Customer Reviews

Twentieth Century Blues: Songs of Noel Coward

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

A great CD. The artists and the songs are a perfect match. Texas and Pet Shop Boys really shine on this one. I've been listening to it non-stop and each time I find something new to admire. This tribute would make Coward proud. Neil Tennant has pulled together all the elements and has helped produce a memorable CD.

As someone who was introduced to noel coward by the pet shop boys, ("if love were all"), I think this is a great album and can only help to introduce more people, previously unaware or unfamiliar with coward, to his work. if we only listened to the snobs, coward's music would be dead, as would classical and opera, all of which i listen to and was introduced to by the more "popular" artists. How do the music snobs know that this cd would kill an already dead noel coward? Maybe he'd be thrilled with it! The best songs on the album are the beautiful "Sail Away" by the event's organisers, the Pet Shop Boys; "There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner," by Robbie Williams, and Divine Comedy's "Marvelous Party," which reminded me a little of Underworld's "Born Slippy." The worst performance has to be the one phoned in by Sting. Elton John's cut was a bit disappointing as well. But all in all, it was a delightful collection.

I think this compilation is marvelous. With covers by the Pet Shop Boys, Marianne Faithfull, Robbie Williams, Sting, Elton John, and a host of others, this CD is pure pop pleasure. I bought it for the Robbie Williams track, and I've found every track enchanting. If you like the "Red Hot +" CDs, then this will certainly suit your fancy.

Icons need violence done to them occasionally, just to wake 'em up. I never was a great Coward fan (too glib, too slight, too precious) but something interesting happens upon repeated listening to these songs: those traditionally rendered remain sweet little time capsules, while the wild ones come right up to date! Vic Reeves and The Divine Comedy are particularly good. Who are these people?

Some artist really shine when they do one of these tribute/benefit/soundtrack things. For instance in this one Sting does a superb I'll Follow My Secret Heart so well that it makes one wonder! Elton blasts ferroriously with the title cut Twentieth Century Blues. Mariannne Faithful just slays with Mad About the Boy. The Pet Shop Boys(yes PSB)do a most fantastic Sail Away with the most effective boat horn ever recorded. Now the new people. Suede,Texas,Robbie Williams..etc just overwhelm the listener with more modern arrangements that border on avant-guarde. Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage Mrs. Worthington is just down right goth. Poor Little Rich Girl is quite good too. All in all this was quite a worthwhile undertaking!

It's got Paul McCartney & Bryan Ferry, too!Lyrics astound...as we bend to kiss a faded silver Rolls,what does it matter? Parisian Pierrot, Ah! She's got nice hands I give the poor wretch that due. Also recommended Noel Coward in Las Vegas, a 1957 top 15 charting album. Very different, indeed!

I was extremely disappointed in this recording. If someone had tried to destroy the music of this famous British composer they could not have done a better job. A couple of the tracks we OK, Paul McCartney and Sting tried to sing the songs as they were meant to be sung and are the only saving grace and the reason I will keep this CD, but otherwise the artists did a poor job. Mad Dogs and Englishmen was absolutely destroyed and the witty piece Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage was sung as a Rap song, it was horrible. The beautiful wartime song London Pride, that could bring tears to the eyes of a Londoner, was unrecognizable. Do not buy this CD, if you long to hear the songs as they were intended to be sung.

It's a 'cute' sort of idea -- take a group of current 'pop' music icons and have them personalize, as it were, the rather creaky songs of the late Noel Coward. It's also cute to have such artist as Paul McCartney, Marianne Faithful, and Elton John slug their way through Coward's sophisticated lyrics, and even the inclusion of (Oh, my!) The Pet Shop Boys, Sting, Texas, and Suede, can't really deter the almost unkillable Coward music. A universally recognized theatre artist, Coward's plays have survived for decades (note the current Broadway hit of his "PRIVATE LIVES"), but except for cabaret and revue type treatments, his musicals are very rarely revived and, I believe, rather unknown to the general public. One of the reasons for this is because his works were rarely recorded by others and few came into the 'popular' market. Coward's music (not unlike most all his work) was often times created for himself and his voice -- at least in terms of nuance, delivery and style -- and few others have been able to 'get away' with that. For the novice 'Coward' fan the cd is a suitable menu of Coward's work, and it should be noted that the endeavor is a not-for-profit release with proceeds going to the Red Hot AIDS Charitable Trust, so no harm done. However, the die-hard fans of that eclectic listing of artists who get this cd because of them, will probably be disappointed if not down-right befuddled. The recording itself (technically, the sound, etc.) is Mah--velous!

The idea is not bad. Contemporary pop performers doing classic Noel Coward songs. Unfortunately, despite some talented individuals, the songs are almost without exception ruined by interpretations that destroy Cowards' sense of melody, tempo and lyric.

The word abysmal comes to mind. Coward was understated, subtle, mischievous, sentimental and melodic in his music. These characteristics are undiscovered on these performances.

Paul McCartney is one of the few who tries to do Coward justice and seems to at least have the musical sensibilty to understand what his song is about. Even Elton John, who has the ability and talent to do better, sadly disappoints on Twentieth Century Blues.

If you want contemporary Noel Coward, look at the cast CD of All For Love, the 1999 show featuring Twiggy and Harry Groener. They get it right!

Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward

Oh, my, this is awful. I'd hoped that a recording of Coward's songs done in the 1990s would have the "uncensored" lyric version of "Mrs. Worthington" -- it doesn't. If you liked what Sheryl Crow did to "Begin the Beguine" in the Cole Porter bio "De-Lovely," you'll probably enjoy this CD. If, on the other hand, you thought that rendition a butchery of a fine tune, you'll feel much the same about the offerings on this CD. Except for the peerless Marianne Faithfull's version of "Mad About the Boy," and, to a lesser extent, Bryan Ferry's "I'll See You Again" and Robbie Williams' "There are Bad Times Just Around the Corner," the rest is just the worst sort of '90s drekcess. As it ground toward the end, I saw that the last song would be Elton John singing "20th Century Blues" and I thought "well, at least that's bound to be good." WRONGGGG! I don't know who's to blame for the arrangements on this CD, but Sir Elton was working against what sounded like a low-end Las Vegas lounge orchestra, and he himself was apparently channeling a finger-snappin' shiny-suited Bobby Darin IMITATOR.

Some awful music, like that of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, is sublime and even brilliant. This collection isn't in that category. It is, rather, more a matter of "get the Faithfull tune on the iPod and then Frisbee the CD at the dumpster!" Can't even think of anyone to GIVE this one to.

This CD redefines crap. This is not the music of Noel Coward, it is hip-hop horse manure which is redundant but what can you do.