1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)
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Free Music Notes for 1776: The New Broadway Cast Recording (1997)
Free Music Review: Stuck in my head for several weeks
Hit: 4 Stars
I haven't seen the video or heard the original soundtrack a million times, so I can't compare this version to those. Compared to other Broadway soundtracks I own, there is a lot of dialog in this one, both introducing the songs and sometimes in the middle of the songs. This bothered me for a while because I just bought this to listen to the music. However I find that I usually pop the disc in the CD player and listen to it straight through, and the dialog does help put the songs in the framework of the play, (reading the liner notes helped a lot too) so I've gotten to like it all right.
I periodically wake up with Cool, Cool Considerate Men going through my head. I find the line "if we cannot win, why bother to begin" very thought-provoking. Compliments usually brings a big silly grin to my face. And the actor who plays Edward Rutledge has a beautiful voice, which makes Molasses to Rum (to Slaves) totally creepy to listen to. I'm interested in hearing the original cast version just to see if I agree with the comparisons of the other reviewers, but OTOH, I like this version fine and am not sure I really need 2 copies.
Free Music Review: A worthy successor to the great original.
Hit: 4 Stars
The recording of the revival cast of the musical 1776 is almost but not quite as good as the William Daniels-Rex Everhart original. I did appreciate the addition of some extra music and lyrics from the show (my first copy of the original cast album was on 8-track, which dates me pretty effectively!) although the "Time's Running Out" sequence is still sadly missing. Still, this recording is still well-worth getting for fans of the show and movie. My biggest reservation has nothing to do with the show or the recording, but is due to the fact that this is only the second CD I have ever run across that nowhere, either on the CD cover or in the liner notes, identifies the numbering of the musical selections (although they are numbered on the actual disc.) This means that if you want to listen to a particular track you either have to have a good memory or skip around the disc to locate it. A pointless flaw in an otherwise fine recording.Free Music Review: Better in some ways than the original, less in others...
Hit: 4 Stars
I am a huge fan of the original play. Rather than review the play, I would like to compare the 2 recordings strengths and weaknesses.The strength of the new cast recording is the quality of the singing. Every single performance is phenomenal and strong. There really isn't a weak or bad voice in the bunch. Brent Spiner suprisingly does a fine job as Adams.
Yet it's weakness is the very thing that makes this recording strong. Much of the charm of the original cast was that it was as much the performance behind the singing as the singing itself. Perhaps it's my bias from what I grew up to and am use to hearing, but I still prefer the original.
Still, I think more people may find this recording more enjoyable, especially if they haven't seen the play. I guess it's personal preference which you would choose. So if you prefer better singing, this is the album for you.
Free Music Review: Not the best but many redeemable points
Hit: 4 Stars
The original Broadway cast recording is by far the better of the two. It seems that in this soundtrack most of the actors (Brent Spiner being first and foremost) are intentionally going about portraying their roles the opposite of the movie, which most people know. I see the logic in this of course but I think the movie was done exceptionally well and so they're going against it's grain just for the sake of doing such and not really considering the performances of the film. Even so Brent is dynamic as ever and the music of 1776 itself is so inspirational and well done that any recording of this show would be worth it. The only true flaw that I can't get past is Pat Hingle's HORRIBLE performance as Ben Franklin-the complete opposite of Howard Da Silva's smooth and charming performance in the movie. Pat I'm sorry but you cannot be forgiven!Free Music Review: Suitably Impressed
Hit: 4 Stars
In agreement with most of the reviewers, Ben Franklin is the weak link in this recording, but that doesn't keep it from being enjoyable. It doesn't match up against the original cast, with the exception of "Molasses to Rum to Slaves", which is done VERY well. But no matter how you slice it, it is the ESSENCE of the show that matters most, and this show has more substance, more essence and more meaning that just about anything else out there. Check the entire script out from your local library if it doesn't happen to be playing anywhere near you and you'll be DOUBLY impressed with the show!