Bright Lights Big City
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Category: Music CD
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CD Details
Edition: Music CDFormat: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 2005-06-21
Music Label: Ghostlight
Soundtracks:
- Bright Lights, Big City (Tad, Jamie, Coke Girl, Chorus)
- Back in the City
- Sunday Morning 6 A.M.
- Coma Baby
- Fact and Fiction
- I Hate the French
- Brother
- I Hate the French Reprise
- Odeon
- Happy Birthday Darling
- Missing
- To Model
- So Many Little Things
- Back in the City 2
- Kindness
- Perfect Feeling
- Bright Light, Big City 2
- You Couldn't Handle It Jamie
- My Son
- Wednesday
- Camera Wall
- Heart and Soul
- Brother 2
- Mummies at the Met
- Are You Still Holding My Hand?
- Brother 3
- Monstrous Events
- Stay in My Life
- Wordfall
Music reviews of Bright Lights Big City
Music Review: Perfect Feeeling
Rating: 4 Stars
Why I bought this CD: Patrick Wilson. I saw Phantom a handful of times when it came out on DVD, and he has done a couple of plays I've seen performed at my school (he wasn't in ours obviously). I had actually found out about this musical while researching RENT, and tried to find the CD, not knowing that it had been in production for four years, and was going to be out in mere months. I think, had I been my current age when it came out and in NY, I would have tried to see it.
Why I Kept the CD: The other singers: Jesse L. Martin, Shere Rene Scott, Celia Keenan-Bogler, Eden Espinosa and Kelli O'Hara(Kelli doesn't have any parts, she's just in the chorus), etc. It also is very suggestive with lots of drug references and sexual innuendoes, and I'm assembling a mix CD of showtunes called Dirty Broadway (partially to prove that showtunes can be appealing to twentysomethings today), so it was perfect to fill up some of the tracks.
Below is a track-by-track analysis of my thoughts of the CD. These are opinions only, so don't shoot me if you have a differing opinion.
Bright Lights Big City--I find this song in my head a lot while at work (which often isn't good considering the drug allusions). The hook often shows up in other songs, which can get annoying.
Back In The City--LOVED this track, mostly because it showcases Jesse L. Martin (as Tad). It intoduces his character very well and it sets the timeline best (with a countermelody singing 1984...1984...). Not always the best thing if you want to perform it out of the context of the show, but whatever.
Sunday Morning 6AM- Intros Mary O'Brian McCann (played by Celia Keenan-Bolger), one of Jamie's figments of a drug-induced haze. I like singing her part. Also has the first appearance of Amanda, Jamie's ex-wife.
Coma Baby-- Hard Rock song, perfect for headbanging, sang by Eden Espinosa. Coma Baby is another figment of Jamie's imagination.
Fact or Fiction-- This is the song I imagine would be in some form of the musical of my life. I also deal in fact, not fiction. There is a bridge performed by Jamie that brings him back to his past, and it is a little high for his voice. Solo by Clara, Jamie's boss.
I Hate The French-- I want to perform this song in a cabaret someday because it is so funny and randomly crass, pretend that Depardieu (a chef Jamie has to interview or something) is a boyfriend who just broke up with me by letter.
Brother-- Nice song performed by Gavin Creel, but I normally skip it when listening. Provides a catalyst at the end for the begining of a change in Jamie.
I Hate The French reprise-- Short. Normally skip it.
Odeon--LOVE this song. Love it. Earned a spot on my Dirty Broadway CD with the first listen. Kinda long, but has the major thrust of action.
Happy Birthday Darling-- Flashback song. Jamie's dead mother sings this as Jamie grows up. I don't like the first minute or so, but one the flashback begins, the song improves considerably.
Missing--Catches up with Jamie's hallucinations. Fleshes out the one-dimensional characters a little.
To Model-- Sounds a little like Gloria Estefan which works wonderfully with Amanda's voice. Shows how screwed up she is, even more than Jamie with his drug problem is.
So Many Little Things--Meh. Usually skip it.
Back In The City--Tad again, providing Jamie with a stabilizing force. The reprise sounds not as good as the first time 'round
Kindness-- Meh. Usually skip it.
Perfect Feeling--Used to skip over it, but I like it immensly now. Best moment of the CD comes about thirty seconds into this song. Patrick is pretty in this.
BLBC Pt.2--Short. Ususally skip over it.
You Couldn't Handle It Jamie--Reality steps in here with Clara.
My Son--Ususally skip it.
Wednesday-Used to skip over, but like it now. Very blusey/jazzy.
Camera Wall-- You can hear the seams bust on both Amanda and Jamie. It's a war to see who can hide it the best and someone loses...
Heart and Soul-- Ditto Kindness
Brother Pt.2- Ditto Brother
Mummies at the Met-- Like it. Intersting countermelody. Wraps up what happened to the figments.
Are You Still Holding My Hand?-- Painful to listen to, so ususally skip it
Brother Pt.3-- Oddly, I like it. Don't really know why, because it rehashes most of the songs I normally skip.
Monsterous Events-- Okay, now I hate Tad, even though I like Jesse. There is a RENT connetion in this song that annoys a little for a second too.
Wordfall--Like this as an ending song because it finds a way to reduce all the tiny little plot points into distorted words.
Description of Bright Lights Big City
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.This recording will be a revelation to those who were unlucky enough to catch the staging of Paul Scott Goodman's musical adaptation of Jay McInerney's iconic debut novel in 1999. The show turned the book's drug-fueled, nihilistic portrait of 1980s Manhattan into embarrassing mush. But apparently some thought Bright Lights, Big City was a diamond in the rough, because a studio recording has appeared six years after the production closed. And guess what? The show was worth recording. Goodman's pop-rock score is more varied and flavorful than it first sounded, proving there's something to be said for nipping and tucking. Surprisingly, the ballads and intimate numbers work a lot better than the more uptempo pieces, which still come across as a bit forced. And speaking of revelations--Eden Espinosa, playing three parts, shows a lot more range here than she does in Brooklyn and Christine Ebersole brings punchy, roaring flair to Jamie's boss Clara?she should do more pop material like this. Kudos also to the wonderful Sherie Rene Scott, who shines in her ballad, "Kindness." Twenty years after the book came out, these lights are shining bright indeed. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
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