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Post by blamerobots on Oct 1, 2024 15:21:12 GMT
I don't think it's that bad, the vocals are just way too loud. I actually think there must have been some kind of mixup because it sounds like an unmastered version.
Unless there's suddenly been a horrific breakdown in quality control, then we've got something to truly fear.  |
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Post by d'James on Oct 1, 2024 15:53:07 GMT
I don't think it's that bad, the vocals are just way too loud. I actually think there must have been some kind of mixup because it sounds like an unmastered version.
Unless there's suddenly been a horrific breakdown in quality control, then we've got something to truly fear. I definitely agree; he's got a great voice, but it's too loud on the recording (and I hate these orchestrations as I may have mentioned). |
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Post by erik24601 on Oct 1, 2024 17:38:14 GMT
I still can’t get over how bad ‘Crazy’ is on the cast recording. Why didn’t he focus on putting some life into the performance instead of all the (very stepped) vocal acrobatics? I mean...this is what it sounds like in the show? Goodness. |
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Post by erik24601 on Oct 1, 2024 17:39:45 GMT
I don't think it's that bad, the vocals are just way too loud. I actually think there must have been some kind of mixup because it sounds like an unmastered version.
Unless there's suddenly been a horrific breakdown in quality control, then we've got something to truly fear. I definitely agree; he's got a great voice, but it's too loud on the recording (and I hate these orchestrations as I may have mentioned). It sounds like a very robotic performance. At least there was some energy and emotion in the '92 recording. |
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Post by blaxx on Oct 1, 2024 19:38:34 GMT
Only You / I am the Starlight has been cut?  If you mean Starlight Sequence / I am the Starlight with Rusty and Mamma - that is still there. The full "Only He/Only You" full duet with Rusty and Pearl - has been cut. The latter was replaced in the 90's by Next Time you Fall in Love in the early 90's and then that was replaced my "I do" in the late noughties. Oh good, that's my favorite part of the whole thing. Would be heart broken if it's gone. |
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Post by benj on Oct 1, 2024 20:45:50 GMT
I don't think it's that bad, the vocals are just way too loud. I actually think there must have been some kind of mixup because it sounds like an unmastered version.
Unless there's suddenly been a horrific breakdown in quality control, then we've got something to truly fear. I definitely agree; he's got a great voice, but it's too loud on the recording (and I hate these orchestrations as I may have mentioned). Yes, the orchestrations are truly terrible. They sound like midi tracks created on a computer 20 years ago. Such a shame we don’t get to hear the music properly in this new production. Luckily the sound and lighting are really excellent. The ‘choreo’ is… yeah. The set is bland and badly designed for skating. With £13m in advance ticket sales before the show opened (apparently), I was hoping for more. It’s fun, but it could be so much better. |
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Post by andypandy on Oct 2, 2024 1:46:11 GMT
The orchestrations are TERRIBLE!
As for the set - there are no bowls and the far top corners of the paddock towards the back of audience has 90 degree turns - how can you design that for skaters and not make it curved?
How did they make the wide open space of Newsies and make it look and feel much smaller? The design is TERRIBLE!
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Post by danb on Oct 2, 2024 7:20:04 GMT
The orchestrations are TERRIBLE! As for the set - there are no bowls and the far top corners of the paddock towards the back of audience has 90 degree turns - how can you design that for skaters and not make it curved? How did they make the wide open space of Newsies and make it look and feel much smaller? The design is TERRIBLE! I have to agree with that. It’s very pokey in there given how large a space it is. |
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 3, 2024 14:50:59 GMT
Scott is on as Rusty this week, if anyone was hoping for a chance to see him. Ashlyn is on as Pearl today too, if you’d like to see both covers together.
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Post by benj on Oct 3, 2024 19:54:47 GMT
Scott is on as Rusty this week, if anyone was hoping for a chance to see him. Ashlyn is on as Pearl today too, if you’d like to see both covers together. Damn - wish I’d seen this earlier. Might have popped along to see them. Not keen on the 2 leads, so would like to see their covers who I hear are very good |
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 3, 2024 22:10:48 GMT
I do like seeing Scott and Ashlyn together, so I did pop along earlier. The Thursday matinee is different due to the high average age of audience members (I know children are meant to be at school), and mostly civilised, even though the adults near me left as much of a mess on the floor as the children normally do. I didn't book a rush ticket until nearly 12 and still got the best seat I've had in ages, second row in Carriage 3, so a close and central view. There was also no one next to me for the first half. A handful of empty seats in the expensive areas, but otherwise largely full.
Just before the first race, Tassita looked rather different, having transformed from Renz Cardenas to Charles Butcher. The cast board didn't change, but they officially announced the change after the interval. Hopefully Renz is alright. I think it was Charles' debut as Tassita. There was also no camera feed for the first race, but thankfully this was working again for the rest of the show.
There's new music in the lobby area, with vocals. I didn't listen closely enough, but I'm sure I heard Hydrogen when I was walking through, plus Crazy, possibly with a female vocalist.
A while ago I mentioned about lighting changes, particularly intensity. I haven't noticed this since, even when sitting in similar areas. In hindsight, I think they just had extra lights switched on that day. I'm usually wrong.
There were some children there, and when leaving, I did hear one child who was disappointed not to have seen the same Rusty as before. I'm not surprised that Jeevan is popular with children. He has a really engaging manner with them.
It's always funny leaving the matinee and seeing the swings who hadn't been on popping out for a break at the same time, completing unrecognised by the fans at the stage door.
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Post by theatreloser on Oct 3, 2024 22:39:40 GMT
In reply to Dr Tom, Renz had a bad fall during pumping iron and Charles came on very quickly with minimal makeup in a track debut. Also, we do notice the swings come out at stage door, but we are /usually/ very respectful and don’t speak to them. BUT I did say Hi to Kelly and Gary today |
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Post by blaxx on Oct 6, 2024 20:18:58 GMT
It was entertaining enough, is this by chance the ALW score that has gone through most changes?
I also didn't get the need to change the music and verses to the title song, leaving just the chorus.
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Post by d'James on Oct 6, 2024 21:07:16 GMT
It was entertaining enough, is this by chance the ALW score that has gone through most changes? I also didn't get the need to change the music and verses to the title song, leaving just the chorus. That version has existed for a long time. Someone will know exactly how long, but it is on the concept album from 1987. |
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Post by blaxx on Oct 7, 2024 2:22:09 GMT
It was entertaining enough, is this by chance the ALW score that has gone through most changes? I also didn't get the need to change the music and verses to the title song, leaving just the chorus. That version has existed for a long time. Someone will know exactly how long, but it is on the concept album from 1987. Interesting. That music and lyrics are what I missed the most in the production, never heard of what they use now but I don't think it's as rich. |
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Post by d'James on Oct 7, 2024 2:42:34 GMT
That version has existed for a long time. Someone will know exactly how long, but it is on the concept album from 1987. Interesting. That music and lyrics are what I missed the most in the production, never heard of what they use now but I don't think it's as rich. I definitely agree. |
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1,481 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Oct 9, 2024 18:48:25 GMT
The Hydrogen/Crazy single is awful. One awful song, and one awful version of what used to be a good song.
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 9, 2024 19:39:21 GMT
It was entertaining enough, is this by chance the ALW score that has gone through most changes? I also didn't get the need to change the music and verses to the title song, leaving just the chorus. That version has existed for a long time. Someone will know exactly how long, but it is on the concept album from 1987. Yeah was the version that was originally on Broadway, Bochum and Japan/Australia. Was in London by the 1988 changes but not sure if it came in before that. Changed back again for the “New” version in 1992! |
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 9, 2024 19:41:09 GMT
That version has existed for a long time. Someone will know exactly how long, but it is on the concept album from 1987. Interesting. That music and lyrics are what I missed the most in the production, never heard of what they use now but I don't think it's as rich. The one cool thing about it is that it means the whole Only He/You melody remains in the show. The verse as the Starlight Express verse. The chorus as the I Am The Starlight chorus. |
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 9, 2024 19:46:41 GMT
The Hydrogen/Crazy single is awful. One awful song, and one awful version of what used to be a good song. It is odd. Was listening to them again and Crazy is SO underpowered. Really doesn’t sound as it does in theatre. Then Hydrogen for the first two minutes sounds like literally just bass and electric drum. With addition of some synth for last minute. So band of three. Nothing like the show version. From the same record label as Sunset and with many overlapping members of music team the difference in quality is extraordinary. And ALW usually such a quality obsessive in recordings. Still very much looking forward to the rest of it though. But expectations are now in check. |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Oct 9, 2024 21:56:50 GMT
The Hydrogen/Crazy single is awful. One awful song, and one awful version of what used to be a good song. It is odd. Was listening to them again and Crazy is SO underpowered. Really doesn’t sound as it does in theatre. Then Hydrogen for the first two minutes sounds like literally just bass and electric drum. With addition of some synth for last minute. So band of three. Nothing like the show version. From the same record label as Sunset and with many overlapping members of music team the difference in quality is extraordinary. And ALW usually such a quality obsessive in recordings. Still very much looking forward to the rest of it though. But expectations are now in check. Remember that the theatre production was specifically designed for the space and this includes the sound modelling. The co-orchestrator is the guy who did music for X-Factor/BGT and JFOD (and used to orchestrating to fill large studios / theatres). JFOD sounded very different by the end of its run. What you hear in a theatre is harder to replicate in a recording. |
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1,481 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Oct 10, 2024 8:27:34 GMT
It is odd. Was listening to them again and Crazy is SO underpowered. Really doesn’t sound as it does in theatre. Then Hydrogen for the first two minutes sounds like literally just bass and electric drum. With addition of some synth for last minute. So band of three. Nothing like the show version. From the same record label as Sunset and with many overlapping members of music team the difference in quality is extraordinary. And ALW usually such a quality obsessive in recordings. Still very much looking forward to the rest of it though. But expectations are now in check. Remember that the theatre production was specifically designed for the space and this includes the sound modelling. The co-orchestrator is the guy who did music for X-Factor/BGT and JFOD (and used to orchestrating to fill large studios / theatres). JFOD sounded very different by the end of its run. What you hear in a theatre is harder to replicate in a recording. Is it about replicating the sound in the theatre or producing a recording that sounds good? Because they seem to be achieving neither. Funny how so many previous Starlight recordings sound good, but now in 2024 it’s somehow much harder. |
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3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Oct 10, 2024 9:38:44 GMT
What I'm trying to say is that so much engineering goes in to the experience, that it is effectively over-engineered, and the recording perhaps betrays that. In short, the show doesn't sound design half as good when played without the whistles and bells that go into the whole production. Perhaps an Atmos version would fix it. However, after listening to Crazy, I can take or leave the cast recording and keep my memories to the Troubadour itself.
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 10, 2024 9:43:16 GMT
It is odd. Was listening to them again and Crazy is SO underpowered. Really doesn’t sound as it does in theatre. Then Hydrogen for the first two minutes sounds like literally just bass and electric drum. With addition of some synth for last minute. So band of three. Nothing like the show version. From the same record label as Sunset and with many overlapping members of music team the difference in quality is extraordinary. And ALW usually such a quality obsessive in recordings. Still very much looking forward to the rest of it though. But expectations are now in check. Remember that the theatre production was specifically designed for the space and this includes the sound modelling. The co-orchestrator is the guy who did music for X-Factor/BGT and JFOD (and used to orchestrating to fill large studios / theatres). JFOD sounded very different by the end of its run. What you hear in a theatre is harder to replicate in a recording. You're quite right and in the theatre it sounds amazing! I mean the sound team have done an incredible job no doubt. Maybe it's so good that that's the reason listening in EarPods is not quite the same. That said, and I am not musically trained, but I'd have thought this type of sound is easier to replicate in recording compared to a massive orchestra. Thinking of all the synthesised pop songs I know! Though for Crazy must admit I think the orchestration IS the same - it just sounds kinda different. The "till someone better comes along" line I think sounds like AI voices lol. Hydrogen has deffo been re-orchestrated as this single version. The kids do seem to like it though so what do I know! But it's such a BIG moment in the theatre with lots of synth strings backing and full ensemble it'd be nice to have that in record :-) |
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 10, 2024 9:44:08 GMT
Remember that the theatre production was specifically designed for the space and this includes the sound modelling. The co-orchestrator is the guy who did music for X-Factor/BGT and JFOD (and used to orchestrating to fill large studios / theatres). JFOD sounded very different by the end of its run. What you hear in a theatre is harder to replicate in a recording. Is it about replicating the sound in the theatre or producing a recording that sounds good? Because they seem to be achieving neither. Funny how so many previous Starlight recordings sound good, but now in 2024 it’s somehow much harder. Agreed it's a shame these things become harder. The two Bochum complete ones are sensational. |
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