Customer Reviews

The Producers (2005 Movie Soundtrack)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although the movie may have been less than the stellar hit that was hoped for, the album carries the day. It contains almost all of the music heard on the movie, with some dialogue exceptions, and even includes a bonus track not included in the movie. By far my favorite is the title credit version of "Guten Tag Hap-Clap."

The cast is also wonderful. Not only do you hear the original Broadway stars Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in their original roles, you also get Will Ferrel playing the hillarious role of Franz Liebkind but also Uma Thurman as the dazzling Ulla flaunting (and belting) all the way. All in all, a great buy, and well worth the add to the library!

To me, it was obvious from the first listening... Having heard both the movie soundtrack and the original Broadway cast recording, when the same songs are performed by the same actors, the movie versions are livelier and funnier! Why, I wondered?

Then it struck me -- the original cast recording session typically takes place at the BEGINNING of the show's run on Broadway. Therefore, that CD captures the actors' EARLIEST takes on these songs.

The film soundtrack, on the other hand, has an enormous benefit: it comes AFTER the cast members have played these parts and honed their connections with the songs over hundreds of performances. The comic timing and inflections that naturally evolve over time are present only on the movie soundtrack, and we reap the benefits!

Yes, the movie soundtrack is missing some numbers featured on the cast recording, and vice versa, and Uma Thurman's voice is (as we might expect) not as strong as Cady Huffman's. If you are a HUGE fan of this show, by all means buy BOTH the movie soundtrack and the original Broadway cast recording -- but if you only want one, the movie soundtrack is what I recommend.

If you thought movie musicals had died, you were probably mostly right. However, every once in a while someone tries another one. Some succeed, most fail. However, the quality of the music from these movies is often quite different from the movie itself. Such is the case with this soundtrack. Mel Brooks, the man who brought you the classics "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles," and "High Anxiety," gives us the music from the movie "The Producers."

The music is classic Hollywood, with a style that dates back to the 50s and 60s. I was also fascinated that Hollywood actors could pull off these songs with such class and style. There are a few hiccups along the way, such as Uma Thurman's weak vocals on "That Face," but so much of this music is original and fresh with its classic inspiration.

Many of the songs deliberately provoke smiles. "Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band?" sung by Will Ferrell makes you smile, though much of it is in German. Ignore other comments about "Springtime for Hitler." The song is funny and John Barrowman, Uma Thurman and the ensemble pull off a song that owes much inspiration to movie musicals of the 30s. Yes, the war has been over for more than half a century, but if we can still poke fun at Custer, the Pilgrims and the Inquisition, why not poke more fun at Hitler? Admittedly, he is an easy target, but so was Custer. How about "Heil Myself," with the line "...there is no greater dictator in the land..."? This stuff is a riot. Note for Naziphobes: This music pokes fun at Nazis rather than elevating them, so watch this movie with tongue-in-cheek.

Musically there are some awesome moments. "You'll Find Your Happiness in Rio" is musically inspired, even if the lyrics are cheesy.

There are a few moments where Nathan Lane pulls off a song that should have been impossible. "Betrayed" is a riot, and yet Lane manages to sing so dramatically that you believe that he is actually hurt, until he sings lyrics that make you crack up.

Perhaps the best thing about this album is its bombast. The production is explosive and hyper-dramatic, with sound alternately quiet and blasting, the instruments jumping into your face. I am always enthused about a producer who likes to make you jump into the music, particularly if the music is worth jumping into.

I rarely purchase or listen to soundtracks because they are too filled the kind of music that is interesting if you have had three or four drinks, but otherwise it is barely elevator music. This CD has music that may be short of great, but it is enjoyable and frequently funny. If you liked the movie, I suspect you'll love the CD. If you like musicals, most especially funny musicals, then I suspect you will love this CD.

Good luck!

This review is based on a copy of the CD provided to me for review.

It's hard to compare this release to the original Broadway cast recording. They're both great. This version, however, has a few great highlights:
. "Betrayed" is much better here... Nathan Lane sounds too rushed in the b'way version. Here he really pauses when saying "Adolf Elizabeth?"... and he does a much more complete "ooh wah wee woa wow wow wowie". However, the part where he says "intermission" and pauses is not in this version.
. "We can do it" is awesome in this version. Where Lane and Broderick are singing conflicting lyrics in unison you can really hear them both.
. "When you got it, Flaunt it" is not so much "better" in this version but really really amazing! You might not expect Uma Thurman to be able to sing but that's not even why it's a great track--half of it's acting anyway, and I like this track as much as the "original".
. "Haben Sie gehört das Deutsche band" is hillarious...
. "Keep it Gay" great... in this release you get the "conga" part at the end (absent from the b'way cast recording). And line "a stroke--of genius" is delivered with 100 times more humor.

Also, the movie-only track "There's nothing like a show on broadway" is pretty decent. Alas, the version of "King of Broadway" in this release is really lacking (and it wasn't even in the movie).

Regarding the movie, I liked seeing it because I never got to see it live so it gave me more context (not like there's that much... I mean, I saw the original film). While I'm glad I got to see the movie (and while there were a few good parts) it was a big letdown for me. I mention this because the soundtrack is great despite the movie's flaws. Generally, I'd categorize the movie soundtrack as richer and more detailed. The b'way cast might have more life to it in parts but, at least for now, I'll be listening to the movie version in order to catch everything.

Regarding the sound quality, this recording's sound level is normalized or something because it's louder and has a bigger soundstage (good). Though, the dialog portions are the opposite and include a faint hiss (bad).

Okay, so I got The Producers on DVD for my birthday and I was like...amazed. Then, I went out and bought the soundtrack so that I could listen to "Haben Sei Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?" over and over again. This whole CD is fantastic. The lyrics are hilarious, and some of them are actually sincere, like "Til Him" and "That Face". Matthew Broderick's voice is as great as ever and Nathan Lane's energy emenates from this disc. Highlights for this CD are "We Can Do It", "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop", "Keep it Gay", "Along Came Bialy", "That Face", "Haben Sei Gehurt Das Deutsche Band?", all the "Hitler" songs, and...well...all of them, really. Just...buy it and listen to it...and be happy. The end.

Hilarious lyrics and music, though I may caution against singing "Springtime for Hitler" in public....

Everything about this album is wonderful. While some songs have been cut from the film (King of Broadway, Where Did We Go Right?, In Old Bavaria), it's still a superb album to listen to. Of course, I would always suggest listening to the original Broadway cast album first, since we miss hearing the voices of the great Cady Huffman as Ulla and Brad Oscar as Franz (replaced respectively by Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell).

My only complaint is the casting of Uma Thurman as Ulla. Uma can hum a tune, but she's no singer. They lowered the key tremendously on her song. "Ven You Got It, Flaunt It" is one of my favorite songs in the show, and Uma has ruined it (in my opinion). There's no excitement at all, especially when she supposedly "belts" - she doesn't change any dynamics from where she has been the whole song! At least she's only in two numbers. I still think they should have put a blonde wig on Catherine Zeta-Jones and have her play Ulla.

Nathan, Matthew, Gary, and Roger (all from the original Broadway cast, reprising their original roles) are a joy to listen to as always, and as much as I was worried about Will Ferrell as Franz, I started to forget that it wasn't Brad Oscar! Will's renditions of the songs are not too far off from Mr. Oscar.

4 stars out of 5

I saw The Producers on the stage and this is one of the few times I can say I liked the film better. Maybe it's because I missed out on the brilliant pairing of inimitable Nathan Lane and dry wit of Matthew Broderick live? I caught the show after their successful run and was pleased, but felt the show was over-hyped. Maybe it's because I grew up hearing the borscht belt humor and I felt as if I were reliving a show in the Catskills from the 60's. Remember the variety shows in Dirty Dancing? With the new version of the 1968 film and the additions of the fantabulous Uma Thurman and the surprise of Will Ferrell's wonderful talents, I am more than pleased to say this CD is a winner. Is there anything Mel Brooks can't do successfully? A comedy writer and performer are two things, but when you add composer and lyricist to his résumé, and a 23-track soundtrack that's as funny and uplifting as the film itself, then you've got another winner. The bonus track and new song "The King of Broadway" easily caps off the soundtrack and makes this movie-turned-play-turned-movie one of the best musicals of the day. Maybe it's because I found myself humming "Springtime For Hitler" long after the CD had ended that I realized I couldn't get these songs out of my head. Unable to get a song out of your head is not always a good thing, but trust me on this one, this time it is.

The soundtrack to the movie has ever so slightly different versions of the songs that sound a lot more MGM/RKO-big show stopping production "ish". All in all, I actually think this recording is BETTER than the original show's soundtrack. I have seen this show several times in both New York and London, and I have to say Lane and the rest of the cast on this album are just so much better than anyone else I have ever seen in these roles. If you are a Mel Brooks or Producers fan, do yourself a favor....stop reading this review, sign in, and buy this album! I promise you that dissappointment cannot possibly come from this purchasing decision. In fact, dont just buy one....buy 10 and give them away as presents over the holiday season. This album is that good! I have no connection in any way shape of form to either the show or Amazon. I am just a huge fan of the show! Look, you are going to do what you are going to do, but I would sincerely tell you that I think this is probably the best movie soundtrack that money can buy!

This CD is a fabulous driving companion. Fabulous - you have the stars right in your car. Loved it.
lca