Customer Reviews

It's Only Life

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been keeping an eye on John Bucchino's music for about 20 years, and know (and have loved) some of the songs on this CD from previous collections. However...the new songs on this album practically made my heart leap out of my chest! I believe that this is the finest cabaret songwriter alive today, and his songs are deep, and chewy, and soul-affirming, and unpredictable...and in touch with something deeply spiritual. Not a lot of "popular" music can stand up to analysis, but this stuff gets better and more meaningful the more intense the scrutiny. It's ridiculous to compare him to Jason Robert Brown or anyone else. This is a unique artist, courageously self-revelatory, smart, uncynical, and generous.

This CD is AMAZING. To compare it to "New World" is unfair to both composers. Both are wonderful recordings of great songs. Yes, these are more introspective, but beautifully so. I suggest buying both.

There's little more to say.

Great songwriting, great performances. Just one superb song after another.

No clunkers, no instances where I wish they spent a little more time making it better.

If you are fascinated by songwriting, and know how difficult it is to compose new, fresh, masterful songs which seem to appear almost effortlessly produced, music that both aspires to classic status and connects to listeners without requiring a degree in music appreciation, then you have to hear John Bucchino's songs.

I had been looking for a cd for a long while to catch me as "The Last Five Years", "John & Jen", "Parade", as well as numerous others had when I stumbled along this one. I listened to one song before ordering it.

Finally when it arrived I plopped it into the cd player and heard the opening, unpredictably catchy, emotional, and spontaneous. I never knew where any of the songs were going with their melodies or lyrics. John Bucchino has created a name for himself, he is a necessity to musical theatre to come.

For anyone who is worried about where the American Theatre is headed, music like this as well as Jason Robert Brown, Andrew Lippa, and Adam Guetell just to name a few gives hope to theatre to come that it isn't all about poppy bubbly plots as well as songs.

Every song sheds a different sort of light on life, on love, and if you have experienced either of those it's easy to relate. The vocals are fabulous especially in the song "Playbill" where these soaring notes come out of nowhere.

For anyone who wants to experience the new voices in musical theatre this is for you. Other reccommendations:

Jason Robert Brown
- "Songs For A New World"
- "The Last Five Years"
- "Parade"

Andrew Lippa
"You're A Good Man Charlie Brown"
"Wild Party"
"John & Jen"

Adam Guettel
"Myths & Hymns"
"Floyd Collins"

John Bucchino
"Grateful"
"Lavender Girl" (Located in a collection of one act musicals known as 3hree)

BY THIS CD!!!

The cast in this recording is absolutely phenomenal, and the music of John Bucchino showcases the depth and beauty of his talent. Each song is a heartbreak, starting with Creel's stunning "Unexpressed" to Porter's poignant "Grateful."

The performances are stunning, and the lyrics so simple yet so enlightening and a perfect complement to Bucchino's sweeping music. The orchestrations are supposed to be simple with only the piano as accompaniment, but that is all this CD needs.

These are cabaret songs, and thank goodness this CD has come to showcase the best of Bucchino's work and this talented cast. It would be a travesty not to have this recording. Every song is a delight, with my favorites being:

Unexpressed
Sweet Dreams
Playbill
That Smile
Love Quiz
A Contact High [Ridiculous, but very clever]
It Feels Like Home
It's Only Life
This Moment
Taking the Wheel
Grateful

A collection of amazing songs with some of the best Broadway voices I have heard. A must have!

Although there are a few moments where the sentiment works with the music, this is very poor craftsmanship, in my opinion. The lyrics are full of psycho-babble phrases, (therapist references and all) really wordy- and as any hack knows- if you place dense lyrics on complex musical phrases- you get ponderous overfull stuff.
And this music is complex. Whereas the track THIS MOMENT is deceptively simple and works very well. But the rest of the CD..??

Please don't be fooled into thinking that Mr. Bucchino writes only "theater" music. His songs are true art songs that can grace a recital stage. I have included "Unexpressed" in my recital repertoire. Not only is his music well written, but it is far from easy to perform and does indeed require the same attention to detail as any good art song. This album was a real surprise and a joy to hear some of my favorites performed by other artists - another perspective from which to draw. Just two words: BUY IT!

I believe John Bucchino is on the cusp of being recognized as one of our best contemporary songwriters on Broadway. His lyrics are moving, melodies are gorgeous. I had the privledge of meeting him last year after a cabaret show and told him, "My wish for you is that you get all that you want." He replied... "and I want it all." Broadway and cabaret artists have alreay discoverd his talent and know that this is a unique artist--a contemporary songwriter that deserves attention. A shout-out to one of the performers, Brooks Ashmanskas, who is one of the very talented interpreters of the songs in the revue. (Brooks will be appearing in Martin Short's new Broadway play, "Fame Becomes Me" starting in August 2006.)

The whole cast is marvelous, and the songs are humorous with a twist, yet bring a tear to the eye.

John Bucchino's music has among its superlative qualities one that is remarkably rare in theater music and classical music alike: it is seemlessly organic; matching sound and rhythm to word and idea. The music draws you in and holds you entranced ultimately lifting you up to the realizations about your own life. Throughout this album the listener is exposed to a level of craft that brings to mind composers like George Gershwin. The result is that the songs' emotions hit home, breaking down the barrier between singer and listener, and invariably giving good cause for introspection. Throughout the piece, which was created from material written by Mr. Bucchino over the last several decades, the listener feels like they get to know these five singers from the different ways that they deal with feelings that are familiar to each of us. The material in the songs is derived directly from the composers' life and consequently they are more warmly personal than almost anyone writing songs today. The composer's own extraordinary and indiosyncratic pianism delights the ears with sumtuous textures that only add another level of sophistication.