Customer Reviews

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ya know those (rare) albums that you compulsively listen to ALL the time--in the shower, during the drive to work, during lunch break, while reading before bed--and wake up having the songs immediately in your head? "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is one of those gems. The explosive tracks "Tear Me Down," "Angry Inch" and "Exquisite Corpse" speak to my punk sensibilities. The beautiful lyrics of the "Origin of Love" and "Wicked Little Town" fill my romance quota for the day, virtually guilt-free. (Listen to the Tommy Gnosis version of "Wicked Little Town" right after "Origin of Love," it makes more sense.) The fun and feel-good tune "Wig in a Box" and the two-steppin' "Sugar Daddy" get me singing and usually smiling. My favorite track is by far "Midnight Radio." With homage to "strange rockers" like Patti, Nico, and Hedwig herself, this song is a true rock anthem. John Cameron Mitchell's (Hedwig) passion ignites the song and sends it home, and Miriam Shor's back-up vocals give me shivers. While I enjoy the songs Stephen Trask sings (lyricist/songwriter of "Hedwig" and voice of Tommy Gnosis in the movie) I find myself forwarding his tracks to get to Mitchell's more powerful vocals. The songs "Nailed" and "Freaks" are the exceptions--the lyrics of both these songs are excellent. This is the album to buy. The story of Hedwig is original, funny, and painfully realistic about a human finding herself and becoming whole and true, at all costs. See the movie, get the album. I'm (unfortunately) a newcomer to the "Hedwig" scene, but I'm in love. I'm going to buy the original cast recording of the play (the lyrics are included in this version, which are disappointingly absent in the movie soundtrack), and be a die-hard Hedwig fan for life.

I must agree with "A Music Fan from Seattle" below on many of his/her points. I have been a longtime fan of this electrifying show -- seen it live on stage 15 times -- and have now seen four Hedwigs --John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Cerveris, Ally Sheedy (!) and the amazing, inventive, tragic and mind-blowing Nick Garrison (Seattle and Chicago productions). Garrison's performance is, in a word, heart-stopping and to me, the most powerful of the excellent bunch.

The movie is marvelous, but this album -- particularly if you're familiar with the wonderful original cast album -- has absurdly slowed down the tempos, over-studied the lyrics and drained much of the structure, life and energy out of the songs. The original album is not "rawer," it's just better. On this new soundtrack version, JCM's vocals sound, at times, both overstudied and under-rehearsed, with lines overlapping, strange emphasis on certain words and less enthusiasm than his original recording. His vocals on the original cast album are magnificent -- piercing and powerful, sad and triumphant. There are certain additional orchestrations and instrumets used on this album that are quite lovely. The main problems for me are the slowness of the tempo and the fact that the recording sounds to me like a recording of a live show on an off-night. Listen to the power of "The Origin of Love" on the original recording versus on the film soundtrack. Ditto "Midnight Radio". JCM is a great vocalist. I just think some weird decisions were made as to the arrangements and vocals on this album. When you hear these same recordings in the film, they seem to suit the film fine and sound great, as your mind is on the visuals as well, particularly the animation in "The Origin of Love." But as stand-alones, they sound.... odd. "Wig in a Box" is probably the most frustrating -- with a flat sounding interlude where Hedwig snaps back into her own depressing life, and a corny band sing-along that, while great fun in the movie, on the album is jarring and brings the song down. Do yourself a favor and listen to this marvelous anthem on the cast album without the new distractions.

One of the principal remarks I've often heard after the live show is that some of the lyrics were difficult to understand -- much like any rock show -- the audience, all 15 times, offered a standing ovation and was in theatrical ecstasy -- but wanted to see the show again, hear more of the song lyrics. Well, this album puts the lyrics front and center, and the songs have been re-arranged, produced and mixed. In my opinion, the cast album is more energetic, where the songs here are a bit sedated and draggy. One BIG plus is that the original cast album has the lyrics contained on the CD sleeve, which for this show, is so important in understanding Hedwig's story and accessing the brilliance of Stephen Trask's songwriting -- while the new soundtrack is strangely absent of any lyrics.

For anyone who has not heard the original album or seen the live show, but is a new Hedwig fan, they'll love it. It's a perfect companion to the movie. But it's a little unnerving for those of us who love the original. Either way, the songs are great.

I have to admit that I'm biased. I've been a fan of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" since the days that it was a little-known off-Broadway rock musical in New York City. Needless to say, I can't wait for the movie to come out. I bought the film soundtrack as soon as it came out, and I would highly recommend it to both a long-time fan or a johnny-come-lately. All of the old songs, except one, are there, and they have a new, more polished sound to them, especially "Wig in a Box", quite different from the raw, live sound of the musical. The slight variations in tune are welcome--and we hear Miriam Shor's aggressive back-up vocals much better. There's an additional three new songs, all credited to the character of Tommy Gnosis. This works quite well, giving an audience a greater appreciation of Tommy's character as separate from Hedwig's. The songs are great, especially "In Your Arms Tonight". Stephen Trask's slightly nasal vocals are perfect for the voice of the young rock-star: it's also nice to hear his voice more on lead vocals. It's a great CD, and not at all a waste of money to those of us who already have the original-cast off-Broadway soundtrack.

When I first saw the film "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," I knew I had to get the soundtrack. While I liked the soundtrack instantly, I found that it grew on me more over time. These songs are not just background music to tie in with a movie/play, but are in fact very well-written and memorable.

It's hard to pinpoint the genre these songs could be labeled. It's a combination of many things--alternative rock, theatrical/musical, retro 70s glam, cabaret, punk--this soundtrack really can't be pigeonholed. All of the songs were written by Stephan Trask. Trask is one of the most underrated songwriters of today. He has a knack for writing inventive and original catchy songs that have great hooks and sing-along-choruses.

Most of the songs are sung by John Cameron Mitchell, who plays Hedwig in the play and movie. Mitchell possesses a very powerful voice. Mitchell is somewhat soft-spoken in the film and its documentary. On this CD, his singing is at times soft-spoken, but he can also really belt out the tunes. Miriam Shor (who plays Yitzak in the play/film) backing vocals are a perfect compliment to Mitchell. The album's other singer is Stephan Trask. Trask sings five of the songs, as the character Tommy Gnosis (although he did not play him in the film). He also has a fine voice. Bob Mould (of Husker Du) (guitar), Ted Liscinski (bass), and Perry James (drums) provide a killer back-up band.

Listening to this album all the way through is sort of like a journey through different emotions. The content and tone of the songs are quite varied. It's defiant and angry (Tear Me Down, Angry Inch, Freaks), morose and bitter (Wicked Town), accepting and good natured (Wig in a Box), heavy (Exquisite Corpse), and the sensitive (In Your Arms Tonight).

No matter what kind of music you like most, this soundtrack is sure to enhance any collection.

I saw the movie during the summer, and it was great. It was better than I had originally got the impression of, and it blew me away. The feeling of Hedwig and "her" song is very touching and human. Her reasons and actions, motivations and personality are all very understandable and real. I recommend seeing the movie first, otherwise you might just think this album is a bit strange, but afterwards, this album seems a necessity. The same day I saw the movie I got the album. The tunes are very catchy, and very fun. They evoke a sense of freedom though saddness in some. Tommy Gnosis' songs are on here too, and they have good style, but if you've seen the movie, you know they can't touch the real Hedwig stuff. Hedwig's "Wig in a Box" and "The Origin of Love" are very memorable. This CD has some tracks on it that weren't in the movie, like "Nailed","In your arms tonight", and "freaks", as well as "long drift" but they are fitting for the style of this album. They are sung by someone else, and I don't know exactly who it is, but my guess is Stephen Trask, who wrote the album with John Mitchell Cameron (the guy that played and sung Hedwig in the movie and on the stage). I haven't personally seen the musical, but I really hope I do someday. I highly recommend this album. It's fun, heartfelt, and made me love Hedwig even more.

As a Hed Head whose first exposure was to the original cast recording, I find that one more satisfying than the movie soundtrack. I hope this helps people trying to decide between the two:

-- The cast recording has spare, simple arrangements that let John Cameron Mitchell's vocals shine. The soundtrack is engineered with a more spatial, live sound that works great in "Tear Me Down," but otherwise sounds a tad overproduced and competes with JCM's vocals.

-- I agree with some of the previous writers that the soundtrack tempo is noticeably slower. That works with the two-step beat of "Sugar Daddy," but on other songs the band sounds indifferent, like it just got up from a nap. The timing on the cast recording is tighter.

-- Some of the songs on the soundtrack are out of order. Tommy Gnosis' "Wicked Little Town" is Track 4, while the how-it-all-began "Sugar Daddy" is Track11 !?!

-- The soundtrack has 3 new Tommy Gnosis songs. The cast recording has "Random Number Generation," (a Miriam Shor solo) which was not in the play but can be heard in the background in one scene in the film.

-- The cast recording has lyrics in the booklet. The soundtrack has better cover art and inside photos, but no lyrics.

-- The signature ballad "Origin of Love" is more passionate on the cast recording. And the show stopper, "Angry Inch," rocks so much harder on the cast recording that that alone is reason enough to opt for that CD.

Well, I originally bought the Off-Boradway cast version of Hedwig a few years back soley on the reccomendation of a good friend. Knowing nothing about the story, these songs blew me away! Wow, I was in heaven.
But then, a horrible thing happened. All my cd's were stolen. All 200 of them, including my beloved Hedwig. So, I began the slow, painful process of rebuilding my collection. Last Christmas, I specifically asked for Hedwig, because I missed these songs so much! Little did I know there were 2 DIFFERENT cd's, and my well-meaning parents bought the movie soundtrack instead of the off-broadway cast. I loved the movie, so I thought, well, what can go wrong?

Basically, I was as jarred as a few other reviewers when I first heard the *new* version of Origin of Love (my favorite song) and I could *not* get used to this soundtrack. I put this cd away and didn't listen to it for close to 3 months. But, today, I decided to take a listen, with an open mind. And you know, the songwriting and music are so strong, I really can't complain about this cd. Yes, the tempo is different. Yes, John's vocals are different. Change may not be easy, but it's not always bad. I actually grew to love the drums that were added to the opening of Origin of Love. And John's softer vocals make this song seem....sweeter, more introspective than the original. And while the pace may have been changed on the faster songs, they still rock just as hard. So, If you're as big a Hed-head as me, you should own both cd's, because they both have their strong points.
So, in conclusion, I can understand why people would stick to the Cast version as opposed to this cd. But, these songs are still amazing, and a movie soundtrack of Hedwig is better than no Hedwig at all!!! Enjoy =)

I don't just throw five star ratings around, but this record honestly earns it...and how! It is one of the best rock/pop albums of the last several years. For me, it evokes David Bowie, circa Hunky Dory. Mitchell's voice is superb, Trask's songwriting is unparalleled, and the Angry Inch's (featuring Bob Mould) musicianship is all top drawer, flowing between grinding rock (Angry Inch, Exquisite Corpse, Nailed) and epic balladeering (Origin of Love, Wicked Little Town, The Long Grift) seamlessly, while most other tracks shine brilliantly somewhere inbetween. There are too many standout tracks on this record to note only a few for evidence; there is literally not a single weak track. The album stands strongly on its own without requiring the listener to first see the film, however the film certainly provides a background for the songs that provide an added depth and resonance. This was my single favorite album of 2001.

Amazing songs. Especially after you've seen the movie. Great to listen to loud and sing along to on car rides.

I just came from seeing the movie version of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and could not resist buying the CD on the way home. Nearly every single song is terrific and John Cameron Mitchell's vocal performances are electrifying--you can't take your eyes (or ears) off of him! It's almost too bad that the songs are as R-rated as the rest of the film; many of them would make great singles, and even better music videos. The film and its music are an extra special treat for Bowie/Reed/Iggy fans (and, weirdly, Farrah Fawcett/Anne Murray/Olivia Newton-John fans) but just about anyone--except maybe my mom--would see this as a near-perfect movie musical. See it, hear it, make it your own!