Customer Reviews

Cats - Original Australian Cast Recording - 1985

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

 

 

The Australian Cast Recording of CATS was the third English recoding of the show to be made, and it is by far my favourite.

I own the Original Broadway Cast Recording, and I've head the majority of the Original London Cast Recording, but the Australian one has such a fresh, new sound and twist to the excellent songs. It is the only 'complete' recording. That is to say, it has both Growtiger's Last Stand AND The Aweful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles. Also, Mungojerrie (Mungo Jerrie) and Rumpleteazer (Rumpel Teazer) sing their own number, as opposed to Mistoffelees singing it.

Not only do the orchestrations pop, but the vocalists are amazing. Jellylorum has a posatively chipper and bright, young sound; Rumpleteazer (Rumpel Teazer) is absolutely adorable; Sillabub's voice is light and airy; Demeter is so clear and passionate; Grizabella is so strong and full of emotion; and Gus' blantant Aussie accent can't be beat.

Some might find the slight changes in character unsatisfactory. Old Deutueronomy has a very different sort of voice (though I quite liked it), and Bombalurina seems to have a bit of a different personallity than one would know from the UK, US, or video productions (but again, I liked her a lot).

The only character I didn't like was Mungojerrie (Mungo Jerrie). He seemed to sound a bit whiney. It wasn't horrid, though, honestly. He was very "vaudville." Quite interesting, but it didn't match Rumpleteazer (Rumpel Teazer) as it should have.

All in all, I posatively adore this recording. I concider myself to be a 'CATS fanatic,' and I can honestly say that it is the best English recording I've heard thus far, and it's worth every cent to purchase it.

This cast I rate better than the Broadway one. The voices are far better (with the exception of the U.S having Ken Page ^_~) Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer was at a very high standard, the best version of it I have heard out of all the Cats CD's. Memory is sung beautifully, with a great Grizabella and an even BETTER Jemima. The U.S Jemima AKA Sillabub sounded weak, the Aussie Jemima sounds haunting...like she should do. This CD also includes "The Pekes And The Pollicles" The ONLY Engish OST to do so. Buy it, you WILL NOT be dissapointed!

This CATS cast recording features the original Australian cast. As a recording, it seems to present a mixed bag with both merits and demerits in the mostly-excellent cast. Throughout this performance, it's good to know that the cast and orchestra are in pretty good form under Peter Casey's guiding hand, even if some of the cast members may not have ideal voices to portray their respective cat characters effectively. But what is particularly pleasing about this CD, apart from the inclusion of The Pekes and the Pollicles (an inexplicibly absent track from both the London and Broadway recordings) is the clarity of the recording quality, because of all the three major English recordings of CATS (exclusing the video), this one has the clearest, crispest and least muffled sound.

Debbie Byrne makes a pretty good Grizabella, displaying just the right amount of melancholic qualities, strong will and determination to really win back the affections of the Jellicles. Though her voice may not be able to get into the role as effectively as Elaine Paige or Betty Buckley due to the excessive vibrato and slight tinge of whininess, she manages to get into the spirit of the role by giving a generally good performance of Memory, despite the extra climax at an "awkward" point in the song. As Old Deuteronomy, John Wood's voice may lack a certain sense of openness and sonority apparent in Ken Page's voice on the original Broadway cast. His voice sounds a little constrained, and lacking in richness. But his portrayal proves the potential experience he is about to gain through giving the role a sense of wisdom. The lower-level principals, Jeff Philips as Rum Tum Tugger and David Atkins as Mr. Mistoffelees tend to lack a certain liveliness and slickness in their portrayals, but at least they can cope with the demands of the score well enough. This is more apparent in Jeff Philips's Rum Tum Tugger because his Elton John-ish voice is not really that able to get into the role of the character as effectively as John Partridge or Terrence Mann. But, the superb minor cast features Anita Combe in a beautiful performance of Sillabub, and the up-and-coming Australian star Marina Prior as a sweet and innocent Jellylorum, alongside Gary Ginvan and Laura Bishop in their slightly stiff Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, and a slightly weak-voiced Munkastrap in Anthony O'Neefe.

The star of the recording is Grant Smith in his triple-role of Bustopher Jones, Gus: the Theatre Cat and Growltiger. Of all the cast members, Grant seems to really get to the heart of each role and play it with feeling and character. His Bustopher Jones is particularly English in flavour, and his Gus is particularly melancholy, even if his Growltiger is a little tame. But he really proves that he can make a name for himself in these roles.

On the whole, I would rate this CATS recording as a fairly good performance of the show. I know that this version may tend to sound pretty weak (it is after all a spongy-sounding recording), but I would say that this is as enjoyable as, if not more enjoyable than, the Broadway cast recording that really comes out on top. But this definitely shan't stop any CATS fan from grabbing this recording for his own listening.

I would like to end off by saying that the atmosphere of this recording is like hearing the revised version of the score done in the spirit of the London recording.

Okay, first of all, this recording starts out with the crisp, digital-sounding, up-to date quality of the Overature. Though it slows down towards the end compared to the Broadway, I found it to be exciting as anything. The next thing I noticed was that this is the ONLY recording that has all of the songs in the show. The Pekes and the Pollicles AND Growltiger's Last Stand are on here, and both are satisfactory. But you CANNOT beat Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy. His voice is SO rich and pure, you just cannot accept anything else. Debbie Byrne as Grizabella has a powerful voice, but Betty Buckley is also an American legend of the CATS legacy. Gumbie Cat needs a stronger tap dance strain, and the trumpets are missing...it's techno New Age stuff replacing it..but I AM happy with the Jellicle Ball, Memory, Mistoffeels, and Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats (Minus "Do you know how to go to the Heaviside Layer"-line...WHERE ARE YOU KEN PAGE?! Haha) A rather excellent recording elsewise. I would recommend this to any CATS fan for I highly enjoy owning this recording. Have fun! And let CATS LIVE FOREVER!!!

This recording is very similar to music in the 1998 DVD. The voices are very clear and you can tell that the actors are really into the parts, not just singing along. This is my personal favorite out of the three English versions.

The other reviews of this album say that it's the best recording. I wouldn't say that. Some also say that they don't like the voices of Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and Mungojerrie. But to be perfectly honest, they are sometimes the strongest. Munkustrap and Rum Tum tugger are excellcent all the way through and I think Mungojerrie's character voice fits in fine with his song. Other voice are not as strong. Just listen to the solos in Jellice Songs for Jellice Cats and you'll understand. The worst being Jellylorum. She out right ruins Gus the Theatre cat. I know that sounds mean, but that was one of my favorite songs but now I skip it everytime I come to it. I prefer the first CD over the second. The band is fresh but sometimes is gets fast, The Jellice ball, and they don't do some of the cool percussion things heard on the Broadway cd. I would definatly get the Broadway CD first.

The Old Gumbie Cat
I really like the synthensised cockroach dance 9/10

MJ&RT
The only English recording to have the duo sing the bouncy version of the song 10/10

Pekes and Pollicles
The barking was HILARIOUS!!!!! 11/10

Skimble
The intro was kinda Christmas-like 10/10

Growltiger
Ghengis' voice was so weird and most of this song was liek the US Tour Version 12/10

Cats: The Australian cast, is a very good cd. The cast is good, the music has been re-created and this is ONLY the cd that contains every one of the shows songs.

Every song here is sung very well and the music is good too.
The voice that really stood out the most was Debbie Bryne as Grizabella. She really made the song "Memory" her's, by her lovely voice!

I recommend this cd to all CATS fans and let the memory live again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is a good recording of CATS,but some of the songs tend to get a bit"cartoony'at times.Take"Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer",for instance-Mungojerrie sounds like some sort of retro-cartoon animal from TV;listen carefully to"We are higlhy efficent cat burglars as well"-doesn't he sound like Quisp?In "Growltiger's Last Stand",the Siamese sound like their voices came from some sort of kids' Playstation game."Memory"was moving and haunting."Pekes&Pollicles"was good,except the barking sounded like dogs barking on a video game.i love"Gumbie Cat"and"Mr.Mistoffelees.""Rum Tum Tugger"was better than the Broadway version,and "Jellicle songs"was lively and outstanding.If you're a die-hard CATS fan,this Cd's for you.If you're the kind of CATs fan who doesn't care for Jellicles sounding like retro-cartoon or video game characters,then I don't recommond this CD.