ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
#0ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/23/06 at 11:24pm
So I just got the "remastered" CD of Aspects of Love, which is the fourth copy of Aspects of Love I've purchased. I bought the cassette tapes back in 1990, the CD I purchased in 1991 (when I got a CD player) - replaced the CD in 1995 - the other ones got scratched and now the remastered/remixed Aspects I got from Amazon.
Wow - what a difference in the sound quality! It sounds so much clearer, the orchestrations definitely stand out better and sound richer and fuller. I've never purchased a replacement copy of something that wasn't broken or scratched, but Aspects being one of my all time favorites (another underappreciated ALW score and under-recorded!) I thought I'd splurge. Very glad I did.
There's a few bonuses that a true Aspects fan will appreciate - the cut lines to "Parlezvous Francias" have been restored and there's a few minor orchestral moments not on the original recording that have been added to the remastered version.
Still wish they had added the new ending to "Anything But Lonely" when Rose repeats the final line with a high note ending, but I guess we can't all get what we want!
Jim
Jim
#1re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 3:53am
Sound is better and at a higher level. But when oh when will ALW start recording his score DDD. He insists o recording AAD ...WHY?????
The score is under-appreciated but the lyrics are typical of ALW shows of recent years: weak and predictable. I saw the show on stage and it is a very dull show to watch, which is probably why no one ever stages it. At least this one is about people, and several of the tunes are beautiful.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#2re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 6:18amAspects is one of my favorite shows of all time! I've been waiting to hear if the remastered version was worth the buy. *sigh* at least it's pay day today. :)
"The theater is my life. I live it. I breathe it. I fondle it till it falls asleep." Jack (Will And Grace)
http://feathah.blogspot.com
#3re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 6:21amAlso - can someone provide a link to a place it can be purchased online? Amazon and CD Universe don't have it.
"The theater is my life. I live it. I breathe it. I fondle it till it falls asleep." Jack (Will And Grace)
http://feathah.blogspot.com
#4re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:07am
Feathah
I got mine from Amazon.com - it came in about a week. Just make sure you get the remastered one (listed as an Import) - because the original is still available
I saw Aspects on Broadway and on Tour - I enjoyed it thoroughly both times, but liked the tour better - just very simple storytelling there.
What's the difference with DDD or AAD?
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#5re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:12am
My favourite ALWebber musical score and Michael Ball recording!
I have also ordered the remastered version but am still waiting for my copy to arrive.
I saw the show in London and on Broadway in their original stagings. Much more recently, a local production here in Manila was staged using the pared-down version directed by Gale Edwards. Even in its simpler staging, it has not lost its charm and romantic appeal for me.
hellskitchenguy
Chorus Member Joined: 9/15/04
#6re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:02amI LOVE this show. I do wish they included the newer version of "Anything but Lonely" but that wasn't incorporated until Sarah Brightman entered the shows run.
Luvinbroadway
Leading Actor Joined: 7/18/03
#7re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 1:45pmLove Ann Crumb! Does she have a solo CD?
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#8re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:01pm
I saw the Robin Phillips production at the Kennedy Center and enjoyed it immensely. Linda Balgord was a marvelous Rose. Here's a picture of the set.
PottstownTeacher
Stand-by Joined: 11/21/05
#9re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 3:08pmI, too, saw the show on Broadway and on the national tour. One of my favorite ALW scores, and I tend to love all of them. The remastered CD's are quite an improvement, but again, as others have said, they should have included the revised ending of "Anything But Lonely". When I saw it on B'way early in the run it was already there. And, after having staged my own production of the show, it's in the licensed version, too. The materials you get for amateur productions are from a "revised" version of the text. The "Wall" scene in Act II is gone. "There is More to Love" is back to being a solo for Guilietta, after being a duet on Broadway and later London productions. There are some minor passages of music and lyrics dropped, and some lyrics have been revised. The show was a thrill to see on stage and it was an absolute joy to direct.
#10re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 3:10pmhellskitchenguy - I think they changed the Anything but lonely before then. I remembered seeing Aspects on Broadway with ann crumb and she hit the high note. In fact, I have a recording that has three songs from Aspects (some promo thing they were circulating) and it has Ann Crumb singing the high note with full orchestrations - so SOMEONE has it recorded somewhere...
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#11re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 3:18pm
I have an ANN CRUMB cd that i found on EBAY. It was called Braodway DIVA SWINGS or something like that. I will have to look at it when I get home as I am at work right now. It was recorded live in Florida. She does some very very nice work on it. It is all great big band swing music.
You may be able to find other copies of it on EBAY.
hellskitchenguy
Chorus Member Joined: 9/15/04
#12re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 3:19pmI would love to hear that. I love Ann Crumb's voice on the cast recording. Unfortunately, even though I saw Aspects 4 times on Bway, I saw Ann's understudy Elinore O'Connell 3x and Sarah Brightman 1x. Ann was always out whenever I went!
sharon1
Broadway Star Joined: 6/3/03
#13re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:14pmJust thought I would throw this into the mix. Have you guys read Kurt Ganzl's book The Complete Aspects of Love. With all the ins and outs of the music and production, and the adapting process. It is very informative. The complete libretto, and great photographs. Gosh Michael Ball looks young. I mean very young in the photos.
#14re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 6:01pmI LOVE that book! Aspects of Love is a show that I can honestly say changed my life. I though that sounds very dramatic but it's the show that gave me my love of theater. I was obsessed from that moment on. I saw it as a kid. I listened to the cast recording non-stop, mailed away for the libretto and memorized every word. The performance I saw was comprised almost entirely of understudies but I didn't care. I'll never forget it.
"The theater is my life. I live it. I breathe it. I fondle it till it falls asleep." Jack (Will And Grace)
http://feathah.blogspot.com
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#15re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 6:36pm
The show is based ( very faithfully, including some of the recitatives in the show) on the David Garnett novella of the same name. David Garnett was a member of the bohemian men and women in literature known as the Bloomsbury Group in England, whose most prominent member was Virginia Woolf.
This is a musical score where I also like the recitatives, in some cases, as much as the songs. One of my favourites are the musical passages between Alex and Jenny when Alex was trying to say Goodbye at the end. Wonderful track 23!
Did you ever see the TONYs 1990 show - the show was nominated for best musical. The entire cast depicted the entire story, singing and acting, with one song - the signature song LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING - from the first note sang by Michael Ball a capella to the last B-flat note at the end! Very well done!
Updated On: 2/24/06 at 06:36 PM
sharon1
Broadway Star Joined: 6/3/03
#16re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 7:24pm
Jo
Yes I did see that Tony Awards production. I have a copy. It is a great piece. Very clever I thought.
mrkringas
Broadway Star Joined: 9/28/05
#17re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:22pm
British actress Helen Hobson has recorded "Anything But Lonely" on her solo album Hobson's Choice. I believe she understudied the role in the OLC. Unlike Brightman she belts the final notes full on and its quite impressive. An interesting little album that includes a unwise "And I'm Telling You.." but makes up for it with plenty of other fabulous numbers.
Oh and she played Clara on the OLC of Passion.
eva's boy2
Chorus Member Joined: 6/30/03
#18re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:51pm
Ann Crumb CD:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4838056374&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1
#19re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/24/06 at 11:11pm
PottstownTeacher-- Just curious, if you can remember - did they have the revised lyrics to Love Changes Everything (from hands and faces/earth and sky to each beginning/each goodbye)? I liked how the revisions they had done to Aspects - the additional reprises to There is More To Love (one of my favorite songs from Aspects). I did see it when that song was a duet, and I liked it a lot. Hope ALW does a revival of it at some point... As I said, one of his underrated, underappreciated scores.
Feathah - Aspects was the first musical I saw - and also got me into musical theatre
Wish there'd be more productions of it...
Jim
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#20re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/25/06 at 5:58pm
Were there ever any other cast recordings of ASPECTS?
Or an instrumental version of the musical score?
Jo
#21re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:03pm
There was a japanese cast recording - it's on footlight.com
I just got my remastered recording today - can't wait to listen to it. I've been holding off on listening to Aspects since I ordered the remastered recording. Curious if I'll notice the additional music included.
I love this show - I think it's ALW's best. Can't wait to hear the recording. Love the artwork and libretto (I opened it of course).
"What the hell happened to you? You look like a Make-A-Wish Kid. You know, I just knew you were gonna bring shame on this new family of ours, and it just figures you had to go make yourself over into some heroin-shootin skate board chic on the only day E! could interview you!" - Cherry Cherry, on her daughter Mary Cherry
#22re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:06pm
well it hasn't left my cd player since I got it a week ago... a nice way to deal with the departure of Woman in White.
Be curious to hear what you think of it!
#23re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:12pmIs there really additional music included? Well if it does sound better I'll love it. The whole show is so beautiful. I didn't think the remastered Starlight was that better - sound wise, so we'll see what I think of Aspects.
"What the hell happened to you? You look like a Make-A-Wish Kid. You know, I just knew you were gonna bring shame on this new family of ours, and it just figures you had to go make yourself over into some heroin-shootin skate board chic on the only day E! could interview you!" - Cherry Cherry, on her daughter Mary Cherry
#24re: ASPECTS OF LOVE - remastered CD
Posted: 2/27/06 at 7:20pm
The additional musical pieces are few - maybe an additional minute or so of orchestral music that only the most avid of fans (and listeners of the original release) will notice --
- the whole "Parlezvous Francais"
- a little piece of music after George dies in the hallway
The sound quality to me is much cleaner, sharper. The orchestrations sound fuller to me and it just sounds balanced out better. I noticed it pretty quickly and did a side by side comparison and then really noticed an improvement. Hard to believe what a difference actually.
Only wish they had one with the revisions, but I suppose I'm a broken record on the subject (wanting the samething for Woman in White) - its just bizarre to me that Jekyll and Hyde is now on it's fourth english language recording and these two ALW's have only had one recording.
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