Stanley Black - Broadway Blockbusters / Broadway Spectacular (CD)

All Music Guide

Stanley Black based two dynamic Phase 4 Stereo LPs on themes from Broadway musicals, surrounding himself with the London Festival Orchestra Chorus. Every single track on the first half of the disc ("There's No Business Like Show Business" through "Hello Dolly") features the Chorus right up front, brightly barking the lyrics directly into the face of the listener. After "Hello Dolly" the production pulls back a bit; the vocalists keen wordlessly or disappear entirely, only to emerge with a vengeance during the catchier tunes, enunciating the words with tidy precision like participants in some hellish late night singalong. Possibly useful as a tool for learning (or drowning in) Broadway show tunes, this particular reissue is better than Black's 100percent syrupy Muzak projects (Red Velvet/Music for Romance) but doesn't posses the charm of his Latin American and lounge albums.

- arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide