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re: which Les Miz recording to get?

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#1

which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:46pm

I finally saw Les Miz for the first time last night and am in love. How I went through the past 20 years not knowing this show boggles my mind. And I called mself a theatre fan!!

Anyway now I really want to get a recording. But there are so many!! OBC...OLC...TAC...the Symphony recording...so confusing!! I'm looking at the various reviews on amazon but it's still a hard decision...can someone make an argument for which recording is best? Thanks!

Sunchips: Best Kept Secret in the chip aisle!!

#2

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:49pm

I will always defend the CSR to the end of my days. For me, it is the most satisfying recording not simply because it contains the entire score (at least how it stood in 1989). I also find it to have the most consistently well done performances. Plus there is nothing like hearing that score performed by a symphonic orchestra.

Most people will tell you that the TAC is the way to go. I would recommend buying the CSR as your CD and then going out to buy the DVD of the TAC. Then you get the best of both worlds.

PS--The CSR has Anthony Warlow who has been scientifically proven to be the Voice of God. And who are we to argue with science?

"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"

Updated On: 12/14/06 at 04:49 PM

#3

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:49pm

the completer symphonic is the only recording of the whole show, so i suggest that one if your looking for completness.

if your looking for the best voices tenth anniversary.

Updated On: 12/14/06 at 04:49 PM

#4

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:50pm

I wholeheartedly agree with Kitz.

CSR all the way. Supplement with the TAC DVD.

"You just can't win. Ever. Look at the bright side, at least you are not stuck in First Wives Club: The Musical. That would really suck. " --Sueleen Gay

#5

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:53pm

some reviews I read of the CSR complained of the Japanese Eponine..hmmmm...you guys are making me spend more money =P thank you, and please anyone else chime in too, I need more opinions! =D

Sunchips: Best Kept Secret in the chip aisle!!

#6

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:53pm

NO OBC.
NO OBC.
NO OBC.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#7

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:55pm

Kaho Shimida is not the best, but she's also not as ear-shriekingly bad as some have made her out to be. Plus I find that the more I listen to a recording, the more I am able to tolerate things I dislike. And since I have purchased 2 copies of the CSR due to wear and tear over the past 11 years...well.

Besides--better to have a bad Eponine than a bad Javert (OBC), bad Fantine (OBC), or bad Marius (OBC).

"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"

#8

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:56pm

Lizzie, do you mean, "NO, OBC!" "NOT THE OBC!"

"If it walks like a Parks, if it wobbles like a Parks, then it's definitely fat and nobody loves it." --MA

#9

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:57pm

I hate the OBC so much that it doesn't deserve proper grammar.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#10

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 4:59pm

To put it another way--in the 10 years that I have owned the OBC, I have maybe listened to it 5 times. Maybe.

"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"

#11

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:01pm

Tenth Anniversary folowed by CSR Tenth is my favorite though

#12

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:01pm

I hope they go all out and do another recording. The NEW broadway cast recording with the new cast. I would pay for it. It may be good....

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."

#13

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:03pm

The CSR's Japanese Eponine (as much as I dislike her) is easier to ignore than the OBC's pathetic Marius. Go with the CSR.

My 2 cents.

#14

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:21pm

Mother's Younger Brother, I COMPLETELY agree with you. God that Marius just kinda makes me want to cry and hug Michael Ball...

"The nice thing about the rain is that it always stops... eventually."

- Eeyore

#15

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:38pm

TAC, in my opinion. The CSR sounds strangely disjointed, distant, overly methodical, and largely emotionless to me.

And god, I realize what they were trying to do by getting Kaho, but she's absolutely awful. Why suffer through her every time you listen to your audio recording of the show?

#16

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 5:55pm

Maybe the reason I don't mind Kaho is that I always sing Eponine's part anyway. So it's not like I really hear her

"You're the worst thing to happen to musical theatre since Andrew Lloyd Webber!" --Family Guy

"Shut up! It's been 29 years!!!" --the incomparable Patti LuPone in her MUCH DESERVED Tony acceptance speech for Gypsy.

Kitzy's Avatar du Jour: Kitzy as Little Red Ridinghood in her college's production of "Into the Woods"

#17

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 6:01pm

I love the TAC on DVD, but it does nothing for me to listen to it. I find it strangely edited (being used to the CSR), and the recording balances of the giant orchestra aren't my favorite.

#18

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 6:07pm

Kaho Shimida has a fine voice the problem is that she speaks no english and was taught all the songs phonetically so she sounds a bit different. CSR is the best to go with there are so many wonderful small moments musically that are just not captured on the other recordings. Especially ValJean singing counterpoint to Cosette's Castle On A Cloud when they first meet. Great stuff. Plus Gary Morris sings Bring Him Home in full voice, wow!

But the work waits! I'm alive at last, and I'm full of joy!!!

#19

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 6:07pm

That's funny, Kitzarina. :) I feel awful every time I mention this, but her accent sounds so completely out of place that I can't even concentrate on listening to her sing because I'm so distracted by that. (ETA: Right, truffula. Her voice doesn't bother me; her accent does.)

Really, none of the "big three" are ideal to me. The OBC has a couple poor performers, the Kaho and the oddly sterile sound bother me on the CSR, and I see MYB's point about the TAC. I know LizzieCurry usually posts a link to what she feels is a superior album all around on these types of threads - perhaps I should check that out.

Updated On: 12/14/06 at 06:07 PM

#20

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 6:25pm

I don't even notice Kaho's accent. Maybe because she learned her English lines so differently than most people learn English, it doesn't sound like an accent, just odd pronunciation. But it's been years since I've listened to that overmixed album anyway.

I know LizzieCurry usually posts a link to what she feels is a superior album all around on these types of threads - perhaps I should check that out.

But you're wrong this time! I don't care anymore.

"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt

#21

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 7:07pm

I went with the 10th anniversary.
It does have the best voices In
my opinion.

I am currently listening to it
and have not gotten tired of it
at all.

Feel the Love - Les Mis

#22

re: which Les Miz recording to get?

Posted: 12/14/06 at 7:13pm

The original French concept is amazing and the complete Symphonic is awesome (something I wish they would do more with other shows).

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