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Rating: 
Summary: Music For A Great Show
Review: I, like many many others, have fallen in love with the Off-Broadway recording of The Last Five Years. I was also very fortunate to have seen it as well. Awesome show, awesome music. There isn't anything else to say. This is really the best as far as small musicals go in my opinion. Not only is it startling realistic, but the music is sophisticated and the lyrics are complex. But only in the very best ways. So of course, being a thespian I must have the music for this spectacular show so that I can feel somewhat connected to it. Of course there is the benefit of being able to sing the great songs by myself instead of with the recording (which isn't all that bad either). First thing to consider: The music is very difficult to play. The piano score for this is incredibly complex and difficult and hasn't really been toned down from the actual music. Therefore, those looking to get this book for audition songs, I wouldn't reccomend it. Unless the pianist has seen it, is an excellent piano player, and has had time to study it, it will not go over well. You would have be an absolute genius at the piano to be able to sight read this music well. So that is very unfortunate. Another odd thing about this music book is that almost every song in the show is in it. The only ones that aren't in it are See I'm Smiling and A Miracle Would Happen. Usually they leave out more songs than that, but it makes for the fact that you'll probably get everything you're looking for. But this music collection is essential for anyone who loves theatre and wants their own music. Then again, even if you aren't into theatre, the music in this book is also appealing to many who are simply into music itself. A big reccomendation.
Rating:
Summary: JRB is a Musical GENIUS
Review: Jason Robert Brown (Tony winner for Parade, and well known by musical theatre enthusiasts for Songs for a New World) has done is again with the fairly unknown and desparately underappreciated 2-person musical, "The Last Five Years." This is indeed some of JRB's greatest lyrics - definitely the most fun to listen to and of course sing. Though not ALL of the songs from the show are included in this selections book (sadly, "see, i'm smiling was excluded) it still includes the best of the best from the wonderfully talent composer and lyricist's 3 broadway show. "Climbing Uphill," "Part of That," "The Schmuel Song," "Shiska Goddess," "Summer in Ohio," and "The Next Ten Minutes are all included, plus others. If you're looking for great music by an even great musical genius, you can stop looking. The book is DEFINITELY for you and you will find everything you look for in vocal selections in this book!!
Rating:
Summary: a terrific songbook
Review: Let provide a little more information about this book, which i absolutely love. Like all of the other Jason Robert Brown vocal selections, this one is characterized by complex piano arrangements (for the most part transcriptions of the actual piano parts you hear on the recording). The casual player will find these arrangements MUCH more difficult to play than the average broadway vocal selections (such as Phantom, Les Miz) because they are not simplified. However, the intermediate player will find much to love in these pieces. I think of the JRB trifecta (last 5 years, parade, songs for a new world) to be a pretty great workshop in how to play rock piano accompaniments. This book is definately my favorite of the 3. The first reason is that it is by far the most complete. All but 2 songs are presented (See I'm Smiling, and A Miracle Would Happen), although a few songs lose interludes (the intro to Still Hurting and the matching exit from Goodbye Til Tommorow). Climbing Uphill is combined into "When you come home to me". Second, wow, the music. This stuff just feels great under the fingers and I think Brown has really matured as a composer with the variety in this work.
Rating:
Summary: a terrific songbook
Review: Let provide a little more information about this book, which i absolutely love. Like all of the other Jason Robert Brown vocal selections, this one is characterized by complex piano arrangements (for the most part transcriptions of the actual piano parts you hear on the recording). The casual player will find these arrangements MUCH more difficult to play than the average broadway vocal selections (such as Phantom, Les Miz) because they are not simplified. However, the intermediate player will find much to love in these pieces. I think of the JRB trifecta (last 5 years, parade, songs for a new world) to be a pretty great workshop in how to play rock piano accompaniments. This book is definately my favorite of the 3. The first reason is that it is by far the most complete. All but 2 songs are presented (See I'm Smiling, and A Miracle Would Happen), although a few songs lose interludes (the intro to Still Hurting and the matching exit from Goodbye Til Tommorow). Climbing Uphill is combined into "When you come home to me". Second, wow, the music. This stuff just feels great under the fingers and I think Brown has really matured as a composer with the variety in this work.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Five Years
Review: The Last Five years is a compelling, emotion wrenching piece of art that I hope will be handed down through time. It had a short run on broadway, but has been popping up in small town theatre across the U.S. I fell in love with the music the first time I heard it, and wish I could have caught it when it ran in New York or Illinois.
Rating:
Summary: The Last Five Years
Review: The Last Five years is a compelling, emotion wrenching piece of art that I hope will be handed down through time. It had a short run on broadway, but has been popping up in small town theatre across the U.S. I fell in love with the music the first time I heard it, and wish I could have caught it when it ran in New York or Illinois.
Rating:
Summary: amaizing!
Review: This is the best song book that Brown has come out with. When i first heard this music i didn't really like it. Now it has grown on me and i can't stop listening to it. He gets so much emotion i can't believe a human actually wrote this! i also saw the closing show of this in NYC and it really shows that there are 3 sides to a story, his, hers and the truth...
Rating:
Summary: amaizing!
Review: This is the best song book that Brown has come out with. When i first heard this music i didn't really like it. Now it has grown on me and i can't stop listening to it. He gets so much emotion i can't believe a human actually wrote this! i also saw the closing show of this in NYC and it really shows that there are 3 sides to a story, his, hers and the truth...
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