Songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's 'Whistle Down the Wind' [CAST RECORDING] [IMPORT]

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 17, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Import
• Label: Polygram UK
• ASIN: B0000241XU
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #120,204 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
12 songs from the Andrew Lloyd Webber & Jim Steinman musical'Songs From Whistle Down The Wind', including Boyzone'ssmash 'No Matter What', plus Tom Jones' 'Vaults Of Heaven',Meatloaf's 'A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste' & TinaArena's 'Whistle Down The Wind'. Other artists includeBonnie Tyler, Sounds Of Blackness, Elaine Paige, DonnyOsmond, the Everly Brothers, Boy George, Michael Ball andLottie Mayor with Webber. 1998 Polydor release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Songs from the musical Whistle Down the Wind, May 9, 2000

By	Robert Storm (Finland) - See all my reviews

This is an album of pop artists singing songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's musical Whistle Down the Wind. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music, and Jim Steinman wrote the lyrics (and uncredited about 20% of the music). Most of the songs are produced by Steinman, Lloyd Webber and/or Nigel Wright, and especially Steinman's productions sound great. Most singers are very good. Tom Jones has one of the greatest voices of our time. Ronan Keating of Boyzone and Michael Ball are two other men with strong and soulful voices. Boyzone's "No Matter What" was the greatest single of 1998 for me. Also Meat Loaf has recorded an excellent version of that song. The only artist on the album who I'd never heard of before is Sounds of Blackness. Their "Wrestle with the Devil" is a magical afro-gospel-dance song. (I was really dissappointed when I heard one of their albums...) Bonnie Tyler's "Tire Tracks" maybe sounds too much like her older Steinman collaboration Holding Out for a Hero but the sax part is good, and there are some nice hooks in the arrangement. For me the most surprising artist choices were two former teen-idols Donny Osmond and Boy George. Boy is a nice surprise, his Steinman-produced "Try Not to Be Afraid" is very beautiful. Donny Osmond is the less nice surprise, I don't have many good things to say about his too cute version of "When Children Rule the World". The Red Hill Children version of that song (which unfortunately isn't on this album) was much better. There are two versions of the title song. Tina Arena sings her version quite well (though she did it better in ALW's 50th birthday concert) but the arrangement and production are really dull. Lottie Mayor's version is almost perfect. The greatest song on the album is "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste". It's performed by Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler who are at their very best. The sometimes sweet, sometimes disharmonic orchestral arrangement is amazing. The lyrics may be the best Steinman has ever written. Though Lloyd Webber gets the composer credit, it's obvious that Steinman has composed most of this song. There's also a cast album of this musical. Some of the songs (Unsettled Scores) sound better on this album, some (Cold) on the cast album. I prefer this album.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FANTASTIC COLLECTION-A MUST HAVE, June 21, 2000

By	"robsiegel" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This is a compilation of music from Webber's WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, done in pop style, released before the 2-cd cast album. I much prefer this version. Tom Jones presents an incredible opening gospel number, followed by my favorite, and to me one of Andrew's best songs WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, performed by the very under-rated Tina Arena. This is one incredible balled. It builds, and she blets. What a match! Other incredible songs are TIRE TRACKS, done in the true Bonnie Tyler form, KISS IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE, a perfect song for MEATLOAF, and to me one of his best ever. Boyzone's NO MATTER WHAT is tops, I think their best song. I wish Andrew Llood Webber would continue to write albums like this between his shows for pop music stars, because this is one of the best CD's of pop music I have bought in a long time. There is no way you can be sorry you bought this one! Other artists provide great performances including Michael Ball, Elaine Page, and many more. DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, November 18, 2004

By	J. Ourada "trackdistancerunner" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Well it was much better than the London Cast Version. This is the one you really should get. The singers sound better with more emotion and it doesn't have to whole script being said in the middle of songs like the London version does. So this one is the better way to go.

Tina Arena is really unbelievable! Her voice is great!