Customer Reviews

Damn Yankees: An Original Soundtrack Recording (1958 Film)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is absolutely one of my favorite CD's in the entire world. First, let's talk about the differences between it and the Broadway CD. The Broadway recording contains two absolutely lovely songs, "A Man Doesn't Know" and "Near To You", and also the hilarious "The Game." These three were cut from the movie and replaced by "There's Something About An Empty Chair" (The only Damn Yankees song I cannot stand... it's just not fun nor pretty...). Otherwise, with a few changes in the length and phrasing of "A Little Brains, A Little Talent", "Whatever Lola Wants", and "Who's Got The Pain"... it's no different than the Broadway CD. However, I LIKE this CD more than the Broadway CD. I don't know why... the background music just sounds better to me over all, and Gwen Verdon actually SOUNDS like herself. Don't get me wrong, I own the Broadway CD also and I LOVE IT, but if you're debating, this is definitely the way to go (unless one of the cut songs is your favorite). After all, there's nothing like hearing the phrases "Hallo Joe!" and "ERP!" now is there? :o)

"Damn Yankees" was one of two film musicals co-produced by George Abbot and Stanley Donen, the other one being "The Pajama Game." Both pictures were marked by an exuberance that you rarely saw, even in movies of the time, and the feeling really comes through on this CD.

Two cautions: (1) because of censorship requirements of the time, several songs are truncated or included with revised "radio" lyrics - don't expect a complete recording of the score, and (2) studio executives forced Tab Hunter into the "Joe Hardy" part -- he tries gamely, but he really can't sing or dance.

Still, the album as a whole is a treat. Particular highlights include Ray Walston (as the devil) savoring "Those Were The Good Old Days," Gwen Verdon's sultry "Whatever Lola Wants," and the cast's "Shoeless Joe" number. And yes, that's a young Bob Fosse cutting up with Verdon in the "Who's Got the Pain" number near the end. For the soundtrack of a 50's vintage picture, the audio is clean and has a fair range to it.

For the price, this disc is one great deal.

The film soundtrack to DAMN YANKEES is similar but certainly quite inferior to the peerless 1955 original Broadway cast album. The Warner Bros. film brought the entire original cast to reprise their roles (with the exception of Stephen Douglass who was replaced by Tab Hunter, who provided the marquee-value for the box office). Gwen Verdon's performance of Lola is perhaps even better here than on the 1955 OBC; she belts the role a little better and on the whole her singing is stronger here. Shannon Bolin gets a new song "There's Something About an Empty Chair" which isn't really memorable. Rae Allen once again knocks `em dead with "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO", and Ray Walston's performance of Mr Applegate is priceless. Tab Hunter is only average in his singing as the younger Joe Hardy. The remastering of this album is quite fine; there is some scratch and surface-hiss, but nothing too-obtrusive.

Very nice for the price.

This soundtrack of the 1958 film version of the Adler-Ross Broadway hit "Damn Yankees" really makes me wish I could get my hands on a copy of the film itself. This great score is very well-represented by the entire cast, almost all of it directly from the original Broadway company. Dynamic readings from the baseball players and Rae Allen as the reporter in "Heart" and "Shoeless Joe," Ray Walston recreating his Tony-winning role as Mr. Applegate in "Those Were the Good Old Days," and especially the great Gwen Verdon, also recreating her Tony-winning, starmaking role of Lola. Though she was probably a better dancer than a singer, Verdon makes up for it with her incredible energy and zest. (And I bet nobody noticed her singing skills in the film, as I expect she was dancing too well for them to even care) From "A Little Brains, A Little Talent" to her famous "Whatever Lola Wants" seduction to "Who's Got the Pain," which also features her choreographer and later husband, Bob Fosse, Verdon is wonderful. And the shows two ballads, "Goodbye, Old Girl" and "There's Something About An Empty Chair" (The last written especially for the film) are pretty good, too. Definitly worth a look.

I played my original LP of this soundtrack until it wore out. This is one of the best soundtracks ever recorded.... if you've never heard it before, you have a treat in store!

DAMN YANKEES! is a fun show. Not one of the very best ever written - the plot s full of holes - but still a great deal of fun on stage and on screen.

Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston re-create their Broadway performances here with zest and polish. Less effective is Tab Hunter replacing Stephen Douglas as the star ball-player. He simply can't sing teh score well enough and two of his solo songs are dropped. This shifts teh musical burden to the supporting cast, but robs the central love-story of much of its development. The movie makes changes to the lyrics and adds a new ballad "There's Something about an empty Chair" that is even more dreary than the song it replaces.

Sound quality is not great. The album was orinally announced for release in both stero and mono formats but only the mono Lp was ever actually issued. This Cd marks the first release of the stereo tapes and although an improvement, it still suffers from that flat boxed-in sound of Warner Bros.

Best to stick with the original Broadway cast disc.

With hesitation I rented Damn Yankees, being that I hate baseball and everything associated with it. However, this film really is about something much different...and the soundtrack really captures the enchantment of this story...about how our dreams are the figments of our realities. And Gwen Verdon...sheeee-it.

I thoroughly enjoy my cd of the score of the movie Damn Yankees. It came from Amazon when it was supposed to and lived up to all the advertisement about it. Thanks again.

Am a huge musical fan....this has always been a great one..how can you go wrong with Gwen Verdon, Tab Hunter and the fabulous Ray Walston..add a dose of Bob Fosse... it's one of the Greatest Classics.

Great music as expected. Jewel box was in pieces. Suggest different packing process but I put it in extra box I had (once I got all the pieces off of everything). Quality of the cd was not affected and I am satified.