Which Jesus Christ Superstar?

[VelmaD]

Ok, I'm a Superstar junkie. I picked up the original Broadway cast recording a while back and promptly forgot about it. Found it tonight and have it in the cd player. It got me to thinking about how many different versions of that musical I own and which one I like best. So, I figured I'd see who else is a Superstar geek and which version y'all prefer.

I think I own like 5 different versions - the concept album, the original Broadway cast album, the movie soundtrack, the revival from a couple of years ago, and a version that the Indigo Girls were involved in with Amy as Jesus - yumm.

Me personally - I dig the movie soundtrack best.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Um. the version I saw in London in 1971.

It rocked!

[cosmicdot]

28. nothing like the original

Ian Gillan and Yvonne Elliman

what a great time to be visiting London!

much like Evita with Elaine Paige who wasn't given the opportunity of recreating her performance on Broadway

I can't remember when Tovah Feldshuh played Evita ... but, she one of the earliest

[supernova]

2. Indigo Girls?

:eyes: Somehow I don't get that one.

I like whichever one Ben Vereen is on.

[VelmaD]

4. Vereen was in...

the original Broadway cast. I dig his performance a lot.

Have you heard the Indigo Girls version? It's not bad...just...different.

[supernova]

5. OK, the Orig cast album

is the one I like.

Just think he was fantastic. Didn't he die recently?

Indigo Girls just tickles me b/c ALW requires a certain amount of bombast. And I don't think of IG as especially bombastic. But, who knows?

[GOPisEvil]

6. Ben Vereen was severely ill, but I believe he has recovered.

:-)

[supernova]

7. Thank you!

I was gonna be real sad if he died and I missed it.

He's another one, I just love everything he does.

[GOPisEvil]

10. He had a stroke, but he has recovered.

He has a website: http://www.benvereen.com/

[VelmaD]

8. Wow...

you know every damn thing don'tcha? :-)

[GOPisEvil]

11. I am the smart!

:P

[VelmaD]

13. You am so smart...

s-m-r-t

:P

[Atman]

3. Original Broadway Cast

The revival is awful!

Especially the HORRIBLE song Rice added to the end. Pure schmaltz.

[Dudley_DUright]

9. I like the original cast

JCS was the first album I ever bought. I was a big fan of Ian Gillian, former lead singer of Deep Purple (who of course sang the title role).

[VelmaD]

12. Love the original concept album too...

I owned it on vinyl as a kid. Searched for years to find it on cd.

[lynx rufus]

14. Indigo girls are absolutely terrible

[Cheswick2.0]

15. the original Broadway cast recording

I also love the movie and I have a DVD of the revival. I love the movie from the 70s because it is so campy. I love the big white afros and fringed costumes on the dancers during "Superstar".
The new DVD is terrific too. I love seeing anything on stage.

the original albums rocked. I love the heavy guitar and drums in all the orchestration.
I did a production of it in the early 80s that was really quite good. It effected me very strongly.

[MercutioATC]

16. My parents had an album when I was a kid...I got in trouble for saying

"Jesus Christ" until they figured out I was just singing from the record...I think it was the soundtrack album (we're talking about 1971 or 1972 here....whatever version fits).

[Blade]

17. Does this Jesus count?

[Nihil]

18. Close call ...

I ended up going for the 25th Anniversary release (which I guess is
the one you've labelled the "revival" one ... if not, "oops").

(Can't remember the rest of the cast but think Paul Nicholas was JC)

I've got the original cast (on black plastic round thing), the film
soundtrack (on tape + video), the 25th Anniv copy (double CD) and
have seen (but not bought) the DVD of the recent stage version.

Ok, so I'm a JCS fan too :-)

IMO they've all got their strengths and their faults (no, I don't like
the tacky add-on song at the end of the Anniv copy) but it's a damn
good show.

Of course, the best version is going to be in March 2004 when our
local Amateur Operatic Society does it ... and if I thought anyone
was going to be in the vicinity of North Hampshire (the English one)
around the week of 22-26 March then I'd give it a shameless plug!

Nihil

(Edited for morning memory problems)

[Kerridwyn]

19. Concept album

I still like the original concept album the best - but I would love to have seen some of the early London casts!

[Whitacre D_WI]

20. I hate Andrew Lloyd Weber, but Deep Purple and...

Murray Head are pretty cool.

So I have to go with the original album.


Of course, Murray Head (Judas/"One Night in Bankok") is the brother of Anthony Stewart Head from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

[thebigidea]

21. the version The Residents did on their WORMWOOD tour

it opened with a distorted version of it, ended with a fucked up "OLD TIME RELIGION"



It was good for making millions
Selling platitudes to pilgrims
Who were bar-be-cuing children
So it's good enough for me

It was good for making blisters
On the penises of misters
Who were molesting their sisters
So it's good enough for me.

It was good for Sunday School
Where shame and guilt were taught by fools
Who were only being human
So it's good enough for me

So even if it's just a token
It was good for giving hope
To human spirits that were broken
So it's good enough for me

[buddhamama]

22. Hah! was listening to it yesterday

Original Broadway cast version from 1971

[WoodrowFan]

23. What's the European one they show on PBS?

What's the European one they show on PBS? IS that the London one? The crowd members look like spies in trench coats?

[Le Taz Hot]

24. Nobody and I mean NOBODY

sings the role of Jesus like Ian Gillian (Gillan?) could. Ex lead singer of the old "Deep Purple" group (best known for "Smoke on the Water.")

Ted Neely? Blech! Spit! Choke! What a wimpy ass voice the man had. But then again, and with few exceptions, Andrew Lloyd Weber isn't known for his great choice in vocalists (Michael Crawford in "Phatom," Madonna as "Evita.")

[chiburb]

26. Shawn Phillips would have been better... n/t

.

[Le Taz Hot]

30. Just going by who actually has

done the role. :hi:

[chiburb]

25. The original Jesus (BWay) had to quit...

His name was Shawn Phillips, and the role was created with him in mind all along. However, a deal couldn't be worked out between the producers and Phillip's record company (A&M) on the original cast album, forcing his replacement.
Too bad, Shawn Phillips had the most magnificent voice...

http://www.shawnphillips.com/biography.htm

[noonwitch]

27. I like the movie and the original broadway soundtracks

I have the movie soundtrack.

My sister went to see a revival on stage a few years back that had Ted Neely as Jesus, but had Dennis DeYoung (of Styx) as Pontius Pilate. She said it was kind of strange.

[ProfessorGAC]

29. The Original Album - By Far

The arrangements and the vocal performances on that are superior to any other version. I can't even begin to listen to that awful movie version.
The Professor

[Aristus]

31. The original concept album, by far.

What an amazing cast. Ian Gillan, Murray Head (the coolest, best Judas ever!) Mike D'Abo of Manfred Mann, Yvonne Elliman. Their Caiaphas was incredible, too. Not a true bass like the guy in the movie, but far more expressive.

My favorite lines from the show, and the scariest:

Caiaphas to Judas: What you have done will be the saving of Israel
You'll be remembered forever for this!

BTW, the original London cast recording is just absolutely AWFUL!!! I bought the CD a few years back, listened to it, and then threw the whole piece of garbage across the room! God, it just SUCKED!

The Indigo Girls 'female Jesus' version was an interesting novelty, but not a true stand-out.

[pmbryant]

32. That must be the one I have

And I've always loved it. I taped it off my parent's album 20 years ago or so and that's still the only copy I have.

I've not heard/seen the other versions, so I don't know what they are like, but I suspect they would be a disappointment to me given how much I love the one I have.

:thumbsup:

--Peter