A fun souvenir of an overbloated production
William S. Oser | Florida, USA | 02/08/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"when I went to the New York Worldsfair at the tender age of 12, a pleaded with my parents to take me to see this production, fore even at that tender age I was a fully developed broadway show queen. Alas, they did not indulge me, so I can not tell you if the physical production was as overblown as the orchestrations and arrangements. Nonetheless they are still a lot of fun, and the album contains several songs not all that easily available elsewhere, such as Would You Rather Be a Colonel, Everyday is Ladies Day with Me, I Still Get Jealous and FDR Jones, all well performed. Then there are a couple of spectacular performances of well known songs such as Miriam Burton's voluptous performance of Bali Ha'i, and the orchestra's performance of a condensed Carousel Waltz. Then there are the new songs. Whoever the heck Colin Romoff is, he could have had a decent composing career doing Irving Berlin knockoffs. The 88 Rag by Romoff and Martin Charnin (he didn't really appear completely out of no where with Annie, is a teriffic song and dance number, the kind that they hardly ever write anymore, beautifully performed by Don Liberto. Next come the three Bock Harnick songs that attempt to predict what you might see on Broadway in the near future, Mati Hari Mine (an absolute scream--made twice as funny by the fact that someone did indeed write a bio musical of the lady just a few years later--did they have a crystal ball or did the writers of that show get their idea from this song), Remember Radio (a fun if not spectacular nostalgia number, wonderfully performed) and Popsicles in Paris (a blah tune with some very funny lyrics such as Crackerjacks in Calcutta).
This album is not for the garden variety person who has a collection from Annie and Annie Get Your Gun to Sweet Charity or maybe the new White Christmas, but leaving out Zorba. It is, however, fun for the more serious collector. DRG has done their usual spectacular remastering job. I started this review by listening to my old Mono LP, listened to a bit of a friends brand new CD before deciding I absolutely had to have this one."
Entertaining Music from NY World's Fair - 1964-1965
Alan B. Weaver | Connecticut | 02/26/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a very pleasant recording from a show that played at the NY World's Fair over 40 years ago. Some great classic songs from 30's, 40's, 50's are played along with some new music that was created for the show. Voices are clear, sound quality is good. For those of you who did get to the show way back when, it'll be a very pleasant piece of nostalgia. for those who didn't get to the show (such as me), you'll also enjoy it. Sound quality is excellent. Nice liner notes. wish the pictures were bigger as on the vinyl LP I had stashed someplace!"
