Comments on: All Wet

By: Cliff Corcoran

Cliff Corcoran — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 06:55:56 +0000

Good stuff, and “Bridge” just came on the iPod earlier today, too, with me signing along to “sail on silvergirl” . . .

Love the idea of the music lifting the plain lyrics to the level of poetry. So true. Having written music criticism, I’ve often run into the problem that the lyrics just don’t ring the same bells when you quote them in print. Even had an editor challenge a lyrical quote asking why I thought the words were so clever or moving. The answer, of course, is the music.

By: bone thug n hominy

bone thug n hominy — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:44:01 +0000

Speaking of Paul Simon and broadway, do you have any thoughts about The Capeman?

By: The Hawk

The Hawk — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 02:35:56 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Hammerstein.

I don’t quite see the connection Simon draws between “Maria” and his song, but I think his instinct was probably right in the first place. Sure people might like that last verse but who’s to say it wouldn’t have been better without?

By: omarcoming

omarcoming — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:42:19 +0000

To borrow from Mr. Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George”, BxB is Yankees and art.

By: Matt Blankman

Matt Blankman — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:47:16 +0000

When reading the portion of the review you quoted in the first quote, I was thinking of Elvis Costello. Now, I love a lot of Costello’s work and consider myself a fan, but sometimes I find his lyrics simply too dense for their own good. They’re often so packed, I find myself exhausted trying to figure out a line while he’s moved on to singing the next equally mind-bending one. Sometimes his skill exceeds his craft. Even Bob Dylan knows sometimes you do a moon/June/spoon rhyme just to keep the listener engaged.

I know this Sondheim book will be making the rounds in my family this holiday season, so hopefully I’ll give it a read. Broadway Cast albums were a huge part of my childhood as well.