Annie Get Your Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Re-release of 1950 Film)
|
List Price: Our Price: $8.14 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $6.96 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Annie Get Your Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Re-release of 1950 Film)
Free Music Review: IRVING BERLIN, HOWARD KEEL---AND BETTY HUTTON AT HER BEST!
Hit: 4 Stars
The 1950 film version of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN has been out of circulation for 27 years. It has finally been released on video and DVD. Now you can enjoy the rip-roaring Irving Berlin score on CD. Howard Keel has a strong, clear baritone, and Betty Hutton is appropriately loud, brassy, and energetic in numbers like "You Can't Get a Man With a Gun" and "Doin' What Comes Naturally". And who can forget the entire cast singing "There's No Business Like Show Business"? The extra tracks (including some by Judy Garland, MGM's original choice for "Annie") make this CD a treat for lovers of the American film musical. Highly recommended!Free Music Review: Garland's Versions Only
Hit: 4 Stars
Garland's versioin are worth 5 Stars - Betty Huttons version are worth 2. Need I say more?Free Music Review: CD Less than DVD
Hit: 3 Stars
Anyone who says that Judy Garland would have been better than Betty Hutton in the role of Annie Oakley either didn't see the outtakes of Garland (looking wan and in a terrible fright wig) or saw something that wasn't there. At that time in her life Judy Garland would not have brought to the role anything approaching the energy and vitality that Hutton brings to it.That said, Garland does manage to do a better job on some of the ballads than Hutton ("They Say Its Wonderful", "Let's Go West Again"). What is amazing is that Hutton sounds as good as she does on the soundtrack because she recorded all of the songs in a single day! Overall though Betty Hutton is fantastic and her performance can't be judged on the soundtrack alone, unlike Garland she stayed in character and sang her numbers in the character's voice and that makes a big difference in the film. Hutton's greatness in the role is all on the screen.
Overall the sound quality of the CD is not nearly as good as the DVD. I agree that the sound quality on Garland's numbers is generally clearer than on the Hutton numbers. Particularly Hutton's "You Can't Get A Man With A Gun" which sounds tinny and distant on the CD while in the film it is a showstopper (Robert Osborne on TCM said that when he saw the film in Seattle the audience broke into loud applause in the movie theater after that number).
See the film for evidence of Hutton's wonderful performance.
Free Music Review: An inferior version without Ethel
Hit: 3 Stars
The Judy Garland numbers preserved on the CD show that this would have been a much better movie if she had not been replaced by Betty Hutton, who, while a spunky and attractive actress, just can't sing, I find both her voice and her phrasing decent at best and annoying at worst. Howard Keel is fine, as are the supporting cast, but this is Annie's show, and both the original and revival recordings with the incomparable Ethel Merman are far, far superior. Mediocre sound quality as well.Free Music Review: Another Rhino Soundtrack Flop
Hit: 2 Stars
After wallowing in the glorious DVD version of AGYG, I literally ran out to buy this movie soundtrack recording. With the cover art being identical to the DVD, I thought this CD would be as lovingly produced as the movie. Before listening to the music I happened to read the producer's note in the inside cover of the liner notes. A queasy feeling overcame me as I read that several different audio sources (including acetate pre-recordings) were used in the making of the CD. My worst fears were quickly confirmed when my ears were bombarded with hiss, channel dropout, and distortion as irritating as fingernails on a chalkboard. It was quite obvious to me that Rhino Records either used inferior sound sources compared to what was used in the movie, or they simply made no attempt to actually re-master the audio. Yet, the label makes an absurd claim to have used the best sound sources that were available. Yeah right. I've heard better bootleg recordings than this insipid effort. This can be added to a long list of Rhino soundtrack flops that I've purchased. Although I plan on keeping this CD for it's historical significance, (since it contains outtakes and Judy Garland material) it will not get played very often. I so wanted to write a glowing review, but sadly I can only recommend this CD to diehard aficionados of this musical.