Mrs. Santa Claus [Original Soundtrack]

Release Date: November 29, 2011
Lable: RCA Records Label
Time: 40:48
Music and Lyrics: Jerry Herman
Main Singers: Angela Lansbury, Michael Jeter, Terrence Mann, Lynsey Bartilson


1. Overture - 5/5 - A great start. The overture is very cheery and there's perfect blending between instruments. Very upbeat and musical. Quite nice.


2. Seven Days 'til Christmas - 4/5 - A fun little song. Some of the rhythms are created by the machinery in the factory. Creative. A little sparse though. Not much going on during the singing parts.


3. Mrs. Santa Claus - 5/5 - Angela Lansbury has always been and always will be one of the greatest Broadway singers ever. This song proves it. Her emotion is pure and joyful. Lansbury at her best.


4. Avenue A - 4/5 - A fairly entertaining song. Talking about the mix of cultures on this one street. Haven't seen it so I can't tell you the context. This piece seems to not be able to decide whether it is major or minor.


5. Avenue A (Reprise) - 4/5 - It's basically a slower, (much) shorter, waltz-like reprise of the previous song. It's also a solo.


6. A Tavish Toy - 4/5 - Though Mann's voice is quite good, is diction is a little muddy. It's sometimes difficult to make out what he's saying. A peppy and happy song. I like the octave leaps.


7. Almost Young - 3/5 - I don't what it is about this song, but it just rubs me the wrong way. It's not Lansbury's voice. I'm not sure what it is.


8. Almost Young (Reprise) - 4/5 - It's just the chorus soung by a bunch of kids and Lansbury. It is a tad better than the original. It feels like it's happier and more at tempo.


9. Suffragette March - 5/5 - It reminds me of (no surprise) the "Sister Suffragette" from Mary Poppins. I liked that song quite a lot. Happy and to the point. I find it humorous that Mrs. Claus is in a suffragette march. I don't know why, but I do.

10. We Don't Go Together At All - 4/5 - This is a duet between Debra Wiseman's character and David Norona's character about how they are incompatible. Wiseman's voice is occasionally a little to piercing and nasally, but I'll let it slide. A comical piece.

11. Whistle - 4/5 - I feel like this piece is a rip-off of "Whistle a Happy Tune" from The King and I. It's good and cheery and whatnot, but it's the same principle. When you're feeling lonely, whistle a tune to cheer you up.

12. Dear Mrs. Santa Claus - 3/5 - A very slow and boring song. It stars Charles Durning (Santa) singing about how he misses Mrs. Claus. Not one of the best on the album.

13. Whistle (Reprise) - 4/5 - A kickline-esqe reprise of the aforementioned tune. Catchy.

14. He Needs Me - 3/5 - It's basically "Dear Mrs. Santa Claus" except from the other perspective: Mrs. Claus is singing about how she misses Santa. Also a sluggish piece.

15. The Best Christmas Ever - 4/5 - Some of the lyrics are a bit of a stretch, but on the whole it's a good ending to a good album. It feels like a genuine Christmas tune. Very nice.

Conclusion: Though better in her other roles, such as Mrs. Lovett is Sweeney Todd, Angela Lansbury shines in another cast album for her fans.

4.0/5

Download Album: https://rs38dt.rapidshare.com/#!download|38tl5|19275367|Mrs._Santa_Claus-JHer.rar|38195|R~0|0|0

Fresher: The Musical [The Original 2011 Recording]

Date Released: November 14, 2011

Label: Paulden Productions Ltd

Time: 28:53

Music and Lyrics: Mark Aspinall

Main Singers: Gary Albert Hughes, Natasha J. Barnes, Andrew Bryant, Rebekah Hinds

1. Opening - 1/5 - This is not the way to start an album. The singers are atrocious (no vibrato, tone deaf, etc.). Also, most of the time, you can't even make out what they are saying. For example, once the song switches style, Hughes seems to be singing "So I ride....keys to my room." What he's saying in between "ride" and "keys" is completely inaudible. I don't get how they can release an album in which the first song is crap. Hopefully the rest of the album will be better.

2. That's a Sign - 2/5 - Well, I was wrong. Hinds's voice is very nasally and her accent gets in the way of her singing. It's a song you can nod your head to (for the most part, as in there are parts where it sounds like the band itself messed up the rhythm). This is one of the only songs that isn't marked "explicit." I'm not sure why. I wouldn't want an 8-year old listening to this song.

3. Nothing - 0/5 - Oh dear God. This is probably the worst showtune I have ever listened to. James Darch's voice is appalling, the time signature is wacky, and you can't even hum it. This song is called "Nothing" and that is what is shall recieve.

4. Funny - 2/5 - This song is sometimes funny, usually not. Rebekah Hinds's talking in the background completely distracts me from Andrew Bryant's voice. Not that his voice is worth listening to anyway. An attempt at a humorous song. Falls short of that.

5. Rupert's Lament - 3/5 - Hughes's voice is quite nice in this piece. His emotion fits the song perfectly. There's only one problem: The only love song on this entire album and it's horribly obscene. Not the language, but the slang. It's just bad. I feel if you replaced the lyrics, it would be a perfectly nice love song.

6. In The Club - 3/5 - This is a meh song. It changes tempo without any warning. The singing is average. Just meh. The instrumental sections are quite good and driving, though.

7. You're All The Same - 4/5 - It seems like this album is getting progressively better. This is a good jazzy song, with just the right amount of intensity. Quite pleasant.

8. The Way We Are - 2/5 - This song is very dull. There is little to no variation in the theme. Very predictable. An all around blah song.

9. Finale (The Best Years Of Our Lives) - 1/5 - Dear God. They started with a horrible song and ended with a worse one. This song is basically the cast giving you a summary of what just happened in the show. The lyrics are filthy and dumb. The beginning of the song is just the members of the cast insulting other members. The only reason I'm giving it 1/5 is because it means that the album is over.

Conclusion: I've heard some horrible albums (looking at you, Toxic Avenger) but this one trumps them all as far as bad albums go. NEVER buy this album.

2.0/5

Tears of Heaven [The Concept Recording]

Recording Date: August 6, 2010
Label: GlobalVision Records, LLC
Time: 71:18
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Rob Lerner
Main Singers: Linda Eder, Rob Evans, Christiane Noll, James Barbour

1. Between Heaven and Earth - 4/5 - First off, I would like to state that I have a soft spot for Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder. But all that aside, this song, featuring Morgan James, is pretty good. Her vibrato is a bit too warbly and sometimes makes it so that she is incomprehensible. Other than that, the tempo/style change is smooth and not jarring. Very good piece.

2. Shadows On My Heart - 5/5 - Linda Eder is amazing in this song. There are very few times when her vowels fall flat. This song is a great style for her. Filled with emotion, her voice floats through the song with ease.

3. Pearl of the East - 2/5 - This song is very strange. It's kind of out of place in the album. The style is odd and the company is modulating all over the place. The key changes like nobodies business. Definitely not one of my favorites.

4. The First Time I Saw Paris - 5/5 - If I was smelling cinnamon or nutmeg and had a fire going, I would be convinced that this was a slow jazz remix of a Christmas song. This song is very good. It makes you feel warm and cozy just listening to it. Very nice.

5. The Tiger and the Dove - 3/5 - Rob Evans's is very pleasant in this song, sadly the song doesn't match. It's just all around a boring song. Nothing special about it. Very little variation. Just blah.

6. Who Can You Trust? - 4/5 - A very evil sounding song (which I like). Michael Lanning is very intense in this song, which I feel fits the song. Linda Eder, on the other hand, sounds like she is trying to match Lanning's growl, but her voice just can't do it. She should just stick to what she does best (everything else, that is).

7. Morning Comes - 3/5 - Strange, this song reminds me of something that should be in "Lion King". It sounds like a jungle tribe singing some kind of morning ritual song. I don't know, maybe I interepreted the lyrics wrong, but that's what it sounds like to me.

8. I've Never Loved Like This - 4/5 - A very nice and powerful duet between Rob Evans and Linda Eder. The pair sing very well together. Their voices fit perfectly with one another, like a puzzle.

9. Can You Hear Me? - 3/5 - This song seems lackluster. There is not a lot of emotion in this song. But seeing as though the rest of the album is very good, I shall let it slide.

10. I've Had To Learn - 4/5 - Rob Evans's driving solo. A very nice piece. He's singing about how he's had to cope with killing innocent people. I think. It definitely seems like that's what he's singing about. Anyway, quite a good song. Very dark. The only problem with it is that Evans doesn't sound like he means what he is saying. He doesn't emote very well. Which is rare, for him. He usually emotes too much.

11. The End of the World - 2/5 - Okay. First of all, this song reminds me of "Over the Moon" from Rent. THere is little instruments in the background, a complete solo, and very little melody. An overall depressing piece about the fall of Saigon. The lowest point in the album.

12. Tears of Heaven - 3/5 - The titular song (sung by Linda Eder) is not anything to shout about. It's kind of a boring song. Very little melodic quirks and variation. A blah song.

13. Moving On - 4/5 - James Barbour (who we haven't heard in a while) sings beautifully in this song. The last note of the piece sounds like something Colm Wilkinson would sing. Truly beautiful. A very heartfelt track.

14. Raining Fire - 6/5 - Yes, I know that the rating is absurb, but this song is SO FREAKIN' GOOD!!!! I listened to it about 6 times in a row! In love Frank Wildhorn's songs like this. I could compare it to "Facade" (Jekyll and Hyde) or "Madame Guillotine" (The Scarlet Pimpernel), but here Wildhorn has outdone himself. If you only listen to one song on this whole album, listen to this one.

15. Without Her - 5/5 - Forgiving the lyric "No one turns their back on me/Unless I tell them to", this song is a delicate balance of intensity and tenderness. James Barbour is powerful and hits all the high-belting notes with ease. Extremely good.

16. Sweet Song of Life - 4/5 - Quite a dainty piece. Linda Eder's voice is perfect for it. A nice love song.

17. My Confession - 3/5 - No, it's not that God-awful Usher song. Christiane Noll's voice is way too overblown and shrill in this piece. Evans's is fine, but compared to Noll, he's basically a mouse scurrying in the background. That's how loud she is. Not the best.

18. Tiger and the Dove (Finale) - 4/5 - Ending on a high note (figuratively and literally), the finale is a rare occurence when the reprise is better than the original. A good ending to a good album.

19. Tears of Heaven (Radio Mix) - N/A - Just think of the original, but with a pop music style.

20. Can You Hear Me (Radio Mix) - N/A - Same as above.


Conclusion: This album is definitely worth your money (or at least the amount of energy it takes you to click on the download link.) I highly recommend it.

 4.3/5

Download Album: http://www.mediafire.com/?c2nnxnqf3ie1jwb

Elf [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

Recording Date: October 16, 2011
Label: Ghostlight Records
Time: 47:02
Music: Matthew Sklar
Lyrics: Chad Beguelin
Main Singers: Sebastian Arcelus, Amy Spanger, Beth Leavel, Mark Jacob

1. Overture - 4/5 - This piece makes me smile. It makes me feel all warm and happy inside and also makes me feel like I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Very fun and jovial.

2. Christmastown - 3/5 - The opening number is definitely a sign as to what the feeling of the whole musical will be. Christmastown is a very upbeat song, but sadly, it's quite forgettable. It doesn't stand out much.

3. World's Greatest Dad - 3/5 - Another peppy number, Arcelus is flat and nasally on his held notes and it kind of deters from the song. The lyrics are sweet and sugary, but the singing is sticky.

4. In The Way - 4/5 - This song is about the company workers dreading the Christmas rush. It's a song that will make you chuckle. The only downside to this song is that when the company joins in, it feels like they were far away from the mic when recording it. Other than that, no qualms about this one.

5. Sparklejollytwinklejingley - 2/5 - This song, although sparkley, jolly, twinkley, and jingley, falls flat. It just isn't very interesting. It feels like a song from a kid's show. Not a high point in the album.

6. I'll Believe In You - 3/5 - Finally! A song that isn't bouncy! The sad part is that the performers sing as if they were plugging their noses. It's a very odd sound. It sounds lik two girls, even though it's supposed to be between a son and his mother.

7. In The Way (Reprise) - 4/5 - A dark (well, as dark as this musical can get, at least) reprise of the above song. It's about the mounting tension between the Hobbs'.

8. Just Like Him - 4/5 - I mainly like this piece because it's one of my favorite scenes from the movie. The lyrics are funny and the secretary is deliciously sarcastic. Very good track.

9. A Christmas Song - 3/5 - Once again, another uneventful, forgettable track. Peppy, but too drawn out.

10. World's Greatest Dad (Reprise) - 3/5 - Probably the saddest song in the show. It has Buddy singing about how he let his dad down. Just like how this musical let me down.

11. Nobody Cares About Santa - 3/5 - Santa has a very weird voice. It sounds like he's trying to suppress his voice, because it would be too loud or overpowering otherwise. It guttural and odd.  The lyrics are good and witty, but the voice of Santa is muddy and strange.

12. Never Fall In Love (With An Elf) - 4/5 - This song sounds like a jazzy remix of a Christmas song. I really like it. The lyrics are a bit bland, but the mood of the song is very nice. Would definitely listen to this again.

13. There is a Santa Claus - 3/5 - Once again, the boy's nasally voice is overpowering. I believe he was in the Addams Family musical as well. I didn't really like him there either, but I try not to be biased. The song is about him believing in the jolly red giant. Happy and inspiring. Bland.

14. The Story of Buddy the Elf - 2/5 - This feels like it should be one of the first tracks, as it tells the story of, you guessed it, Edgar Allen Poe. I'm joking of course. But seriously, the song is wildly misplaced.

15. Nobody Cares About Santa (Reprise) - 3/5 - Kind of reminds me of "Oogie Boogie's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Anyway, the song is basically the exact same thing as the above track.

16. A Christmas Song (Reprise) - 3/5 - Elf's substitute for a love ballad. It's a slow reprise of the above song. Feels a bit too slow after listening to all this upbeat music.

17. Finale - 4/5 - Well, at least they end on a high note (not literally). It's a reprise of "Sparklejollytwinklejingley", just not labeled as such. Just like the finale in Les Miz is just a reprise of "Do You Hear The People Sing?" Not bad.

Conclusion: This musical is so saccharine, sticky sweet it makes my teeth hurt. There are some good songs in it. It will definitely cheer you up when you're feeling down.

3.2/5

Download Album: https://rs991dt.rapidshare.com/#!download|991dt|3187014450|VA-Elf-TheBroadwayMusical-320kps-320kps.rar|118791|R~AB81344EF5F26489C4E8867614606AF9|0|0

Death Takes A Holiday [Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording]

Recording Date: August 8, 2011
Label: PS Classics
Time: 70:33
Music and Lyrics: Maury Yeston
Main Singers: Jill Paice, Kevin Earley, Michael Siberry, Rebecca Luker

1. In the Middle of Your Life/Nothing Happened - 2/5 - Alright. The first thing I notice about this song is the shrillness of the females' voice. It stands out above everything. It literally made me cringe. The melody isn't that bad. The lyrics give an air of pretentiousness, though. Also I'm sure if you added sleigh bells, this song could pass as a Christmas carol.

2. Will I Know? - 2/5 -  Jill Paice is really trying to make this song seem interesting and exciting and inspiring. It's a song about the future and what might happen. I know what will happen. If I keep listening to this song, I will fall asleep.

3. Centuries - 4/5 - Kevin Earley floats easily through this song. It's basically about how hard it is to be Death. Its slow tempo makes you kind of feel sorry for him. It's quite humorous, in my opinion.

4. Why Do All Men? - 4/5 - Yet another slow song, this song is about Death wanting to live in the world with people and experience what people do. The lyrics are clever and use examples of things we do that we take for granted, such as pushing a child on a swing. Feeling like a mix between Camelot (Camelot) and Heaven's Light (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), I feel like this song could get stuck in my head very easily.

5. Death is In The House - 1/5 - Finally! A fast song! Too bad it's barely hummable! It switches time signatures all over the place and Michael Siberry and Don Stephenson seem like they are growling at some points in the song. It's just an utter mess. The lyrics are funny at points, but most of the time annoying.

6. Alive! - 2/5 - A very upbeat song, Kevin Earley sings great. Too bad the song can't match his voice and pep. The song is about Death rejoicing about his first day off his job. The lyrics are very cheery, but yet we have another weird time signature. Can't really tap your foot to it.

7. Life's A Joy! - 3/5 - This album tends to have odd barrages of slow songs and then many peppy ones. This is one of the peppy ones. It's all about, you guessed it, how life is a joy. Live it up, is the message I get from this song. All in all, a forgetful number.

8. Who Is This Man? - 2/5 - Ah. Back the slow tunes, are we? Jill Paice fails to emote very well. It sounds like she's reading this song for the first or second time. Some of the lyrics are undistinguishable (I think I heard "play the troll" in one of the lines. What does that even mean?). Feels like a rip-off of Beauty and the Beast.

9. Life's A Joy! (Reprise) - 3/5 - A sarcastic reprise. Managed to make me chuckle on occasion.

10. Shimmy Like They Do In Paree - 5/5 - I love this song. Mara Davi sounds like she's trying to match voices with Ethel Merman at some points in the song. A very peppy and bouncy song, it makes you want to get up and dance. Very different from the rest of the album.

11. Roberto's Eyes - 4/5 - Not a very bad song. Definitely a catchy tune. Matt Cavenaugh's voice is very good and isn't too intense. Didn't know fighter jets were very popular in the 30s, but whatever.

12. Alone Here With You - 3/5 - Your standard duet between lovers. Fairly boring, not very exciting. Odd choice for an Act I finale.

13. Something Happened - 2/5 - Maury Yeston loves doing these little licks in her songs where she tries to cram as many words as she can into sixteenth notes. It's really absurd. It happens in this piece a lot. Once again, as in the first song, the female voices ring way above the others.

14. Losing Roberto - 2/5 - Rebecca Luker sounds like she's trying to decide on an accent while she's singing the song. Now, I don't sing, but aren't you supposed to decide that before you start singing? Also her vibrato makes her sound like a goat. The song in general isn't bad, it's just the singer.

15. What Do You Do - 1/5 - The thing about this song is that it introduces to new voices that we have barely heard before and gives them a duet. Alexandra Socha sings her part like it's out of a Disney movie. Max von Essen sings his part like he's in Phantom of the Opera. It's a weird mix and the song is quite forgettable.

16. More and More - 3/5 - Yet another a duet. Kevin Earley's part sounds like a big Phantom ballad, while Jill Paice's part is soft and sweet. Earley sometimes misses his jumps up to the high notes. Odd, but okay.

17. Finally to Know - 1/5 - This song is SO slow. It's not the tempo, it's the way the words are spaced apart. For example it feels like the song goes: "You...............................and me................................were made.................................to be................................." It drags on and there is very little melodic variation.

18. I Thought That I Could I Live - 3/5 - This song is basically Death's big soliloquey. It changes tempos and melodies, so it keeps you alert and paying attention. Not half bad.

19. December Time - 2/5 - Most of this song is dialogue, but the part that isn't is not very good. The notes feel like they're cut to short. It also feels to lilty (if that's a word).

20. Pavane - 3/5 - For once, in the company, the women aren't shrieking their part. It's a fairly good song. Nothing remarkably bad, but nothing remarkably good.

21. Finale: Grazia and Sirki - 4/5 - Feels a bit lacking in parts. For example there is a part in a song where you are expecting another lyrics or note or something but they just drop the phrase like it didn't happen. Very odd, but a good finale nonetheless.

Conclusion: All in all, this was not a very exciting recording. Not much variation in the types of songs, a majority of them were slow forgetful numbers.

2.6/5

Hello World!

Hello everybody reading this blog:

The reason you're reading this blog is either because a) You love Broadway musicals like I do, or b) I bribed you to come here. I'm going to go ahead and assume it's the first one.

So here's the plan. When a new cast recording comes out, I will review it. Song by song. I shall point out the high points in the album and the low points. At the end of each entry I will rate the album as a whole and, (if I can find it) post a link where you can download the album.

As for the rating system, I will probably rate each song from 0 to 5. No halves, just whole numbers. If it's a piece of dialogue like some albums have, I will put N/A. It will not count towards the score of the album. Once I have reviewed every song, I will sum up the album in a few sentences and then average the scores together and that will be the album score. That will not always be a whole number.

So, yeah. Check back here soon when I will probably have my first review up! See you then!