Search - Irene Cara, Michael Gore, Paul McCrane :: Fame

Now THIS is the album I remember!!

S. Fennell | Somewhere out there.....beneath the pale moon ligh | 05/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I previously wrote a review for this CD last September, complaining that it was badly in need of remastering. I was thrilled to find out just a few days ago, that this has finally been done, and am very happy to report that the new version is a huge improvement over the original CD release; THIS is the album I loved back in high school! The depth and range of all the instruments are back where they should be, and all the nuances that were missing from the earlier Polydor release can finally be heard again. The finale, "I Sing the Body Electric", practically leaps from the speakers now. Many thanks to Rhino Records for finally getting it right. As a footnote; the bonus tracks are nice to have but only one is of any real distinction. The vocal track by Paul McCrane, "Miles From Here", is a lovely song and makes you wonder where it would have turned up in the movie, had the producers chose to use it. The remaining two, however, (instrumental versions of "Out Here on My Own" and "Fame"), are little more than duplicates of the originals with Irene Cara's vocals deleted. Call it "karaoke"."

An ageless classic soundtrack.

M J Heilbron Jr. | Long Beach, CA United States | 04/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A favorite soundtrack of the 80's gets a sparkling remaster from Rhino on this near-immaculate version released just a few weeks ago. Comparing this to the quite-old previous disc reveals a wealth of detail, vocal nuances, and particularly crisp strings (whether on a guitar or in an orchestra).
It's a soundtrack with no filler...even the single instrumental "Ralph and Monty" feels part of a whole. The brisk uptempo tunes, like the title track, "Hot Lunch Jam" with it's irresistible piano line and the driving gospel of "Never Alone" balance the quiet "Out Here On My Own" and the anthemic "I Sing The Body Electric".
If you are familiar with the TV show, "ER", and unaware that Paul McCrane ("Rocket" Romano on ER) is a significant character in "Fame", you are in for a shock. His songs, "Dogs In The Yard" and "Is It OK If I Call You Mine?" form the emotional core of the soundtrack...the latter song is his composition performed solo on guitar. Seriously, the sweet tender songsmith here and the testosterone ramrod from ER...the same guy? Staggering.
His previously unreleased song is a welcome addition, but the other extras are skippable.
This soundtrack does not sound dated at all. Compared to "Flashdance" and "Footloose" (which sorta define an 80's sound...), "Fame" is an ageless classic."

A definite sonic improvement

dchwong | Carlingford, NSW Australia | 04/24/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Composer Michael Gore and lyricist Dean Pitchford didn't exactly have an easy brief in writing the core songs for this movie about students at NeW York's High School of Performing Arts. How do you write about youthful artistic ambition without being schlocky? How do you take all the different styles of music which would be heard where the film is set and meld them into something musically satisfying and dramatically believable?The proof that Gore and Pitchford succeeded lies in the enduring popularity of this soundtrack and by comparison with the pale imitations that followed it - eg. the songs for the "Fame" TV series, and well, "Flashdance".Taken together, the songs on this soundtrack tell a vibrant and moving story. Irene Cara's performance of the title song remains an exuberant statement of purpose while her performance of the ballad "Out Here On My Own" shows an exquisite mix of control and passion. Other highlights are Paul McCrane's wistful "Dogs in the Yard" and the exciting ensemble finale, "I Sing the Body Electric".The original CD pressing of this album was one of the first CDs released. Listening to it now, you can hear why a lot of people prefer vinyl. It sounds pretty dull - it's missing a lot of the high frequencies and space which are there on the vinyl pressing.This remaster is a significant improvement over the first CD edition and the vinyl LP, on most tracks. The music has far more presence and dynamic range - it's like lifting a veil. I do, however, have a few technical queries. Tracks 4-9 seem to have slightly more treble information on the right channel than the left. Checking with the original vinyl, this appears to be partly a characteristic of the stereo mix with cymbals and tambourines mainly appearing on the right stereo channel. However, the vinyl and first CD pressing seem to have compensated for this by shifting the balance somewhat towards the left stereo channel. On this remaster, this does not appear to have been done. Other factors might be responsible for this slight imbalance - the stereo master tape might have deteriorated over the years, or heaven forbid, there was a technical fault in the remastering.Call me picky, but when you know and love this album as much as I do, these things can nag away at your enjoyment.But hey, congratulations to Turner/Rhino for realising the need to remaster this album. It sounds great, for the most part. The bonus tracks are wonderful. Gore and Pitchford's "Mile From Here", which was written for, but not included in the movie, is similar in feel to "Dogs in the Yard". And the instrumental tracks for "Out Here On My Own" and "Fame" spotlight some great playing and arranging and will, no doubt, inspire some singing along."