Musicals

Michael Ball | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 7, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hip-O Records
• ASIN: B000006V66
• Also Available in: Paperback  |  Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,066 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The capable vocal gymnast Michael Ball interprets hits from the world of Broadway. Features memorable renditions of "Memory," "Love Changes Everything,","All I Ask of You," plus twelve more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Michael, Michael, Michael!!!!!, October 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Musicals (Audio CD)

WOW!! This is probbly THE BEST Michael Ball cd out there. His voice is absolutely amazing, and the song selection is great. "Memory," "Anthem," and "Losing My Mind" are fantastic. After listening to this cd over and over, I am convinced that no one could give a better interpretation of these songs. His voice is like chocolate, and even though the orchestration is sometimes heavy, he can handle it. "Love Changes Everything" has the power to bring tears to your eyes and "You'll Never Walk Alone" is beautiful. This album is 100% worth the cost. BUY IT!! You won't regret it!!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent intro for new Michael fans, March 18, 2001

By 

K. Strebin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Musicals (Audio CD)

After falling in love with Michael's voice during the 10th aniversary concert of Les Mis, Musicals was the first cd of Michael's I purchased and still remains to this day my favorite of all his solo CD's. The selection of songs on the CD mixes up both broadway favorites and lesser performed songs, and in several instances Michael chooses to tackle songs normally sung by female characters. In my opinion, he performs each song wonderfully, adding his own subtle nuances and interpretations to well known songs. Even my least favorite song on the CD "Last Night of the World" is tolerable when sung by Michael. His voice soars and often seems to flow effortlessly on all of the songs, but is highlighted in songs such as "You Will Never Walk Alone" and the truly breathtaking "Anthem." As performer, Michael understands what he is singing and he nevers takes a phrase or even a word written in a song for granted. His sensitivity in interpreting songs is what allows him to perform songs such as "I Dreamed a Dream" and "With One Look", normally performed by women, convincingly.

Some of Michael's other CDs can be hit or miss; however, this is often due to the quality of the song selection rather than Michael's vocal ability. Because of this, I think Musicals makes a good introduction for new fans. It is a solid CD that contains good songs and truly highlights all of Michael Ball's remarkable abilities.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The first collection of Broadway tunes from Michael Ball, February 13, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Musicals (Audio CD)

If you are going to do an album covering songs from Broadway musicals then you are going to want to provide listeners with something different from what they are familiar with from Broadway cast albums. For Michael Ball on "Musicals" that would be the segment where he does six songs in a row that were originally performed by female singers: "Losing My Mind" from "Follies," "Memory" from "Cats," "Don't Rain on My Parade" from "Funny Girl," "With One Look" from "Sunset Boulevard," "Show Me" from "My Fair Lady," and "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables." For me this is the strongest part of the album and I totally appreciate the idea of Ball singing songs that he would never be able to sing on stage in an actual performance (at the end of the album there is a one line reprise of "With One Look" in which Ball simply sings, "I could play any role"). The results are exactly the sort of "different" that we would hope to find on an album like this. Ball also picks some songs most listeners will likely have not heard before, which for me meant "Easy Terms" from "Blood Brothers," but could well be something else for you.

The other parts that stand out are the duets now reduced to solos, "All I Ask Of You" from "Phantom of the Opera" and "The Last Night of the World" from "Miss Saigon," and the best track is when Ball powers through "Anthem" from the often forgotten "Chess." The Broadway standards are a hit and miss proposition, with "Something Coming" from "West Side Story" having some excellent instrumentation but "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel" just being okay. I know that Ball began his career appearing in West End productions of "Les Miserables," "Aspects of Love," and "Phantom of the Opera," and after listening to this collection I would like to hear him in either "Miss Saigon" or "Chess" (okay, the latter is a pipe dream, but he would still be very good in it). For more of Michael Ball in a similar vein to this 1998 album, check out "Centre Stage," which is an even better collection of Broadway show tunes.