Search - Mandy Patinkin :: Oscar & Steve

My favorite Sondheim interpreter

08/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this CD. It is tender (Poems), funny (Honey Bun - OK, that belongs to Oscar), passionate (Loving You and I Wish I Could Forget You) and witty (Pleasant Little Kingdom). There is no one who does Sondheim better and Mandy's interpretation of Oscar Hammerstein's work has given me a better understanding of his popularity. There isn't a cut on this CD I skip or wish had been done differently. I agree with the person from England who questions why the New York fan feels it necessary to pollute all the lists of reviews. We get it. You don't like Mandy. You are entitled to your opinion (of course, you are wrong!) but you ARE spending a lot of time listening to him just to attack him. Maybe you have only listened to him once or twice and don't bother to actually listen to the specific CD's. I would tell people to ignore sarcastic unfunny one-liners and pay attention to people with legitimately expressed criticism as well as those of us who think Mandy Patinkin is an amazing talent. As a jazz lover, it has been a delight to experience the pleasure of Broadway. Thanks, Mandy, for making it such a joyous education."

When Mandy sings, he works without a net

08/23/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mandy Patinkin is an original; he doesn't 'sell' a song; he 'feels' it. If the raw emotion of Mandy's interpretation of "You've got to be carefully taught"(Oscar)/ "Children Will Listen"(Steve) doesn't 'embarass' you, this album is for you. If you like your music smooth, safe and passionless, stop reading right now. This ain't 'easy listening'. No singer alive captures the passion of the human condition better than Mandy. His range is incredible; his Broadway training unmistakable; he is a national treasure--always innovative & heartfelt. Listen to him sing "I Wish I Could Forget You": "For now I'm seeing love like none I've ever known...a love that like a knife has cut into a life I wanted left alone." You'll feel the knife, too."

His best disc to date

M. Anderson | Salt Lake City, UT | 08/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This disc will probably make you a fan of Mr. Patinkin. These are all Broadway tunes from Stephen Sondheim and Oscar Hammerstein II, hence the title. The first four songs are classic ballads sung flawlessly, then we go into some mid-tempo numbers, some of which are a little flat (most notably, "Poems"). Finally, we get into some great Sondheim stuff like "There Won't Be Trumpets", and "Not A Day Goes By". He also has a couple of medleys, the best being "When I Grow Too Old To Dream/Remember". If you'd heard him sing and like his voice, this is a fantastic sampler, with only a couple of clunkers."