Customer Reviews

A Collector's Sondheim (Musical Compilation)

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There have been many celebrations of Stephen Sondheim's music, by both individual artists and groups of greats. But this collection, in and of itself, is unique. In here you'll find very popular Sondheim "classics" and never-before heard "gems", beautifully performed and wonderfully mixed and mastered. This collection is becoming harder and harder to find. Get this today. You'll be glad you did.

This recording is one of the better ones. The only bad thing is that some of the ter tracks, mainly on the third disc, are taken from the origianl boradway cast recording. Otherwise, the other songs are great. There is an added bonus on the last track of the third disc with Sondheim himself singing "Old Friends" with Angela Landsbury.

A Collector's Sondheim is a mixed bag, containing a few surprising and effective pieces but, for the most part, consisting of material drawn from one or two revues that contained less than definitive performances. The best surprise is the previously unreleased track of Lee Remick's "There Won't Be Trumpets." She does a wonderful job with this number. Too bad she didn't have an opportunity to do it on Broadway. Her performance on the original cast album of "Anyone Can Whistle" is a delight, often overlooked because of the slam-bang job Angela Lansbury delivers in her first Broadway musical. Less effective in this collector's collection is the version of "I'm Still Here." Yvonne De Carlo's original still is the best. The "Happily Ever After" number cut from Company is interesting as a curiosity but it cannot compare in quality to "Being Alive," which ultimately took its place. So all in all, an interesting if not always satisfying CD.

The Cassette Edition Of 'A Collector's Sondheim' Contains 3 Previously Unreleased Tracks And 3 Tracks NOT Available On The CD Edition!

AUDIO CASSETTE EDITION TRACKS:

A1. Comedy Tonight / Love is in the Air [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
A2. Pretty Little Picture [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
A3. The House of Marcus Lycus [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
A4. Your Eyes Are Blue [originally on Marry Me a Little, not on CD Edition];
A4. There's Something About a War [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
A5. So Many People [originally on Marry Me a Little];
A6. Pour le Sport [originally on Marry Me a Little];
A7. What More Do I Need? [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];

B1. Invocation and Instructions to the Audience [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
B2. I Remember [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
B3. There Won't Be Trumpets [first release; cut from Anyone Can Whistle];
B4. With So Little to Be Sure Of [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
B5. Marry Me a Little [originally on Marry Me a Little];
B6. Happily Ever After [originally on Marry Me a Little];
B7. Being Alive [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];

C1. Beautiful Girls / Ah, Paree! / Buddy's Blues [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
C2. Losing My Mind [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
C3. All Things Bright and Beautiful [originally on Marry Me a Little];
C4. Uptown, Downtown [originally on Marry Me a Little];
C5. Too Many Mornings [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
C6. You're Gonna Love Tomorrow / Love Will See Us Through [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
C7. I'm Still Here [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];

D1. Who Could Be Blue? / Little White House [originally on Marry Me a Little];
D2. It Wasn't Meant to Happen [originally on Marry Me a Little];
D3. Can That Boy Foxtrot! [originally on Marry Me a Little];
D4. Broadway Baby [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
D5. Could I Leave You? [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
D6. Theme from Stavisky [originally on Stavisky];
D7. Auto Show [originally on Stavisky];
D8. Salon at The Claridge #2 [originally on Stavisky];

E1. Overture and Night Waltz [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];
E2. Two Fairy Tales [originally on Marry Me a Little];
E3. The Glamorous Life [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];
E4. The Glamorous Life [originally on A Little Night Music, Film Soundtrack];
E5. Bang! [originally on Marry Me a Little];
E6. In Praise of Women [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];
E7. A Weekend in the Country [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];

F1. Liaisons [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];
F2. The Miller's Son [originally on A Little Night Music, London Cast];
F3. Silly People [originally on Marry Me a Little, not on CD Edition];
F4. Night Waltz II [first release, cut from the original cast recording of A Little Night Music];
F5. Send in the Clowns [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
F6. Fear No More [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
F7. Someone in a Tree [originally on Pacific Overtures];

G1. Please Hello [originally on Pacific Overtures];
G2. Welcome to Kanagawa [originally on Pacific Overtures, not on CD Edition];
G3. I Never Do Anything Twice [originally on Side by Side by Sondheim];
G4. Pretty Women [originally on Sweeney Todd];
G5. Epiphany [originally on Sweeney Todd];
G6. A Little Priest [originally on Sweeney Todd];

H1. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd [Disco Version];
H2. Not a Day Goes By [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening];
H3. It's a Hit [first release, cut from the original cast recording of Merrily We Roll Along];
H4. Our Time [originally on Merrily We Roll Along];
H5. Children and Art [originally on Sunday in the Park with George];
H6. Move On [originally on Sunday in the Park with George]; &
H7. Old Friends [originally on A Stephen Sondheim Evening].

"A Collector's Sondheim" is a good introductory to the man who kept us singing show tunes for years. Three CDs include 54 songs, about 3.5 hours from Sondheim's work prior to 1984:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Saturday Night
The Last Resorts
Evening Primrose
Anyone Can Whistle
Company
Follies
Stravinsky
A Little Night Music
The Frogs
Pacific Overture
Merrily We Roll Along
The Seven Percent Solution
Sweeney Todd

The songs are performed by a variety of singers from Angela Landsbury to Mandy Patinkin. For the most part, the sound is good but the engineering lacks somewhat--when listening to this whole collection, I have had to change the volume a couple of times to compensate for unevenness in recording.

I'm really hoping someone will do a collection from 1985 on to include some of Sondheim's later works.

Rebecca Kyle, June 2008

This is the collection that first introduced me to Sondheim. This set includes excerpts from Sondheim's works starting with Forum but unfortunately ending just before Into the Woods, Assassins, Passion, and Dick Tracy. This cd includes a disco version of Sweeny Todd which always makes me giggle like a school girl and songs from several compliation cds and shows such as "Marry Me A Little" and "Side by Side by Sondheim" not to mention others. This cd has wonderful tracks and is a great way to introduce someone to Sondheim!

Just wanted to add that this is one of my favorite Sondheim collections. The liner notes are well written by someone who obviously loves Sondheim. Plus just have to mention Pacific Overtures "Someone in a Tree". Took me awhile but once I listened closely a few times and followed the lyrics (included with CD, a must since his lyrics are so important) I just fell in love with the song. It is one of the best examples of great musical theater.