Kim Mitchell

This is one of the greatest examples of Musical Theater. The songs in this Film couldn't haven't been done any better than besides the greats; Fred Ebb and John Kander. Its sad that it took about thirty years after the Broadway Production for it to be made into a movie. But I guess it was worth it to get such great stars as Catherine Zeta-Jones, and newly introduced to Musical Theater, Queen Latifah.

I sadly would have to say that from what I have heard of Liza Minnelli's performances of songs in Chicago, are not as great as Zellweger's were in this film. Although Liza does a great "All That Jazz", Renee shows Liza how to get the number "Roxie" done.

One thing I really like about this soundtrack is that is olden type of music, and its not remastered old songs, but it old songs performed by Modern artists, and presented in Modern, "High Definition" audio quality. Its like Michael Buble, he does the old standards, but manages to share them with the old standards to us with great, new, modern, quality. And thats exactly what this film does, It still presents the great old classics; But does it in a great modern, and perfect audio quality way.

One part I think that could have been done better by someone else is the part John C. Reiley. From what I Heard he is a singer, but from what I have seen in this movie, he isn't the greatest one. "Mr. Cellophane" is one of my favorite songs from this film, and I think John C. Reilly makes the song look like a joke. It's supposed to be a very touching song, and I don't think his vocals met those requirements. And also, I think the whole vagabond outfit for his character was completely dumb. I think the whole lonely stage setup was great, but the whole, homeless, vagabond thing, just made the song look like a joke. When it really is a very touching song.

Besides that, the film and soundtrack where great. And I loved the two extra tracks on the soundtrack by Queen Latifah, and Anastasia are great.This album completely deserved the Grammy Nomination it got, and I would recommend this album to any Musical Theater fan.

The soundtrack arrived within about a week. (I never opt for faster delivery.) It was exactly what I wanted and, as far as I can tell, plays flawlessly.

This music is so faithfully performed by the very talented ensemble that it brings back the 1920's vividly. Each song reflects a specific style of the music popular at the time. After listening to this CD I had to see the movie (which was also terrific) and then I had to buy the sheet music. Usually I simply enjoy a CD and move on. This one reached me.

The cd is very good. There are only songs, no speaking parts really, even ones that precede certain songs. There are a couple of songs that are not in the movie or that were inspired by the movie. The first time you listen to it if you haven't read the fine print it kind of throws you for a loop. I highly recommend it for all who love the movie!

I truly loved the music with the movie is excellent. I was very impressed of the singing of the movie stars.

This lady has one great voice. She can certainly sell a song. My only reservation about her is that she's a bit cocky. I think she could use some humility.

Unbelievable breath control, phrasing, and style. My 10 yr. old Granddaughter who heretofore has listened and loved the usual rap
and hip-hop, heard me playing this disc and begged me to buy her
one........and I did, and she plays it all the time, and to her
friends. Linda Eder exceeds the Streisand mystique by far.

i am turning 60 years old this year. i went to my 1st.broadway
musical in 1960. over the years i have had the honor to see
almost all of the giants of american song, garland, streisand,
patti lupone, lena horne, betty buckley, barbaracook etc. in
"broadway, my way" linda eder cements her place as the best of the best. from an anthem like "i am what i am" to the lovely
"on the street where you live" captures you body and soul.
i loved this album, and don't ever miss a chance to see her live. JOHN POWER

A great selection of songs. Tremendous amount of energy in Linda's voice. I just love it.

Wow! Linda Eder has an outstanding voice. She sells Broadway in the styles of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. After hearing this you will want more.

I really like Broadway music so this is the BEST!!!!!!
I let someone else borrow this to listen at her house--She liked it also

Purchased as a single in June of 1985, "Go for Soda" always brings to mind the morning I saw a white Lamborghini Countach rocketing eastward on I-70 at Tower Road in Aurora, Colorado. Mitchell's guitar playing on "Soda" is phenomenal, to say the least, and I've always regretted not buying the Akimbo Alogo album. Rockland, Mitchell's 1989 LP, contains two fantastic tracks: "Rock and Roll Duty" and "Moodstreet."

Great album by a great artist. Kim Mitchell, in my book, is one of the best singer/song writer/musicians to lay it down. If you're looking for an artist who can set the mood, lay down the blues or rock the house, I highly recommend this album and suggest a look into his other works.

A lot of old-school Max Webster fans were dissapointed in this, Kim Mitchell's first full-length solo album. It's easy to see why, because Akimbo Alogo is pretty straight-forward rock. There's not a trace of that prog or experimentation that made Max Webster such a unique creature. However, those fans were too quick to judge.

Akimbo Alogo (great title) still stands up on its own as Kim's finest solo album. Back in that hazy summer of 1984 it spawned four hit videos: "Lager & Ale", "That's A Man", the fantastic ballad "All We Are" and of course, the immortal "Go For Soda".

The only holdover from the Max days is lyricist Pye Dubois, spinning words as only he could, with humour and poetry. "All We Are" was written during the tail end of Max, but Kim knew nobody in that band could sing the high notes in the chorus. Along comes Peter Fredette, a talented musician and singer in his own right. Peter joined Kim's band and stayed throughout all the 80's. His vocal made this song something truly special.

Of course, Kim's guitar playing is among some of the best he's ever laid down on vinyl, and that includes the Max stuff. His soloing here is vibrant and warm. Nobody can copy Kim's guitar stylings, and he's at his best here.

There's also a minimum of synth programming going on here, which Kim got a little too carried away with on his next album, Shakin' Like A Human Being. I'm not sure why Kim thought it was a good idea to start doing stuff like that anyway, but at this point he hadn't gotten too carried away with it...yet.

A couple qualms with this CD reissue:

I wish the LP cover art with Kim in stripey spandex was used. It's funny, it's dated, but it was 1984! Surely it doesn't matter that he looked rediculous. I'm glad I have the LP.

I also wish this CD had been digitally remastered. My vinyl sounds better than the CD.

Having said that, no fan of classic Canadian rock and roll should be without this album. Even the diehard Max fans who haven't listened to Kim since the demise of that band will find a lot to love here. You're missing out if you don't get to hear this album. You really are.

I first heard him opening for Jethro Tull on the "A" tour, and then heard him, as most fans did, through the Max Webster collaboration with Rush on "Battlescar". A couple of years later I heard "Go for Soda" on the radio. Bought the thing on tape and immediately loved it. The songs run from the out and out rockers ("Go for Soda", "Lager and Ale" (he seems to have a thing for beverages), and "Rumour Has It") to the sweet power ballads (All We Are), and everywhere in between. Now I'm looking for it on CD and can't find the damned thing.
His band smokes on this, the drummer in particular. Kim's guit playing is as good, if not better than most, but not overbearing, like some. The lyrics are wry, funny, and somewhat articulate.
This is a fun disc for anyone who likes (Diamond Dave)Van Halen, Primus, Rush, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, or anyone who just wants to play it LOUD and have some fun.
PLEASE RELEASE THIS ON A DOMESTIC CD!!!!

I've always liked KIM MITCHELL as a guitarist and a vocalist,
but as a songwriter he's been consistently inconsistent and that's still the case for this album. I've always liked his hard
rock and roll side and that's displayed on about half of the al-
bum, the half that I really like! GO FOR A SODA is terrific, of
course and displays that wild side of him. Then again, anyone
who chooses to write with PYE DUBOIS has to be at least slightly
nuts! LAGER AND ALE is another favorite song of mine. The first
time I heard this song was when I heard some local band, whose
name eludes me, play it at CORTLAND STATE COLLEGE. This band's
version of this song blew me away, so I bought this album for it.
LAGER is a very powerful and loud hard rocker, with some very
funny lyrics( about some drunk guy trying to pick up a girl in
a bar.) I particularly like the part when he wants to play a song
on the jukebox, but he has no change, so he starts humming IN A
GADDA DA VIDA! The other hard rockers on this are also quite en-
joyable, like THAT'S A MAN, DIARY FOR ROCK-N-ROLL MEN and RUMOUR
HAS IT. All of these feature more terrif guitar playing from
MITCHELL. Of the slower, more mellow songs, I like ALL WE ARE, but the rest of this doesn't grab me. I guess I never liked KIM
MITCHELL'S more mellow side( except for SUMMER TURNING BLUE, from
MAX WEBSTER's first album.)
Overall, this was a pretty neat debut solo album for K.M.

The movie was sensational, it seems almost impossible to capture all of it in a soundtrack, but they did a wonderful job of it. Every sngle song captured the spirit of the movie, it was almost like going to a broadway musical because of the quality of this music. Catherine Zeta- Jones did a amaizing job of singing the songs "All That Jazz", "Cell Block Tango", "I cant Do it Alone",and so many more. This music is almost magical, I would recammend this soundtrack for anyone!

If you loved the movie Chicago I'll garenty that you'll fall in love with the soundtrack. You can never get to bored of "all that jazz" with Catherine Zelta Jones singing it, you can tell that she's the real star of the soundtrack. Don't be surprised if you run across "The cell block tango remix" and all that junk, it just didn't blend in with all the other songs, I always avoid it.

the movie had great songs and great music and this soundtrack captures all of it.

I'm surprised by the enormous volume of glowing, 5-star reviews here. This soundtrack isn't THAT great. Maybe I'm biased. I was fortunate enough to see "Chicago" on Broadway in early 1997 (the matinee right before the cast walked over to Radio City for the Tonys, of which it won 3 or 4). That was a few months after it opened, with the original revival cast: Bebe Neuwirth as Velma, Ann Reinking as Roxie, James Naughton as Billy, Joel Grey as Amos, Marcia Lewis as Mama Morton, and D. Sabella as Mary Sunshine. Right afterwards I bought the CD and have listened to it many times since. So I can't help but be stuck on it. (I even have the 1975 Broadway recording, which I like though not as much as 1997.)

This soundtrack simply does not feature the vocal chops to be found on the Broadway recordings. The music itself is comparable, but certainly not an improvement. And the rap version of "Cell Block Tango" is a too-obvious attempt to take modern pop "stylings" (if you can call it that) into consideration when they are NOT at all relevant here. (Okay, more bias, since I despise rap.) Plus that last track with Anastacia, or whatever her name is, is awful. She tries so hard to sound like a modern R&B singer, but she can't do it. (And, again, I hate modern R&B, so yet another pre-disposed strike for me).

I liked the movie, but it (and the soundtrack) don't hold a candle to the Broadway "original revival" cast. I highly suggest getting that recording instead. You'll hear Bebe Neuwirth wail even better than Chita Rivera did, and James Naughton blows away Jerry Orbach (and certainly Richard Gere, by FAR).

And the DVD version isn't worth it. It really only has a 10-minute featurette that I'm willing to bet is on the DVD that's about to come out. And I can see that some people here have taken Richard Gere too seriously when he mentioned that Renee Z has a Billie Holiday quality to her voice. I laughed when I heard it then, and I laughed again when I see people repeat it here (as if it's their own words--yet they spell her name Billy). Not that Renee is bad (nor is Catherine ZJ), but by no means is she anywhere near the ballpark Billie Holiday is still in 45 years after her death. (And before anyone else takes Richard Gere too seriously: no, Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't really like Dusty Springfield, either).

Wonderful sound track! Anyone, who enjoyed the movie, will certainly relive the experience listening to the CD. I cannot wait for the DVD to be released in August.

Not the original artists. Very weak versions of beloved songs by marginal to downright bad vocalists.

Lots of great and clear vocals. I was looking for a musical mix and this has a nice sampling of many major songs but also some more recent stuff. I haven't purchased an import before but I would do it again if the opportunity presented itself. It is somewhat annoying to have three cds when I think it could have fit onto two. Still, more than I have complaints, I have compliments about it.

Like all Max Webster CDs, the re-mastering makes the CD sound much better than the original LP version.

Problem is the LP contained lyrics where the CD does not.

There are no extra tracks either. CD is about 43 minutes long.

Other CD reissues have not been cheap in this manner.

As for describing the sound of Universal Juveniles and Max Webster, please read other reviews as I generally agree with them.

For the sound and the music, I give it a 5, but a 1 for the cheapness of not including the lyrics or extra tracks, thus a 3.

Hope this review may save you disappointment in finding the cd does not contain the info of the lp.

By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves, thus the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.

Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews

For fans of metal/prog and general LOUD, well-played, well-arranged, sensible rock, this album achieves the pinnacle of quality.
Battlescar marries two entire legendary bands: RUSH and Max Webster TOGETHER! That's right, two drummers, two lead guitars, two lead vox and enough wattage to dim the lights around Toronto when both bands played Maple Leaf Gardens New Year after New Year. This is Canadian Hard Rock at its most beauty, eh. While Mitchell's playing is awesome on this CD, the best Max Webster album stands as "High Class in Borrowed Shoes." "Juveniles" gives the listener the last fond look at ear-splitting power chords and stadium rock before the pouffy-haired eighties bands softened it to mushy schlock (if you like Journey, or even later inceptions of Triumph and Van Halen, this is too much "muscle" for you.) Comparatively, "High Class in Borrowed Shoes" offers more progressive ideas and shatters the then-emerging image of heavy metal as a "simple" music.
"Juveniles" is a great listen and was a great tour (I saw Mitchell when he was still in Webster...and am glad of it.)
Highlight songs: Check, Battlescar)
"Feel the way I-I-I ...FEEL!"
Rock on...

The first time I heard this album, I was absolutely breathless. Even more amazing to me, I've been absolutely stunned to find (a) NO American I've ever spoken with over the past 25 years has EVER heard of Max Webster (except for my close friends, with whom I was with when we 'discovered' Max), and (b) ONLY 1 Canadian I have asked (out of perhaps 50) HASN'T heard of Max Webster. Bizarre.

IN my humble opinion, SIDE 1 of the album version (In the World of Giants thru Song 5, Battlescar) is the greatest album side of hard rock of all time. And the entire CD, in my opinion, is, as my title says, Just Incredible.

For those who don't know Max (and there are plenty in the States, for sure), they're really hard to describe beyond 'hard rock'. There is an extremely interesting musicality to everything they've written...and listening to all of lead singer Kim Mitchell's follow-up solo albums suggests the style was his. They use chords and chord combinations you simply won't hear anywhere else. On a business trip to Toronto some years ago, I went into a record/CD store and asked the girl if she had anything else in the store that I could buy like Max Webster. She looked off into the distance for a few moments, then turned to me and thoughtfully provided, "I don't think there IS anyone else like Max Webster." And she was absolutely right.

Unlike some other reviewers, I'd suggest picking this one up first, if you haven't heard Max. Universal Juveniles' recorded sound quality is the best of all Max CDs...and the musicianship is simply astounding. In short, if you're going to 'take a chance' on any new unheard CD, this is THE one to do it with!

MAX WEBSTER managed to put out 5 studio albums and a Live LP during the years of '76-'80, and yet for some disgusting reason(i.e. fellow Canadian radio hogs RUSH) almost always go unmentioned when the discussion turns to 70's hard-prog rock. The bottom line is: MAX WEBSTER NEVER RELEASED A BAD ALBUM, OR EVEN A BAD SONG!!!! Kim Mitchell's guitar work(!!!) and vocals are mind-blowing, the lyrics are totally insane, the musicianship is almost TOO excellent at times, and like so many other tragically over-looked bands, MAX WEBSTER never got the fame they deserved. Now for the review of specifically "Universal Juveniles". It is an essential album for fans of hard-rock and late 70's metal, as well as a must for the prog-fans who enjoy the earlier MAX material. Every song on this album is a 10 outta 10. A true album to sit back and get stoned to!!! The biggest thing about MAX is that you really just have to give them a try. They're very hard to place in one genre, and as soon as you try, you've basically done a diservice to the band. They were all over the place, but yet managed to release a PERFECT catalog(unlike RUSH) and create a CONSISTANT sound(despite being eclectic) . If you're a young metal-head, buy this album. You will be amazed at the virtuoso guitar insanity(Kim Mitchell could waste Eddie Van Halen with ONE arm!!!) and the heavy riffing. If you're into progressive rock or drug rock(Hawkwind,Yes,Rush,etc.,and even CBGB "Prog-punks" Television or Talking Heads!!!), buy this album(and all the others, as the further BACK in time you go into the MAX catalog, the MORE progressive the style gets). Not to end on a over-used phrase, but this album truly must be heard to be believed!!! And it's funny, most Rush fanatics don't even know G. Lee does some guest vocals on one of "Universal Juveniles" best tracks, 'Battle Scar'. Take a chance and experience a truly unique band that should have been as big as Rush and Led Zepplin COMBINED!!!! In the world of giants, MAX WEBSTER ARE still the largest!!!

This album is a mind-blower! All of the tracks are interesting and inventive. I love the 'stream-of-conciousness" style of the lyrics, courtesy of invisible band-member, Pye DuBois.If the guitar solo in the opening track doesn't give you goose-bumps, I don't know what will.A showcase for an awesome, almost mythical, force in Canadian music.This album has been a mainstay in my collection since I was a teenager.Miss it at your risk.

dont like this records pure s--t. cant even listen a second more

SHAKIN' was KIM MITCHELL's attempt to go mainstream. It's a
very synthesizer laden album and very poppy. I think about half
the album is very listenable...and the other half rather for-
gettable. I can't even remember the song titles of the songs I
dislike! PATIO LANTERNS was, in my opinion, a very bad choice
as a leadoff single. It's one of the corniest songs KIM MITCHELL
and PYE DUBOIS ever wrote together and probably a big disappoint-
ment for those who bought his previous album for GO FOR A SODA.
GET LUCKY is a terrific hard rock song, with a great guitar solo
from MITCHELL.THAT'S THE HOLD is another catchy hard rock song
with a very singalongable refrain.Either of these songs would
have been excellent choices as lead off singles. Other tracks I
liked were ALANNA LOVES ME, IN MY SHOES and HITTING THE GROUND.
The rest of this is either too synth heavy or too mellow or too
poppy or all of the above at the same time! Still worth buying,
tho!

As a long standing Kim Mitchell fan, this is his best offering. There is not a dud song on this album. A great mix of ballad-like songs and toe tapping rock beats. Kim is a genius guitar player and this album is a classic. If you ever have a chance to catch him in concert don't miss it.

It's a great shame that this CD isn't currently available as it contains one of Kim's greatest songs, "Hitting the Ground". Buy it if you can!!

It was brave of Dawn Upshaw, who could have made her career in charming soubrtte roles and crossover pop, to lend her public fame to a really tough colleciton of modern songs. None of this music is immediately tuneful, and some (the wroks by Kim and Delage) is tough listening by any standards. The colleciton is held together by its exotic atmosphere and the delicacy of the poetry.

I must confess that I rarely pull this CD out, but Upshaw's voice is so lovely and her singing so committed and intelligent that I have no excuses. She has made a challenging, serious, and veyr worthwhile recital.

'The Girl with Orange Lips' sung by Dawn Upshaw, backed with a rather eclectic colleciton of musicians, is the kind of album Ms. Upshaw should really be doing. Like 'White Moon', it is a collection of unusual songs from far corners of 20th century repitoire, rather than an essay on the more familiar material which is done so well by the heavyweights such as Renee Fleming, Anne Sophie von Otter, and Cecilia Bartolli, not to mention songs of the modern European and American stage owned, in my mind, by Ute Lemper.

Unlike another reviewer, I really prefer 'White Moon' to this album on a visceral level, although I listen to both at least once a year.

My only criticism is that as original DVD releases go, it seems a bit short, but this only reinforces the fact that I would like to hear more of Ms. Upshaw do this material in a single shot.

This might be my favorite recording by Dawn Upshaw, and she's done some wonderful work. The slightly startling title is taken from Earl Kim's song cycle Where Grief Slumbers, one of the highlights of a very well-conceived program. Of Kim's gorgeous set of seven songs, the real stunner is "Ophelia," with a dramatic a capella opening that Upshaw handles immaculately, before the harp and strings enter with their mellow accompaniment.

The Ravel Mallarme songs show Upshaw in sparkling, sensuous form, and I also loved the four Delage works, perhaps because of their relative rarity. But the entire program is quite interesting, and further, most of these works have not been recorded to death -- a great compliment to Upshaw's programming instincts.

In every track, Upshaw radiates confidence and produces a beautiful range of tonal colors matching the vivid writing, and offers exceptionally clear diction (although I can't vouch for the accuracy of her French). Nonesuch provides excellent sound quality, capturing the clarity of her voice as well as the gentle, outstanding accompaniments by the well-chosen cast of instrumentalists. For those inclined toward unusual repertoire, this can't be recommended too highly.

Thank God for musicians who are dedicated to expanding the repertoire which we are able to hear in performance and on recordings. So many artists are afraid to venture into 20th century art song/chamber repertoire and we have in turn been left wanting.
This is simply one of the most amazing recordings I've ever heard. Dawn Upshaw's voice is clear as a bell and deep with emotion--and her technique does not waver here, it is entirely classical and fabulous. I cannot praise her choice of repertoire more--every cycle, every song is entirely unique and remarkable. Earl Kim's cycle is breathtaking.
Don't walk, run. You need this.

I have all of Dawn Upshaw's discs but this is still my favorite (maybe White Moon is a close second). Upshaw brings together masterpieces of the early and late 20th century in various chamber ensembles, linked together thematically/stylistically by an international flavor. The two Stravinsky pieces (Poems of Balmont & 3 Japanese Lyrics) albeit sound like Stravinsky, retain an eastern-sounding aura to them. The same can be said of the Delage 4 poems. The true find on the disc are the Earl Kim "Where Grief Slumbers" songs. Taking his text from the symbolist poets, Rimbaud and Apollinaire, Kim fashions a suite of some of the most contrasting and emotionally powerful songs. Earl Kim's setting of 'Ophelia' is perhaps the most moving. Upshaw performs the entire 5 minute song a capella until nearly the end when the strings enter; one can almost hear her drowning.

Upshaw is a true pioneer of the operatic/vocal world. Some of her predecessors like Jan DeGaetani helped pave the way, but Upshaw has picked up the mantle, trying to fuse the repertory in such a successful way that listeners can ultimately and only benefit. Vocally it doesn't matter if she's singing Mozart, Ravel, Stravinsky or Kim, she meets the challenges head on and is able to communicate through her heart and mind. She can soar between octaves and registers with the greatest of ease connecting phrases as if anyone could! Everyone should take notice and give it a spin.

of cruising to the warehouse to practice with my college band! Clean pure Rock and Roll. You gotta love it!

Love Kim....He always makes the house rock!! A great entertainer. Just love him and the band. Canada Rocks!! and so does Kim Mitchell

Kim Mitchell rocks!!!
i can honestly say, being one of the lucky people up here in Buffalo, New York. We grew up with Canadian rock Kim, Rush, Brian Adams etc... In Buffalo we can listen to Kim live every day, on q107, seeing as we are only 1 hour 1/2 out of Toronto.
his famouse "Damn! I wish i wrote that is a hit!!!
Great tunes on this CD, I swear if Kim would have marketed more his commercial stuff, he would have been huge! Even though as a guitar player i like the Max Webster just as much. This guy is a great guitar player, vocalist and song writer!.
When he comes here next week, I think i might tell him that!
rock on!

First with the group Max Webster and then on his own, Kim Mitchell never received proper airplay across a lot of Canada much less anywhere else. He is a southern (Sarnia) Ontario icon and I've had the privilege a number of times to see him live. The album list is a fairly good representation of Kim's solo career. Its a shame that there are no real player or other samples to listen to as I'm sure that there would be quite a few converts to his music. Overall a good compilation.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were lifeless when playing the Ottawa Senators this April, when my friends and I decided that it was time during the second period break to put on this Kim Mitchell album. The song we chose was Rockland Wonderland. Well guess what, the Leafs came alive and defeated the Senators and we were convinced that we had something to do with it. No really folks this is a great party album, with rock anthems that are also great songs. Energetic music with a great groove and as well good musicianship. Money well spent.