Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording

Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording
List Price: $18.97
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Listen soundtracks from this album


Buy Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording at Amazon.com
(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store

CD Details

Brand: Hair
Edition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2005-06-14
Music Label: Ghostlight
Soundtracks:
  1. Aquarius - Lillias White
  2. Donna - Lea DeLaria
  3. Hashish - Paul Castree, Darius de Haas
  4. Sodomy - Chuck Cooper
  5. Colored Spade - Euan Morton
  6. Manchester, England - Ana Gasteyer
  7. Dead End - Shoshana Bean
  8. Sheila Franklin/I Believe in Love
  9. I'm Black/Ain't Got No
  10. Air - Harvey Fierstein
  11. Initials - Laura Benanti
  12. I Got Life - Adam Pascal
  13. Going Down - Gavin Creel
  14. Hair
  15. My Conviction - Charles Bush
  16. Easy to Be Hard - Jennifer Hudson
  17. Don't Put It Down! - Christopher Sieber, John Tartaglia
  18. Frank Mills - Annie Golden
  19. Be-In (Hare Krishna)
  20. Where Do I Go? - Julia K. Murney
  21. Hippie Life - Eden Espinosa
  22. Electric Blues - Toxic Audio
  23. Black Boys - Kathy Brier, Ann Harada, Orfeh
  24. White Boys - Ledisi, , Shayna Steele
  25. Walking in Space
  26. Yes I's Finished on Y'All's Farmlands
  27. Four Score/Abie, Baby - Billy Porter
  28. Good Morning Starshine - Liz Callaway
  29. Three-Five-Zero-Zero
  30. What a Piece of Work Is Man - Norm Lewis
  31. Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In) - Jai Rodriguez

Music reviews of Hair - Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording

Music Review: Should Be Retitled "Who Can Belt the Highest?"
Rating: 2 Stars

I love "Hair." I think the musical is absolutely brilliant in its use of the rock sound, its unbridled heart, and its deep-felt political convictions. None of that is on display here, lost instead in a (admittedly impressive) line-up of Broadway heavy hitters trying to prove who can sing the highest with the most riffs.

As other reviewers have pointed out, you are much more likely to enjoy this album if you consider it a "greatest hits" type event of songs from the show, rather than a cast recording. Each song is sung by a different soloist, with several of the songs being given to people of the opposite gender. And there is some truly impressive singing to be heard. However, more often than not, the need to pack as many vocal pyrotechnics into songs that rarely run longer than 3 minutes gets in the way of being able to hear the songs' message or even melody.

Some examples of the many missteps on this CD:
-Lillias White's "Aquarius." I *love* her, think she has a fantastic voice, and can riff up a storm, but she goes overboard here, distracting from what is truly a great opening number.
-Harvey Fierstein's "Air." The man's hysterical, and if ever there was a song fit for his distinct gravelly voice, one about pollution should be it. But by the end it's virtually unlistenable.
-Laura Benanti's "Initials." Turning a song that was never meant to be a solo into one is dubious enough, but what really kills this track for me is the misguided attempt at humor when she takes a "lozenge" and begins singing operatic ornamentations over the melody. I don't care how good she sounds doing it (and she does sound *very* good), it is just inappropriate for this song and this score.
-Jennifer Hudson's "Easy to Be Hard." Again, absolutely *love* her. She has proven time and again she is one of the best singers to ever come out of American Idol, and I would probably pay to hear her sing the phonebook. But like Liillias White, Hudson takes the riffing too far and loses the sense of musicality present in a fabulous melody.
-Julia Murney's "Where Do I Go?" Her belt is ridiculous and seemingly has no end, but this song really sounds better in a male vocal register. She would have been better utilized on a different song.

Now, the CD does do some things right. Raul Esperaza sounds fantastic singing the title tune, with a rock-influenced tenor that sounds tailor made for this type of score. Shoshona Bean milks her minute and twenty seconds of "I Believe in Love" for all it is worth. Gavin Creel's silky-smooth tenor is simply delectable on "Going Down." Although largely unintelligble when it comes to what they're actually saying, the "White Boys" trio sounds amazing belting out that particular song, modulating up until they're belting high As without any problem. And I'll be damned if Norm Lewis' vocal on "The Flesh Failures" isn't the best recorded rendition of that song available.

Overall, your enjoyment of this CD will depend on whether you are looking for vocal gymnastics {of which there are plenty, and most of them are solid), or musically intelligent and heartful renditions of the show's songs (this is where most of the tracks fail). Personally, I think the performers loose too much of the show's heart and soul to make this recording worth buying, even if they do belt their faces off.

General CDs

Music Genres
Bestsellers in General CDs
ECHO ImageLeona Lewis - ECHO
Release date: 2009-11-17; Music CD
Best price: $8.06
Price in other shops: $13.98
Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) ImageIdina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth - Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
WICKED; Release date: 2003-12-16; Music CD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: $18.98
Love is the Answer ImageBarbra Streisand - Love is the Answer
Release date: 2009-09-29; Music CD
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops: $13.96
Your Songs ImageHarry Connick Jr. - Your Songs
Release date: 2009-09-22; Music CD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops: $13.98
Christmas Cheers ImageStraight No Chaser - Christmas Cheers
Release date: 2009-11-03; Music CD
Best price: $12.98
Price in other shops: $18.98
Holiday Spirits ImageStraight No Chaser - Holiday Spirits
SOMERSET ENTERTAINMENT; Release date: 2008-10-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.88
Price in other shops: $18.98
Play On ImageCarrie Underwood - Play On
Release date: 2009-11-03; Music CD
Best price: $11.22
Price in other shops: $13.98
The Fall ImageNorah Jones - The Fall
Release date: 2009-11-17; Music CD
Best price: $7.18
Price in other shops: $18.98
Crazy Love ImageMichael Buble - Crazy Love
Release date: 2009-10-09; Music CD
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops: $18.98
I Dreamed A Dream ImageSusan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream
Release date: 2009-11-23; Music CD
Best price: $8.07
Price in other shops: $11.98
Similar CDs
Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway ImageRent: Filmed Live on Broadway
Sony; Release date: 2009-02-03; DVD
Best price: $10.08
Price in other shops: $19.94
Chess in Concert (2 CD) ImageChess in Concert (2 CD)
Release date: 2009-06-16; Music CD
Best price: $15.49
Price in other shops: $24.98
Rock Of Ages: Original Broadway Cast Recording ImageRock Of Ages: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Release date: 2009-07-07; Music CD
Best price: $13.53
Price in other shops: $18.98
Chess in Concert ImageChess in Concert
WEA-DES MOINES VIDEO; Release date: 2009-06-16; DVD
Best price: $12.34
Price in other shops: $19.98
9 To 5: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Image9 To 5: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
Release date: 2009-07-28; Music CD
Best price: $9.25
Price in other shops: $17.98
Hair: Original Soundtrack Recording - Special Anniversary Edition ImageHair: Original Soundtrack Recording - Special Anniversary Edition
RCA; Release date: 1999-08-24; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: $7.99
West Side Story-The New Broadway Cast Recording ImageWest Side Story-The New Broadway Cast Recording - West Side Story-The New Broadway Cast Recording
West; Release date: 2009-06-02; Music CD
Best price: $10.49
Price in other shops: $13.94
Hair - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast) ImageGerome Ragni, James Rado - Hair - The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (1968 Original Broadway Cast)
Hair; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $7.49
Price in other shops: $9.99
Next to Normal (Original Broadway Cast) ImageNext to Normal (Original Broadway Cast)
Release date: 2009-05-12; Music CD
Best price: $14.77
Price in other shops: $21.98
Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording) ImageThe New Broadway Cast Recording - Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording)
Hair; Release date: 2009-06-23; Music CD
Best price: $13.46
Price in other shops: $18.97
Compare prices and find music notes for more than one million Music CD titles