Essential Musicals [Import]

Elaine Paige | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 30, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Ume Imports
• ASIN: B000JCES7A
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,754 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #99 in Music > Imports > Broadway & Vocalists

Editorial Reviews

2006 anthology of recording by the British singer/actress famous for her West End starring roles in "Evita" (originally portraying Eva Peron, the first to have a hit single with "Don't Cry For Me Argentina") , "Cats" (originally portraying Grizelda, the first to have a hit with "Memory"), "Chess" and more. This album provides a showcase of the 13 most popular songs from her discography as voted by the listeners to her Radio 2 Sunday show.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars UNFORTUNATELY, DULL AND VOID..., October 28, 2006

By 

Marijan Bosnar "(the historian)" (Croatia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Musicals (Audio CD)

Few people would deny Elaine Paige's multiple talents: she has been West End's leading lady for more than 30 years, creating and playing many memorable roles: Evita, Grizabella in `Cats', Florence in `Chess', Reno Sweeney in `Anything goes', Norma Desmond in `Sunset Boulevard', to name just few. Her strong stage presence and good vocals insured her durability in the world of the musical theatre and at the same time she managed to make good pop albums. The fruits of her rich career can be heard in her latest excellent 2-disc compilation released two years ago, `Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige'. After that, Elaine got her own radio show on BBC 2, presenting to the listeners some of the most memorable tunes from the past and present of the musical theatre. After the voting for the best British musicals of all time finished, Elaine decided to record this new album, by selecting the songs from the ones that found their way to the top according to the voters.

Since the selection of the musicals in question boasts with the titles like `Oliver!', `West Side Story', `Grease', `Sound of Music', `Evita', `The Phantom of the Opera', `Sunset Boulevard' and many more, this should have been an excellent album. Regrettably, that is not the case.

There are several problems one notices after giving it a full listen. One of the major ones is the orchestrations. Each of these musical numbers is given a new and different orchestration than the ones they had within their parent musical. Not necessarily a bad thing by itself, but here some of the numbers are barely recognizable, `Aquarius' from `Hair' being a good example. Not only that, for the most part they are produced in such a self-important manner that Elaine's voice becomes lost and unnoticeable amidst their sound. The effect could have been much bigger on a smaller and a toned down scale in this respect.

Elaine's vocals are not on the plus side on this album either. She delivers this whole set of songs in a totally lackluster manner, sounding predictable and as if doing all this out of pure habit. This is why Elaine's take on these songs leaves you feeling no emotion at all after hearing them. The only exception is a somewhat playful rendition of `I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair' from `South Pacific'. Unfortunately, one song does not make an album. It's really a shame, since some of these songs, like `You must love me' from the movie version of `Evita' or `Someone else's story' from `Chess', were an opportunity for Elaine to revisit some of the characters she played in the past.

This whole CD therefore comes as disappointment from someone who set her standards considerably higher during the past years. For all those who want to experience Elaine Paige at her best, I suggest to get her compilation `Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige'. Alternatively, if you are looking for a new CD from a musical theatre diva, try Patti LuPone's excellent new album `The lady with the torch', also available here at Amazon.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor arrangements & orchestrations, November 10, 2006

By 

JimC (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Musicals (Audio CD)

Like a few other reviewers, I was really looking forward to hearing this CD based upon the excellent song lineup Elaine had chosen. Her Centre Stage double CD is a treasure, and I could just hear Ms. Paige deliver some definitive versions of these great showstoppers. However, this is a rotten album; the arrangements are off-beat, discordant, and distracting. As the CD played through, I kept hoping the next track would be better, but each successive song was just as unpleasant as the one prior. We waited two or three years for this mess? Sad. This was a real missed opportunity to deliver a superior collection of classics. What a bomb.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Essentially Confused!, November 30, 2006

By 

funnygirl - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Musicals (Audio CD)

I was so excited about this album. I love Elaine and never miss her radio show. I was prepared for her voice to be different as it's apparent she doesn't have the upper range she used to. The cover was gorgeous-however there are only a few gorgeous moments musically. I give it 3 stars for the songs I enjoyed and the fact that it's Elaine and anything less than 3 stars I can not give her. The bright spots for me were--Broadway Baby, You Must Love Me, I'm Gonna Wash That Man Outta My Hair, and All I Ask of You. The majority of songs on this album confused me. The arrangements did not sound as much original as they sounded like 80's muzak! I was really looking forward to her version of Bring Him Home as I've always thought a woman should record this song--but again the arrangement was odd and I found it a let down! I think it sad that at this stage of her career Elaine has recorded an album so definitely beneath her usual greatness. Side note--I saw her live in London and she sounded sooooo much better that she did on this album-particularly on If I Loved You and Someone Else's Story! That made me even more sad that we didn't get that Elaine here. Maybe she needs a new producer?