Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jim Steinman - Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)
Free Music Review: A musical of no comparison!
Hit: 5 Stars
I am an owner of Napster and I downloaded a couple of clips from this musical. I really didn't care for them. And after seeing Tyre Tracks and Broken Hearts on Webber's 50th birthday I was definitely turned off. I decided to take a risk and buy the cd. It was WELL worth it. True, some of the actorshave bad accents but the music is incredible. The show is very honest in the way the characters present their emotion-it's incredible! It's very refreshing to hear something with children in it! I think I enjoyed the cd's so much because I expected them to be bad. With a score that is riveting and a cast that is unbeatable everyone should go buy it. As for those who say the dialogue should be cut: I disagree. Some conversation is simply left better that way-in conversation. The blend of music and dialogue together makes the score better. If everything was simply sung the score would be less effective. By combining speech with music the rang of emotions sky-rockets leaving the listener with a more complete feeling. I for one will extremely enjoy WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND. It has powerful songs, my favorite being: A Kiss is a Terrible thing to Waste. I especially its combination of Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts with it. Minor quirks such as the accents should be overlooked. The show is a masterpiece. Now if I could only get over to London to see it!Free Music Review: Tied for Lloyd Webber's best...
Hit: 5 Stars
...with "Aspects of Love."If you are a fan of Lloyd Webber's latter-day works (since "Phantom," and including "Aspects" and "Sunset") this set is a can't-miss. The music is as adept as those shows, but the scope is wider: it includes a gospel song, a nice rock duet, some catchy children's songs, and an expansive epic rock ballad ("A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste") that seems to be on the top five list of favorite songs of every die-hard ALW fan.
There are, to be sure, a few misses. "I Always Get What I Pray For" and "Try Not To Be Afraid" stand out as weak efforts in an otherwise stunning score. It is to be hoped that in a future (US?) version of the work that these songs will be revised or replaced. And the dialogue (the book is credited to Lloyd Webber, Patricia Knopf, and director Gale Edwards) is not up to the high standards of the score. And, also, there is one very serious dramatic error, in that Edward, intended to be a sympathetic character, is seen trying to drown a bag of kittens on his very first stage appearance. And the comments about the accents aren't unwarranted...
Overall, this is a brilliant and uplifiting work with some truly touching moments and some thrilling songs. And Steinman provides the best lyrics for any ALW show without Tim Rice.
Thanks for your time.
Free Music Review: Beautiful, beautiful music!
Hit: 5 Stars
Once again, I believe, Webber has written an extroadinary musical piece. I first became aware of some of the songs from this score from the video of TRIBUTE:ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION and couldn't wait to hear them again on the soundtrack album. It was worth the wait. While the criticism is correct re: the British actors' bizarre Southern accents (I'm sure that American actors' British accents sound just as strange to English ears), it has nothing to do with the music or the singing which is wonderful. The accents actually remind me of 2 old American musicals:LIL ABNER and OKLAHOMA and from what I remember, the American actors in those 2 films don't sound very much more authentic than the British actors here! In any case, the music, lyrics and orchestrations are uniformly excellent. If you're a Webber fan, I feel strongly that you will enjoy this CD. My favorite tracks are the exquisite title song, THE VAULTS OF HEAVEN and the mesmerizing IF ONLY (what a simple, brilliant melody - Webber at his best). I see that there is an album of these songs recorded by other artists inc. Tina Arena, Elaine Page and Donny Osmond. Does anyone know where a copy of this compilation CD can be obtained?Free Music Review: Weber's Best Yet
Hit: 5 Stars
When one sees a show by Weber, they expect a show with overly catchy music that overshadows the simple and usually incompetent lyrics (remember Phantom?) with great show and little substance. Whistle Down the Wind, however, completely broke this formula. With absolutely brilliant lyrics by Jim Steinman (writer of Meatloaf's songs), a brilliant plot with thought-provoking comments on spirituality and organized religion, and a score that makes sure never to overshadow the lyrics or plot, Whistle ended up being the very best show I saw in London. Although the killer/Jesus in the album is nowhere near as good as the killer/Jesus in the 2000 cast (the original was much less intense and tortured and not as believable as Jesus or a murderer) the rest of the cast makes up for the shortcomings. With everything from intense hard rock (Wrestle With The Devil), love rock ballads (a Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste), Blues Rock (Cold), "River" songs on the verge of ragtime (Annie Christmas) Light Rock (When Children Rule the World), Gospell (The Vaults of Heaven), and symphonies of rock (No Matter What), This has to be one of the most brilliant and creative scores I have ever heard.Free Music Review: An Andrew Lloyd Webber title not to be missed!
Hit: 5 Stars
"~This is an outstanding musical, with an engaging storyline. It follows a teen named Swallow who is confronted by an escaped criminal who tells her he is Jesus. Swallow believes him, and she and the other children see him as a miracle. If the story is at all difficult to follow, it does not matter, because the cd comes packaged with a libretto, containing the entire script of the play and songs. would have heard some of the songs on these cd's. That is great, because one already has a taste for the music in this play. The best songs would include "The Vaults of Heaven," "Whistle Down the Wind,"Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts," "When Children Rule The World," "No Matter What," and "A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste." The list is long, but could easily be longer. They are all great. Also, Swallow has a good singing voice, adding to the quality of the songs. To sum up, this is musical not to be missed. Most likely, one is worried about not liking the songs because one has never heard them. But trust me, there is nothing to fear.