Customer Reviews

You Never Know (2001 Studio Cast)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"A Cole Porter show I've not heard of?" I wondered aloud. "And Kristin Chenoweth? Well, I must buy it."

I was certainly not disappointed. As an avid fan of Cole Porter, I must confess that I bought this album because of Kristin Chenoweth. But I can't live without it for many reasons. From start to finish, it is filled with some of the most beautiful Porter songs. I was almost ashamed to admit that I really prefer this version of "Let's Misbehave" over the version on the my beloved 1962 Off-Broadway revival cast recording of Anything Goes.

That's not the only song here that I consider perfection. "I'm Going in For Love" is beautiful and Kristin Chenoweth's vocals are breathtaking. "From Alpha to Omega" is catchy as heck, and my personal favorite - "I Happen to Be in Love" is musically and lyrically outstanding (and the vocals are superb).

Cole Porter called this his worst show, but I couldn't disagree more. I never saw it, but I'm in love with this recording. Really, with Cole Porter music and lyrics and performances from legends like Donna McKechnie (eee!) and Harry Groener and brilliant gems like David Garrison and Kristin Chenoweth, how can you lose?

You Never Know is one of Cole Porter's many hidden gems, and this cast has certainly done justice to it! Kristin Chenoweth shines as always, and David Garrison (whom I had only heard before on Yeston's Titanic) is surprisingly better than I had expected. Also in the cast, whom I hadn't heard since her showstopping performance in the original cast of A Chorus Line is the diva herself Donna McKechnie! An all-star cast if you ask me. While all the songs on this CD are spectacular, my personal favorites are "You Never Know," "From Alpha to Omega," and "Let's Misbehave." At times funny, at times touching, You Never Know is right up there with Kiss Me, Kate, Anything Goes, and High Society. It hasn't left my CD player, it won't leave yours!

This is a Porter show that I was not familiar with until my local playhouse put on a production last year and I was delighted. I was not so delighted to find that this show was not recorded. Now, not only do I find it recorded, but recorded beautifully. A small but near perfect cast captures every sophesticated line and sly rhyme. This may not be Kiss ME Kate or Anything Goes but it belongs in every Porter fan's library.

This musical must have been fun to see. As a CD it is hard to picture much of the story and so the score suffers a tiny bit but it's Cole Porter so you can't go too wrong even without seeing a production of this.
The two male leads are similar sounding so it is also hard to tell who is singing at times it would have been nice to hear much different voices for these two roles.
All in all worth the price and fun to listen too, this is keeper.

Reconstructions of neglected musical scores of Gershwin and Porter are among the great joys of our time, but this is something else. The production on which it is based used a patchwork libretto, interpolated songs from other shows and reduced the orchestrations. The result sounds less like a cast album than low budget Porter complilation. Yes, the (all too?) familiar singers do a great job.

An excellent album of a fantastic score. The performance are superb - the cast does the music justice, and the music is wonderful Porter. It keeps you humming tuneful songs and has some typically clever porter lyrics. As the editorial reviewer points out, From Alpha to Omega makes you want to get up and Charleston. Kristin Chenowith somehow manages to ooze charisma in a vocal recording. Donna McKechnie shines in the title number, and in her duet with Harry Groener (What Is That Song). Angela Teek has one number (I'm Back In Circulation), but she really makes the most of it. David Garrison wouldn't surprise anyone who's heard him in the BAM recordings of Of Thee I Sing and Let Em' Eat Cake (now there's a CD that needs reissuing), and the incredible, definitive Show Boat Studio Cast Album from EMI. He's a talented musical comedy performer. Harry Groener is as well, but also does a very tender and lovely version of AT Long Last Love. Speaking of which, it's hard to imagine how any show with that number could be considered a failure.

This album does have a few flaws. I don't die over the interpolations, even if Porter himself never hesitated to do that. Let's Misbehave is not one of may favorite Porter songs, and neither is Riding High. I like almost all of the numbers that were actually in this show better. I also wonder if they had to cut anything out to add the extra numbers in. As another reviewer noted, Groener and Garrison do sound a lot alike. The orchestrations are lively and very enjoyable, but they don't strike me as terribly true to the early thirties sound. Given my choice, I think I would have preferred hearing this score with this cast, but as it was originally performed. All of that aside, this is an album that any lover of musicals has to like. Now when, oh when, is somebody going to do justice to Jubilee?

This recording is a total peach! Gorgeously arranged and sung, a very worthwhile purchase.

Damien Slattery.

Cole Porter

I bought this CD from Barnes and Noble on an impulse, but it has turned out to be one of my favorites in my collection.
The cast is stellar and so very talented.
Kristin Chenoweth simply sparkles in every song she sings.
David Garrison also was a surprising joy to listen to.
If you enjoy talent, good music and clever and chraming lyrics then buy this CD. It is worth every penny!