Dreamgirls: Music From The Motion Picture [2-CD Deluxe Edition] [SOUNDTRACK] [DELUXE EDITION]

Jennifer Hudson

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 5, 2006)
• Original Release Date: December 5, 2006
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Soundtrack, Deluxe Edition
• Label: Col/Urban Soundtrax
• ASIN: B000JLQQ2G
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,515 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #47 in	Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The big question about this soundtrack is: how's she doing? No, not Beyoncé, silly--how's Jennifer Hudson doing? And more specifically, how's she doing by "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"? To this reviewer's ears, she doesn't top the original Effie, Jennifer Holliday--or even Lillias White, from the 2001 Dreamgirls in Concert. On the other hand, Hudson isn't afraid to pullout all the stops, whipping herself up into a total diva frenzy as the song gets caught up in an unstoppable crescendo. As for Beyoncé, she adapts superbly to the 1960s- and 1970s–tinged material, though "Listen"--a ballad that also appears on her own B'day album--lacks the spirit that infuses the classic tunes on this album. For make no mistake: this is hard-hitting, high-octane music, infused with an urgency and passion that makes most contemporary R&B albums sound timid. When Hudson and Beyoncé duke it out on "It's All Over," or when the "One Night Only" ballad gets reinvented as the dance-floor burner "One Night Only (Disco)," the sheer energy flowing from the speakers is transporting.

Note that this two-CD Deluxe Edition features a larger booklet and additional tracks, including dance remixes of "One Night Only" and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," as well as composer Henry Krieger's demo of "Patience." --Elisabeth Vincentelli

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Product Description
Dreamgirls Deluxe Edition features cast performances by Beyonce' Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson & Eddie Murphy which includes: 2 CD-Set * 36 songs * 36 page lyric and photo booklet

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A STAR IS BORN, December 10, 2006

By	Robert F. Powers "show maniac" (Quincy, Ma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Move over Aretha, step aside Mariah there's a new diva in town and her name is Jennifer Hudson. To say she steals this soundtrack is an understatement-what she does do amounts to grand larceny and larcency has never been sweeter. Her electrifying rendition alone of the heart-wrenching "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" has cinched her the next academy award for best supporting actress. She also belts "I Am Changing" and sings the soulful version of "One Night Only." This woman is amazing and i am just awestruck.

The rest of the cast,Beyonce,Jamie Foxx, etc all perform their numbers superbly but it's Eddie Murphy who is a revelation as James "Thunder" Early. He sails through "Cadillac Car" steals a bit of James Brown on "Fake Your Way To The Top" and then tears it up on "Jimmys' Rap".

This is a wonderful soundtrack but if for nothing else it must be heard just for the emergence of a celestial new mega-star-Jennifer Hudson

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A smoother sound, December 12, 2006

By	Jay Dickson (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The melodies of "Dreamgirls" are so infectious and exciting that any new release of them, in almost any new form,is an occasion for celebration, and what's a real delight here is that the producers of the 2006 film have found a cast of performers worthy of the songs. Eddie Murphy may be the best and most dynamic James Thunder Early ever to play the part, and although no-one can ever quite equal Jennifer Holliday's Broadway creation of Effie White, Jennifer Hudson is as superior a fit to the part as could otherwise have been possibly found. Beyoncé is quite a decent Deena, and Anika Noni Rose is a fine Lorrell (although she is deprived of Lorrell's big song, "Ain't No Party," through some insane directing decision). Keith Robinson makes a sweet C.C.; only Jamie Foxx disappoints as Curtis, sounding horrible on his big number "When I First Saw You."

I was grateful that most of the actual songs from the original production have survived, even the tantalizing little snippets of songs that bring the Dreams to the top of the pops in the story's mythical 1960s & 70s universe: "Step On Over," "I'm Somebody," "Love, Love You Baby," etc. The biggest problem with this recording is its rearrangements of the famous (and glorious) original orchestrations of the show. These changed orchestrations seem engineered to make the album sell better to today's audiences, but also work exactly against the point of the musical's story. Almost all of the R&B swing has been so drained from some of the songs, so that they seem like "Cadillac Car" after it has been retooled for the show's Pat Boone analogue to put over for white audiences. Thus, when Curtis re-engineers the Dreams to sing a disco cover of "One Night Only" to keep in step with the Seventies, it seems almost pointless: all their previous songs (except for the funky "Move") sound already like disco versions. This is pretty jarring, but nonetheless it shouldn't get in the way of your appreciation of Murphy and Hudson, nor of the charming new additions to the score: "Love You I Do," "Patience," and "Listen."

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Third Time Is The Charm!!!, December 21, 2006

By	Alex Honda "onyx575" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I just bought the movie soundtrack cause I really love the song "I'm Lookin' For Something" even though it's such a small piece of the pie, considering.

The movie knocked me out! But sometimes the soundtracks, in general, fail to deliver especially since there are no visuals. And because Amazon doesn't have previews to listen to, I was hesitant.

Well, the two-disc movie soundtrack to DREAMGIRLS delivers in spades! The brilliant producing team of Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas (aka The Underdogs) have worked in shades of Chic (Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers) and Curtis Mayfield, blending the sounds of early 70s funk, soul and R&B, and yet managed to never stray far from the original arrangements.

Just when I thought nothing could compare to the original Broadway soundtrack, the third installment of DREAMGIRLS (there was a Dreamgirls concert 2-disc set issued in 2001--not of the original cast--and the only reason it rivaled the original was because it was the complete soundtrack, IMO)is just as enjoyable.

The entire cast provides great vocals but the stand outs are Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, and the under utilized Annika Noni Rose.

Murphy turns in a vocal performance that puts his one-hit wonder song "My Girl(Wants To Party All the Time)" from the 80s to absolute shame. Don't understand why some people think that his performance wasn't anything special because he really shines here.

Hudson had some big shoes to fill, namely Jennifer Holliday's. Her performance isn't better or worse than Holliday's, just different. I have to admit that it took some time to get used to hearing "And I'm Telling You..." but Huson's voice is growing on me.

Rose was really under used (musically) in the picture and the soundtrack. She has a phenomenonal voice and you can really hear it on the duet with Murphy on the song "Patience." Why oh why did Condon cut the song "Ain't No Party" (Lorrell's--Rose's character--only solo) from the movie and the soundtrack? The answer is beyond me, but I think with Rose singing that song it would have been another show stopper.

Another interesting note to add is a cameo perfomance by Loretta Devine, the original Lorrell. She still sounds wonderful as she sings "I Miss You Old Friend."

This two-disc set comes with a little booklet with all the lyrics of the songs and a short intro from director Bill Condon.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the original Dreams (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jennifer Holliday and Loretta Devine). And if you're like me and think nothing can compare to the original, just give this soundtrack a chance. It'll change your mind. It sure changed mine.