Customer Reviews

Elton John's & Time Rice's AIDA

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have to be honest... I bought this CD with the high hopes that it might come across more as a *cast album* that just happens to feature popular artists, as opposed to a soundtrack-ish hodgepodge of musical artists performing songs. While--to my personal disappointment--it was more the latter than the former, I have to give much credit to the CD as an album. Great Elton John songs are captured on the disc with an impressive list of pop genre performers (including Sting, Janet Jackson, James Taylor, and Boyz II Men) and a couple of singers from the actual stage show run (Heather Headley and Sherie Scott).

My main gripes have to do with my wish for an actual cast recording. While I knew that this wasn't going to be anything near a cast recording, I still hoped it wouldn't come across too "pop-ish". So, if you're like me and prefer pure Cast Recordings, you might want to wait until the cast recording is actually released. But if you're curious about the material in this coming-soon-to-Broadway stage show, then buy this CD. Great performances abound, that's for sure.

I've seen Aida in its try-out period in Chicago, twice. I love the show and had to have the music. However, this concept CD is nothing like the music heard in the show. I enjoy the CD because it is the only way I can hear the music, but I can't wait for the cast soundtrack to come out. If I hadn't seen the show I probably would like the CD better than I do.

I hope to not turn this into a dueling reviews page, but I too saw the March 16 preview of AIDA on Broadway and cannot fathom Alan's response, particularly in light of the overwhelming audience response to the passion and power of the performers. The music for the stage version is significantly stronger than this album, but I feel that comparing live theater and a concept album is a ridiculous endeavor. If this brings more people to the theater and gets more people interested in Aida, more power to it! I have never witnessed the cheering and ovation I saw during this performance. The cast album is expected in June. I would wait for that to get a true feel for the power of Heather Hedley, Adam Pascal and Cherie Rene Scott.

Aida was Elton John and Tim Rice's baby, providing a concept soundtrack album before even setting the stage on fire, the tracks are generally sweeping show ballads.
Elton teams up with several lovely and talented ladies, in LeAnn Rimes, Janet Jackson, and Lulu. "Written In The Stars" could be a vocal gladiator battle, the way LeAnn and Elton sing it. Janet and Lulu prove themselves as more mellow duet partners.
Kelly Price makes "The Gods Love Nubia" her own, the song is tied up in soul with her voice being smooth as silk. The far too short "Amneris' Letter" shows off Shania Twain's voice to perfection also. Pop culture phenomenon the Spice Girls turn "My Strongest Suit" into the most obvious pop stomper of this set. Another strong point is Heather Headley's solo "Elaborate Lives". A rich ballad, Headley recently embarked on an R&B singing career with the track "He Is". The legendary Tina Turner provides a fiery perfomance, her track being the powerful "Easy As Life" with Angelique Kidjo.
Duds are also present, Sting and Dru Hill's tracks are admitted stinkers. James Taylor, Boyz II Men, Sherie Scott, and Lenny Kravitz also deliver perfomances on the album. This album is well put together, with strong tunes and a short-list of superstars presenting them. A fun buy.

First of all, in regard to the message below mine, the Aida cast recording is set to be released in June. Aida is produced by Disney, and if you think back to when The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway, you might remember that the cds were released on the day that the two shows opened. Aida will not be following this same trend, but will be released soon after the Broadway opening. I also don't know where "Evka" got her information. Aida hasn't yet officially opened on Broadway and the cast recording is NOT available now, so don't waste your time looking for it...just for the record. Anyway, I thought that the concept recording of Aida had its ups and downs, but was overall, a fairly decent preview of what is sure to be the next long-running Broadway show. After a point on the CD (track 9), the songs all sounded pretty much the same to me; one long ballad. If you want a taste of the music as it will appear in the musical, you might as well make the purchase, but rest assured that the "official" cast recording will be released soon enough, so I'd hold out if I were you.

I love Elton John. I love Sting, I love Tina Turner, I love Leann Rimes. I love most of the artists on this album! But Atlanta (where Aida premiered) was better. Well, of course, you say. The live version is always better. It is. But I wished they had not butchered this amazing and beautiful and fun musical by turning it into stuff that sounds like everyone else's stuff. This was an amazing performance in Atlanta. I got chills every time I heard Heather Headley's voice. This CD was not amazing; it actually made me sad. The only good tracks were the ones with Heather Headley on them. I feel like the world has been cheated out of a good version of these songs. Oh, and Heather Headley is a goddess.

This cd is great, Elton John and Tim Rice gave total control to the artists to make original fresh versions of the songs. These songs are not suppose to be like the musical, they are suppose to be more in the direction of modern pop music; which they are. On the plus side of this recording are john/rimes duet "written in the stars" Tina Turner's dramatic version of "easy as life", Turner's voice is in perfect form on this track, very soothing vocals and a soothing song. This is definetly an album to own, for it has a star studded line up ranging from Sting to Janet Jackson...a future classic album.

Based on the lyrics and the melodies, this album had such a potential for greatness. Unfortunately, this potential was only partially fufilled. I knew full well when I bought it that it was not the original cast recording, or even close to it. I was disappointed, however, to find just how bad some of the matchups between artist and song could be. Take as an example, "Amneris's Letter". I love Shania Twain as a singer, and I love the song itself. Together, however, I wince whenever I hear it. Her voice was simply NOT meant to go that high. There were some high points on the album, such as Sting's "Another Pyramid" and the haunting trio "A Step too Far", but there were also low points. I have a feeling that the original cast recording, when it comes out, will be better than this is.

After seeing the show and then listening to this album, I have to agree with what appears to be the majority of reviews on this site. The show is incredible, but this album makes most of its music sound either boring or just plain awful or both. Don't bother with this one. Wait for the cast album.

Saw Aida twice during the Atlanta preview. The two female leads had absolutely incredible voices but are only on two songs that I counted on the CD. Those of you who loved "My Favorite Suit" would not believe how much better it was with the original performers. The musical has GREAT potential it is just missing a strong male lead. The male lead songs are wimpy and not memorable. The male lead should not sing like Elton John. There are also some songs in the live version that are such a cacophony that you can't understand a thing. There are some strong points to the CD, but I can't wait for the soundtrack. Until then, I'll just enjoy this one. P.S. I cannot believe how outraged are over the fact that this is an old story being retold in a different genre. For those of us who would never see the opera, this was wonderful!