Artist: Various Artists
Title: Lazarus “Original Cast Recording”
Genre: Musical
Release Date: 21st October 2016
Label: RCA Records
Album Review
This world still can't let him go. The master and his music should live forever. This is his last song, parting gift to the world. Two CDs are the soundtrack to the musical ‘Lazarus’, built around songs by David Bowie. The record was made a day after Bowie's death by New York's cast of actors. The cast members received the sad news ones they entered the studio. All music on stage is allegation of finest Bowie tracks with new adaptation, including tree previously unreleased songs by Thin White Duke, which were recorded during the work on the ‘Blackstar’ session with light hand of producer Tony Visconti.
‘Lazarus’ was co-written by Bowie in collaboration with Irish play writer Enda Walsh and directed by Belgian avant-garde director Ivo van Hove. The main line is a sequel of the novel about the human-looking alien Thomas Jerome Newton who came to Earth from his drought-stricken planet and looking for a way back home to his family, suffering from isolation, depression and alcoholism, written in 1963 by Walter Tevis. This character was previously portrayed by Bowie himself in the 1976 movie ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ and became remarkable in Bowie's career. In addition, the voices of ‘Lazarus’ are prominent as well as its creators. Thomas Newton is represented by Golden Globe winner and six-time Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall (‘Dexter’, ‘Six Feet Under’), the main female act, the Girl, by Sophia Anne Caruso (‘The Nether’), also Tony Award nominee Cristin Milioti (‘How I Met Your Mother’) as Elly, and Michael Esper (theatre roles, ‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘Elementary’).
Although, someone could call this work just “Bowie's greatest hits”, all songs lined up with surgical precision. The story starts with an old hit by Ricky Nelson, ‘Hello Mary Lou’, actually 40 seconds as an intro and then the journey to Bowie-Newton-land begins! The beginning starts from the end, from ‘Lazarus’, the master's last work from ‘Blackstar’. The song draws attention and simultaneously throws the audience into the vortex of events, feelings and emotions. ‘It's No Game’ (Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps), 1980) on the contrast is like cold shower cutting the ground from under the feet with Japanese lyrics in the beginning. Next passage, ‘This Is Not America’ (‘Tonight’, reissue 1995) sounds a little bit too girly from Sophia Anne Caruso, but that's the point! Charlie Pollack is soothing and very straightforward during singing ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ (‘The Man Who Sold The World’, 1970). ‘No Plans’ is emotionally a turning point in the musical, it's one of three last “breaths” of Bowie. The song is sung by Sophia Anne Caruso as well as by David Bowie on the second CD. His voice is trembling, weak and singing goodbye in every word... ‘Changes’ (‘Hunky Dory’, 1971), ‘Absolute Beginners’ (‘Absolute Beginners: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack’, 1986) and ‘Heroes’ (‘Heroes’, 1977) were given a new, Broadway charm.
Without regards to all songs are well-know and deeply loved by fans, the soundtrack defines new bright edges of Bowie's talent that will never die.
Tracklist
CD1
01. Ricky Nelson - "Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart)"
02. Michael C. Hall & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Lazarus"
03. Michael C. Hall, Lynn Craig & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "It's No Game"
04. Sophia Anne Caruso & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "This Is Not America"
05. Charlie Pollack - "The Man Who Sold The World"
06. Sophia Anne Caruso - "No Plan"
07. Michael Esper & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Love Is Lost"
08. Cristin Milioti & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Changes"
09. Michael C. Hall & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Where Are We Now"
10. Michael C. Hall, Cristin Milioti, Michael Esper, Sophia Anne Caruso, Krystina Alabado & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Absolute Beginners"
11. Michael Esper - "Dirty Boys"
12. Michael C. Hall - "Killing A Little Time"
13. Sophia Anne Caruso - "Life On Mars"
14. Nicholas Christopher, Lynn Craig, Michael Esper, Sophia Anne Caruso & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "All The Young Dudes"
15. David Bowie - "Sound And Vision"
16. Cristin Milioti - "Always Crashing in the Same Car"
17. Michael Esper & Original New York Cast of Lazarus - "Valentine’s Day"
18. Michael C. Hall & Krystina Alabado - "When I Met You"
19. Michael C. Hall, Sophia Anne Caruso & Original New York Cast of Lazarus "Heroes"
CD2
01. David Bowie - "Lazarus"
02. David Bowie - "No Plan"
03. David Bowie - "Killing A Little Time"
04. David Bowie - "When I Met You"
Artists
David Bowie, Ricky Nelson, Michael C. Hall, Lynn Craig, Sophia Anne Caruso, Charlie Pollack, Michael Esper, Cristin Milioti, Krystina Alabado, Nicholas Christopher
Website
www.lazarusmusical.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10
Comments powered by CComment