[allcdcovers]

Music > Soundtracks > Les Miserables Original London Cast (1985) Retail CD
added on June 23, 2008, at 09:25 by rkjnsn

This isn't every single musical note from the show, but it's the full cast recording from the 1985 London version, spanning 2 discs. It includes more of the songs than the Broadway highlights album and is similarly priced. This London production was the first English-language version of Les Mis and some songs have been tweaked for the later Broadway productions. My first exposure to the wonderful music of Les Misérables was through the Broadway cast highlights CD, so I am a little biased toward that version (although this is the original). This version is a little different from the Broadway version. "Who Am I?" is sung a little slower and seems more thoughtful. "A Heart Full Of Love" has differnt lyrics and is incorporated into a three-song "Love Montage". This cast includes Colm Wilkinson as Valjean (he also played that role on Broadway and in the Tenth Anniversary Concert), Roger Allam as Javert, Patti LuPone as Fantine, Rebecca Caine as Cosette, Michael Ball as Marius, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, David Burt as Enjolras, and Alun Armstrong as Thénardier. I prefer Terrence Mann's rendition of "Stars" (from the Broadway cast) to Roger Allam's version on this CD. I really do. Maybe it's because I'm used to that one. And Thénardier has a strong British-type accent on this CD, so "Master Of The House" will sound a little weird if you're used to the American version. The actress who plays Eponine in the London cast is the same one from the Broadway cast (Frances Ruffelle). But for the people who were annoyed by her whiney performance on the Broadway CD, she sounds a little better on this recording. CONCLUSION: This is a pretty good recording of Les Mis and is available for a reasonable price. The Complete Symphonic Recordings includes even MORE of the show's music, but the cast is different (no Colm Wilkinson!). If you are used to the Broadway (American) version, I'd recommend you stick with that (although the Broadway equivalent of this 2-disc recording is a lot more expensive). The Broadway highlights CD is cheaper, but has only about half of the songs. I'd also recommend you check out the Tenth Anniversary Concert CD. It features an all-star cast of Les Mis alums (plucked from the London, Broadway, and other casts). The recording spans 2 discs, so it includes songs that the highlights CD doesn't (similar to this London recording), AND it's about the same price as the London disc or the highlights disc. If you're looking for more music than the highlights CD offers, but you're not familiar with the London cast and you don't want to shell out $30-something, the Tenth Anniversary Concert CD may be the way to go.

front 3241 x 2770 px

back 3548 x 2762 px

cd 2908 x 2900 px

cd_2 2884 x 2880 px

inside 2815 x 2821 px