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A worthy successor

Terry Serres | Minneapolis, MN United States | 06/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The success of this revival of HAIR comes as no surprise. HAIR has never struck me as a period piece ... and even if it were, a well-conceived period piece can make for convincing art. The heart of any musical has to be original music that speaks the souls of its characters, and HAIR has always been secure in that strength.



I haven't seen the show and probably won't have the opportunity to. This vigorous recording amply compensates. It seems to be the first musical in ages where the vocalism isn't infected by American Idolitis -- You know what I mean: that insidious combination of Mariah-like fluttering, Celine-like caterwauling, premature and overworked climaxes, and general lack of subtlety that provides a virtuosic but hollow gloss.



The singing here is joyous and lively. The recording team -- performers, arrangers, engineers -- catches all the energy of the show but contains the chaos. One advantage over the 1967 OCR of the original production is certainly that you can here the orchestration, the Tribal chorus, and individual vocal lines a lot better. Shining the spotlight on the band in the first curtain call was a welcome inspiration.



One of the best things about HAIR is that it has always been its own creature. Its plot structure and its musical language were not of the theater, its themes put the concerns of the day before theatrical tropes. These qualities give the show a compelling integrity that shines through even though in 2009 the concerns of today may be different (but not terribly). It's a show that demands to be heard on its own terms, and either you get it or you don't.



I have the occasional nit to pick here and there, but that's part of the pleasure of having a worthy successor to the original. As with the "Actors Fund Benefit" disc, the reading of "My Conviction" is impossibly arch -- the song should make its point without such an exaggerated characterization. Every once in a while a reading sounds off the mark but overall the aim is true. The main performers (Sasha Allen, Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy) are all vibrant and strong ... Once in a while their performances sound a little underpowered, especially Creel in "I Got Life", which pales in comparison to the James Rado original and Treat Williams on screen -- the number should raise the roof (as the title song effectively does). Also, I didn't really care for the "soft jazz" take on "Easy to Be Hard" (synth, sax) ... this is a soul-baring torch song. On the other hand, the rockabilly twist on "Don't Put It Down" is a success. Overall, there is a greater emphasis on the ensemble, which certainly enhances the overall experience and makes the sequence "Black Boys" / "White Boys" / "Walking in Space" a real standout.



It's marvelous to have the full score here on disc, including some fragments that I hadn't heard before like the funky guitar riff that ushers in the reprise of "Ain't Got No (Grass)."



Forty-two years on, it's hard to recognize the revolutionary qualities of HAIR ... Other musicals have followed where it goes, though few as boldly and with as much raw energy and grace.



The new recording allows us to hear this remarkable score with fresh ears. Resoundingly recommended.



"

Fantastic Recording of a Fantastic Show

BobsViews | NJ | 06/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The New Broadway Cast Recording of "Hair" captures the magic of the current smash

Broadway revival. The ground-breaking show about a tribe of hippies in New York's

East Village contains classics such as "Aquarius," "Good Morning Starshine," "Let

the Sun Shine In," and the title track. The current cast sounds as vibrant as they

do live on stage. Examples include, Sasha Allen's soaring "Black Boys," Will

Swenson's joyous "Donna," Caissie Levy's heartwrenching "Easy to Be Hard" and

Gavin Creel's outstanding "Where Do I Go?" Executive Producer, Bill Rosenfield

along with, Galt MacDermot, Hair's original musical composer, include songs that

weren't on the show's Original Cast Recording, some of the show's dialogue and

both of the show's encores. The current show's Musical Director, Nadia

DiGiallonardo, makes MacDermot's music sound fresher then ever by using top-of-the-

line musicians. Gerome Ragni's and James Rado's lyrics are as relevant as ever on

songs such as "Air"("Welcome, sulphar dioxide/Hello carbon monoxide/The air, the

air is everywhere.") and "I Believe in Love" ("I believe that now is the time/for

all good men/To believe in love.") Their songs are philosophical("What a Piece of

Work Is Man") and provocative ("Sodomy"), but also funny ("My Conviction") and

heartbreaking,("Frank Mills"). The New Broadway Cast Recording of "Hair" reminds

us that not only is this the right time to experience its latest revival but to

also hear its timeless songs.-BobsViews













"

THE SUN STILL SHINES IN

Robert F. Powers | Quincy, Ma USA | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Hair" opened on Broadway amidst the turmoil dividing the country in 1968 and knocked behind-the-times Broadway on its' ear. "Hair" was a breath of fresh air and it saved Broadway but it nearly destroyed it. Soon a flock of wanna-be Hairs traipsed into town and soon belly-flopped and traipsed out of town. The reason for the belly flop? "Hair" got there first.



Structurally "Hair" was an unwashed mess, more a party than theatre, but what a party it was and the party has started anew and shaken the town again. The wispy thin story, like a single strand of hair involves Claude a young hippie and somewhat leader of his bell-bottomed, love-beaded friends has received his draft notice and that's the story. Will he avoid the draft or will he join the army? Will he? Won't he? Will he? Won't he? He does and the result is tragic. The bulk of the show is ideas, social issues and attitude swirling around like a tornado gone beserk. None of the actors playing the hippies or tribe as their called here, stand-still for a moment and even spill out into the audience, frightening the blue-haired matrons who have strolled in to check out the latest rage.



Gavin Creel sings sweetly as Claude, the would be draft dodger and when you see his picture in the booklet you have to smile and say, "Someone should feed that boy a sandwich or three". Will Swenson as Berger sings well but he lacks the shaggy dog manginess of Gerome Ragni-the original Berger.



What other show could get away with a second act that is 90 percent an extended LSD trip. And come morning when the trip is over, Claude leaves his friends for the army. Soon Claude reappears, hair shaven dressed in army fatigues. The tribe cannot see or hear him even as he calls out to them. The tribe knows that somethig is horribly wrong but they sing a song of hope as they leave the stage and the only one left is Claude lying at rest draped in an American flag.



Anyone who may read this review will notice that up to now I have not mentioned the score. After all this is supposed to be about the CD and not the show.



To me the score is like a sandwich. The opening "Aquarius" and the ending "Let The Sunshine In" are like two slices of bread holding together the tasty filling in-between.



And don't think I have forgotten about Sasha Allen-with her powerhouse voice, she is the baker of those two slices of bread.



Galt MacDermots music and the lyrics of Gerome Ragni and James Rado still shines in 2009 as it did back in 1968 and just as we were back then when we were neck deep in war-in 2009 we are still at war. Some things never change and for better or worse-neither has "Hair" and at least for that we can rejoice."