Starting Here, Starting Now (1993 Original London Cast) [Cast Recording]

Samantha Shaw, David Shire, Richard Maltby, Michael Cantwell, Clare Burt | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 24, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Jay Records
• ASIN: B000005BH4
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,273 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Prologue/The Word Is Love

2. Starting Here, Starting Now

3. I'm a Little Bit Off

4. I Think I May Want to Remember Today

5. Beautiful

6. We Can Talk to Each Other

7. Just Across the River

8. Crossword Puzzle

9. Autumn

10. I Don't Remember Christmas

11. I Don't Believe It

12. Barbara

13. I Hear Bells

14. I'm Going to Make You Beautiful

15. Pleased With Myself

16. Opening Act 2/Hey There Fans

17. Travel

18. The Girl of the Minute

19. A Girl You Should Know

20. Watching the Big Parade Go By

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Strong show, suffers from too cute production, November 17, 2003

By 

Dr. Archipelagos "mikemccafferty" (Sherman Oaks, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting Here, Starting Now (1993 Original London Cast) (Audio CD)

Maltby and Shire are the overlooked masters of the 'story song' genre in musicals. Their strong melodies and clever topical lyrics create self-contained monologues for the singers and audiences to bask in. This is both their blessing, and their curse. For while individual songs of theirs stand alone better than any other, when placed in structured musicals (Baby, Big) they tend to suffer from the surrounding source material. As a result, they are better known for their reviews which surface off-broadway.
"Starting Here, Starting Now" is the first of these ventures and it bristles with energy and vibrancy. A cast of two women and one man command the stage from the the opening with the title song and then launch into the evening. This review was created earlier in their career and it reflects the optimism and youth the two had toward the world (where as their second effort 'closer than ever' is a darker and more reflective work) extolling the virtues of love and 'being pleased with myself' under a New York backdrop. While the themes may seem trite to today's audience, it reflected the times it was written and pointed always toward 'A new life coming' that was overall, a happier one.
My major qulams with the 1993 London productions lie in both the voicing and the interpretation of the material. All three are able to hit the money notes when called for, but they sound shrill and experience phrasing issues. Additionally, the male singer produces a very nasal sound which serves to distract. They also seem to be uncomfortable at times and don't fully commit.
The other problem is the interpretation. They have treated this much like a period peice; and oddity of a past time that they have uncovered for us to see how strange people were. Rather than chacters, they create charactures which overplay all emotions to lampoon the era. Additionally, a group of Londoners affecting New York accents in song is tricky feat to which they fail miserably. For this musical to work, it must be embraced whole-heartedly, not with an eye toward sardonic wit. Buy the original cast version first, and then this one if only for the three extra songs on this version.

5.0 out of 5 stars Starting Here, Starting Now!, May 25, 2008

By 

A. hoffman "BSH" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Starting Here, Starting Now (1993 Original London Cast) (Audio CD)

What a Show! its music, terrific, its spontanious actors, loveable! Starting Here, Starting Now is a musical that all persons can relate to no matter what. its music is lively and funny, just what one looks for ina musical. I'm truly glad to have bought this CD.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Many fantastic songs, many mediocre songs..., December 9, 2000

By 

JustMe123 "jennifer123" (Boca Raton, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starting Here, Starting Now (1993 Original London Cast) (Audio CD)

Starting Here, Starting Now is a revue kind of musical, with only three cast members. Each has extremely fantastic vocal technique. There is a lot of vibrato in this show. While certain standout songs include 'Pleased With Myself', 'Today Is The First Day of the Rest of My Life', and 'I Don't Remember Christmas', there are a few mediocre melodies thrown in. I enjoy this CD often, but there are always songs that you have to skip through. There is another version of Starting Here, Starting Now from 1977. If you like this CD and this show, I can guarantee you will love 'A...My Name is Alice', another revue musical.