Customer Reviews

An American in Paris (1951 Film Soundtrack)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the "Holy Grail" of MGM soundracks for lovers of MGM musicals. Expanded with cut numbers and alternate tracks, this 2 CD set covers most of Gerwhwin's great music. "Concerto In F" with Oscar Levant at the piano is in stereo as is several other tracks and has never sounded better. A pure joy to listen to and a must for all Gershwin and/or MGM musical fans!

Nearly every popular Gershwin tune is represented here, either as an instrumental, a vocal, or a production number. I am not a big fan of the film, but the soundtrack is fabulous. There are some stereo tracks here, too. Yet another triumph in the Turner/Rhino soundtrack collection of MGM films.As a sidenote I would like to thank Rhino for their extremely co-operative staff. When I bought this CD I opened up the very extensive booklet and was disappointed to find that due to an error on the assembly line I had received an insert that had some pages repeated and others deleted. I contacted Rhino and they sent me a new booklet which arrived within a week! That's what I call excellent customer service. The really neat thing is the fact that I have both booklets. The flubbed copy is sort of a collector's item to me.

In my opinion, 's wonderful! This is the original 1950-51 recording with great pictures and information. This CD includes all the music from the movie, as well as many outtakes and variations. If you liked the movie (and even if you didn't), you'll love this!

This comprehensive edition is a must have for fans of the movie and of the Gershwins. The outtakes, contrary to the first review above, are excellent. Gene Kelly offers a wonderful vocal of "I've Got a Crush on You" and his short riff on "'S Wonderful" is almost like an acoustic version, much different than the over-the-top duet in the movie. And the Oscar Levant piano pieces are as close to George sitting down at the keys as we're going to get.

Nothing but Gene and George: the hard work and the happiness in music, conducting by the magician Vince.
Noone is better, noone could do better.
American masterpiece with european feelings.

You'll love the soundtrack. it includes tracks not included in the film and some great instrumentals.

Many agree that the talented George Gershwin is a fabulous pianist, and alongside Ira, he helped to create some of the most beloved music ever. After viewing the movie that was filled with song and dance, I was pleased to discover that the soundtrack was readily available. The plot of An American in Paris mainly focuses on the lives of three friends and their dreams in addition to the romance that they encounter in the most popular European city. Gene Kelley is a struggling artist who soon falls in love, and the many songs in this cd express his emotions. Who wouldn't want to dance to Gershwin's spectacular tunes such as "Embraceable You?" These original songs included in this two cd set are well worth the price. Furthermore, "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise" is a true favorite with unique lyrics. Don't miss out on this must have cd collection.

I had never SEEN "American In PAris", but decided to explore the music first. After all, it's Gershwin...how bad is that, ever? This collection is jam-packed with out takes and alternate versions. Most impressive is Oscar Levant's various piano solos. He might be the best Gershwin interpreter of them all, AND he was a comtemporary!
And listening to Gene Kelly sing is as great as seeing him dance. What a pro! All hail The Freed Unit!

This is an awesome soundtrack, it is fun and enjoyable to listen to. The best songs on these cds are all of them

This edition is stunning for all gershwin fans.
Benefits:
- Fat booklet with fotos and stories, good polygraphy.
- 2 CDs, first with complete soundtrack, the second with outtakes.
- Great dynamic mono sound, not spoiled by today 'remastering' standards.
Disadvantages:
- Authors wanted this CD to include every second of Gershwin music on one edition, but forgot how to get it dynamically appealed, for example, removing step from I got Rhythm thus making it sound just boring.
- Good Old plastic 4-disc package, contains only 2 CDs and 1 book. Seems like there were no digi-packs in 1996?