The Brain From Planet X (2006 Original Los Angeles Cast)
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Free Music Notes for The Brain From Planet X (2006 Original Los Angeles Cast)
Free Music Review: Wore It Out
Hit: 5 Stars
There are a handful of cast recordings in my collection that, once I got them, I listened to nothing BUT them for weeks. This is the latest example. If you like Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Little Shop Of Horrors, City of Angels or the like, you will LOVE this recording. A brilliant spoof of just about every sci-fi movie made in the 40s and 50s (and naming just about every one of them in the opening number), this show is a real treat. Every single song (except the Newsbreaks which are very short) is one you'll be humming and singing along to in no time.Free Music Review: A terrific CD of a terrific show
Hit: 5 Stars
This CD is a lovely, funny and tuneful memento of a delightful and naughty evening in the theater. I loved Bruce Kimmel's Guy Haines CD New Guy in Town and remember his performances on TV going back to my teen years, so I paid attention to the fine reviews this show got in the L.A. Times, and then the NY Times when it was at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. I saw the show with high expectations and they were totally met, and now this CD brings back the memories of that delicious evening in fall 2007 on New York's Theater Row. Free Music Review: Talented cast but lackluster score, story, and humor
Hit: 2 Stars
I'm a sucker for new musicals. Given the rave Amazon reviews and the unique subject matter, I just had to give "The Brain from Planet X" a try. Taking such risks has paid off in many instances in the past. Sadly, not so much this time.
First, in fairness, there was reason to be pessimistic at the outset. I am not a huge fan of camp humor in general or 50's sci-fi movies in particular. So maybe I was crazy to think I would find this recording special. Yet I still believe the right story and score for this subject matter could truly captivate me.
The recording is not all bad in my opinion. The orchestration is good and the vocalists are all quite talented. The main theme is certainly catchy. There is a cohesive story. Yet none of this warrants a recommendation.
The score is simply unremarkable. It's not bad... nor is it anything special. It is not painful to listen to, but neither is it something I yearn to hear again. It's just standard fair. The story is too formulaic. This criticism may seem unfair or ignorant given what the musical purports itself to be: a spoof. One would reasonably expect a spoof of period films to follow formula. But, in my opinion, truly successful spoofs follow the formula just so far and then give us something more that makes them worthwhile as stand alone pieces. There is nothing here that raises it above the genre it targets. Everything seems derivative. And not just the plot, but the musical constructs as well. The introductory narration brings "Reefer Madness" to mind. The intermission reference to "peeing" conjures "Spamalot." The family dynamic (father, mother, daughter) conjures images of the family from "Batboy." The sing-along Brain song is reminiscent of "Pippin." The closing narration calls "Urinetown" to mind. Of course, many of the musicals I've referenced are dearly loved and quite good, so one may assume the creators of Brain are in fine company. But the comparisons are to the constructs alone. The other musicals (at least those I liked) offered something more that made them enjoyable. And here the Brain is lacking. There is just nothing memorable or remarkable about it. And if it is suggested the musical form and constructs are also being spoofed, I still contend that something original must set this work apart. And it doesn't (I love "Spamalot," by the way, which does much the same thing but does it well).
Neither is the comedy or humor remarkable. It just didn't resonate with me. The Brain complains his cohorts have almost given him a headache... and he doesn't even have a head (ba da boom). His lusty female sidekick, Yoni, wants an earthman who is hung... up on her (hee hee) and who has a package (wink wink) to deliver. The final invader, Zubrick, is a male who turns out to be (wait for it) gay. Though interested in musical theater, due to lack of talent he opens a flower shop. There was nothing funny or new in the clich?d 50's housewife finding liberation and confronting her husband. Maybe such clich?s have been so fully mined there is nothing new or original left. I certainly hope not, but nothing is in evidence here to suggest otherwise.
The score is okay. The story is okay. Honestly, I would willingly see a production were it possible. Much of the camp value just may not translate well to CD. The live show may accomplish what the CD couldn't. It is certainly plausible that in the right mood (I would suggest "giddy"), the show could be quite enjoyable. But the CD will not receive much airtime for me. There just isn't anything compelling about it.
Free Music Review: An Unsung Hero...
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I've not had the pleasure of seeing this musical in a live performance. More's the pity. I have had the cd for about 2 months now, and I have found more and more to admire and enjoy with each trip through this loving sendup. Take the opening number, for example, with it's clever "movie crawl" dialogue consisting of, mostly, titles of old 50's sci-fi classics, bombs, and "other". Song by song, this talented cast leads us into the world of those beloved movies: hated by many for being cheaply made, badly-acted, poorly written...and beloved by many for those same reasons.
Secondly, there is the composition factor. The music sounds simple, but is deceptively complex, at least to my ear. It's hummable, tuneful, and pays homage to a whole spectrum of musical styles. There are hints of Sondheim, hints of Mahler, hints of Schwartz, Beethoven, Meredith Wilson, Gershwin, and the Four Tops...and all of it very original and well-performed. Though tongues are firmly in cheek during this cd, it still contains enough double-entendre humor to entertain the most jaded listener.
I did find some sections a bit weaker than the overall....the chorus back up during numbers is, for the most part, extremely strong and well sung, but the chorus sounded, to me, like a college chorus had been commandeered for participation. I was of the opinion that in several cases (There are Saucers In The Sky being the main offender) it was singularly straightforward without an ounce of acting or character injected. The lead characters were all, however, extremely invested in their roles.
Overall, a tremendously successful effort, and a show that would be welcome in many community theaters, if not the Great White Way itself.
Free Music Review: Wacky, Zany, Insanely Entertaining
Hit: 5 Stars
People of Earth, the time is nigh to take out your credit cards and order the one and only, refreshingly original, cast recording of THE BRAIN FROM PLANET X, a wacky, zany, and insanely entertaining musical romp through the Sc-Fi B-movie genre of yesteryear. A tip of the ol' composer's cap to Bruce Kimmel, music and lyrics, and Larry Moore, orchestrations. Each of their songs is a finely-crafted gem unto itself.
Yet, you have to have favorites, and this reviewer's choices as the CD-stealing numbers are: the infectious THE BRAIN'S SONG (see if you can get it out of your brain once you hear it); the vampish ode to burlesque I NEED AN EARTHMAN; the campy, make-you-smile cabaret song ALL ABOUT MEN; the peppy vaudeville tune THE PLAN; and the crowd-pleasing THE BRAIN TAP (there is no way a recording can capture the bring-the-house-down spirit of a tap number, so just know there's even more to this one than you're privy to on this CD). Then that title song will have you moving, too, plus NOW!, the make-you-march-around-your-living-room-to-it INDEPENDENCE DAY, and the...oh, forget this. Buy the CD, and pick out your own favorites.
As for the artists, there's no denying the vocal quality and power of mom and dad (Lauren Rubin and Kevin Spirtas). But you gotta love those aliens, the Brain (Egbert Bernard) and his minions Zubrick and Yoni (Cason Murphy and Alet Taylor), who may bumble their attempt at world domination, but completely rule this CD. When they're in the house, it totally rocks. The entire cast is to be commended on their rousing and spirited chorus numbers. You can tell they're all having fun, and you will, too, because there are plenty of puns, jokes, wit, satire, send-ups, spoofs, and silliness to go around.
There's only one complaint. The producers of this CD should have added the following warning label: LISTENERS BEWARE -- The use of this CD could result in chronic humming of any number of catchy tunes contained within.
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