Track: 10: Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer - John Thorton & Bonnie Langford,
Track: 11: Old Deuteronomy - Original London Cast,
Track: 12: The Jellicle Ball - Original London Cast,
Track: 13: Grizabella, The Glamour Cat - Sharon Lee Hill,
Track: 14: Memory - Elaine Paige,
Track: 15: DISC 02,
Track: 16: The Moments of Happiness/Memory - The Company,
Track: 17: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner & Stephen Tate,
Track: 18: Growltiger's Last Stand, including The Ballad of Billy McCaw - The Company,
Track: 19: Skimbleshanks - The Company,
Track: 1: DISC 01,
Track: 20: Macavity - Geraldine Gardner, Sharon Lee Hill,
Track: 21: Mr. Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas,
Track: 22: Memory - Elaine Paige & Sarah Brightman,
Track: 23: Journey to the Heaviside Layer - The Company,
Track: 24: The Ad-Dressing of Cats - Brian Blessed & Company,
Track: 2: Overture - Original London Cast,
Track: 3: Prologue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats - Original London Cast,
Track: 4: Media Type: CD Artist: CATS Title: CATS-ORIGINAL LONDON CAST Street Release Date: 11/16/1999 Import Genre: SOUNDTRACK
Amazon.com: Since its debut in 1981, London's and the world's longest-running musical still fills seats in a dozen theaters worldwide. Uncountable recastings and reorchestrations later, Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats strives to please the ears of ever-new generations. This is the original cast recording, and it retains a freshness from the still-recent opening, its novelty untarnished by decades of success. Also, the abundance of "names"--both singers and musicians--makes this one of the high-class musical recordings of all time. Elaine Paige rose to stardom as Grizabella with the hit "Memory"; at the time, though, bigger names were Wayne Sleep, Paul Nicholas, and Brian Blessed. Sarah Brightman and Bonnie Langford are also on the cast list. Lloyd Webber himself plays keyboards and the impressive roster of session musicians includes Barbara Thompson and David Locke. Lloyd Webber, well versed in the practice of "auto-quotation," can always look back to this work for cat-chy material: the Overture, "Old Gumbie Cat," "Rum Tum Tugger," and "Mr. Mistoffelees"--the list of good tunes and themes goes on and on. This remains a fun listening experience, even for those few who still haven't caught the show. It's also available in a highlights version. --Yngvil V.G.
Disc 1:
Cats/Act 1. Overture
Cats/Act 1. Prologue. Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats
Cats/Act 1. The Naming of Cats
Cats/Act 1. The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball
Cats/Act 1. The Old Gumbie Cat
Cats/Act 1. The Rum Tum Tugger
Cats/Act 1. Grizabella: The Glamour Cat
Cats/Act 1. Bustopher Jones
Cats/Act 1. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer
Cats/Act 1. Old Deuteronomy
Cats/Act 1. The Jellicle Ball
Cats/Act 1. Grizabella: The Glamour Cat
Cats/Act 1. Memory
Disc 2:
Cats/Act 2. The Moments of Happiness
Cats/Act 2. Gus: The Theatre Cat
Cats/Act 2. Growltiger's Last Stand Including the Ballad of Billy ...
"MEMORY" DOES IT ALL A good musical, yet not the greatest by Lloyd Webber. Actually, the song "Memory" is the only one in our memories. The rest seems to me quite average. We should have in mind that a few years later Webber wrote wonderful songs for each one of his musicals: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SUNSET BOULEVARD and the unfortunate WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, besides his previous masterpiece, JESUSCHRIST SUPERSTAR, with almost an entire collection of classical and marvelous songs. I saw CATS in Broadway back in 1992 and I saw it again last year here in Chile: I guess some cats were left on the plane on their way down here because the southamerican tour production looked quite poor compared to the Broadway version. It was shown in a huge arena and in a frontal stage, quite different to the half-circled and smaller Winter Garden Stage.
A rather weak CATS recording that has its own merits and aura I do not mean to ruffle anybody's feathers in my comments of this particular CATS recording, However, of all the official English-language recordings this recording sounds a little stilted and wanting in that littbe bit of energy. Part of it could be due to some of the performances, and part of it because this album uses the first version of CATS. Yet despite the lack of oomph, it is quite good and redeems itself by the aura it projects for being the world-premiere recording of the score.
This recording features the Grizabella of Elaine Paige, who can be considered a true Grizabella in her own right. It's true that this early recording doesn't allow her to nuance the role as she did in the video, but she conveys a strength and vulnerability in her portrayal. Paige's rendition of Memory is solid, but at this early stage she had yet to mature into the role. I guess that it's also because this recording used the single version of the song, and that's probably why it sounds stilted. Brian Blessed partners her with his sincere and benevolent portrayal of Old Deuteronomy, and the rest of the performers fare quite well. However, I found Paul Nicholas as The Rum Tum Tugger to be somewhat wanting in energy. He fares a little better in his rendition of Mr. Mistoffelees, but doesn't smoke it out in his standout number. I think this is pretty much the case for most of the performers here, as the performances of the cast as a whole sound solid yet stilted at the same time. The orchestrations are less flashy and somewhat weak but you can hear the sort of sound that Lloyd-Webber originally intended for the musical, and the variants. Yes, this West End cast recording is like a concept album of sorts, staying closer to the T.S. Eliot cat poems without cutting verses as in later productions.
The redeeming feature of this West End cast recording are the variants of numbers that were changed in lature productions. One variant, the duet for Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer is set to an unvarying and jazzy melody that Lloyd-Webber replaced with the vaudeville-like version as heard on the Broadway video and in the video. The other variant is the duet for Growltiger and Griddlebone during Growltiger's Last Stand. Before this duet number was replaced with the better-fitting Puccini spoof, Growltiger and Griddlebone sang a rather unromantic drinking song about a musically talented parrot named Billy M'Caw. Even if Lloyd-Webber admits to preferring Billy M'Caw I tend to like the Puccini spoof a little better as it better integrates itself into the scene. For those who are used to the later versions of these numbers and to the beefed-up orchestration of the Broadway and video versions, this recording can offer a nice contrast. Yet in my view they have only made the rewrites and revisions that Lloyd-Webber added to the score for the rest of the productions much better. Despite my feelings, at least the aura of this recording is enough to save it from being stilted, despite the solid performances from everyone concerned. And besides, it includes extra verses that were cut for the Broadway and subsequent productions of the show, so it makes this album feel closer to the T.S. Eliot poems.
It's good to see this recording in a reissue that treats it with respect. The 2 CDs come in a slimline double-disc case, packaged in a neat slipcase. The booklets are an improvement over those in the previous Polydor releases, as they have offered a better-print edition of the libretto and the production credits, including the musical numbers. However, I do admit that there isn't much of a difference in sound quality between this release and the original Polydor CD. The CDs appear to have been pressed from the original CD master rather than the better-sounding remastered version that was released in 1998. I know that if I were to recommend this West End cast recording I would recommend the 1998 remastered version, as it sounds less muffled compared to the sound on this release. Yet it would not be practical because that 1998 CD costs a whopping 65 dollars.
In short, even if CATS fans covet this recording I'm sorry to say I don't covet it as much as they do. I acknowledge its strengths, but yet I know it sounds a little stilted on the whole. Even so, this recording redeems itself with its solid performance and the aura of it representing the first thoughts of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and staying close to T.S. Eliot's source material before the show was tweaked and altered for Broadway. But my first choice for a CATS recording still lies with the Broadway cast Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording (1982 Original Broadway Cast)as it's got this energy that makes the show work, without destroying its spirit and nature.
Original CATS - and the best! I have heard many different recordings of the show CATS and I still find the original London cast to be best. The songs are brilliant, the music fantastic and the singers magnificent. Elaine Paige is the original and the best Grizabella.
B way Vs London The London verson has a longer overture and has more lyrics then the b way version 1. overture..........London 2. Jelicle Songs.....London 3. Naming of Cats....London 4. Invitation........London 5. Gumbie Cat........B way [shorter] 6. Rum Tum Tugger...London 7. Grizabella.......Same 8. Bustopher Jones..London 9. Mungo & rumple...Tie But Lundon Is much slower! 10.Old D...........London [but longer] 11.Jellicle ball..tie Shorter than B way 12.Memory.........London 13. Moments Of Happiness. London 14. Gus..........London 15. Skimble shanks.London 16. Macavity.London 17. Mistofoless. London 18 Memory. London 19 heviside layor.london 20 ad ressing. london london wins!!!!
Enough of this Broadway vs London stuff. Let's add Australia to the picture Like most people, I've been torn between London and Broadway for a while. I'll admit, I'm fond of both London and Broadway, but some songs I like on Broadway more than London, and vice versa. However, when I bought the Australian recording, it turned into my favorite CATS recording, hands down. They have EVERY song in there, (Growltiger's Last Stand, and Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles) Anyhow, here's my biased opinion on which of the three recordings dominate in certain songs.
Overture - The overture is pretty much the same
Jellicle Song for Jellicle Cats - London
Naming of Cats - Australia
Invitation to the Jellicle Ball - Broadway
Old Gumbie Cat - London but Australia's is pretty darn good
Rum Tum Tugger - I'm not very fond of London's version or Broadway's. I'd have to say Australia, but Broadway is just as good.
Grizabella - London
Bustopher Jones - London
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer - Australia. This version has a very interesting Mungo and Rumpel
Old Deuteronomy - London or Broadway
Jellicle Ball - London
Grizabella: The Glamour Cat - Tie
Memory - Okay, Elaine Paige is about as good as it gets. But Debbie Byrne from Australia delivers a heart felt Memory also.
Gus: The Theatre Cat - Australia
Growltiger's Last Stand/The Ballad of Billy McCaw - All are good
Macavity: The Mystery Cat - Australia
Mr. Mistoffelees - Australia. The Australian Rum Tum Tugger is a lot better. And while I'm a huge Sarah Brightman fan, and you can hear her overpowering in this song, I still say Australia wins here.
Memory - Moment of truth. I love Elaine Paige. Her Memory is as good as it gets. However, some would say that Elaine's version is too soft and sweet, and isn't bitter and cold enough. This song could go both ways. Betty Buckley certainly expressed rage and power in this song, but maybe too much. In my personal opinon, Elaine's version is too soft, and Buckley's version is too cold. Debbie Byrne is a perfect medium, and she expresses remorse, sorrow, pain, anger, and loneliness in perfect harmony. I'd have to say Australia.
Journey to the Heaviside Layer - Not much of a difference. Tie between all three.
Ad-Dressing of Cats - Broadway. THANK GOD FOR KEN PAGE.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
