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Strike Up The Band (1990 Studio Cast) |
Product Guide |
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Home: You are here: Music : Strike Up The Band (1990 Studio Cast) |
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Strike Up The Band (1990 Studio Cast)  Rating: Rating:  - Spooky and Timely and TimelessThis rendering of the original Gershwin score is not only fun for musical buffs, but historically we get a good listen to some old-fashioned left-wing politics of the 30's. And it's spooky how appropriate to today's Iraq war!!!! There are similar echo's in Tony Kushner's Change. Rating:  - Great but where is the complete 1930 version?This is "Duck Soup" as written four years earlier with a score by the Gershwins. How could that be bad? Reference also the Kurt Weill Paris/London score with a similar plot from 1931 ("The Cow Deal" in English). One question: This is the 1927 score, with some songs from the complete revision (and dumbing down) that was a hit on Broadway in 1930. The notes say the complete 1930 version was recorded at the same time 'and will be released at a later time'. Well, it's 17 years later, how much later does it have to get? Nonesuch? Rating: - How timely can you get?BE WARNED! If the current war in Iraq makes you feel good, and if you think the president of the US and the prime ministers of the UK and Australia are three great guys doing the right thing, then for goodness' sake don't listen to the lyrics or read the sleeve notes on this one! The fundamental idea behind this musical is that war is silly - and that most if not quite all wars are fought for the wrong reasons anyway. Would certain people had seen a performance before they went invading. The US goes to war with Switzerland (read Iraq) over cheese (read oil). Really the whole thing could have been written this year. Whatever your politics, however, you ought to enjoy the music. George Gershwin was one of the best composers of the twentieth century, and his brother Ira was one of the wittiest song writers. The combination is almost always completely irresistible - certainly that is the case here! Stacks of great songs, and if you happen to agree with the message, then that's a nice little bonus, too. Rating: - Political commentary from Kaufman/GershwinAccording to the fascinating liner notes, this show flopped when it was first introduced on Broadway in 1927, because George S. Kaufman's script contained scathing anti-war commentary that hit too close to home just a few years after WWI. The show was rewritten and the controversial parts watered down for the more popular versions mounted on Broadway in 1930, and later by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in Hollywood. This disc re-creates the original version, with beautiful 20's orchestration that lacks the sappiness of, say, some 50's Broadway musical arrangements. The songs are both beautiful and clever, and the vocalists delightful. Highly recommended for Gershwin fans. 1 2
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