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Sunset Boulevard (1993 Original London Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Bauer, Daniel Benzali, Meredith Braun, Gerard Casey, Nicolas Colicos, Anita Louise Combe, Don Black, Christopher Hampton, Patti LuPone, Kevin Anderson

June 10, 1996
When this CD was first released my partner and I listened to it every night and sometimes twice. We thought what a perfect vehicle for Patti and you could tell it was written for her vocal range. All the characters were fabulous and George Hearn as Max was cast in stone.~~~~~New Year's Eve and Glenn Close stopped into Andrew Loyd Weber's party where all were celebrating the success of Sunset Blvd. Close got up on the piano, cleavage showing, and sang one of Patti's songs. ~~~~~~~ Patti was replaced, handsomely, but with a slap from a girl who should have never left her side of the tracks. ~~~~~~~ So here we are with Patti soaring as she did from the start. She made this show. It was stolen. All that remains is her voice as Norma Desmond. ~~~~~ ... Read More:

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Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

September 13, 1994
Sadly, I haven't seen the show on stage. I found it quite enjoyable on CD. Enough of the dialogue is included to follow the story. Plus both versions include printed lyrics and dialogue.

This is a terrific dramatic musical. I give 4 stars to Lloyd Webber, et al, for songs and lyrics. I would have gone 5 stars, but there are a few songs where they get a good angsty mood going, then suddenly turn to a softer, sweeter mood. I felt they could hold the angst longer. Example: Joe singing to Betty in the final scene (after the phone call).

I purchased both London and Los Angeles CDs. I listened to each carefully and tried not to imprint on one version. Result: I favor the Los Angeles cast, because they do a better job of conveying ... Read More:

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Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

January 08, 1996
Having seen "SB" onstage 4 times, twice with Betty Buckley in London, once with Glenn Close in NY, and once with Petula Clark in London, I certainly qualify as a fan of the show and the score. I have also heard the Patti LuPone and Diahann Carroll cast albums. I am prepared to say that Ms. Carroll and Ms. Buckley are the best Normas I have heard. Sadly, Buckley only recorded the songs on a limited issue CD. Both of those ladies steer a course between mannered overacting combined with undersinging which does not do justice to the almost operatic demands of Norma's numbers (that would be Glenn Close who sounds like a baritone one minute and an almost inaudible high soprano the next with notthing in between) and flat, underacting combined with a powerful, colorful ... Read More:

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Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8

from: Sony

May 03, 1990
It seems this wonderful CD is only available via third party sellers. Despite this I'm compelled to tell anyone who might happen to come across this review that here is an example of what great music making is all about.
Maestro Casals leads a festival orchestra of about 50 players in the Seventh and 40 in the Eighth, but what they lack in numbers they more than compensate for in intensity. Every note played here conveys commitment and meaning. Consider, for example, the bass line in the second movement of the Seventh, these people aren't just keeping time but playing like soloists in counterpoint to the upper strings-extraordinary! I can only imagine what playing for a legend must have been like. The sound is not first class but more than good enough. This belongs ... Read More:

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Bach: Orchestral Suites 2 & 3, Goldberg Canons

from: Sony

May 03, 1990
These recordings bring back wonderful memories. I remember our library had these recordings of Bach's ORCHESTRAL SUITES 2 and 3, along with SUITES 1 and 4, in a complete LP set. I learned these works listening to that set, and think as highly of them today as I did that summer of 1972 when first intensely interested in Classical music. Pablo Casals has the right feel for Bach's Orchestral Suites on modern instruments. Casals' tempos are never too fast, yet the allegro passages sizzle; he doesn't overdo repeats where they aren't needed. I find his Bach refreshing, relaxing, and a real antidote to our fast paced, cold, technologically advanced, materialism-gone-mad world.

Some readers will not agree with me and prefer period instruments (Hogwood and Pinnock are ... Read More:

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Fine and Dandy (2004 Studio Cast) (World Premiere Recording)

by: Kay Swift, Carolee Carmello, Gavin Creel, Andrea Burns, Mark Linn-Baker, John Pizzarelli, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jessica Molaskey

May 25, 2004
No one will easily mistake Kay Swift for Gershwin, but it is great that she is finally getting some recognition beyond "Can't We Be Friends?" (included here on this LP as a sort of bonus) which isn't itself all that familiar except to cabaret aficionados. Writing true show music is a different kettle of fish, an art form with different skills, and listening to this LP one begins to construct a live production of FINE AND DANDY in one's head. The voices of the individual performers are immensely helpful in this journey, and some of the tracks you could listen to day and night. I understand that Donald Ogden Stewart wrote the book for this show and I would love to get my hands on it, having enjoyed some of the films he worked on so much, Dinner at Eight, Holiday, Kitty Foyle, The Philadelphia ... Read More:

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Hymns Through the Centuries 2

by: Recorded Sound, R. Osborne, J. Reilly Lewis, Cathedral Choral Society

January 07, 2003
There are some unique and interesting songs of this album. Unfortunately the performance does not shine. I found the singing and accompaniment a bit slow and monotonous and uninspired. Furthermore, it was difficult to understand the words at times (indistinct enunciation). There are a few exceptions: tracks 3, 4, 9, 20, 21 I gave 3 stars in iTunes; all the rest got two stars or less. If you want beautiful, traditional choral music, I recommend any of the albums featuring the Cambridge Singers over this collection.

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Sunset Boulevard (1995 German Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

October 16, 1996
Sunset Boulevard is certainly one of the best scores Andrew Lloyd Webber has ever written. The composer admitted that it was his wish for a long time to make a musical based on the 1950 classic movie directed by Billy Wilder. After the successful 1991 revival of Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat, Lloyd Webber began working on Sunset together with Don Black, his long-time lyricist on "Tell me on a Sunday" and "Aspects of love" and Trevor Nunn as a director.

The plot concerns Norma Desmond, once a big silent movie star, who, after 20 years of being out of the picture business, still believes to be "the greatest star of all". She accidentally meets a 20 years younger unemployed writer Joe Gillis, who grabs the opportunity to edit the script she wrote for her big comeback to ... Read More:

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Sunset Boulevard (1994 Los Angeles Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

September 13, 1994
Sadly, I haven't seen the show on stage. I found it quite enjoyable on CD. Enough of the dialogue is included to follow the story. Plus both versions include printed lyrics and dialogue.

This is a terrific dramatic musical. I give 4 stars to Lloyd Webber, et al, for songs and lyrics. I would have gone 5 stars, but there are a few songs where they get a good angsty mood going, then suddenly turn to a softer, sweeter mood. I felt they could hold the angst longer. Example: Joe singing to Betty in the final scene (after the phone call).

I purchased both London and Los Angeles CDs. I listened to each carefully and tried not to imprint on one version. Result: I favor the Los Angeles cast, because they do a better job of conveying the emotion. I also recommend L.A. if you like a ... Read More:

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Dracula, The Musical: The Concept Recording (2006 Studio Cast)

by: Frank Wildhorn, Don Black, Christopher Hampton

April 04, 2006
I pre-ordered this album nearly a year ago in February 2006 so I could receive it when it was released on the supposed release date of April 2006. I know that it will be wonderful, but where is it? There is no new release date as of yet. Somebody from Amazon should look into that for all of us customers that are waiting so patiently and have chosen Amazon.com as the only place to purchase this Musical from.