Good Thing Going

Good Thing Going

ASIN: B000089YB3

Track Listings

1. No Regrets

2. Rain

3. Good Thing Going

4. 15 Years, 7 Months

5. Sugar Down Blues

6. Don't Leave Me, Daddy

7. Any Old Reason

8. Master of My Heart

9. Good as Some

10. Amazing Grace

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)

Average customer rating:

Great CD
Simply the Best
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast)
Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast)
Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B000003FDW
Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
Being Alive--Patti LuPone
Good Thing Going--The Tonics
Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."

Merrily We Roll Along (1993 Leicester Cast)
Average customer rating:

How does the revised MERRILY compare with the original?

The most comprehensive recording

This is the recording of MERRILY to purchase!

The Definitive "Merrily"

Best interpretation of the show and score

Merrily We Roll Along (1993 Leicester Cast)

Manufacturer: Jay Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Sondheim, Stephen | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

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Merrily We Roll Along (1981 Original Broadway Cast)

Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000005BGV
Release Date: 1997-03-11

Tracks:

Overture
The Hills of Tomorrow Merrily
Merrily (1979-75) Old Friends Like It Was
Merrily (1974-73) Franklin Shepard, Inc.
Old Friends
Not A Day Goes By
Now You Know
It's A Hit!
Merrily (1964-62) Good Thing Going
Merrily (1961-60); Bobby and Jackie and Jack
Not A Day Goes By
Opening Doors
Our Time
The Hills

Customer Reviews:

How does the revised MERRILY compare with the original?.......2005-04-10

The original 1981 production played 6 weeks of previews before opening to crushingly bad reviews. Two weeks later it closed. The day after the final performance the cast assembled at RCA's New York studios to record the cast album. In 1985 a revised production directed by James Lapine opened at the LaJolla playhouse and received encouraging reviews. More revisions lead to other productions and 1992 it was given a production at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and that production was given a lavish 2 CD recording by John Yap and issued on TER in England and later on JAY in the U.S. This was followed in May 1994 -just a few weeks after PASSION opened on Broadway - by an off-off-Broadway York Theatre Company revival that received generally better reviews than the original received. It was recorded by Varese-Sarabande. Both the Leicester cast and York casts use the revised version with an altered tune stack.

1. OVERTURE - In 1981 the Overture was a complete piece. In the revised version it cuts off midpoint and segues into the title song.

2. MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - The original production began with Frank coming back to his former high school to mark 25 years since his graduation. His speech - a caution to the students to be prepared for compromise and frustration was challenged by the students who launched into the title song. As noted above, the revised version begins with the cast singing the song but without any context.

3. THAT FRANK/RICH AND HAPPY - The party scene. In the original Frank's new movie was terrible though none of the guests would tell him to his face. In the revised version the movie is a success. In THAT FRANK the party guests, Mary excepted, sing of Frank's seemingly endless talents. RICH AND HAPPY drew the conclusion that since Frank was rich and successful he must therefore be happy as well. Both songs use the same accompaniment.

4. OLD FRIENDS/LIKE IT WAS - originally in a separate scene in 1975 at a restaurant where Mary hopes to encourage reconciliation between Charley and Frank. In the revised version this number was placed as a lead in to the 3rd scene, tightening the narrative.

5. FRANKLIN SHEPARD, INC. - this song remains virtually unchanged. In the original Frank walked off the stage of the TV talk show at the end of the song ending his and Charley's partnership. In the revised version, borrowing some dialogue from the deleted restaurant scene, Frank makes it very clear that he is furious with Charley and that their friendship is finished.

6. OLD FRIENDS - though the dialogue scene leading into this song was changed for the revised version, the song remains the same.

7. GROWING UP - added to the revised version. The OLD FRIENDS scene continues after everyone leaves Frank alone in his new apartment and he muses on his friendship with Mary and Charley. Later Gussie arrives having left her husband - Frank and Charley's producer - and intent on moving in with Frank.

8. NOT A DAY GOES BY - this song changed hands a lot. Originally - in previews - Frank's soon-to-be ex-wife Beth sang it on the steps outside the courthouse. The actress playing Beth could not sing it so they re-assigned the song to Frank with a modified lyric. In the revised version it was restored to Beth and the original lyric is used.

9. NOW YOU KNOW - some lyric changes but essentially the same song. The original Broadway production incorporated a dance section that recapped the first act score (in forward sequence) using NOW YOU KNOW, OLD FRIENDS, FRANKLIN SHEPARD INC and RICH AND HAPPY. The dance segment was not recorded and was dropped from the revised version.

10. ENTR'ACTE/ACT TWO OPENING - in the revised version Act Two opens with Gussie onstage performing GOOD THING GOING. The original began Act Two with the scene outside the theatre as the friends listened to the audience reaction.

11. IT'S A HIT! - Essentially the same but loses a clever short section about selling out (Charley: Even if (the show) is a smash, doesn't that mean we sell out? Producer: Well, I hope we sell out! Charley: What I mean is sell out. Well you know...")

12. THE BLOB/GOOD THING GOING - THE BLOB was cut in previews and not included on the OCR. It was restored for the revised version. Note the main melody is the same tune used for GROWING UP. GOOD THING GOING is essentially the same.

13. BOBBY AND JACKIE AND JACK - the revised version slightly trims the number.

14. NOT A DAY GOES BY - Originally a trio for Mary, Frank and Beth at the wedding of the latter two. When Beth lost the song in Act One she was cut out of the Act Two version as well. Frank sang it to Beth as his wedding vow while Mary quietly, sadly duetted from the sidelines. The trio version is restored to the revised version.

15. OPENING DOORS

16. OUR TIME

These two remain essentially the same.

17. THE HILLS OF TOMORROW - The revised version ends with OUR TIME. The original version had a short final scene in 1955 as Frank finishes his valedictory speech to the class. They then sing a song he and his friend Charley have written. The classmates smile, there is a flash as their class picture is taken and the curtain slowly falls on these smiling faces. It was a fine ending to the show and I wish this (and the opening graduation scene) would be restored. Otherwise the revised script is in every way superior.

Sound-wise the newer recordings have a crisp, clean sound though the orchestra is roughly half the size of the original. The first cast is pretty hard to beat. If you are doing the show only the revised script is available, so you will want one of the new recordings. Jay's 2 CD set is most complete and includes some of the dialogue. V/S has the wonderful Malcolm Gets as Franklin.

The most comprehensive recording.......2002-09-19

I've never seen the show, which has had a mixed history (initially a flop, recently much more successful), so I can only rate the music, which is just fabulous. The score features everything from sophiticated ballads -- Not A Day Goes By -- to lovely pop tunes such as Our Time. Sondheim's trademark lyrical cleverness is ever present. At one point he has the characters perform a political comedy song in 1960, so Sondheim had to write a piece using sophisticated 1960 political humor. I doubt anyone at the time did it half as well.

Note that this is a double CD, and I think it is the only one available. In many cases this means that the recording has two versions of certain songs if they are sung twice in the show. I thought this a big plus because the songs are sung at different times in the show and given different interpretations. Indeed, because the show it told chronologically backwards, you see how Sondheim gives you what is really a reprise before the song is initially sung. On the other recordings of this show they have only one version and you miss this whole layer of Sondheim.

The cast is great. The orchestra is great. All in all, just great Sondheim.

This is the recording of MERRILY to purchase!.......2002-06-08

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG was one of Sondheim's biggest flops when it first opened on Broadway in 1981. It suffered from a variety of problems, probably the biggest being that the fascinating concept of the show - relating a story in reverse chronological order - led to a host of difficulties that required more time to solve than the tryout period allowed. Over the next dozen years, Sondheim and book-writer George Furth (along with assistance from a new director, James Lapine), modified the show. The show is drastically improved by the revisions.

While Sondheim and Furth have made a few minor revisions since the Leicester Haymarket production (mostly in shortening a few rhythms in the transitions, changing some introductory dialogue, and axing some dialogue in "It's a Hit!"), the Leicester recording is far superior to the recording of the final version of the show produced by Varese Sarabande.

CHANGES FROM THE ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION:
Some neat concepts from the original production have been left by the wayside to improve the overall structure. Gone is the opening scene at the 1980 Lake Forest Academy graduation ceremony and the accompanying "The Hills of Tomorrow." The title song is now presented as a prologue so that the audience can concentrate on the lyrics' message. The music of the 1979 (now 1976) scene has been heavily revised (including a new melody called "That Frank") to integrate more plot into the lyrics. The 1975 scene has been eliminated, although Mary's music survives intact as the first part of an expanded 1973 scene. A great new song, "Growing Up," Frank's rationalizations for changing his goals and values, has been added to the 1968 scene. Beth now sings "Not a Day Goes By" in the 1966 (now 1967) scene instead of Frank. Lyrics have been revised in "Now You Know" to be about encouraging Frank to take a vacation, not to go back to work.

Act II has required less modifications. Gussie opens the act by singing a brassy rendition of the beginning of "Good Thing Going" as her eleven-o'clock number in Frank and Charley's 1964 show. "It's a Hit!" has been shortened a bit, but Beth is now included in the backstage celebration. The 1962 scene includes a song about the New York elite, "The Blob," which had been cut from the original production, plus a reprise of "Growing Up." The scenes from 1960-1957 remain relatively unchanged, although Beth sings lead in the reprise of "Not a Day Goes By." The show now ends with "Our Time," since the 1955 graduation scene has been eliminated.

THE RECORDING:
Of the three recordings I know of this show, this is by far the best. Michael Cantwell (who I truly thought I would hate after hearing him in STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW) is a great Frank, both as a successful Hollywood executive and as an idealistic music student. Maria Friedman is almost perfect as Mary, with gravelly singing as an alcoholic in Act I and a youthful exuberance in the "Our Time" dialogue. Evan Pappas has the dramatic range to play Charley, and his enunciation in the difficult "Franklin Shepard, Inc." is admirable. Louise Gold brings the proper degrees of brassiness and insincerity to Gussie, one of musical theater's greatest "dragon lady" roles. (Jason Alexander in the original 1981 cast recording is the best Joe, and Anne Bobby in the 1994 Varese Sarabande recording is the best Beth.) The actors are young enough to convey the youthful ideals of the second act (and hit the high notes) but old enough to convincingly portray 30- and 40-somethings in the first act. The inclusion of key dialogue helps the listener put the songs into their proper context.

The Definitive "Merrily".......2001-11-20

Having listened extensively to all recordings of "Merrily We Roll Along," I say with confidence that this is by far the best, most complete recording.

The performances are all wonderful. I enjoy Maria Friedman's work on here most of all. I can clearly hear her transformation from a depressed drunkard back to a hopeful youth through the recording. Her expressive voice and striking acting choices always make her a joy to even listen to.

This CD has the best orchestrations I have heard. The underscore to "Franklin Shepherd Inc" has finally been cleaned up to the point where it sounds like an actual song, and the overall feel of the show has a real edge.

The tempos are up and the performers sound like they don't have guns being held to their heads in the recording studio. The performances a lucid and dynamic. The overall feel of the show, for the first time, has a smooth and consistent feel just from listening to the recording.

This may not be my favorite piece of Sondheim, but it is his brassiest score. This quality, lost in the off-broadway recording, is really restored here.

This CD is personal treasure and a must for Sondheim fanatics. However, this recording is by far the most accesible recording of this most difficult show.

Best interpretation of the show and score.......2000-07-21

This recording only helps to prove that Maria Friedman is the no. 1 British interpreter (if not the no. 1 international interpreter of all-time) of the music of Stephen Sondheim. Her comic timing is immpeccible, and she is larger than life in her singing (especially in "Now You Know"). Louise Gold has an Ethel Merman-y quality to her voice, and this is a great new reading of the character of Guessie (she is, after all, a Broadway head-liner), as opposed to the purring sex-kitten of all of the other Guessies out there. And her rage in the dialgoue excerpt on the first disc is clear. This woman is one heavy-duty actress. We see that Guessie isn't really the only one out of the main characters to become bitter and disilliusioned, as many people make the mistake of believing. Jacqueline Dankworth does not just sing the heart-wrenching "Not a Day Goes By," she acts it. And she acts and sings the hell out of it. She has definately inherited her mother's talent (but is decidedly different in her performance style). As you can see, all of the women on this recording are effervescent, and the men rise up to the challenge (particularly the Joe Josephson of Gareth Snook and the Charlie of Evan Pappas). And there is Frank, menacing as always. This CD is the best out there, with a large amount of dialogue, and all of the score. Here is the definitive, no-questions-asked, no-holds-barred version of MERILLY WE ROLL ALONG on CD. Buy it today!

Average customer rating:

Mostly minor Feldman
They don't care if you hear
It's Fulkerson's next Feldman installment

Voices & Instruments
Feldman , Fulkerson , and Barton Workshop
Manufacturer: Mode
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Morton Feldman: Composing by Numbers - The Graphic Scores, 1950-67
Morton Feldman: First Recordings, 1950s

ASIN: B000065ARD
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

Journey To The End Of Night: I
Journey To The End Of Night: II
Journey To The End Of Night: III
Journey To The End Of Night: IV
Between Categories
Intervals: I
Intervals: II
Intervals: III
Intervals: IV
Three Clarinets, Cello And Piano
Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: !Blac
Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: Air
Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: (Sitting In A Tree-)
Four Songs To E.E. Cummings: Moan
Four Instruments
The O'Hara Songs: I
The O'Hara Songs: II
The O'Hara Songs: III

Customer Reviews:

Mostly minor Feldman.......2004-01-01

This disc is a follow-up to the Barton Workshop's earlier 'Ecstasy of the Moment' disc, released on the Etcetera label. It is based largely around works from the 1960s, with four works from that period, two early vocal works and one piece from 1971.

The early works sound almost nothing like the Feldman we're used to. Influenced by Webern and the composer's teacher Stephan Wolpe, they are brief serial works. Journey to the End of Night, for soprano, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet and bassoon, a 1949 work based on Louis-Ferdinand Celine's novel, moves from Webern to Wolpe in its four short movements. The 1951 composition, Four Songs to e. e. cummings, is scored for soprano, cello and piano and strike me as considerably more sophisticated, if still nothing like the mature Feldman.

All the 1960s works on this disc are composed using a technique Feldman made much use of at the time: all the musical parts start at the same time, but they are not co-ordinated between each other and progress at independent speeds--usually both slowly and quietly. Of the four works from this period recorded here, the two earlier ones both feature a solo bass-baritone. In Intervals, from 1961, his vocal part--which contains only the Hebrew word for love--is accompanied by trombone, cello, vibraphone and percussion; the following year's O'Hara songs have an ensemble of chimes and piano quartet. Both of these works are largely dissonant, with almost Webernian harmonies, but the low dynamics and slow pace takes the edge of the discords. In contrast, the works from the later 1960s are more consonant, with Between Categories, a 1969 work for two antiphonally separated groups of chimes, piano, violin and cello, featuring near-arpeggio figures along with single notes. Four Instruments, written in 1965 for a single group of chimes, piano, violin and cello, is longer and more diffuse.

The single work on the disc in Feldman's 1970s style is Three Clarinets, Cello and Piano. Lasting about ten minutes, it's fairly typical of Feldman's strictly notated 1970s music in its somewhat Webernian harmonies and gentle, slow flow.

This disc is likely to appeal to most Feldman fans, as many of the works on it are unavailable otherwise. Nonetheless, I found it something of a disappointment--none of the pieces here strike me as essential Feldman, and while the performances are good, I found the rather distant, low-volume sound somewhat offputting. However, others may enjoy this disc more than I did.

They don't care if you hear.......2002-11-04

As in the previous "The Extasy of the Moment" these musicians play softly, very softly, sometimes beyond the threshold of audibility. In some instances one wonders whether they play the notes or just think about it. I do not remember any reference in Feldman's essays to inaudibility as an aesthetic experience in his own music. I like very much Feldman's music and I want to hear it (softly but) clearly.

It's Fulkerson's next Feldman installment.......2002-08-30

In my review of the disc "The Ecstacy of the Moment" I stated at the end that I look forward to Fulkerson's next installment. Well, here it is and I am glad. The order of the pieces is interesting as he alternates voice and instrument pieces with strictly instrumental pieces (and there has the clarinet, 'cello and piano work in between the two piano trio and chimes pieces (Bewteen Catagories is double the ensemble)). Four out of the seven works date from the 1960's, with a piece from the '40's (Journey to the End of Night), the '50's (cummings songs) and the '70's (Three Clarinets...) added. The earliest work, Journey to the End of Night, has Feldman fresh from his tutelege with Stefan Wolpe. (There are some moments in that piece which remind me of Stravinsky, but that's just my ears.) The cummings songs shows Feldman at his most Webernesque, with the wide leaps in the vocal line, the spare accompaniment from the 'cello and piano, and brevity, the four songs finished in less than four minutes. Intervals and The O'Hara Songs date from the early 1960's and continue the writing style similar to the Durations cycle, where the value of each note is determined by each player. Four instruments (1965) closely resembles the Vertical Thoughts cycle where while the durations are still more or less free, the sounds do not overlap as much as Durations. Between Catagories combines these two. Written for two equal groups of violin, 'cello, piano and chimes (with the stereophonic spacial separation similar to Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta), both ensembles begin at the same time (although one group begins with silence) then proceed as if alone. (Listen for the piano arpeggio midway through that was also used in False Relationships on CRI's Viola in My Life CD.) Three Clarinets, 'Cello and Piano was written in standard notation and investigates opposing sonrities (sustained unattacked notes vs. short attacked notes).

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd
Company: Loveland - Getting Married Today
Follies: Waiting For The Girls Upstairs - Love, I Hear - Live Alone And Like It
Company: Being Alive
Merrily We Roll Along: Good Thing Going
Merrily We Roll Along: Our Time - Children Will Listen
Dick Tracy: Back In Business
Sweeny Todd: Green Finch And Linnet Bird
Follies: Broadway Baby
Merrily We Roll Along: Not A Day Goes By
A Little Night Music: A Weekend In The Country
A Little Night Music: Send In The Clowns
Sunday In The Park With George: Sunday

Customer Reviews:

What a recording!.......2000-06-29

I only wich I could have been at Carnegie Hall that night! Come on, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Karen Ziemba, James Naughton, and so much more! After i bought this highlights album I knew I had to get the full 2-CD set. It's great cause it's live, the orchestrations are Heaven, and you will feel like your in new york in the audience. Buy it enjoy it and if you like it is much as I do buy the Video of the performance!

Average customer rating:

soso
One of the best

Good Thing Going
Sugar Minott
Manufacturer: Heartbeat Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Reggae | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000003XT
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Good Thing Going
High Up Above
Never My Love
House On A Hill
My Sisters
Jasmine
Life Without Money
Lonely Days
Walk On By
Family Affair

Customer Reviews:

soso.......2002-10-13

i have a lot of reggae and truly like sugar minot, but this cd is not his best. try dancehall business or some of his older stuff. sometimes i can't believe reviewers who claim the artist is great, which i agree in this case, but that does not mean every cd is great - - - - - reviewers need to be specific on the cd being reviewed. hope this helps.
rf

One of the best.......1999-01-15

Sugar sings sweet like sugar and spice. Original and covers sounds superb. A must for roots reggae lovers.

Average customer rating:

Good Thing Going: the Best of
Sugar Minott
Manufacturer: Trojan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002QPTQM
Release Date: 2004-09-27

Tracks:

Good Thing Going
People Got To Know
Never Too Young
Keep The Crowd Coming
Ghetto-Ology
In The Residence
Walking Through The Ghetto
Right Track
It's All The Game
Man Hungry
Can't Get Over
We Are Going
Never Gonna Give Jah Up
Give The People What They Want
Forever In Love
Strange Things
Save The Children
I Want You To Know
Africa Is The Black Man's Home
Be Careful

Average customer rating:

Oversung
Wonderful Sondheim Recital

Take Me to the World: Songs by Sondheim

Manufacturer: Etcetera
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sunday in the Park With George (2006 London Revival Cast)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
Sondheim Sings, Vol. 2: 1946-1960

ASIN: B0000000QY
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

The Hills Of Tomorrow
Take Me To The World
Another 100 People
Not While I'm Around
You Must Meet My Wife
Send In The Clowns
Comedy Tonight
Love I Hear
Later
Anyone Can Whistle
Pretty Women
Losing My Mind
Johanna
Good Thing Going
Silly People
Ev'rybody Say Don't
Loving You
Green Finch And Linnet Bird
Being Alive
One More Kiss
Sunday

Customer Reviews:

Oversung.......2007-07-07

The CD is actually by Marc Heller, an operatic tenor, accompanied by Alfred Heller on piano. The singer ruins most of the varied material by feeling it necessary to swell and show off his volume during every song. He seems incapable of subtlety or reading a lyric. Virtually all the material is spoilt by this vulgar display and unfeeling delivery.

Wonderful Sondheim Recital.......2000-07-09

This is a wonderful CD to introduce the music of Stephen Sondheim to those people who usually only listen to classical music. Most of Sondheim's music is only accompanied by piano, except for the song "later" which is accompanied by cello like it is in the original production of "A little night music". Taking away the usual orchestrations and tackling these songs in a classical way has an interesting effect. It proves that it is possible to place Sondheim's music and lyrics out of their original context without losing it's strength and impact. What we get as a result is an interesting recital of songs, which does justice to both the composer and the performer. Marc Heller gives us fine interpretations of Sondheim's music and with his classical trained voice he is a joy to listen to. It's obvious that Heller has actually performed in several Sondheim shows because he's very aware of what he is singing about and he knows how to handle this music. We also get a varied program of Sondheim's music. With the exception of "Assassins" we get music from all the musicals for which Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics an on top of that there is the song "Take me to the world" from "Evening Primrose" and the song "Silly people" which was originally discarded and later used in "Marry me a little". I would recommend this album to all those people who would like to be introduced to Sondheim's music and to those who'd like to hear his music performed in a different style.

Average customer rating:

Good Thing Going
Rachel Browning
Manufacturer: Dryer
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000089YB3
Release Date: 2003-02-11

Tracks:

No Regrets
Rain
Good Thing Going
15 Years, 7 Months
Sugar Down Blues
Don't Leave Me, Daddy
Any Old Reason
Master of My Heart
Good as Some
Amazing Grace

Average customer rating:

Good Thing Going
Sugar Minott
Manufacturer: Prestige Elite
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

Reggae | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004NJME
Release Date: 2002-07-11

Tracks:

Now We Know
Can You Remember?
Lonely Days
Good Thing Going
Just Don't Wanna Be Lonely
Make It with You
Missing You
Show Me That You Love Me
Girl Is in Love
House Is Not a Home
Lovers Rock
Never Too Young
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
Sandy

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