Reviews of the different 'A Chorus Line' soundtracks available, all written by Peter

Italian Cast Album

Unfortunately, I'd have to say this is the weakest version that I've heard. Overall, the orchestra has a really muffled sound, or it's a very bad recording. I kept thinking it was my tape player, but it's not. This was available only on tape, so maybe it's just that it's a low quality cassette. Because Italian words often end on vowels (ex arrivi derci), again the lyrics lose a lot of sharpness, especially on I Hope I Get It, One, and I Can Do That. It doesn't seem like it would be important, but it really affects the tone, aggressive songs are made mellow.
As for the orchestrations, in general, clarinet and tympani are featured more than in other versions, giving it an almost...folk music feel in spots. Ugh! I kept picturing peasants in traditional costumes walking across the stage during the show. Funny, but annoying.
Finally, on songs that have extended dance breaks, the editing is really weak. You can hear them cut back and forth between the session with the orchestra only, and the session with the singer. Pretty shoddy.

The Opening: Zach shouts out the opening steps, but not the later directions for the groups. The guitar is good, the closest to the Broadway version. Tricia's solo is weak. Mike is also weak on his 'What's coming now" solo, (although the original was weak on this too). The final vocal verse really lacks energy--I was disappointed. Paul's solo is adequate. I think the piano is out of tune--it's really bad sounding here and in Rehearsal One.
I Can Do That: The translation is 'Ce La Faro', and it is another example of the edge being lost. We don't hear any taps, and the folk band sound is strong during the dance break. Mike is adequate in this part. We do hear the key change for the final part of the "shave and a hair cut--two bits" melody which closes the number.
At the Ballet: It's hard to judge the vocals here, the band sounds really amateurish. Bebe and Sheila are fine, but this is the worst Maggie I've heard. Anytime she sings with the others they sound really off. However, the end of her monologue is good (daddy, I would love to dance)
Sing!: Kristine doesn't have the charming or funny delivery of the Original. She sounds very matter-of-fact, although "shower" is amusing. "Three Blind Mice" is changed to the tune of "Frere Jacques" (but with the Italian words of "Tre Martino" or something). I think this was also changed for the Japanese version. However, every language seems to know "Jingle Bells"! Kristine's last note is sung too broad--she wasn't being truthful, but "trying" to be funny.
Montage: the 1st verse is good. Every once in a while, usually between verses, there's a little orchestra break creating tension between sections (as opposed to how the Original went smoothly from one section to another) Some of the references are changed eg Peyton Place=Playboy, Robert Goulet, Troy Donahue; but they keep Steve McQueen
in. Val sucks on her solos. No matter which recording, the Wahs/scat section is always sung in the original language. They are strong here, but there are no ad libs on the Nervous Breakdown. Richie has a stranger voice than usual, even odder than the Original. The cast says "non, Richie" instead of "shit, Richie". As with the other foreign languages, the disco beat is very strong here. Finally, instead of repeating a short phrase of "go to it", it's a two part phrase of "Zu quanta avanti" which gives it a different feel.
Nothing: Diana is not really a strong singer, but her acting is good. The "..oh, Mr. Karp..." is very good.
Dance:10 Looks:3 : I think it must be hard to recreate the attitude of the original, because she starts out very flat in her performance, although the end is strong. Translation is a problem--the phrase is now "Tete et culo" which gives extra sylables where there should be only one. Val sings it pretty straight with little hint of sex.
Music and the Mirror: Cassie sounds like Barbra Streisand, plays loose with the melody and really hits the big notes. It sounds like it would be bad, but it's the best song on the album!! She's a really pretty soprano. The orchestra is also good (finally) and except the drums at the end, the is the best performance in Italian.
Rehearsal One: Starts out with a heavy brass vamp. This recording is unique because it doesn't follow the American version. It begins with the "groups of four"verse, then the girls, then boys, "smile and sing" verse, and then a combination of the whisper verse and final verse. this is much closer to the song as it's presented in the show, so that's a treat. The boys are weak whenever they have long notes to sing eg none------, son------.
What I Did for Love: Again, Diana's not a great singer, but her acting is better than in Nothing. This is the ensmble's best singing in the show.
Finale: Again, the long notes are clunky, the cast lands hard and heavy. The number is kept at a good tempo, though. The orchestra plays the final vamp much longer than usual, which is fun to hear, but then ends abruptly.

Overall, this is the weakest recording, although there are a few nice moments. As I mentioned previously, the sound is really poor, and the singers and orchestra are also the least talented. Unusual, considering this is the land of Opera!!

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Japanese Cast Album

In general, the show has a canned sound and different orchestrations. It sounds a lot more soft rock (as opposed to Broadway sound), which is typical of Japanese music. It reminds me of Carpenters type music with heavy flute and woodwinds, and the beat tends to be more of a disco beat throughout, not just in certain sections.
There seem to be a lot more syllabels in Japanese as the actors have to add lots of eighth and sixteenth notes to fit the words to the music. Maybe it's that Japanese is so unfamiliar to me, but some of the songs sound really strange.
Some of the performances are flat, but there is some nice singing, with specifics below.
The cover has the group in the Finale costumes in the Wedge. The back cover has the group in the Final Line. I know there is some variation in talent, but some of the actors look very awkward!! Also, it's very strange to see a cast of all olive skinned, dark hair, and dark eyes actors. (Because there is usually so much variety in the cast's looks)
The Book has all the lyrics, but doesn't seem to have a cast list. It may, but then, I don't read or speak Japanese.

The Opening: The "teaching" section is very short, and Zach does not speak any of his lines throughout. There's a rockin' guitar in the jazz combos which gives it a lift. The performance is somewhat flat. Even though it's in a different language, I feel I should hear some acting going on, and I don't.
I Can Do That: No taps, but the actor has lots of energy and a good voice.
At the Ballet: Sounds good. Maggie has a great voice. The end of Bebe's verse sounds like she's going to explode.
Sing!: Probably the best of the various languages. Kristine is really funny!!
Montage: Include all in the English version as well as the first half of Connie's monologue (Four foot, ten), the Val/Paul/Mike solos immediately after 4 foot, 10, the full dance break leading into "Gimme the Ball", and the full "go to it"s and the "Shaft" dance break. Connie is like an opera singer, much fuller voiced than Baayork Lee. Some of the longer notes are cut short, probably because of the translation. Although the Nervous Breakdown is great, the company loses it on Richie's solo. There is just not the gospel feel, Richie's final scat is sung straight and boring. The music has a real strong disco beat and sounds very canned. Still, it was energetic. It's odd, because they don't have swear words in Japanese. So, during the "Shit Richie" section, they are singing little phrases, not just "Shit Richie"
Nothing: Diana is good. I could hear her acting.
Dance:10 Looks:3 Sounds good, but I didn't like the orchestrations.
The Music and the Mirror: Cassie's got a pretty good voice. Again, real strong disco beat. The slow section of the dance sounds less dated than the original.
Rehearsal One: It's not included on this album! Travesty!
What I Did for Love: Again, Diana sounds good, but all the extra syllabels sound very strange. The ensemble is weak when they come in on the final verses.
Finale: Men and women sound strong. The "patter verse" sounds really good. I bet the translation people were releived they didn't have to add any extra notes to fit in the words!

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German Cast Recording

The German (actually, Vienna cast) is much more satisfactory than the Japanese recording. Overall, it is much closer in feel both musically and dramatically.
Though the music still sometimes sounds real "Euro", it is less jarring than the pop version on the Japanese record. Also, because the German language is closer to English, you can sometimes pick out words and the whole effect is less jarring.
As far as orchestrations go, this version features a sax a lot more, and the low brass tends to come from nowhere for an accented note, then disappear (forte - piano or fp). Several of the songs don't have the "edge" of the Broadway sound, but overall, the music director has taken a lot more care with dynamics and mood (both orchestra and cast) than the Japanese counterpart.

The Opening: The cuts are very similar to the American version, and Zach once again shouts out the steps and directs the groups. Because of the German words, the lyric is not as sharp, ending on "S" alot. Also, whenever a word should be held, it's cut short, and when it should be short, it's held. Strange. Paul does a nice job with his solo. The guitars in the jazz combinations is not as rockin' as the Japanese, but less dated than the American and has a stinging sound. the opening piano sounds like a toy piano.
I Can Do That: Mike is not as engaging of a singer, but taps are included and he has a really clear, clean sound. Also, the orchestra *really* cooks on the dance break. It's New Orleans 1926!!
At the Ballet: here's a case where I think they lose sight of the relentless, driving sound that the verses of this song calls for. Sheila has a higher, thinner voice then I would expect. Bebe does a nice job with her verse, but Maggie takes the prize with a wonderful reading of her monologue, and she is *Fantastic*! She has more of an opera voice than is usual, but it's not too much, and she is wonderful. Oddly, though, she is weak whenever she has a "Hey!"
Sing!: Kristine is okay, but Al is the problem here. He's trying to sing opera too, and it softens the number too much. The Ensmble is weak at "Caroling", but okay on the end.
Montage: This follows the original American version's cuts, except the full scat section and dance break is in, and also the "Shaft" dance break. This number is good. I don't know about the Japanese version, but you can hear the names (Robert Goulet, Maggie, Evelyn, Richie, etc) which helps make it seem more authentic. Once again, Maggie rocks on the "Mother" solo. Richie gives the Original a run for his money. He is superb. His final scat on the "Go to it"s is awesome, really reaching highs and lows all over the place! Unfortunately, the drummer doesn't seem to understand the elaborate fills from the original, so the beat is more disco than intended. Still, Gimme the Ball sounds like it's straight from "The Wiz".
Nothing: Diana is fine, but this is a really fast tempo.
Dance: Ten, Looks: 3 Val can really belt, and the second half is better than the first. Like the Japanese version, there is more of the underscore lead-in than on the Original recording (the Japanese even has the underscore to the middle dialogue section). Once again, this orchestra is really in their element with the burlesque sound.
Music and the Mirror: Cassie gets points for her sensitive reading of the verses, but she's really not a singer, and all the other Cassie's I've heard blow her away on the "chance------ to dance-------" type notes. The slow dance section is really steamy with a very streetcornerish sax, but the fast dance section is taken at several different tempos, which is a little dizzying. They also find a latin beat which is interesting.
One: Same cuts as American version. Again, translation is a problem, because the German word for One is 'Eins', which loses the sharpness needed for this "mechanical" song. The sound guy is a little too fond of the echo box (also used in Music and the Mirror)--I get a headache during the chanting section! Orchestrations are good, and the cast sounds very...military, which is appropriate at the end.
Tap Combination: Hurray! We finally get a recording of this number. Three verses are included, but unfortunately not the vocals. The German version is almost worth buying for this alone.
What I Did for Love: Diana is much stronger here. Although her voice is a little rough in places, she really communicates the song in a touching manner. Ensemble is good, too, except I can barely hear them at the "echo" in the last verse (Point me t'ward tomorrow)
Finale: Sounds good, except for the previously mentioned Eins problem. Lots more sax than in the original, and there seems to be a train wreck just before the final build up.

Overall, this album is strong. Good acting, vocals are good, and the orchestrations are in the spirit of the original while making them their own.