For me, there are two. Ryan Adams “Cold Roses”, a double-disc on May 3 is the first of three releases he’s going to give fans this year. The man’s a prolific songwriter, and while not everything is golden, even the bad stuff is better than a lot of what others are releasing. An appreciation thread is probably forthcoming once I give the new discs a few spins around my player.
“Spamalot” Soundtrack, also out May 3. I’m probably never going to get to see the original cast perform, despite having two of my top-ten actors (Hank Azaria and Tim Curry) in the cast, plus David Hyde Pierce all under the guidance of Eric Idle, neither of whom are slouches by any means. I’m sure I’ll catch a touring production when it comes down to DC or Baltimore, as all the hit shows do, but it won’t be quite the same. At least this way, I’ll get to hear what I’ll never see.
A friend mentioned last night that Dave Matthews Band “Stand Up” is coming out on the tenth. I’m largely apathetic, as “American Baby” has done nothing for me on multiple listens.
So what’s coming up that you’ll grab the first week?
I’m looking forward to Ben Folds’ new album, which comes out any week now. I’ve heard very mixed early reviews, but I’m still a huge fan after all his Ben Folds Five stuff, Rockin’ the Suburbs and the live album that followed (since I saw him on that same solo-piano tour), and his work with William Shatner.
Nitpick: ON-STAGE MUSICALS DO NOT HAVE SOUNDTRACKS!!! Use that word in front of a musicals fantatic and you risk being pounded with the nearest blunt object.
I have seen the show twice, and I am looking forward to the Spamalot cast CD.
Despite the fact that I’ve already heard it all the way through about a million times, I’m still excited to have the dual-sided version of the new album by Nine Inch Nails, “With Teeth”.
Fair 'nuff. And once there exists more than one recording, I’ll revert to the convention of “Original Broadway Cast” as opposed to “London Cast” or “Touring Cast” or “Rivival Cast” recording. But Tuesday I’m going to march into my Best Buy (because I have a gift card) and head straight to the Soundtrack section. It’s lazy shorthand, so sue me. And if we ever meet at an East Coast dopefest, I’ll keep you away from the blunt objects (sharp ones too).
I flatly refuse to do business with CD stores that don’t separate soundtracks from Original Cast CDS. People who refer to “soundtracks” on musicals boards get buried with nasty posts.
Hank Azaria is leaving the show in June, so hopefully I’ll get to see it again before he goes.
Come to think of it, aside from (the few and far between) stores that specialize in Cast Recordings, I don’t think I’ve EVER seen the distinction made. Guess I’m about 250 miles too far off Broadway. Even the big DC Barnes and Noble only makes a token distinction, having them all in one section, but calling it the “Soundtrack/Cast Recording” racks. It’s the place for me to go to get anything more obscure.
Know what? I take it back. There’s one store I know of that has them racked separately. A big local used music store that also makes distinctions between Country, Bluegrass, Zydeco, Folk, and Irish. I just don’t go there too often because the parking is awful.
Getting back to the OP, Forbidden Broadway SUV is out. Any theatre lovers who haven’t heard these gems, take a listen. This is the seventh one, and they are all superb.
UrbanChic, I would never have pegged you as a Weezer fan! I keep forgetting this album is coming out. The lead-off single, “Beverly Hills,” has been getting some brutal early reviews, but die-hard Weezer fans are saying the new album should be their best since Pinkerton, and should leave *“Green” * and *Maladroit * (which I didn’t necessarily dislike) as bad memories.
Time for me to nitpick back: SVU, not SUV. Though them fitting their cracked songs to suburban consumer culture could be interesting, too. One of those wonderfully off-kilter shows that makes you glad to have theater (Forbidden Broadway are the folks who did the “Bring Him Home” version where the singer complains about the song being too high, right?). Though it’s completely off-topic, I have to register amusement that another such troupe, the Reduced Shakespeare Company recently had an entire Jeopardy category.
Having listened to an advanced copy of the album several times, imo Make Believe isn’t even the best Weezer album since Maladroit. It’s a real let down. God damn it Rivers Cuomo you wrote Pinkerton, get your act together.
The only album I’m looking forward to is the White Stripes, but that won’t come out until June.
