Closer Than Ever: Vocal Score [Paperback]

David Shire (Author), Richard Maltby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1999

Titles include: She Loves Me Not * You Wanna Be My Friend * What Am I Doin' * Back on Base * Closer Than Ever * If I Sing * Life Story * Miss Byrd * One of the Good Guys * There * Patterns * The March of Time * Fathers of Fathers, and many others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Warner Bros Pubns (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0769218202
• ISBN-13: 978-0769218205
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Music. Great Audition Material, February 9, 2000

By 

"nodaybutoday" (Ann Arbor, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closer Than Ever: Vocal Score (Paperback)

This musical is one of the best I've heard. The music is writen EXACTLY how it is played in the original cast. I HATE when the music is written with the melody line played. Let the vocalist sing it's part and the piano play it's part. Thankfully, this book is like that. There is no plot to the entire peice. Each song tells it's own story. It is great for auditions. It is modern enough for the newer musicl theatre auditions, yet some of the songs are old style for the older musical auditions. In short (yeah right) it's a great book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Contrived, but fun nonetheless, October 27, 2002

By 

Veammn (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closer Than Ever: Vocal Score (Paperback)

The score to a reveiw by the almost infamous duo of Maltby and Shire, Closer than Ever contains some memorable songs on an extremely vague topic, using "doors" as a metaphor for choices and chances one must face in life. This metaphor expounds itself into a wide array of songs on everything from a father having his first child to the history of Muzak. This review is a little more enjoyable than the trite "starting here, starting now" by the same authors. However, be advised that Maltby and Shire have the almost impressive ability to say nothing with so many words. Still, the music is both enjoyable and entertaining. Maltby and Shire began the review when a song from their musical "Baby" was cut from the show. They began to throw in other random songs into what they called their "urban file" until they were asked to put up a small cabaret in 1987. "Closer Than Ever" was the result.
This is the complete score to the show. It contains all of the vocal harmonies and counterpoint that each of the 4 performers are supposed to sing in the show, as well as the piano accompaniment. In response to the last review, a Vocal Score is literally a piano reduction of the music used in an actual performance of a show with complete dance music, scene change music, etc. They are usually a bit pricey. Vocal Selections are usually a simplified piano reduction with (sometimes) both melody and chord symbols written in. In the hands of a good pianist, either will suffice for a recital performance or otherwise.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Musical- Great Book- Few Songs., May 4, 2001

By 

JustMe123 "jennifer123" (Boca Raton, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closer Than Ever: Vocal Selections (Paperback)

Although 'Closer Than Ever' is one of my favorite Broadway revues, and all the sheet music in this book is very good, there aren't that many songs included. The songs are: Miss Byrd, One Of The Good Guys, Life Story, If I Sing, Back On Base, and Closer Than Ever. 'If I Sing' is an amazing piece. That alone is worth the price of the book. However, I would've given the book a fifth star if it had included more songs from the show. Such as... You Want To Be My Friend?, What Am I Doin'?, Three Friends, Another Wedding Song, or Father of Fathers. As I said, 'If I Sing' is absolutely amazing. If you have a tenor range and are interested in singing 'If I Sing', buy this book. If you want a taste of some great sheet music from an impressive revue musical, buy this book. But if you want to have a more complete collection from 'Closer Than Ever', buy the vocal score instead.