Customer Reviews

The Music Man (1962 Film Soundtrack)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great soundtrack, but it is unfortunate that Warner's did not give us more on the CD than the standard LP 44 minutes. For instance, there is extensive dance music in the "76 Trombones", "Marian the Librarian", and the "Shipoopi" numbers that could have been included on the CD, and wasn't. And although I do admire Shirley Jones, and she was a beautiful Marian, Barbara Cook was more believeable in the look of a small-town spinster librarian, and her voice is one of the greatest that the musical world has ever heard. Shirley Jones' singing is pleasant, Barbara Cook's singing is thrilling. But, Barbara Cook had as much a chance of recreating her Broadway role as Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury and Ethel Merman did in "My Fair Lady", "Mame" and "Gypsy". Hollywood has never appreciated true musical talent. But, this is a fun album. Buddy Hackett is a bit hard to take, but Hermione Gingold is a treasure.

"The Music Man" is the most American of all the great American musicals, with a performance by Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill that arguably ranks as the best of all time. Compare it to the few that come close and decide for yourself: Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady," Richard Kiley in "The Man of La Mancha," Michael Crawford in "The Phantom of the Opera." THEN think of how rare it is for the Broadway star to actually make it to the Hollywood film version. Preston only got to do the movie because when they offered the part to Cary Grant he told the studio if they did not use Preston not only would Grant not be in the movie, he would not SEE it.

Preston turns in an absolutely perfect performance, made all the more amazing by the fact he was a movie actor who played villains who really could not sing or dance. Although he had some assistance with the story from Franklin Lacey, the credit for "The Music Man" goes to Meredith Wilson who did the book, music and lyrics. This is a score that features not only the last great marching band song of the century in "Seventy-Six Trombones," but what is arguably the first "rap" song in the rhythmic "Rock Island" that opens the show. For his songs Wilson makes use of piano scales ("Piano Lesson" and "Goodnight My Someone") and barbershop quartets ("Sincere" and "Lida Rose"), but the most memorable numbers are those he gives his fast-talking salesman ("Ya Got Trouble" and "Seventy-Six Trombones." This original cast album features Barbara Cook as Marion the Librarian, a singer who certainly should have done a lot more on Broadway than just this one staring role. Just listen to her sing "My White Knight," "Will I Ever Tell You?" and especially "Till There Was You" (the only Broadway song ever recorded by the Beatles). I prefer the Movie Soundtrack to the Original Broadway Cast album, not only because I like Shirley Jones' voice over Barbara Cook's (that is quibbling between an A+ and an A), but because the tempo is slightly up on several numbers. Besides, I think Preston's performance is just that much better on this one as well. But of course, there is not real reason not to have both albums in your collection.

Just like several of the other reviewers, I like the Broadway version of this show just a hair better than the movie soundtrack. However, when I decided to get a "Music Man" CD last month to replace my vinyl Broadway one, I lucked into a great price for the film rendition. Since I do love the movie anyway, the purchase was a no-brainer. Both have Robert Preston, and he is the true essential. I miss "My White Knight" and I love Barbara Cook, and Buddy Hackett can't sing...all true complaints of some other reviewers here. But those are really minor flaws. Buy whatever version YOU can afford, and let Robert Preston and composer Meredith Willson each make you proud to be an American and a music lover.

Among the many fine things which can be said regarding this Original Soundtrack Recording of "The Music man", the most impressive would be to simply say "Robert Preston"! Robert Preston IS The Music Man - the one and only Music Man! Robert didn't simply perform this role . . . he was the personification of The Music Man. I really can't imagine any one else coming even close to his characterization. Just listen to Preston's delivery of "Ya Got Trouble" and every thing you need to know about "The Music man" is there!
This album has it all: great "marching band music", great performers like Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, The Buffalo Bills, and Robert Preston, and great songs. (The Buffalo Bills/Shirley Jones' "Lida Rose/Goodnight My Someone" sticks in your musical mind and you find yourself humming and singing it throughout the day/night for inexplicable reasons at the oddest times.
I have loved this recording since it was first issued. On cd it keeps the beauty of this music and these performers more alive than ever.

This is THE BEST music I have ever heard! I listen to the soundtrack all the time, and I love it so much that it is severely worn out. I would definately reccomend this to anyone who likes good quality music.

Very good recording, on the whole. Unfortunately, the CD carries over some limitations from the vinyl record recording, such as arranging the first three songs as a single track instead of separate tracks, which is mildly annoying without detracting from the quality of the music itself. I've knocked off a star for that (and because the CD didn't incorporate the longer versions of some of the songs, but kept the shorter versions used on the vinyl record).

"Main Title" (instrumental) - The opening title, a medley including instrumental excepts from "Seventy-Six Trombones" (which dominates the arrangement), "Being in Love", "The Wells Fargo Wagon", and "Till There Was You".

"Rock Island" (the Travelling Salesmen) - Smooth segue from dialogue into singing as the travelling salesmen aboard the train move from talking about salesmanship generally to Professor Harold Hill and how he somehow manages to make a living selling boys' bands. "And when the man dances, certainly boys, what else? The piper pays *him*."

"Iowa Stubborn" The townspeople ensemble upon Hill's arrival in River City. "We can be cold as a falling thermometer in December if you ask about the weather in July/And we're so by-God stubborn we can stand touching noses for a week at a time and never see eye to eye..."

"Ya Got Trouble" (Trouble in River City) Professor Harold Hill singing with the ensemble as an occasional chorus, working up the evils of the billiard parlor's new pool table as groundwork for selling them the need for a band later on. "Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool."

"Piano Lesson & If You Don't Mind My Saying So" - Begins with Marian's spoken line, "Mama, a man with a suitcase followed me home," since the song essentially continues her conversation with her mother across the top of Amaryllis' lesson. :)

"Goodnight My Someone" - Shirley Jones singing this alone, without the little girl who played Amaryllis as in the film joining in as a sung duet (although the piano is still there).

"Ya Got Trouble & Seventy Six Trombones" - Much shorter version than that in the film, ending before the long instrumental segments that accompanied the dance scenes.

"Sincere" - Omits Harold Hill's initial experiments with teaching the schoolboard to sing barbershop harmony to deflect them from inquiring into his credentials, so the "Ice Cream" portion isn't here; the song picks up with Hill's line, "How can there be" and the quartet joining in with "any sin in sincere."

"The Sadder But Wiser Girl" Preston alone, although Hackett accompanies him for part of the song in the film. (The song continues their conversation, Hackett's character having just offered to set Hill up with a Sunday school teacher on a date.) "I hope, and I pray, for Hester to win just one more A - the sadder but wiser girl for me."

"Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little" - The ladies' committee and the Buffalo Bills (who join in singing "Good Night, Ladies" once the professor deflects them from yet another inquiry into his credentials). The pause in mid-song when the ladies discuss Marian's scandalous relationship with "old Miser Madison" is actually longer in the film, when they went into further detail.

"Marian the Librarian" - Like "Seventy Six Trombones", this is a truncated recording of the actual film version, stopping at the point when Marian forces Hill to sit down with a book (you can still hear him catching his breath as she shoves him into a seat); in the film, the song continues with a long instrumental passage accompanying a dance scene. "But when I try in here/to tell you dear/I love you madly, madly madam librarian/Marian/It's a long-lost cause I can never win/for the civilized world accepts as unforgivable sin/any talking out loud with any librarian/such as Marian..." :)

"Being in Love" Marian singing to her mother to explain that she's been in love *many* times - it's just that nobody's ever been in love with her.

"Gary, Indiana" Robert Preston as Harold Hill, singing to Pert Kelton (Marian's mother) about his "hometown". "Gary, Indiana as a Shakespeare would say/trips along softly on the tongue this way..."

"The Wells Fargo Wagon" - The day the instruments arrived and Winthrop (Marian's little brother, played by Ronnie Howard) stopped caring about his lisp and began to talk to people. "Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-coming now/I don't know how I can ever wait to see/It could be somethin' for someone who is no relation/but it could be/somethin' special/just for me..."

"Lida Rose & Will I Ever Tell You" - The professor once again deflects the school board into barbershop harmony with a supposed testimonial by Lida Rose Quackenbush. Partway through, there's a cut to Marian singing another song, which is eventually overlaid with the Buffalo Bills as the board singing their song. Nice effect.

"Gary, Indiana" (Ronnie Howard, joined by Shirley Jones and Pert Kelton)

"Shipoopi" Buddy Hackett singing at the ice cream social; again, the long instrumental passages accompanying dance scenes have been trimmed.

"Till There Was You" Shirley Jones as Marian explaining why she didn't give Hill away the day the instruments arrived.

"Goodnight My Someone" - Preston as Hill begins whistling, then singing "Seventy Six Trombones" while waiting for Marian to come out and walk with him; listening to her sing "Goodnight My Someone", he eventually has a change of heart and begins singing that. (*She* then picks up the next "Seventy Six Trombones" line, a touch I've always liked.)

"Seventy Six Trombones" - Instrumental version, the closing title music. Unfortunately, the CD has this on the same track with the previous song.

Oh! What a great musical! My favourite in fact, even over my cherished Frank Sinatra films! I do love Sinatra, but it would have been a grave mistake to have put him in the role of Harold Hill instead of Preston! Robert Preston delivers one of the absolute most exquisite performances ever! What a voice, what an actor! His chemistry with Shirley Jones in the film was fantastic as well, I would have liked to hear more duets with the two though. Ya Got Trouble is one of the best songs in a musical, I can not even imagine ANYONE else singing/playing the part of Hill as well as Preston! The Sadder But Wiser Girl has got to be one of the most amusing songs I have ever heard...Great music, great fun, great entertainment! I highly recommend this to any musical lover!!!

I absolutely love this soundtrack--I think the songs are even better on the album than in the movie. However, as most of us feel...Shipoopi (I didn't like the song to begin with) sung by Buddy Hackett? What? That was disappointing. But it's worth a listen, just for my personal favorites: 76 Trombones (of course), Goodnight My Someone, and Till There was You.

This is a CD I keep returning to--it's marvelous...one of a small list of musicals I truly enjoy listening to. You'll find something you really like--I'm sure of it. Highly recommended.

Everything about this track is magnificent. Ray Heindorf's clever and full-bodied orchestrations (which deservedly won an Oscar), Robert Preston's perfectly timed, acted and sung performance as Harold Hill, Shirley Jones sweet and impassioned work as Marian the Librarian, and a chorus that sings in unison with the power of angels. Soundwise it is brilliant - one exception is that the Rock Island number is not balanced and is lower in volume than the rest of the disk. One flaw in a masterpiece of performance and recording art. This is the one to get.

If you can get past that flat "boxy" Warner Bros soundstage sound, this is a highly enjoyable performance.

The movie of THE MUSIC MAN was faithful to the script and score of the 1957 Broadway hit. The only major change was replacing "My White Knight" with "Being in love" (which nonetheless retains the middle portion of "My White Knight.")

Robert Preston, Pert Kelton and The Buffalo Bills were retained from the Broadway production with Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett and young Ron Howard filling out the other roles.

Warner Bros. soundtrack album has all the songs, in the order they were performed in the film.

The original Broadway cast album (on Angel) does have better sound, and Barbara Cook, so it is preferable but since more people know the movie many will want this movie soundtrack CD.