CD Review: R&H Goes Pop – Various Artists

R&H GOES POP – Various Artists (Downloads)

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Funnily enough, I had just read some comments on a musical theatre group on Facebook about this album when I got the email asking me to review it. The comments were certainly not complimentary, so I approached the album with some trepidation. I need not have worried… read on:

Anything that cleverly updates classics and brings them to a new audience cannot be sneezed at. Young people who wouldn’t give musical theatre two seconds thought in their life could be hooked by listening to an arrangement that brings a song written over half a century ago bang up to date.

Of course, the concept isn’t new – we had Harajuku in the 90s bringing musical theatre into electronic music. Back in the 50s when many of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals were at their peak, we had jazz versions to bring the songs to a different audience. So, I don’t know why all those damning comments were on that Facebook page – maybe they hadn’t actually listened to the album and it was simply the thought of someone having the audacity to bring new versions of old show tunes to life that upset them.

They should listen to it. Okay, there are a couple of tracks that, in my opinion, don’t work – due to them being over-produced or using songs that just don’t work in this style. However, on the whole, this is such a refreshing album – there are just so many Joe Bloggs Sings the Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein albums you can take!

The album starts with a beautiful rendition of ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’’ sung by Jeremy Jordan. The melody is instantly recognisable but the arrangement takes it to new heights. Simply delightful. The next track really makes you go WOW what on earth is happening? It is Ariana DeBose giving a rendition of ‘Shall We Dance’ that incorporates a dance arrangement with rap included – love how some of the lyrics used for the rap are from South Pacific – that was unexpected. At first hearing, I thought I didn’t like the idea but then I listened again, and it all made sense. Such a surprise.

There are 15 tracks on the album, so I am not going into detail on each and every one. ‘It Feels Good’ by Lilli Cooper, from Me and Juliet; ‘Something Good’ by Katrina Lenk, this rendition is so poignant and not the usual sugary sweet version we are used to hearing. ‘We Kiss in a Shadow’ has a lovely surprise, being sung by two male artists (Matt Doyle and Jelani Alladin), giving the lyrics a fantastic, new, emotional meaning.

A couple of tracks don’t work so well, and this has nothing to do with the performers but with the arrangements. ‘Something Wonderful’, one of my all-time favourite R&H songs, doesn’t quite hit the mark but I can’t put my finger on the reason. ‘Do-Re-Mi’ is given a rap version that sounds completely over-produced.

A couple of others didn’t quite ‘hit the spot’ but on the whole this is an absolute delight to listen to and, I’m sure, on re-listening to the album, even the tracks that didn’t work first time round will grow on me.

This is a must for all musical theatre fans. I know the die-hard, stuck-in-the-mud traditionalists won’t take to it – but that is their loss. Meanwhile, the rest of us can have fun and remind ourselves that songs written 80 years ago are still classics and that is why Rodgers and Hammerstein will always survive.

Nick Wakeham