Track Listing

1. All I Ask Of You
2. Something's Coming
3. Losing My Mind
4. Memory
5. Don't Rain On My Parade
6. With One Look
7. Show Me
8. I Dreamed A Dream
9. You'll Never Walk Alone
10. Easy Terms
11. Last Night Of The World
12. Loving You
13. Anthem
14. Love Changes Everything
15. With One Look (Outro)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81934 in Music
• Released on: 1996-11-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

The first collection of Broadway tunes from Michael Ball
If you are going to do an album covering songs from Broadway musicals then you are going to want to provide listeners with something different from what they are familiar with from Broadway cast albums. For Michael Ball on "Musicals" that would be the segment where he does six songs in a row that were originally performed by female singers: "Losing My Mind" from "Follies," "Memory" from "Cats," "Don't Rain on My Parade" from "Funny Girl," "With One Look" from "Sunset Boulevard," "Show Me" from "My Fair Lady," and "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables." For me this is the strongest part of the album and I totally appreciate the idea of Ball singing songs that he would never be able to sing on stage in an actual performance (at the end of the album there is a one line reprise of "With One Look" in which Ball simply sings, "I could play any role"). The results are exactly the sort of "different" that we would hope to find on an album like this. Ball also picks some songs most listeners will likely have not heard before, which for me meant "Easy Terms" from "Blood Brothers," but could well be something else for you.

The other parts that stand out are the duets now reduced to solos, "All I Ask Of You" from "Phantom of the Opera" and "The Last Night of the World" from "Miss Saigon," and the best track is when Ball powers through "Anthem" from the often forgotten "Chess." The Broadway standards are a hit and miss proposition, with "Something Coming" from "West Side Story" having some excellent instrumentation but "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel" just being okay. I know that Ball began his career appearing in West End productions of "Les Miserables," "Aspects of Love," and "Phantom of the Opera," and after listening to this collection I would like to hear him in either "Miss Saigon" or "Chess" (okay, the latter is a pipe dream, but he would still be very good in it). For more of Michael Ball in a similar vein to this 1998 album, check out "Centre Stage," which is an even better collection of Broadway show tunes.

THE FINEST VOICE IN THE IDEAL SETTING.
Michael Ball possesses one of the finest voices of the century, so it is a feast, indeed, to have this collection of some of the musical theatre's greatest moments. His performances of "I Dreamed A Dream" and "With One Look" bear comparison with the originals, but the real peaks here are some of the lesser known songs, such as "Easy Terms" and "Anthem". It is on these recordings that the incredible tenor really soars. While some of the accompaniments are instrusive (all Michael Ball really needs is a pianist) and the selections questionable ("Don't Rain On My Parade" simply does not measure up to the other selections even as a song), the overall effect is wonderful and will satisfy Mr Ball's legions of fans of both sexes. Any hopes for a sequel?

Michael Ball at his best!
This album is a great example of Michael Ball on his home territory - the musicals. His wonderfully evocative voice adds a haunting flavour to many of these very well known songs. Unexpected gems include his version of 'I Dreamed a Dream' and 'Easy Terms' - songs usually sung by women but Michael's version brings a tear to your eye. Well worth buying you'll find yourself singing along in no time!