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Smokey Joe's Cafe - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller

Smokey Joe's Cafe - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $15.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I Never Tire of It!
Review: ... I started checking Amazon every couple of months for the DVD version and was thrilled to find it available. We've watched it several times. The sound is excellent, the stars are vibrant and it's a totally uplifting experience. ... If you love rock 'n roll, you must have this DVD!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nothing Like the Originals
Review: GREAT songs, of course. But why listen to this when you can still find the originals, which reverberate with the spontaneity, passion, and outright JOY that pop music is supposed to be all about? Listen to the real thing and you will be embarrassed to admit you ever thought these versions were any good.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good, but not good enough
Review: I must confess that I was disappointed with the show. The songs were sung theatrically, rather than in a pop idiom, which (for me) certainly diminished the impact of Leiber and Stoller's outstanding repertoire. The cast were competent, but no one was outstanding. Take those songs that Elvis has recorded (9 or 10 of them); the show's performances of them could not even inject 10% of Elvis' vigour, passion. and raw energy.

Brenda Braxton was the best performer. BJ Crosby was pretty poor. I had seen her only once before (in a tribute concert to Ira Gershwin) and she again failed to impress. Her performance of "Fools Fall In Love" exemplified so clearly the great mistake, which some artists never seem to learn from, that high-power screeching is no substitute for real soul.

Overall the show is entertaining, but it could have been so much better.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Celine Dion sings Wanda Jackson
Review: I think it was Little Richard who said: "You cannot put a tuxedo on the funky blues!" Well, put a tuxedo on it they do. This is slick...really slick. And these folks can sing and dance but even though the music is fantastic, there is something missing here. It's the raw edge that the original recordings had. But hey, it's a Broadway show so what do you expect. And even though the performances of these classic rock & roll gems are polished (and some even verge on parody), it sure beats anything that Andrew Lloyd Webber could come up with. The DVD has cast bios and interviews (more like a 30 second comment from each cast member), a short page on Lieber and Stoller and not much else.
The music transcends all the nonsense but purists will find themselves wincing in their seats. The rest will have a good time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Celine Dion sings Wanda Jackson
Review: I think it was Little Richard who said: "You cannot put a tuxedo on the funky blues!" Well, put a tuxedo on it they do. This is slick...really slick. And these folks can sing and dance but even though the music is fantastic, there is something missing here. It's the raw edge that the original recordings had. But hey, it's a Broadway show so what do you expect. And even though the performances of these classic rock & roll gems are polished (and some even verge on parody), it sure beats anything that Andrew Lloyd Webber could come up with. The DVD has cast bios and interviews (more like a 30 second comment from each cast member), a short page on Lieber and Stoller and not much else.
The music transcends all the nonsense but purists will find themselves wincing in their seats. The rest will have a good time.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nothing Like the Originals
Review: Nine very talented artist, where do they come from? Certainly, not "American Idol". Here are the real stars, those who have put in the time and energy to refine their skills, very entertaining, I just wish I had seen it live.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: so much talent!
Review: Nine very talented artist, where do they come from? Certainly, not "American Idol". Here are the real stars, those who have put in the time and energy to refine their skills, very entertaining, I just wish I had seen it live.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Baby, THIS is Rock 'n' Roll!
Review: Rarely does a Broadway show get recorded in it's entirety, and even more rarely does this produce a good representation of what was seen live in the theatre. Smokey Joe's Cafe is about as good as it gets. As the longest running review in B'way history, Smokey Joe's Cafe brought back nearly all of it's original cast to perform for the last few weeks. I was in the audience for one of those magical last performances, and though this DVD can capture the electricity in the Virginia Theatre, it's still one amazing show! You'll love every second and you'll probably find yourself dancing in your living room when no one else is looking! Buy this DVD, if you love great music, you'll LOVE IT!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Baby, THIS is Rock 'n' Roll!
Review: Rarely does a Broadway show get recorded in it's entirety, and even more rarely does this produce a good representation of what was seen live in the theatre. Smokey Joe's Cafe is about as good as it gets. As the longest running review in B'way history, Smokey Joe's Cafe brought back nearly all of it's original cast to perform for the last few weeks. I was in the audience for one of those magical last performances, and though this DVD can capture the electricity in the Virginia Theatre, it's still one amazing show! You'll love every second and you'll probably find yourself dancing in your living room when no one else is looking! Buy this DVD, if you love great music, you'll LOVE IT!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing
Review: Really amazing, i love it from A to Z, the cast is wonderful, the band is big, and the songs are beautiful. A must to have...


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