Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
|
Our Price: $12.98 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.50 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: A Company in good Company
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm mainly interested in two items: 1) the quality of the performance and 2) the quality of the remastered CD: I'd grade both qualities as "excellent." This disk has so much energy, vitality, realism...it's a marvelous listen (in spite of , as other reviewers have mentioned, having some non-first rate voices in the cast(though generally second-rate plus at worst)). Sony's reissue/remaster is also well done. The disk is bass-shy, but otherwise sounds very true. The super bit mapping helps things immensely. I just heard Company at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and although the sound quality was measureably better than this CD, the comparison is perhaps a bit unfair - I don't know the condition of the original master tape.
In any case, this CD is worth owning if you're the least bit interested in this genre. Only negative: The lack of lyrics is annoying.
Free Music Review: One of the Greatest Ever
Hit: 5 Stars
Company, the groundbreaking 1970 work from Stephen Sondheim, is one of the greatest shows in musical theatre history. It's only fitting that such a great show gets a truly great Original Cast Recording. The orchestrations on this recording are so much better than either the 1995 Broadway Revival recording, or the 1996 London recording that I wonder if it will ever be equaled.
The performances on this recording are also unequaled. Not only are the songs well sung, but they're extremely well acted. This is especially true of what has become one of Sondheim's classics, "The Ladies Who Lunch", performed admirably by Elaine Stritch. Other standout tracks are Beth Howland's version (the original) of "Getting Married Today", Dean Jones' stirring interpretaion of "Someone is Waiting" and Pamela Myers' stunning rendition of "Another Hundred People."
Free Music Review: What Can I Add?
Hit: 5 Stars
There is very little I can say here that has not already been said by the "music fan" from Brooklyn. This show represents Sondheim coming into his own and writing funny, sincere, biting lyrics and melodies that work together to promote the theme of relationships in New York. All of the songs are wonderful and, contrary to what one previous reviewer said, the performances are stellar. Unlike most modern Broadway casts, "Company" was blessed with performers who had personality. Stritch, Howland, Myers . . . all imbue their songs with charm, wit and desperation. I challenge any singer to perform a more "on the mark" rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch" than Stritch's. If you're going to buy a "Company" cast album, this is the album to get.Free Music Review: I'll drink to this
Hit: 5 Stars
This musical, which rung in the "golden era" of Sondheim is as classic as Sondheim can get. The songs range from power-ballad ("Being Alive"), to witty social commenttary ("Ladies Who Lunch"), to old time broadway standards ("You Could Drive a Person Crazy"). Every performance on this CD (including Larry Kert on Columbia Materwork's best bonus track to date) is exactly what you would expect from a definiative broadway cast album such as this. This is not just a CD for Sondheimites, this is a CD for anyone who even has a passing interest in musical theater. (By the way, if this reminds you of Chorus line, it's because the same guy did he orchestrations, but i guess "that had nothing ot do with, all to do with" Company.)Free Music Review: it's been recorded again, but never better
Hit: 5 Stars
i know this wasn't his first, but for me this is where the genius of sondheim as lyricist and composer really blossomed. the struggles to connect, love, commit are still as timely today as when this showed debuted. "sorry/grateful" and "barcelona" are as worthy of adulation as "being alive," "side by side" and the other more-heralded numbers in this show. the cast is perfection. (my only regret is that they didn't also do a cast recording with larry kert who replaced dean jones shortly into the show's run.) if you ever get a chance to see the documentary on the making of this cast recording, you will really appreciate elaine stritch's final version of "ladies who lunch." what a titanic struggle of artists and egos.