Stephin Merritt: Showtunes
List Price:
Our Price: $4.99
You Save: $13.99 (74%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.90 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 2006-03-14
Music Label: Nonesuch
Soundtracks:
- Theme from the Orhpan of Zhao
- At Madam Plum's
- Top and the Ball
- What A Fucking Lovely Day
- Auntie Toothache
- It's Hard to be the Emperor
- Sounds Expensive
- Red Shoes
- Fan Dance Cha-Cha
- Little Maiden of the Sea
- Ukulele Me
- Train Song
- Little Hebrew Girl
- Shall We Sing a Duet?
- Song of the Humble Serf
- Collar and the Garter
- Shall We Sing a Duet?
- Sorry, Wrong Show
- Storks
- In the Spring, When I Was Young
- Ugly Little Duck
- And He Would Say
- World Is Not Made of Flowers
- Behold the Lowly Centipede
- In China, Said the Moon
- Hail! Son of Heaven
Music reviews of Stephin Merritt: Showtunes
Music Review: The Magnetic Fields meets The Mikado...
Rating: 2 Stars
The curiously gifted songwriter Stephin Merritt is best known as the guiding force behind several acclaimed indie-pop groups -- most notably The Magnetic Fields, who amazed, delighted, and sort of overwhelmed us all with the three CD collection 69 Love Songs (and then followed up with the underwhelming album i.) Over the past few years, Mr. Merritt has also written songs for three music theater productions by Chen Shi-Zheng, and Showtunes is jam-packed with 26 of them.
These tunes encompass everything you love (or perhaps don't?) about Stephin's songwriting -- they are clever and witty, compact and concise, tuneful and cloying... and a bit precious at times. There's one major problem however -- Stephin isn't singing any of them.
Instead, the Showtunes are (appropriately, I guess) performed by vocalists and choruses from "the original casts" in a mannered, over-enunciated, Broadway-esque style that sounds more like Gilbert & Sullivan than The Magnetic Fields. And sadly, I couldn't stand it.
Maybe listeners more enamored of musical theater than I am would not be as distracted by this (I can't stomach Cole Porter songs sung this way either.) Besides, the arrangements are fantastic, using unconventional ensembles that convincingly blend Asian instruments with lute, autoharp, accordian, marimba, and steel drums -- thankfully without the electronic clutter that sometimes intrudes upon Magnetic Fields productions. (Happily, a few instrumental selections are sprinkled throughout the CD.)
But unfortunately, all I could think about while listening to Showtunes was how much better these songs would sound if they were sung by Merritt's soulful, resonant, unpretentious baritone voice instead. And I suspect that many of his other fans will feel the same way, hoping as I do that Stephin has worked through this musical theater phase once and for all.
In the future, if he combines the formidable songwriting and orchestration skills heard on Showtunes with the sincere and direct vocal performances that graced so many of the 69 Love Songs, I expect to be amazed and delighted by Stehpin Merritt again and again.
Meanwhile, be forewarned: The Magnetic Fields meets The Mikado may not be your cup of Oolong tea.
Description of Stephin Merritt: Showtunes
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Alternative Rock CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Alternative Rock CDs
Bouncing Souls - Maniacal LaughterRelease date: 1996-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $30.00
Blondie - Parallel LinesRelease date: 1994-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $149.98
Doors - L.A. WomanRelease date: 1993-04-09; Music CD
Best price: $99.99
Amon Duul - Phallus DeiRelease date: 1997-04-08; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Tangerine Dream - MelroseRelease date: 1990-10-02; Music CD
Best price: $74.98
Tangerine Dream - Private Music of Tangerine DreamRelease date: 1992-11-10; Music CD
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
![Ska Explosion [VHS] Image](/images/Ska-Explosion-VHS-6303381014-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ska Explosion [VHS]Cleopatra; Release date: 1995-02-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
![Little Earthquakes [VHS] Image](/images/Little-Earthquakes-VHS-6302488664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Little Earthquakes [VHS]Atlantic / Wea; Release date: 1992-11-10; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.50
Price in other shops:
Exileby Geoffrey Oryema
Music CD
Best price: $4.95
![Louder Than Live [VHS] Image](/images/Louder-Than-Live-VHS-6301627865-X.jpg){kind=small}
Soundgarden - Louder Than Live [VHS]A&M Video; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $183.90
Similar CDs
The Magnetic Fields - RealismRelease date: 2010-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $5.21
Price in other shops:
Eban and CharleyRelease date: 2002-01-22; Music CD
Best price: $10.96
Price in other shops:
Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the SeaRelease date: 2012-03-06; Music CD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
Gothic Archies, Stephin Merritt - New DespairRelease date: 2003-04-08; Music CD
Best price: $6.15
Price in other shops:
Future Bible Heroes - Eternal YouthRelease date: 2002-08-20; Music CD
Best price: $6.61
Price in other shops:
Magnetic Fields - IRelease date: 2004-05-04; Music CD
Best price: $6.89
Price in other shops:
Stephin Merritt - ObscuritiesRelease date: 2011-08-23; Music CD
Best price: $9.51
Price in other shops:
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love SongsRelease date: 1999-09-07; Music CD
Best price: $32.96
Price in other shops:
Magnetic Fields - Charm of the Highway StripRelease date: 1994-04-18; Music CD
Best price: $8.38
Price in other shops:
The Tragic Treasury: Songs From a Series of Unfortunate EventsRelease date: 2006-10-10; Music CD
Best price: $8.88
Price in other shops: