Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark [Cast Recording]

Broadway, Bono | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 14, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B0042X90N4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,677 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Original soundtrack to the 2011 Broadway musical with music co-authored by Bono and The Edge of U2. Featuring 14 new tracks, the LP was produced by frequent U2 collaborator Steve Lillywhite. Recorded by the talented cast of the Broadway production, this long player also features a single version from the musical entitled "Rise Above." This track showcases Reeve Carney who plays the role of Spiderman and also features performances by its composers Bono and The Edge.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good actually... June 16, 2011

By Steven Valenti VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

So "Spider Man: Turn off the Dark" has finally opened after a tumultuous preview period and endless tinkering. Finally, those of us curious enough to see what all the fuss is about at least have a chance to hear what appears to be the highlights of the score by U2's Bono and The Edge.

First off, it's a little hard to tell what to expect from the album cover, which labels the album "Songs from" instead of "Original Broadway Cast Recording." This recording, though, documents the performances of stars Reeve Carney, Jennifer Damiano, and Patrick Page, so for all intents and purposes, I'd say this is indeed the Original Cast Recording. If that wasn't confusing enough, it took me a couple of disjointed listens to realize the songs are not in show order! So I researched the song list as it appears in the show and made my own playlist--I would advise others to do the same. It really has made it more comprehensible. I'm really not sure what the producers were thinking, mixing everything up. It's just going to make people think the show's exactly the mess it has the reputation for being.

With the songs in order, the plot comes across pretty easily--this doesn't seem to be as "inept" a score as some critics have suggested. It's pretty simple to follow (especially as it's basically the Spider-Man origin story, with the Green Goblin as the show's villain, just like the first Spider-Man movie). I like the atmospheric style of the songs--a rock approach is the right one for a comic book show. Still, it's a mixed bag. The traditional rock songs "Rise Above 1" and "Boy Falls from the Sky" are the standouts, with Carney's adept rocker voice helping them soar.... "No More" with Damiano, along with the ballads "I Just Can't Walk Away (Say It Now)," and" If the World Should End" also strike the right emotional notes. On the other hand, there are couple underwritten songs for The Green Goblin that should have been scrapped or reworked.

It may not sound like high praise, but for Broadway newbies, the score comes across fairly well on disc. Is it excellent? No. But it's an enjoyable listen, with some standout tracks, and I certainly can think of far worse scores, even by theater mainstays. In other words, I do hope pop-rock musicians will continue to venture into the world of musical theater and give it a whirl. There's a freshness here that I appreciate, even if it's not a complete success. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Spider-Man Rocks On August 7, 2011

By Ruth E. Stoll

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you liked the music in the show, you'll love the CD. My only complaint is that the songs aren't in the order that they appeared in the show, since I sort of like to relive the whole show experience when I listen to this type of thing. Still, the music stands on its own and I enjoy it as such.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a complete disaster, but not great either. August 1, 2011

By J.D.

Format:Audio CD

I wasn't expecting much when I popped this into my CD player, based on previous reviews, so my first impression of this show was actually pretty good. I like U2, so I was not turned off by the U2 sound of many of the tracks, and there were actually a couple surprises and some songs that I liked. I am a musical theatre collector and strive to collect every cast album available. Most get better after multiple listenings. Spider-Man, however, does not. The music itself is decent, sometimes repetitive and mind-numbing, but some pleasant melodies are there, too. The lyrics leave much to be desired. There is a definite pattern of repeating lyrics on almost all the songs. For example, Rise Above repeats "Believe" like 7 times at the end, and half of the songs do the exact same thing. Bouncing off the Walls was horrible, the chorus of the song is just repeating "Bouncing off the walls" over and over again. These patterns become all the more jarring when you listen to the album more than once.
Vocally, the cast sounds great, with the exception of Peter Parker, played by Reeve Carney. Have any of the creators actually read a Spider-Man comic? This man is NOT Peter Parker, nor is he Spider-Man. He sounds more like a rock singer, but in a musical it just comes across as whiney. If you think he's got a cool rocker voice, then, again, that's not Peter Parker either. The clips I've seen of Reeve Carney show him singing with his mouth barely open. It shows.
I also felt that the music itself did not stay with the spirit of Spider-Man comics. Spider-Man is mostly known for his wit and jabbing comments, for cracking jokes even in extremely strenuous circumstances. I'm not asking for much - it's a musical. But I'd like to see at least a hint of it. Maybe they came through in the dialogue.... Maybe it's in some of the tracks not presented here. I really hope they didn't spend 75 million on a show and get the main character wrong.
Lastly, I am disappointed by how many songs are missing from this album, and the fact that the songs are presented out of order from the actual show. I wouldn't mind if this CD had bonus tracks, with songs recorded by Bono and the Edge. But I object to replacing cast members with these artists. Present the song as it is in the show. If you want to include U2, include it as a bonus track. But, like I said, I'm a musical theatre fan. It appears this album was more designed for U2 fans, and as such is presented more like a rock album and not like a true Cast Recording.

Here's the song listing as I know it. *indicates song is missing from this recording
NY Debut
The Myth of Arachne *
Behold and Wonder *
Bullying by Numbers * (the most glaring omission)
No More
DIY World
Venom *
Bouncing Off the Walls
Rise Above
Pull the Trigger
Picture This
A Freak Like Me Needs Company
If the World Should End *
Sinistereo
Spider-Man! *
Turn Off the Dark
I Just Can't Walk Away
If the World Should End (Reprise)
The Boy Falls From the Sky *
I'll Take Manhattan *
A New Dawn (Finale) * Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable but needs more August 6, 2011

By JoBrAd

Format:Audio CD

NOTE: My review contains a few very minor spoilers for the Broadway show. I believe they're extremely minor but proceed at your own risk.

When I first listened to the CD I really didn't know what to think. I liked some of the songs but overall it seemed disjointed and a little off. After doing a little reading (both online and the liner notes), I found that the songs aren't in the order that they are in the show, that "Picture This" is a demo version (explaining why Bono is singing in it), and the inappropriately named "Rise Above 1" is actually not part of the show and is an album/single/concert version of the song featuring Bono doing the majority of the singing. After finding this out and giving the album another listen, I found I enjoyed it a whole lot more, in fact, I was getting to where I loved it. It's got a nice mix of songs including some very nice rock riffs and some slower tunes to give it a nice balance.

I just got back from my first trip to NYC and decided to make my first Broadway experience to be this show and I was not let down. The show was awesome and I recommend you go see it if you're in NYC. In regards to this review, seeing the show made me love the album more. Having a better sense of where the songs fit in regards to the story makes it a lot more enjoyable as some songs reference events that happened earlier and reflect emotions that have been building over the course of the show (ex: The Boy Falls From the Sky is Peter's solo number that he sings right before his climatic battle with the Goblin and is the culmination of everything he's been going through over the course of the show and has no reason to be at the beginning of the CD). I have just rearranged the tracks to story-order so we'll see how that affects the overall play of the album....

The only reason I have given the album 4 stars versus 5 is the odd arrangement of the songs and the fact that this is not a complete version of the show. Several songs are missing as well as the majority of the score. I think the majority of the songs were left out were because they seem more at home in a musical and not on a rock album. I'd really like to hear "Bullying by Numbers" again which seems very at home in a musical and added to the eclectic mix of music styles that while some people might not like, I did. Also, "Venom" (having nothing to do with the character) and "Sinistereo" are companion pieces (I don't think you could consider "Sinistereo" a reprise, they're different songs that share the same music, though there are a few short reprises of songs in the show) and I guess they didn't see the reason to put both on the album. I really, really wish this featured the complete score. The score was very exciting and was one of my favorite parts of seeing the show. Bono mentions they had several cues of the score to choose from and put only this lonely one on the album. Granted, it's a great choice. "NY Debut" is very pulse-pounding and rock-ish and I have listened to it several times over. In the show, it plays, obviously, during Spidey's debut in his costume and in New York serving as the change over point in the show where the Spidey stunts kick in. If you've seen the show, it's this track that will make you remember seeing Spidey swing through the skies. From what I remember, it also serves as the majority of the Overture but not completely. I seem to remember an instrumental version of "Rise Above" interwoven into it for the Overture. There was an instrumental version of "D.I.Y. World" that played during the final battle with Gobby that was very exciting and that I wish were on this album.

If you do see the show, you should also know that some of the lyrics have changed since they finalized this album. Minor changes mostly but it was a little jarring while I was watching the show because I had listened to this CD so many times. Also, the songs on the album have been arranged so as to eliminate any of the stops in the song that included dialogue and so we're really getting album edits of the majority of the songs. The one that I remember the most changes to is "A Freak Like Me Needs Company." During the actual show, there are many 'breaks' in the song, although the music continues, to allow the Goblin to explain his plan and introduce the Sinister Six to the audience.

Overall, I love this album and I loved the show immensely. I just hope that they decide to release a 2-disc complete cast recording of this show that also includes the complete score and any updated lyrics. I can pretty much predict that I would give that release 5-stars. Read more ›