Monty Python's Spamalot (Vocal Selections) (Paperback)

~ John Du Prez (Composer) (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Vocal selections from the uproarious Broadway production that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2005. Songs include: All for One * Always Look on the Bright Side of Life * Brave Sir Robin * Come with Me * Find Your Grail * Fisch Schlapping Dance * He Is Not Dead Yet * His Name Is Lancelot * I'm All Alone * King Arthur's Song * Knights of the Round Table * Laker Girls Cheer * Monks Chant * Run Away! * The Song That Goes Like This * Whatever Happened to My Part? * Where Are You? * You Won't Succeed on Broadway. Includes five pages of color photos.

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423400046
• ISBN-13: 978-1423400042
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #446,469 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Left me disappointed, March 6, 2006

By	Maddi Hausmann Sojourner "madhaus" (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I decided to take a chance with this piano/vocal/guitar collection since I had already read a review warning that it was a fairly simplistic arrangement. It is indeed very basic; someone with four years of piano experience could handle just about every piece.

All that was taken from the actual score was the melody and the chords. Songs that had clear baselines, such as You Won't Succeed on Broadway's descending octaves at the end of each couplet, simply don't have them in these book. Typical left-hand arrangements are a series of eighth notes pairs with bass-root, inverted chord, over and over again no matter what sort of mood the piece should set. Given the range of tempos and their amusing descriptions, (where else would you find the term "Jaunty Madrigal"?), having identical left-hand arrangements is ridiculous. Right hand arrangements tend to double the melody with chords filling them out below. Most songs are cut down to a bare minimum, leaving out parts that could easily have been included such as accents, grace notes, and the like.

Most frustrating of all is missing lyrics for subsequent verses, which is absolutely unforgiveable. "Knights of the Round Table" only has 2 verses. Yes, you can pull the lines off the internet, but why should you have to?

Probably the best arrangement of the whole book is "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" which does include all the lyrics but inexplicably cut the piano solo! So when I say it's the best, that's where "best" gets a 7 out of 10. The Act II Finale does not appear, either. However, the book does include most all the other songs from the musical. Many sheet music books from musicals omit more. I am looking forward to a vocal score being offered as these are a reduction rather than an arrangement and offer all the incidental music as well as instrumental and lead-in sections.

Hal Leonard often rates their arrangements on a difficulty scale but I can't find one on this book. I would give it a "2" on their 6 point scale where 6 is the hardest.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Could have been better, November 29, 2005

By	Mark DELAINE (Willunga, South Australia, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A bit dissapointing that the arrangements in the book are so bland and simple with the melody doubled in the piano and basic work added around this. With great vocal scores like 'Wicked', 'The Producers'and 'Witches of Eastwick'available with fantastic accompaniments 'Spamalot' is a tad dissapointing. However, all the great numbers from the show are here and with a talented accompanist to improve the arrangments this book is still a great buy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Spamalot Vocal Selections, August 17, 2006

By	theatre fan (hawaii) - See all my reviews

Funny show and enjoyable music. At least one of the songs is not in the same key as what's sung on the original Broadway cast CD - an annoyance but rather typical of "vocal selections" music books. This is the publisher's decision (Hal Leonard), not Amazon's fault. On the positive side, this book has many of the songs and is much cheaper than the full piano-vocal score.