Return To The Forbidden Planet (1989 Original London Cast) [CAST RECORDING]

Various Artists - Stage Productions

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 27, 1995)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: EMI Int'l
• ASIN: B000007UEF
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,291 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, in many ways, February 15, 2000

By	Daniel Bauman (NYC, NY USA) - See all my reviews

I first saw this musical when it ran off broadway in some year which occured in the early nineties. I instantly fell in love with it, and in fact, the first CD I ever owned was the American cast recording of this. I listened to many of the tracks, (Particularly Teenager in Love. No particular reason though. I musta been eleven at the time.) many many times. The British recording is just as good (Even if I didn't think so at first because i was so used to the American version.) While soem of the songs, such as teenager in love, i believe are carried out better on the American version, the British version has We Gotta Get out Of This Place, which absolutely rocks. All in all, it is a wonderful interlacing of Broadway/West End style musicals, Classic Rock, and Shakespeare.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's Planet, Jim, but..., February 28, 2002

By	Dave Bulmer (Liverpool United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

I'm a massive fan of this show. I can't stress enough how important it is that you go. Once you have been, you will need the soundtrack... But whatever you do, don't listen to the album first.

Return to the Forbidden Planet is the most fun you'll have at the theatre. A fire-breathing robot (as long as he doesn't pull that rather cheap "phasers" stunt again), claws and tentacles lifting people off the ground, loud music played by some of the country's most talented musicians, and Sir Patrick Moore. What else could anyone reasonably desire?

The CD is a sort of poor man's equivalent... But there's so much more it could be.

It could resemble the show, for one. Because it's a live recording of what is still, despite its awards, fan following and critical acclaim, a rather unknown show among most thearegoers, it suffers from cheap production and hasty mixing. As a result, you don't hear all that you're supposed to. So there's that. Also, half of the songs are now entirely different, the arrangements are far improved - and in the live show, Cookie's guitar solo, one of the highlights of the show, doesn't have a noticable pop, click and jump where half of it has been edited out.

It's not too much of a problem of course, because it is what it is, a great CD for those of us who have seen the fabulous show... Get together people like Stuart Nurse and the gang, the cast members people really remember, advertise it as a one-off, get the hardcore fans into the crowd, and record a new, live recording, whack it onto a double CD so nothing is lost and Bob's your uncle, you've got yourself an instant best-seller.

Essentially they could've done this during the 1996 production, and I still think it's daft that they didn't.

But I deviate. This CD is old and out of date, but when they made it, the show was already better than most shows. Therefore go to the show, get the CD ...

Well I haven't really helped, have I?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The little musical that could..., November 25, 2001

By	"michelf" (Orange, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

Way way back, when I was in High School, a friend of mine told me about a play she'd seen when she went to England. She said, "Michelle, I know you'll like this soundtrack, it's a combination of three of your favorite things. A Shakespeare play, a 50/60's music concert, and 'Forbidden Planet'."

Needless to say, I was intrigued.

I was very lucky to see it about a year later in New York, off Broadway, with Julie Cruise (Who's voice most of us would recognize from much of the music in Twin Peaks) and James Doohan ("Scotty" from Star Trek).

"Return to the Forbidden Planet" roughly follows the plot of the classic movie "Forbidden Planet", which itself was roughly based on Shakespeare's "The Tempest". It has the 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for the Best Musical. (The Olivier is the British equivalent of the Tony. Remember, this was also the year "Miss Saigon" came out. So that shows you where the British priorities are... RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE!)

It's a wonderful show, with a small cast, and fun music. I would especially suggest this CD as a gift if you have a young drama geek in the family who likes soundtracks. Or if you're planning a trip to the UK, there's usually a production of this show going on somewhere. Get this to listen to on your way over. (After all, the RSC only has so many productions going on at one time... ;) )