After hearing Jill Sobule's version of Sunrise, Sunset on XPN, I knew I had to have this CD. It's a collection of Knitting Factory Records regulars covering songs from Fiddler on the Roof. I'm not terribly familiar with any of the artists on this CD, but I know all of the songs from Fiddler. So it was all about rediscovering something I love through new eyes.
The first listen was exciting and wonderful.
This collection is very eclectic. Some of the songs are true gems, but some of them just fall short. Let's get the bad news first:
If I Were A Rich Man by Magnetic Fields just doesn't do it for me. I love the original. It's a wonderful passionate song. This version, however, seems so indifferent. I love the guy's voice, but the complete lack of emotion just really turns me off. Nothing was added to the song, only taken away. Bah.
To Life by Naftule's Dream might be okay, but they took out all the words. These are songs I know the words to and enjoy singing along with. The words are just gone. And much of the music sounds a bit cacophonous.
Far From The Home I Love by David S. Ware is another wordless wonder. All sax. The melody is unrecognizable most of the time. I'm all for change, but it's hard to find the original song anywhere under this for the most part.
Now for the good news (there's more of this than the bad news ;} ):
Jill Sobule's Sunrise, Sunset is just amazing. Just vocals and guitar. Very simplistic, and so amazingly beautiful. It really brings out the beauty of the melody and the lyrics. It builds, adding harmony as the song goes on. Just wonderful.
Come's Do You Love Me just thrilled me. This has always been one of my favorite songs from Fiddler. They completely reworked it, changing it to a conversation over the telephone, modernizing it. It's not much like the original, but the originality far makes up for it. It really works.
Tevye's Dream by Negativland also amazed me. Completely reworked, but this time, using much of the original dialog, pulled right from the movie. Lots of beautiful sampling. Wonderfully done.
Uri Caine's Sabbath Prayer is beautiful. He plays his piano and sings the prayer in Hebrew. Stunning.
The Residents do a great retelling of Matchmaker with this very mechanical sound. They change some of the lyrics, making it a little bit more their own. I love this. The mechanical feel is sort of true to the theme of the song, girls wanting a match without really knowing why or what they're getting into, just knowing they ought to want it. Excellent idea, flawless execution.
New Orleans Klezmer Allstars removed most of the lyrics from Tradition, and changed what they did keep, but the wonderful music and the twist they added to the lyrics makes it worth it. The song is beautifully played. The lyrics, appearing at the very end of the song, reflect our generation much better than the original Fiddler lyrics. "At three I started Hebrew school. At ten I smoked some weed. I hear they picked a bride for me. I hope she puts out."
Wedding Celebration by Hasidic New Wave and Anatevka by Paradox Trio are also very worth listening to. The two songs I don't really feel either way about are Miracle of Miracles by Dr. Eugene Chadbourne and Chava Ballet Sequence by Elliott Sharp.
I really enjoy this album, but I honestly can't think of one other person I know who would. So I recommend it to you, especially if you love Fiddler, even I don't personally have any friends to recommend it to. Listen and enjoy :}
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.