Search - Elaine Paige :: Essential Musicals

UNFORTUNATELY, DULL AND VOID...

Marijan Bosnar | Croatia | 10/28/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Few people would deny Elaine Paige's multiple talents: she has been West End's leading lady for more than 30 years, creating and playing many memorable roles: Evita, Grizabella in `Cats', Florence in `Chess', Reno Sweeney in `Anything goes', Norma Desmond in `Sunset Boulevard', to name just few. Her strong stage presence and good vocals insured her durability in the world of the musical theatre and at the same time she managed to make good pop albums. The fruits of her rich career can be heard in her latest excellent 2-disc compilation released two years ago, `Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige'. After that, Elaine got her own radio show on BBC 2, presenting to the listeners some of the most memorable tunes from the past and present of the musical theatre. After the voting for the best British musicals of all time finished, Elaine decided to record this new album, by selecting the songs from the ones that found their way to the top according to the voters.



Since the selection of the musicals in question boasts with the titles like `Oliver!', `West Side Story', `Grease', `Sound of Music', `Evita', `The Phantom of the Opera', `Sunset Boulevard' and many more, this should have been an excellent album. Regrettably, that is not the case.



There are several problems one notices after giving it a full listen. One of the major ones is the orchestrations. Each of these musical numbers is given a new and different orchestration than the ones they had within their parent musical. Not necessarily a bad thing by itself, but here some of the numbers are barely recognizable, `Aquarius' from `Hair' being a good example. Not only that, for the most part they are produced in such a self-important manner that Elaine's voice becomes lost and unnoticeable amidst their sound. The effect could have been much bigger on a smaller and a toned down scale in this respect.



Elaine's vocals are not on the plus side on this album either. She delivers this whole set of songs in a totally lackluster manner, sounding predictable and as if doing all this out of pure habit. This is why Elaine's take on these songs leaves you feeling no emotion at all after hearing them. The only exception is a somewhat playful rendition of `I'm gonna wash that man right out of my hair' from `South Pacific'. Unfortunately, one song does not make an album. It's really a shame, since some of these songs, like `You must love me' from the movie version of `Evita' or `Someone else's story' from `Chess', were an opportunity for Elaine to revisit some of the characters she played in the past.



This whole CD therefore comes as disappointment from someone who set her standards considerably higher during the past years. For all those who want to experience Elaine Paige at her best, I suggest to get her compilation `Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige'. Alternatively, if you are looking for a new CD from a musical theatre diva, try Patti LuPone's excellent new album `The lady with the torch', also available here at Amazon.

"

Poor arrangements & orchestrations

JimC | California | 11/11/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Like a few other reviewers, I was really looking forward to hearing this CD based upon the excellent song lineup Elaine had chosen. Her Centre Stage double CD is a treasure, and I could just hear Ms. Paige deliver some definitive versions of these great showstoppers. However, this is a rotten album; the arrangements are off-beat, discordant, and distracting. As the CD played through, I kept hoping the next track would be better, but each successive song was just as unpleasant as the one prior. We waited two or three years for this mess? Sad. This was a real missed opportunity to deliver a superior collection of classics. What a bomb."

Elaine is back on the boards

DSA | Phoenix, AZ | 10/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Elaine's first album of all-new recordings in 12 years is a special one. It marks her first collection of show songs since 1993's lovely "Romance & the Stage." It is also a reunion with Mike Moran, who produced 1988's "The Queen Album," her stunning tribute to the rock group Queen.



After such a long gap, "Essential Musicals" has a lot to live up to, and for the most part, it works wonderfully well. One should note that Elaine's style has changed a bit through the years. Her voice is still clear and vibrant and positively gorgeous when she uses her upper register. But she doesn't belt the way she once did, so there are few show-stopping moments here. On the other hand, the feeling and passion she injects into a marvelous "You Must Love Me" and a simple "All I Ask of You" are quite enchanting. The arrangements are clever, with an ethereal "Aquarius" being particularly noteworthy. One weird note: There's a fun reading of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair," but it borrrows the arrangement (and even naming the titles of other "South Pacific" songs!) from the Liz Callaway version on her "The Story Goes On" disc. But Callaway's arranger (Alex Rybeck) doesn't get a credit here.



Apart from that oddity, the disc is quite appealing. It's especially great to hear Elaine rip into "Broadway Baby" with some of the old fire. But for the most part, this is a mellower Elaine, so do not approach this expecting a sequel to "Stages." Instead, on its own terms, it's a fine album, and an excellent addition to her sterling catalog."