Hair - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING]

James Rado (Artist), Gerome Ragni (Artist), Galt MacDermot (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: Galt MacDermot
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: RCA Victor Broadway
• ASIN: B000002W1S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,050 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

"America's First Tribal Love-Rock Musical," went the advertising, and nobody could argue with that. Hair opened on Broadway in 1968 and immediately became a smash, although no one could quite discern what it was about. Something like, "War is bad, drugs are good, racism bites the big one, and nudity is nice." Although all these sentiments are expressed on this album which, like the show, has not dated well, the quality of the music makes it forgiveable. The songs weren't really rock, but they accomplished what all good pop songs set out to do; stick in the craw. In fact, several of its tracks later became hits for pop acts, including "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" (The Fifth Dimension), "Hair" (The Cowsills), and "Good Morning Starshine" (Oliver). --Dawn Eden

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historic And Unforgettable, November 4, 2003

By	Hutch "Trampyre" (Las Vegas, Nevada USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hair (Deluxe Edition) (1968 Original Broadway Cast and 1967 off Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

This 2 CD recording should be MANDATORY for any musical theater buff- a rare opportunity to hear this historical show's developement from its off-Broadway roots to the megashow it became. Galt MacDermot's unforgettable score is wonderful in both versions (and while the film version tries to accomplish the unimagineable translation from a "non-book" musical to something with a traceable "plot", which I don't think it really does, the full orchestrations of its songs are truly realized by its composer...the versions of "Aquarius" by Ren Woods and "Easy To Be Hard" by Cheryl Barnes justify a manditory puchase alone).
The only "bummer" of this collection is that it doesn't include material from the two other New York HAIR recordings, which are still only available on out-of-print RCA LPs: DIVINE HAIR: MASS IN F(which featured several HAIR songs incorporated into a Catholic Mass) and DisinHAIRited (which has many of the songs cut from both the off-Broadway and Broadway companies).
If you get a chance, check out the book LET THE SUNSHINE IN (available from this website)- it will flesh out the political and historical relevance of this incredible show. For an even BETTER overview, the out-of-print THE AGE OF HAIR traces the show from its roots to the film version. Producer Michael Butler maintains the show's website (www.MichaelButler.com) for updates on current productions and the many cast members from the original productions.
For its wonderful music, evocations of a past era and its timeless plea for peace("Let The Sunshine In", the finale song, always leaves me in tears), this is THE paragon show cd you must own!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fly In the Breeze, May 24, 2005

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hair (Deluxe Edition) (1968 Original Broadway Cast and 1967 off Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

The deluxe collector's edition released in 2003 is an excellent update for the "Hair" soundtrack. With the war in Iraq raging, the themes of war seem relevant again 37 years later. The first disc is the 1968 Broadway recording and shines with the remastering from BMG/RCA. The title track has such great energy and sense of freedom, "I let it fly in the breeze & get it caught in the trees." "Easy to Be Hard" is a lovely melody with a dramatic build, "Do you only care about the bleeding crowd? How about a needing friend? I need a friend." Shelly Plimpton on "Frank Mills" has always put a smile on my face about the girl who lost the address of a guy she likes. It's specificity about "the Waverly" and that he looks like "George Harrison of the Beatles" make it humorous, even though it's delivery is so straightforward deadpan. "Electric Blues" is a track not released on the first album, but sounds like the cast was having a huge amount of fun. Disc 2 contains the 1967 Off-Broadway production. In almost all aspects, it seems like a warm-up for the Broadway production. On "Hair," the vocals are ragged & have an assaulting quality in delivery. "Where Do I Go?" with Walker Daniels on vocals is more hushed, less musical. Walker also leads on "Exanapanetooch," a track not included on the Broadway production, wisely cut. The bonus tracks are interesting footnotes and the interview with composer Galt MacDermot is informative, but not probably something I'd want to listen to repeatedly. Overall, the remastering and verve of the original Broadway cast performance make this an excellent release. Enjoy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this album, December 10, 2004

By	ed (boston) - See all my reviews

I first bought this album on vinyl when I was 14 yrs old. I grew up singing the songs (I'm surprised my parents were cool with this). The singing and lyrics are beautiful- particularly on Easy to Be Hard, 3-5-0-0, and Frank Mills. After seeing it on theatre and on screen- I still prefer listening to the album.