Customer Reviews

Wig in a Box

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The track list for this album is actually:

1. The Origin of Love by Rufus Wainwright
2. Angry Inch by Sleater-Kinney & Fred Schneider
3. The Long Grift by They Might Be Giants
4. Sugar Daddy by Frank Black
5. City of Women by Robyn Hitchcock
6. Freaks by Imperial Teen
7. Wicked Little Town (Hedwig's version) by The Breeders
8. Nailed by Bob Mould
9. Wig in a Box by Polyphonic Spree
10. Milford Lake by John Cameron Mitchell (acted in Hedwig and wrote the script) and Stephen Trask (acted in Hedwig and wrote the music)
11. Ladies & Gentlemen by Stephen Colbert
12. Tear Me Down by Spoon
13. Hedwig's Lament/Exquisite Corpse by Yoko Ono & Yo La Tengo
14. Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis' version) by The Bens (Ben Kweller, Ben Folds, & Ben Lee)
15. Midnight Radio by Cyndi Lauper & The Minus 5
16. Origin of Love reprise by Jonathan Richman

I am actually surprised at how great this album is. I am a Hedwig fan and thought that this would be a huge flop, but I bought it anyway. Every song differs from the movie and off-Broadway version, yet retains the emotions of each song. I think that the majority of the reviewers here forgot about the importance of the emotions of songs, not just the way the song sounds.

There is only one flop on this album and that is the techno version of "Nailed." It's the only song that is completely out of place and it shouldn't have been in the album. Also, the reprise of "The Origin of Love," though innovative, is not on par with the rest of the album.

Yet, these are only two out sixteen songs. The Breeders' "Wicked Little Town" is eloquent and well executed, as is the 3 Bens' version of the reprise. Cyndi Lauper's "Midnight Radio" is fantastic and the Polyphonic Spree's "Wig in a Box" improves a song that I already thought was perfect. The biggest surprise for me was actually JCM's "Milford Lake," which is very catchy and very deep. These songs make up for the rest of the album and this worth getting just for these songs.

Overall, this album is fantastic and should be purchased.

Less a tribute and more of a benefit album, Wig In A Box capitalizes on the Hedwig phenomenon and adds one more compelling facet to it. Weather you like the artists who have contributed their talents or not, if you have experienced Hedwig there is most certainly something on this album for you. John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask have brought magic to stage and screen with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, now they have focused that same magic for one particular cause, the Hetrick  Martin Institute home of the Harvey Milk School. This is reason enough to purchase this album regardless of who is on it and how they are coupled with the songs that they cover.

In most cases the pairings and performances are stellar. The familiar whine of John and John of They Might Be Giants perfectly suits the condemning The Long Grift, as does Frank Blacks knee-slapping version of Sugar Daddy. The moments where the songs suffer as a result of castration from their visual compliment are forgivable due to strong performances from The Breeders, Imperial Teen, and Spoon. Rufus Wainwright infuses his usual delicate melancholy to The Origin of Love, while The Polyphonic Spree bring some rather interesting instrumentation to Wig In A Box. Pop stalwart Cyndi Lauper belts out a gripping version of Midnight Radio backed by an all-star line up of musicians including Peter Buck (REM) and Scott McCoughey (Young Fresh Fellows), but the real surprise is Milford Lake flawlessly performed by Hedwig creators Mitchell and Trask. It is so good you will wish you had seen it on stage!

Overall Wig In A Box is a wonderful compliment to Hedwig and adds a new twist to an already engaging musical story. For hedheads that arent too married to the originals this is a must have, but for those unfamiliar with the material it might be a tad tough to piece together. The album would be perfect had the artists been given the freedom to elaborate upon those songs that were either too short or too weak to stand alone without their original scenes. Although considering who benefits from it, that is purely superficial and isnt that the point, to see beyond the wig and makeup to the bigger picture?

Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell's gender-bending Hedwig has gathered a cult following among film- and theater-goers and the music, as evidenced by this collection, has quickly become greatly beloved by musicians as diverse as Yoko Ono, Imperial Teen, and Fred Schneider. The passion for these songs espoused by the artists is readily apparent in all of the tracks, but unfortunately their love of the material does not always produce the greatest results.

The album's highlights:
Sleater-Kinney & Fred Schneider's "Angry Inch" -- Sleater-Kinney's intense guitar and drum work, Corin Tucker's half-singing/half-bellowing vocals, and Fred Schneider's snide delivery perfectly capture Hedwig's angry yet tongue-in-cheek narrative of his botched sex-change operation.

Frank Black's "Sugar Daddy" -- One of the albums most energetic moments, Frank Black truly embraces Hedwig's spirit of challenging notions of both sex and gender with his gravelly-almost-snarling delivery of lines like, "I'll be more woman than a man like you can stand."

The Breeders' "Wicked Little Town" -- The subtle guitar work and Kim Deal's quiet, raspy vocals make this song a very beautiful, intimate encounter with The Breeders.

The Polyphonic Spree's "Wig in a Box" -- This track is probably the best match of material to artist. The theatrics and ostentation of the lyrics perfectly complement The Spree's grandiose musical arrangements.

Honorable mentions: Rufus Wainwright's "The Origin of Love", Spoon's "Tear Me Down," Yoko Ono & Yo La Tengo's "Hedwig's Lament/Exquisite Corpse," Ben Kweller & Ben Folds' "Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis version)," and Cyndi Lauper & The Minus 5's "Midnight Radio"

The biggest disappointments: the new material (Robyn Hitchcock & John Cameron Mitchell) and Bob Mould's clubby, dance take on "Nailed," which is a fun enough cover but completely strips the song of its eroticism.

More of this album works than doesn't work and is a must-buy for "Hedwig" fans and indie-music lovers alike.

This is a great tribute CD, no fluff. To hear Yoko Ono sing Hedwig's Lament is amazing and Cindi Lauper tears it up on Midnight Radio. If you love the movie or stage soundtrack you'll love this.

The reason track #1 is Rufus Wainwright, is because he is brilliant, and a genius. Anyone who has listened to his new CD, "Want one" knows, the man is way ahead of his time. He and JCM are friends, and the Origin of Love he does is true to the original spirit and intention of this song. How cute is his "and Zeus said "No..." ? The other tracks are equally true to the original material, as well as bringing in each artist's own unique style. The whole is brilliant. A MUST HAVE have for any Hedhead. Not to mention the great cause it benefits. And Yoko's addition, being as she knows what it is to be a freak/different/outcast and expelled, makes it all the more meaningful. Bravo John and Stephen!

For even the smallest Hedwig fan, this album in a MUST have. The original songs are redone by great artists and there are even a few new songs! Seriously, GET THIS ALBUM!

Wig in a Box

I saw a documentary on cable about this CD benefit project for a school. I really enjoyed the music and put my order in. The tops on this CD is "Wig in a Box" performed by The Polyphonic Spree. It is an upbeat, uplifting, slightly silly, what-the-heck, pop tune that gets into your brain and makes you sing along. At the least you will smile while you listen. Another plus is the raucous rock of "Sugar Daddy" performed by Frank Black. Lots of off beat stuff and some big named musical talents like Cyndi Lauper contribute. No matter what your musical tastes you will probably find something on this CD to rip an MP3 and put on your player.

As an old Breeders fan, I am completely blown away at their cover of "wicked little town". One of the best songs I've heard in such a long time. Play it over & over - the harmonies are hauntingly beautiful.

First, I applaud that this tribute is to benefit a charity. Be that as it may, this was a cool choice to generate money.

However, this review is not to give a work a free pass because it is charitable, this is a review where I compare this work to all the other music in the universe.

"Hedwig and the Angy Inch" is lightening in a bottle because you have a combination of the creators being the actual players along with musicians that actually came out of the actual genre that the play/movie depicts.

The versions from the movie are vastly superior to these tribute songs; I can't ignore the originals when listening to these cool, very inviting covers.

The highlight of this is Cyndi Lauper's take on "Midnight Radio". Her muscular and emotional take on this great song carries it to more soring heights then the original. Likewise, Sleater Kinney's take on "Angy Inch" is also superior because they are the perfect band to tackle this punk rock song. They inject more angst to a tune that can't get enough to hit it's point.

The Polyphonic Spree faces an impossible task of tackling the seemingly untouchable "wig in a box". Their unique appearance and choral approach is fascinating and worthy but inevitably inferior to the original.

Rufus Wainwright's "Origin of Love" is great but it mirrors the original making it an imitation rather than an interpretation I know I sound like a hypocrite since my earlier criticism is that many of these are interpretations).

Jonathan Richman's "The Origin of Love" is just wrong.

I found this very interesting and gobbled it up when it first came out. However, today, while I always listen to the "Hedwig" soundtrack, I never listen to this. All in all, this makes a great obscure work to have in a music lover's collection but that's mostly it. It's not essential listening.