Hair (Deluxe Edition) (1968 Original Broadway Cast and 1967 Off-Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording, Collector's Edition, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Paul Jabara, Diane Keaton, Ronnie Dyson, Hair (Related Recordings), Galt MacDermot, Melba Moore | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 4, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Cast Recording, Collector's Edition, Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA Victor Broadway
• ASIN: B0000DZ3IC
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (108 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,433 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The rock musical that changed Broadway forever! This has always been a big seller, and this 2-CD set is a big improvement: the original cast album (a 1968 Grammy winner) plus a second disc featuring the CD debut of the entire 1967 off-Broadway cast recording, with three unissued tracks!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Historic And Unforgettable November 4, 2003

By Hutch

Format:Audio CD

This 2 CD recording should be MANDATORY for any musical theater buff- a rare opportunity to hear this historical show's developement from its off-Broadway roots to the megashow it became. Galt MacDermot's unforgettable score is wonderful in both versions (and while the film version tries to accomplish the unimagineable translation from a "non-book" musical to something with a traceable "plot", which I don't think it really does, the full orchestrations of its songs are truly realized by its composer...the versions of "Aquarius" by Ren Woods and "Easy To Be Hard" by Cheryl Barnes justify a manditory puchase alone).
The only "bummer" of this collection is that it doesn't include material from the two other New York HAIR recordings, which are still only available on out-of-print RCA LPs: DIVINE HAIR: MASS IN F(which featured several HAIR songs incorporated into a Catholic Mass) and DisinHAIRited (which has many of the songs cut from both the off-Broadway and Broadway companies).
If you get a chance, check out the book LET THE SUNSHINE IN (available from this website)- it will flesh out the political and historical relevance of this incredible show. For an even BETTER overview, the out-of-print THE AGE OF HAIR traces the show from its roots to the film version. Producer Michael Butler maintains the show's website ([...]) for updates on current productions and the many cast members from the original productions.
For its wonderful music, evocations of a past era and its timeless plea for peace("Let The Sunshine In", the finale song, always leaves me in tears), this is THE paragon show cd you must own!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fly In the Breeze May 24, 2005

By Lee Armstrong HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

The deluxe collector's edition released in 2003 is an excellent update for the "Hair" soundtrack. With the war in Iraq raging, the themes of war seem relevant again 37 years later. The first disc is the 1968 Broadway recording and shines with the remastering from BMG/RCA. The title track has such great energy and sense of freedom, "I let it fly in the breeze & get it caught in the trees." "Easy to Be Hard" is a lovely melody with a dramatic build, "Do you only care about the bleeding crowd? How about a needing friend? I need a friend." Shelly Plimpton on "Frank Mills" has always put a smile on my face about the girl who lost the address of a guy she likes. It's specificity about "the Waverly" and that he looks like "George Harrison of the Beatles" make it humorous, even though it's delivery is so straightforward deadpan. "Electric Blues" is a track not released on the first album, but sounds like the cast was having a huge amount of fun. Disc 2 contains the 1967 Off-Broadway production. In almost all aspects, it seems like a warm-up for the Broadway production. On "Hair," the vocals are ragged & have an assaulting quality in delivery. "Where Do I Go?" with Walker Daniels on vocals is more hushed, less musical. Walker also leads on "Exanapanetooch," a track not included on the Broadway production, wisely cut. The bonus tracks are interesting footnotes and the interview with composer Galt MacDermot is informative, but not probably something I'd want to listen to repeatedly. Overall, the remastering and verve of the original Broadway cast performance make this an excellent release. Enjoy!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this album December 10, 2004

By ed

Format:Audio CD

I first bought this album on vinyl when I was 14 yrs old. I grew up singing the songs (I'm surprised my parents were cool with this). The singing and lyrics are beautiful- particularly on Easy to Be Hard, 3-5-0-0, and Frank Mills. After seeing it on theatre and on screen- I still prefer listening to the album.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful, Joyful, Important Piece of Theatre December 9, 2007

By Scott E. Miller

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Despite the hostile and simple-minded review from the Amazon editor Dawn Eden, HAIR is a genuine masterpiece of musical theatre, a show that changed everything, including the lives of everyone who works on it and many who see it. As someone who has directed the show twice and written a book about it ("Let the Sun Shine In: The Genius of HAIR"), I can testify to the fact that it's NOT just a silly show full of nice pop tunes. It is a powerful piece of dramatic theatre that tackles head-on the most difficult issues of the 60s -- which unfortunately remain the most difficult issues of the new millennium. Though it may appear messy and haphazard to some, HAIR is a carefully wrought, intelligent, emotional experience unlike any other. No other show can move an audience quite like this -- I'll never forget seeing our audiences sobbing every night at the end of the show as the cast begged them to "let the sun shine in." We need this show now more than ever, and its deep resonance is even more profound today than it has been at any time since the 60s.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars With Supreme Visions of Lonely Tunes July 22, 2000

By Rebecca O'Leary

Format:Audio CD

What can I say, I'm a 'Hair' cast member! This is one of, if not the, greatest cast recordings of all time. I've been in a number of musicals, and owned most of their cast recordings, but none of them have lingered in my car's CD player the way 'Hair' has. Having had the pleasure of meeting both Galt McDermot and James Rado, I can honestly say that both the lyrics and the music are brilliant, from the first mystical strains of 'Aquarius' to the powerful angst of 'The Flesh Failures.' And don't miss Diane Keaton insisting that 'Black boys are delicious!'