I love Memphis (I know I know) and the OBCR seems to lifeless.... I do however LOVE the London Cast.

The one cast recording that annoys the HELL out of me is Metropolis. Some of that music is stellar and amazing and blows the roof off vocally but it is so poorly recorded.

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To those who are complaining about the edited albums of Dreamgirls and The Wiz, please know that the producers were right. Both were successful recordings, especially Dreamgirls. I too wish they had a two disc option for each, but that simply was not done back then. Shows only got one recording for the OBC and a few might get a LCR as well..but rarely, and only if it was a hit in London, and a Soundtrack if it was lucky enough to be made into a film.

Trust, that I would love the full score of both original casts to have been recorded, but Geffen made the right choice, imo, on the Dreamgirls recording.

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I disagree. I realize this is all in hindsight but I don't see why they couldn't have recorded a more legitimate album of The Wiz and also released the separate radio version of "Ease on Down the Road" that became so popular similar to the way the film released a two LP soundtrack of all the songs from the film and also released singles of "Ease on Down the Road" and "You Can't Win."

The cast album of LaChiusa's "Little Fish" has always been hard for me to make it through. And I love both LaChiusa and Alice Ripley. This should be right up my alley. But the music commits a far worse sin than than being bad; it's boring. I wish this weren't the case, but it is.

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Updated On: 10/20/15 at 02:17 PM

One of the most poorly-recorded cast albums I've ever heard has to be COCO with Katharine Hepburn. Terribly engineered. The original vinyl was unlistenable and the CD is just one notch above that.

Doodle, I dunno, I know it was a different case, but Geffen released a 2 disc and a 1 disc recording of Cats, knowing that the one disc would sell better, not long after Dreamgirls.

We seem to all be discussing different things--some people are mentioning scores they dislike (I love Little FIsh and while not ideal, I'm glad it was finally recorded, but it may help that I first saw a very strong regional production several times,) and others are discussion poor cast album production or engineering or other decisions.

I don't get the anti 1970s thing for 1970s musicals either. A Chorus Line IS so 1970s that I don't really think the "fixed" revival orchestrations are an improvement (I miss that groovy guitar in many of the numbers, though I do think Tunick's new What I Did For Love works.) And I don't want to hear a Company without that rolling Rockshichord in the orchestra!