Only You is a lovely song and Frances Ruffelle is a welcome addition to this duet. Barbra Streisand comes in a close second but she sings it in a register that is different to her regular vocal presentation and while it pays homage to the original, it doesn’t sound quite right either, thereby ensuring Paige remains unchallenged. Memory is another favourite song that Crawford performs well but no-one does it better than Elaine Paige. I’d even argue that Crawford’s reinterpretation here is better than the original performance. Bonny once again joins Crawford to conduct this duet and arguably outperforms Sarah Brightman. Okay, I could say that about so many songs that I adore, but it is bold and one that demands you turn the volume up. The Phantom Of The Opera is, arguably the greatest song ever written. Gethsemane is one of my all-time favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber compositions and the only time I’ve heard it better was when John Farnham covered it in the 1992 Australian recording of Jesus Christ Superstar and that’s saying something as I feel Crawford recorded an impeccable, albeit different, interpretation to that of the Australian cast recording. It’s a delicate song but one that is handled with kid gloves and perfectly suited to Crawford thereby making this song a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience. Tell Me On A Sunday was the perfect song to follow Nothing Like You’ve Ever Known. Nothing Like You’ve Ever Known is simply beautiful a pleasure to listen to and one to play on repeat. While I don’t feel there is a bad song to be heard on Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber, I do question if this was the right song to include at this point in the sequencing for I don’t feel Crawford adequately delivers the vocal on this song as he appears not only distant in the mix but unable to reach the required notes with the authority that has been prevalent on all other songs thus far.
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again is beautifully recorded and one of my favourite songs on the album.Īnd The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out) is a great song but the tempo is significantly different to that of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again and it momentarily causes a mental jolt. The duet is done with Barbara Bonney and she is nothing short of a musical gift from the gods.
Yes, their styles are somewhat different, but Any Dream Will Do most certainly appeals to vocalists with a broader classical range.Īll I Ask Of You is simply stunning although I’ve always considered the opening to be too long, wishing that the vocals would have been introduced a little sooner.
#Michael crawford phantom of the opera songs full
Either way, it is a lovely recording and one that takes full advantage of your stereo system.Īny Dream Will Do is a lovely song to open the album with and while I’m not a major fan of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Crawford does a far better job than Jason Donovan ever did. I prefer a warmer tonality to my music, you may of course differ, but increasing the bass slightly addresses this issue. If there is one criticism to be had it is that the sound signature is so clean that it can be a little clinical. Sonically, the album is marvellous as the soundstage is wide with Crawford positioned perfectly centre and the instrument separation of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is consistently clear and not at all congested. Thankfully, TIDAL Hi-Fi has the CD-quality stream that sounds just the way it should. The album, Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber, is near impossible to pick up on CD these days and while available on streaming services, the Apple Music edition, a non-Apple Digital Master sounds flat and lifeless. Yes, it would be easy to dismiss Michael Crawford following his slapstick role as Frank Spencer, but doing so would be detrimental to one’s love of music for his vocal presentation is perfectly suited to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s compositions. I’d suggest it is impossible, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong. Michael Crawford Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber was not only astonishing when first released in 1991, but it has arguably stood the test of time and I challenge you to find a more complete and concise exploration of Lloyd Webber by an artist that is Crawford’s vocal peer.
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