HiRez Poll COMPANY - A MUSICAL COMEDY (Original Cast Recording) [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of COMPANY - A MUSICAL COMEDY (Original Cast Recording)

  • 7

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4

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  • 3

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  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Terrible Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    7

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2020 Multichannel SACD from Dutton Vocalion of the album "Company - A Musical Comedy".

(y) :) (n)

THE ORIGINAL LP OS 3550 (1970) STEREO/SQ 30993 QUADRAPHONIC

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Musical direction and orchestra conducted by Harold Hastings
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Dance music arrangements by Wally Harper, except* David Shire

ACT I
1: Company
Dean Jones and Company

2: The Little Things You Do Together
Elaine Stritch, Barbara Barrie,Charles Kimbrough and Company

3: Sorry-Grateful
Charles Kimbrough, Dean Jones,
George Coe, Charles Braswell

4: You Could Drive a Person Crazy
Donna McKechnie, Susan Browning, Pamela Myers

5: Have I Got a Girl for You
Charles Braswell, John Cunningham, Steve Elmore,
George Coe, Charles Kimbrough and Company

6: Someone is Waiting
Dean Jones, The Vocal Minority

7: Another Hundred People
Pamela Myers, The Vocal Minority

8: Getting Married Today
Beth Howland, Steve Elmore, Teri Ralston and Company


ACT II
9: Side by Side by Side
– What Would We Do Without You?
Dean Jones and Company

10: Poor Baby
Barbara Barrie, Teri Ralston, Merle Louise,
Beth Howland, Elaine Stritch, Charles Kimbrough, George Coe

11: Tick-Tock* Dance music for Donna McKechnie
Dean Jones, Susan Browning, The Vocal Minority

12: Barcelona
Dean Jones, Susan Browning

13: The Ladies Who Lunch
Elaine Stritch

14: Being Alive
Dean Jones and Company

15: Finale
Company

Remastered from the original analogue tapes by Michael J. Dutton


Multi-ch Stereo
All tracks available in stereo and multi-channel


SA-CD
This hybrid CD can be played on any standard CD players

CDLK4638

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg
 
Wow, I wasn't really prepared for THIS. Amazing QUAD SACD of a landmark musical. Cannot believe how well preserved these 70's QUAD masters are and as remastered from the original analogue tapes by Michael Dutton .... a revelation.

This is 70's QUAD at its best and VERY dubious any Turntable, tone arm or catridge nor SQ decoder would be able to deliver anything approximating the wildly discrete elements of this Sondheim musical.

KUDOs to D~V for rescuing this treasure from the SONY vaults and making it available in 2020 A.D. to at least this appreciative audience.
 
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I thought this looked familiar, there's also a film!
A long-lost 1970 documentary by D.A. Pennebaker of this recording session recently started streaming on the Criterion Channel.
[There's a 14-day free trial available for new subscribers]

Original Cast Album: “Company” - The Criterion Channel

Original Cast Album: “Company”
Directed by D. A. Pennebaker • 1970 • United States
Starring Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Stritch, Donna McKechnie

This legendary, long-unavailable documentary from Direct Cinema pioneer D. A. Pennebaker captures the behind-the-scenes drama that went into the making of a classic Broadway recording.
When Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical “Company” opened on Broadway in 1970, it was an immediate triumph.

Shortly thereafter, the actors, musicians, and Sondheim assembled to record the original cast album in a grueling, nearly nineteen-hour session that tested the talents of all involved—including Elaine Stritch, who pushed herself to the limit to record what would become her iconic version of “The Ladies Who Lunch.”
With raw immediacy, Pennebaker and his crew document the explosive energy and creative intensity that go into capturing the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of live performance.




Screen Shot 2020-08-11 at 7.11.47 PM.png



There's a also second commentary version.

ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: “COMPANY” Commentary

This commentary, recorded in 2001, features director D. A. Pennebaker; Harold Prince, producer of the original Broadway production; and actor Elaine Stritch.



Screen Shot 2020-08-11 at 7.12.17 PM.png
 
I thought this looked familiar, there's also a film!
A long-lost 1970 documentary by D.A. Pennebaker of this recording session recently started streaming on the Criterion Channel.
[There's a 14-day free trial available for new subscribers]

Original Cast Album: “Company” - The Criterion Channel

Original Cast Album: “Company”
Directed by D. A. Pennebaker • 1970 • United States
Starring Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Stritch, Donna McKechnie

This legendary, long-unavailable documentary from Direct Cinema pioneer D. A. Pennebaker captures the behind-the-scenes drama that went into the making of a classic Broadway recording.
When Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical “Company” opened on Broadway in 1970, it was an immediate triumph.

Shortly thereafter, the actors, musicians, and Sondheim assembled to record the original cast album in a grueling, nearly nineteen-hour session that tested the talents of all involved—including Elaine Stritch, who pushed herself to the limit to record what would become her iconic version of “The Ladies Who Lunch.”
With raw immediacy, Pennebaker and his crew document the explosive energy and creative intensity that go into capturing the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of live performance.




View attachment 55120



There's a also second commentary version.

ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM: “COMPANY” Commentary

This commentary, recorded in 2001, features director D. A. Pennebaker; Harold Prince, producer of the original Broadway production; and actor Elaine Stritch.


View attachment 55121
The "Documentary Now" parody of this documentary is perfect, if you haven't seen it.

 
The "Documentary Now" parody of this documentary is perfect, if you haven't seen it.

The Criterion Channel has a 30-minute "making of" doc with the Co-Op cast on a Zoom call that was just done on May 22.
A fun watch, with cut-ins of both the original and parody versions to illustrate the discussion.
“Documentary Now!” Conversation - Original Cast Album: “Company” - The Criterion Channel

-----------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to ask forgiveness for cluttering a poll thread.
If my content should be moved to a more appropriate location, please let a mod know.

I'm not a show tune fan and had zero interest in this title.
After watching all the Criterion content documenting the recording, it's a must-have for the price.
Simply to hear the product of a historic session in quad, even if I won't spin it often.
YMMV
:51QQ
------------------------------------------------------------
 
Last edited:
The Criterion Channel has a 30-minute "making of" doc with the Co-Op cast on a Zoom call that was just done on May 22.
A fun watch, with cut-ins of both the original and parody versions to illustrate the discussion.
“Documentary Now!” Conversation - Original Cast Album: “Company” - The Criterion Channel

-----------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to ask forgiveness for cluttering a poll thread.
If my content should be moved to a more appropriate location, please let a mod know.

I'm not a show tune fan and had zero interest in this title.
After watching all the Criterion content documenting the session, it's a must-have for the price.
Simply to hear the product of a historic session in quad, even if I won't spin it often.
YMMV
:51QQ
------------------------------------------------------------

Adding quality info in a poll thread is miles away from the usual idiotic "I just received my shipping notice" crap so there is no need to apologize.
 
At those prices, I don't believe I will look any further.💸💸💸
Stephen Colbert in the cast? 👀

Luckily, I purchased it from Amazon when the price was $15.49 and I even had a gift card so the cost was $0.00! It is an amazing production, however, and yes, Stephen Colbert, political diatribes aside, does acquit himself quite nicely, as does Madman's [VERY] busty Christina Hendricks who adequately shows she's WAY MORE than just a lustful redhead!
 
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I would rate this higher, but I found the EQ on it to be wanting. I did some of my own EQ and found it to be much more pleasant sounding.

Material, performance and mix are all excellent.

[Edit: I forgot to note that the title tune is one of the partial pieces on the Columbia Introduction to SQ Sound record, which was my first ever quad recording. So I just had to have this one.]
 
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An absolutely superb quad mix and album! It’s a really enjoyable extravaganza! This is like going to the West End / Broadway but in your own living room.

An amazing release that gets a 10 from me…

The only concern I have is what I’m going to have to cook for Bobby for dinner?!🧑🏼‍🍳
 
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