Customer Reviews

Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The success of this revival of HAIR comes as no surprise. HAIR has never struck me as a period piece ... and even if it were, a well-conceived period piece can make for convincing art. The heart of any musical has to be original music that speaks the souls of its characters, and HAIR has always been secure in that strength.

I haven't seen the show and probably won't have the opportunity to. This vigorous recording amply compensates. It seems to be the first musical in ages where the vocalism isn't infected by American Idolitis -- You know what I mean: that insidious combination of Mariah-like fluttering, Celine-like caterwauling, premature and overworked climaxes, and general lack of subtlety that provides a virtuosic but hollow gloss.

The singing here is joyous and lively. The recording team -- performers, arrangers, engineers -- catches all the energy of the show but contains the chaos. One advantage over the 1967 OCR of the original production is certainly that you can here the orchestration, the Tribal chorus, and individual vocal lines a lot better. Shining the spotlight on the band in the first curtain call was a welcome inspiration.

One of the best things about HAIR is that it has always been its own creature. Its plot structure and its musical language were not of the theater, its themes put the concerns of the day before theatrical tropes. These qualities give the show a compelling integrity that shines through even though in 2009 the concerns of today may be different (but not terribly). It's a show that demands to be heard on its own terms, and either you get it or you don't.

I have the occasional nit to pick here and there, but that's part of the pleasure of having a worthy successor to the original. As with the "Actors Fund Benefit" disc, the reading of "My Conviction" is impossibly arch -- the song should make its point without such an exaggerated characterization. Every once in a while a reading sounds off the mark but overall the aim is true. The main performers (Sasha Allen, Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy) are all vibrant and strong ... Once in a while their performances sound a little underpowered, especially Creel in "I Got Life", which pales in comparison to the James Rado original and Treat Williams on screen -- the number should raise the roof (as the title song effectively does). Also, I didn't really care for the "soft jazz" take on "Easy to Be Hard" (synth, sax) ... this is a soul-baring torch song. On the other hand, the rockabilly twist on "Don't Put It Down" is a success. Overall, there is a greater emphasis on the ensemble, which certainly enhances the overall experience and makes the sequence "Black Boys" / "White Boys" / "Walking in Space" a real standout.

It's marvelous to have the full score here on disc, including some fragments that I hadn't heard before like the funky guitar riff that ushers in the reprise of "Ain't Got No (Grass)."

Forty-two years on, it's hard to recognize the revolutionary qualities of HAIR ... Other musicals have followed where it goes, though few as boldly and with as much raw energy and grace.

The new recording allows us to hear this remarkable score with fresh ears. Resoundingly recommended.

"Hair" opened on Broadway amidst the turmoil dividing the country in 1968 and knocked behind-the-times Broadway on its' ear. "Hair" was a breath of fresh air and it saved Broadway but it nearly destroyed it. Soon a flock of wanna-be Hairs traipsed into town and soon belly-flopped and traipsed out of town. The reason for the belly flop? "Hair" got there first.

Structurally "Hair" was an unwashed mess, more a party than theatre, but what a party it was and the party has started anew and shaken the town again. The wispy thin story, like a single strand of hair involves Claude a young hippie and somewhat leader of his bell-bottomed, love-beaded friends has received his draft notice and that's the story. Will he avoid the draft or will he join the army? Will he? Won't he? Will he? Won't he? He does and the result is tragic. The bulk of the show is ideas, social issues and attitude swirling around like a tornado gone beserk. None of the actors playing the hippies or tribe as their called here, stand-still for a moment and even spill out into the audience, frightening the blue-haired matrons who have strolled in to check out the latest rage.

Gavin Creel sings sweetly as Claude, the would be draft dodger and when you see his picture in the booklet you have to smile and say, "Someone should feed that boy a sandwich or three". Will Swenson as Berger sings well but he lacks the shaggy dog manginess of Gerome Ragni-the original Berger.

What other show could get away with a second act that is 90 percent an extended LSD trip. And come morning when the trip is over, Claude leaves his friends for the army. Soon Claude reappears, hair shaven dressed in army fatigues. The tribe cannot see or hear him even as he calls out to them. The tribe knows that somethig is horribly wrong but they sing a song of hope as they leave the stage and the only one left is Claude lying at rest draped in an American flag.

Anyone who may read this review will notice that up to now I have not mentioned the score. After all this is supposed to be about the CD and not the show.

To me the score is like a sandwich. The opening "Aquarius" and the ending "Let The Sunshine In" are like two slices of bread holding together the tasty filling in-between.

And don't think I have forgotten about Sasha Allen-with her powerhouse voice, she is the baker of those two slices of bread.

Galt MacDermots music and the lyrics of Gerome Ragni and James Rado still shines in 2009 as it did back in 1968 and just as we were back then when we were neck deep in war-in 2009 we are still at war. Some things never change and for better or worse-neither has "Hair" and at least for that we can rejoice.

The New Broadway Cast Recording of "Hair" captures the magic of the current smash
Broadway revival. The ground-breaking show about a tribe of hippies in New York's
East Village contains classics such as "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," "Let
the Sun Shine In," and the title track. The current cast sounds as vibrant as they
do live on stage. Examples include, Sasha Allen's soaring "Black Boys," Will
Swenson's joyous "Donna," Caissie Levy's heartwrenching "Easy to Be Hard" and
Gavin Creel's outstanding "Where Do I Go?" Executive Producer, Bill Rosenfield
along with, Galt MacDermot, Hair's original musical composer, include songs that
weren't on the show's Original Cast Recording, some of the show's dialogue and
both of the show's encores. The current show's Musical Director, Nadia
DiGiallonardo, makes MacDermot's music sound fresher then ever by using top-of-the-
line musicians. Gerome Ragni's and James Rado's lyrics are as relevant as ever on
songs such as "Air"("Welcome, sulphar dioxide/Hello carbon monoxide/The air, the
air is everywhere.") and "I Believe in Love" ("I believe that now is the time/for
all good men/To believe in love.") Their songs are philosophical("What a Piece of
Work Is Man") and provocative ("Sodomy"), but also funny ("My Conviction") and
heartbreaking,("Frank Mills"). The New Broadway Cast Recording of "Hair" reminds
us that not only is this the right time to experience its latest revival but to
also hear its timeless songs.-BobsViews

I didn't think they could successfully recreate the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical "Hair" or that it would catch my interest, but this revival deserves the attention its been getting.

The HAIR (THE NEW BROADWAY CAST RECORDING) soundtrack is phenomenal. It mixes the original music arrangements Hair (Deluxe Edition) (1968 Original Broadway Cast and 1967 off Broadway Cast) with some of the arrangements from the movie Hair: Original Soundtrack Recording - Special Anniversary Edition, into a fresh--but still "hair"--sound. It captures the excitement of the play and it's almost as good as being there.

The highly talented cast especially Gavin Creel, Sasha Allen, Caissie Levy, Kacie Sheik and Will Swenson will no doubt bring the soundtrack to a whole new generation of listeners.

I'm sure fans of the original and movie soundtracks of HAIR will enjoy this revival of it. I sure did, and I've got both previous soundtracks, plus the Deutsche Originalaufnahme Haare (Hair) - the German version of the Broadway show which features Donna Summer. Although I still like the movie vocal arrangement of "Black Boys" and "White Boys" with the duet between the male and female voices--and nobody can touch Cheryl Barnes's version of "Easy To Be Hard"--this new cast and revival of the musical is truly enjoyable.

HAIR comes with a small booklet with liner notes by Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director-The Public Theater and Diane Paulus, Hair's Director. Also included are color pictures of the cast and production history notes. I wish they included the lyrics, but no such luck.

The cover art is also a little boring compared to the previous releases and belies the fun and high energy that the soundtrack music conveys to the audience.

Let the sun shine in and get HAIR (THE NEW BROADWAY CAST RECORDING) today! It will put a smile on your face! :)

When I saw this Tony-award-winning Broadway revival a few months ago, I was expecting a quaint period piece with some great rock music. I was surprised and pleased at how relevant and moving the show truly is. Much of that is, I think, due to Diane Paulus' brilliant direction; but conceptually, the show is much stronger than I'd remembered. MacDermot, Ragni and Rado wrote (perhaps in spite of their intentions) a musical in the true sense of the word, with a story and characters the audience really cares about. (And let's credit original director Tom O'Horgan for helping to shape the show and pull it all together.) Their genius was doing so in a rock music idiom that hadn't been heard in the theater before; not to mention the taboo-breaking lyrics and fiery, anti-establishment content. One can only imagine the electricity and shock that songs like "Sodomy" and "Colored Spade" must have sent through 1960s audiences.

As a record of this exciting new production, the CD is amazingly successful. The final moments don't quite have the power they do in the theater (minus the heartbreaking stage picture), but that's quibbling. The album's producers and musical director Nadia Digialloardo have done a fantastic job of capturing the energy and passion of their remarkable cast. I thought Gavin Creel live was a bit too much young Republican (even with the wig), but here it's all about the voice, and the voice is outstanding, heartfelt and crystal-clear. Everyone is fantastic, frankly, from Will Swenson's goofy, free-spirited Berger to Caissie Levy's ardent Sheila to Sasha Allen's blazing Dionne.

Sitting in the theater, watching the show, I kept thinking, "I can't wait for the album to come out." Well, it's here, and it was well worth the wait. So sit back and let the sun shine in. But put down the mind-altering substances; you won't want to miss any of this terrific recording (which just might be a mind-altering substance in itself, actually!).

I wanted to try the new Hair soundtrack because I thought that the mix would be superior to the original. Unfortunately, the new Hair lacks any conviction and just sounds show-tuney. The male singers sound really corny and most of the female voices have a quality like Kristin Chenoweth, childish and cutesy. The original Hair was gritty and soulful -- stick with that one.

I saw the Broadway show last week and couldn't wait to download the cast recording! The show was fantastic...probably my favorite of all the shows I've seen. The music is jammed with energy, irreverence, sex, peace, and love! Couldn't recommend any more highly. I'll be enjoying this for a while!

I always had a problem with the original 1968 Broadway cast recording. A lot of the singing -- including that done by the so-called professionals -- is bad. The music was rather limp. And overall, the album sounded like any other show's cast recording. It didn't sound like rock music, despite being called a rock musical. I later found out from people involved that there was a good reason: the album was rush-recorded, and cast members were pulled out of rehearsal with no notice to run in and overdub their vocals. As a result, the recording didn't have the oomph that would appear on subsequent albums recorded by the original Broadway cast, such as DisinHAIRited and Divine Hair/Mass in F, both of which do have a rock vibe.

The new Broadway album, though, has a highly unusual vibe to it. First, let me just say that I saw the show in July, and it was fantastic. One thing that really drove the show: the music as performed by the band, especially with Bernard Purdie's spirited drumming. But when you listen to the cast recording, you'll find that the feel is very subdued -- the band seems to be mixed in the background, as if they didn't want to wake the baby. Really, it sounds very mellow -- the exact opposite of how the music sounds if you go to the Al Hirschfeld Theater. I'm not saying it's BAD. In fact, in a way, it's good. Let me explain.

If you ever read the paperback book of Hair that came out in 1969 (it's an amalgam of the off-Broadway and Broadway scripts), the notations emphasize how important it is that the audience hear the lyrics. Well, when you listen to the new Broadway cast recording, it becomes apparent that the producers of the album want us to hear the lyrics and, therefore, the message. My wife even commented that for the first time, she could understand the lyrics to songs she could never make out before, in particular "Walking In Space." Some of the more raucous songs, particularly "Ain't Got No Grass" and "Electric Blues," sound like they may have even been slowed down to make the lyrics more intelligible -- indeed, of the dozen or so different cast recordings I've heard, this is the first one in which I could actually tell what the lyrics to "Electric Blues" were just by listening.

So that's what's going on here: the lyrics, the message, are the emphasis more so than the music. If you haven't seen the revival on stage, you might be a bit put off by this recording and think that Hair has gone mellow -- but take it from someone who recently saw the new production: it definitely has NOT. It's just that the band is laid back in the recording (they're definitely not on stage!) to give the message of Hair a little more focus.

After experiencing the joy and energy of the show on Broadway in May, I was pleased to find that the album does an excellent job of capturing that excitement! I saw the original cast in 1969, but find this production and the CD to better capture the mood of 2009. Timeless it remains! Check out the cast performance at the Tony Awards on YouTube, especially Gavin Creel and Will Swenson. Buy the album and run to Broadway to see HAIR live!!

Downloaded this the day it was available and I'll be owning a hard copy on June 23. Saw the show in New York the week it opened--a dream come true! The cast is excellent and the music is rendered so artfully there is something for everyone. Comedy, tragedy, rock, folk, etc. The intent is original Rado, Ragni and MacDermot but the delivery is contemporary. Will Swensen is outstanding as Berger, the embodiment of the times and that 2009 lilt. His performance was truly deserving of that Tony Nomination. Cassie Levy and Kaci Sheik are thrilling to watch on stage. Sasha Allen's voice is smooth and amazing. You will be willing to put your hands in hers when you hear her open "Aquarius." Gavin Creel is multi-talented and the entire Tribe has put every ounce of passion and excitement they possess into this recording. Check out their David Letterman performance, the backstage video of the cast album recording and you will see and feel the passion. Better yet, go to the Hirschfeld Theatre and see HAIR for yourself. Dance on stage with the cast, crew and band after the show and wait outside the theatre to talk to these amazing folks. This album may have been written 40+ years ago but it still speaks to us today. It will change your life.
"Just watch me spark/I glow in the dark!"