"For fans of the tv series, this is a must have. This does'nt exclude others. The soundtrack for the Xena episode Bitter Suite sounds like a Broadway musical so any musicals' fan is sure to appreciate it. The lyrics are memorable and humorous (Callisto sings!) and the Xena and Gabrielle reunion song is powerfully emotional. This was a CD I knew I had to have. You should too. Give it a chance"
Xena : Rising Star
Yael Dagan | Herzliya Israel | 09/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What can I say? Xena has become a musical. At first I thought it'll be a bad idea. I thought this will destroy the myth of Xena for me. But when I got the CD, BEFORE I saw the episode if I may add (it was well before I saw the episode - half a year...), I started listenning to it. Not only that it wasn't that bad, it was GREAT and interesting to listen to. It's arranged in the same order as it was shown on TV, so you would understand the course of events. And if you listen closelly to the words, you can hear the script is right there. And what great voices to bring to life this tragedy between Gabrielle and Xena. Lucy Lawless with an awsume vocal, and the voice of Gabrielle (sadly, not of Renee O'Connor) is just, well, makes me shiver when I hear her "heart is hurting beyond words..." The absolute perfection in the making of this musical begins with the music. My hat's off for Joseph LoDuca for a well done job! I'm never tired of listenning to it!"
Well, if you liked the episode...
A. Figueroa | Cincinnati | 10/17/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"While not quite the entire episode ripped to an audio file, it almost feels like it is.
The tracks are more like parts of the episode between commercial breaks than broken out by individual song. That's why I didn't give it 4 stars. This sounds great so if you've seen the episode and want the music on CD, buy it.
If you haven't and are thinking you are buying a song collection, this is more of a concept album that tells a story, being that it is the majority of the sound from the episode.
Anyway, I think this was miles better than the Buffy musical, and it was done first. I am the master of geography."
A brilliant CD - I can't stop playing it!
Yael Dagan | 09/18/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Turning an episode of a popular action adventure series into a musical extravaganza was a delightfully imaginative and innovative idea that blew me away when I first saw it. What surprised me the most was the quality of the cast's singing. Lucy Lawless, in particular has a beautiful voice. This CD has everything: from the delightful 'Song of Illusia' to the stirring pomp and pageant of 'War and Peace' to the haunting and impassioned 'Hearts are Hurting'. Every track has something different and exciting to offer. This is a must have CD, even non-Xena fans should love it!"
Amazing
Robin L. McLaughlin | Seattle, Wa. | 02/01/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a bit different than most reviewers in that I'm not a hardcore Xena fan. I've only seen parts of the series and the only DVD I own so far is the 10th Anniversary collection, which I recently received as a gift. Because I haven't seen a significant number of episodes, Bitter Suite took me totally by surprise. I hadn't known they'd done musicals!
At first I sort of rebelled against the idea, and the first part of the show didn't really appeal to me. But as it went on I adjusted my expectations and it drew me in further and further. In the end, the lyrics, music, and especially Lucy's singing really blew me away. So much so that I watched the episode a second time within a few days of first viewing it, which is something I've never done before.
I still have a hard time believing that this quality of a rock opera style musical was done for a one hour television show, and not even an A-string, big budget show. Much of the music is haunting and full of emotional impact. The final songs can bring tears to my eyes, and I haven't even seen the shows leading up to this one to be able to feel the full effect. I couldn't seem to get the music out of my head, so I finally had to buy the soundtrack CD. Not something I would have ever previously envisioned myself doing as a more casual Xena fan. So that should hopefully attest to this amazing piece of television musical work. The only drawback is that I wish all the songs were split out individually, but I understand why it was done this way."