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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Wonderful Broadway Rock
I wish there was something I could use as a comparison for this CD. However, any such comparison would have weaknesses. Some of this music reminds me of "Jesus Christ - Superstar," and "Hair," but the music is different. The topics are more mundane, earthly and sad, and include AIDS and poverty among a group of bohemians in New York's East Village. There are moments when the vocals have a raw edge to them, but emotional power comes through these songs and I enjoy this music.
Friends have been living rent-free for a year in an apartment. Suddenly the landlord asks for a years worth of rent. The song "Seasons of Love" alludes to the one year and to the love that these friends have developed for each other, and perhaps the love they thought their landlord had for them. The entire cast opens this song, which later includes solos by Tracie Thoms as Joanne Jefferson and Jesse L. Martin as Thomas B. "Tom Collins." Tracie manages to competently hit notes that attempt and fall just short of Minnie Ripperton's upper vocal range.
The pace picks up a lot on substantially on the song "Rent," which is a fast-paced rock song with lyrics wondering how they will pay the rent. This song has a powerful beat and sound and feels like the introduction to the move, making the opening song a sort of prelude.
Adam Pascal as Roger Davis sings the song "One Song Glory." This song asks for just one moment of fame before succumbing to a virus. The song is downbeat, and a reminder of the fatal illnesses that stalk our society, especially those portions of our society that are perceived to be on the fringe. The song "Light My Candle" is more hopeful and reminds me of my younger years of pinching pennies and keeping all the lights out but one. The singing is sensual and the lyrics are filled with clever double entendres.
The friends have some interesting ways of picking up money. Wilson Jermaine Heredia singing as Angel Schunard tells the story of how he did away with a noisy Akita for a thousand dollars by doing a "Thelma and Louise" from a 23rd story balcony. While the topic of "Today 4 U" could be distressing, it is a funny song. The "Tango: Maureen" follows and does have a tango bit and more funny lyrics, and a four-letter word, so watch playing this one on your speakers at work!
"Out Tonight" is another power song that has powerful sexual content. The song is a fast paced, well-performed rocker, which is followed by a much better song, "Santa Fe." "Santa Fe" is the (probably) idle speculation of someone looking to get out from under their problems. Life anywhere else would be a pleasure cruise after living in New York.
Jumping through the love song "I'll Cover You," you reach the eight and a half minute epic "La Vie Boheme A&B." This song has content-loaded lyrics that mate with music that changes pace and styles more than once. The song is happy-sad, dealing with being carefree and simultaneously having to face reality. I had to read the lyrics carefully to try and grasp the content of this song, which is as subtle as it is overt. You need the lyrics for this one if you wish to comprehend its depth and complexity.
This abbreviated soundtrack keeps the negative theme, though more blatantly, with "I Should Tell You." The song is beautiful and chilling. The harmonies remind me of Seals and Crofts. This song is one of my favorites from this soundtrack, one I could hear over and over again.
"Take Me of Leave Me" is alternately a love song and a break up song. The song has some powerful vocals with jazzy music.
"Without You" allows Rosario Dawson, singing as Mimi Marquez, to show how much emotion she can put into a song. The lyrics are for a typically tepid love song, but Rosario makes this song magic, and the duet with Adam Pascal is just bonus. Here is yet another song on this CD that I think is one of the best, and one of my favorites.
The rocker "What You Own" follows a reprise of "I'll Cover You." I actually liked portions of the lyrics and the music, but the vocals were only fair. I could have replaced this song with others from the two-disc version of this soundtrack.
The CD begins to wrap up with "Finale B." This song has a lot of excellent harmony and is yet another song that I consider one of the better songs on this CD. This compilation excludes "Finale A," which may annoy some fans.
This CD finishes with a "bonus track," "Love Heals." This contains duets that are wonderful, and make this song an excellent addition to this CD and a great way to finish the CD. Again, some may complain that other songs could have been included rather than this particular song.
This music is powerful and compares favorably with rock music in general. I think I would have purchased this CD without the association with the play or movie "Rent." The music is sometimes downbeat, and yet hopeful. The only thing I wonder is whether both the single and dual CD should have been released. This CD is more like highlights. Given the vast array of opinions regarding which songs are best, this collection is most decidedly not a "best of." This CD does have a different color from the two-disc version to minimize errors.
I think this CD is a winner for fans of the play, the movie and those who like middle-of-the-road mellow rock. The vocals and subject matter may be occasionally gritty, but this CD makes a valuable addition to any discerning music fan's collection. You may take pause and determine whether this single disc version or the two-disc version meets your needs best. Enjoy!
This review is based on a copy of the CD provided to me for review.
Rating: -
Most but not quite all of the highlights from the "Rent" soundtrack
Granted, a true Renthead will already have the double-CD complete soundtrack for the 2005 motion picture. However, you can make an argument that most (but probably not all) of the best songs Jonathan Larson wrote are on this one disc. If you are a casual fan of the show and really believe you can get by with just the really good stuff, "Rent: Highlights from the Original 2005 Motion Picture Soundtrack," can fulfill the need to be able to hear "Seasons of Love" whenever you want. Then again, this single-CD does allow you to hear Jesse L. Martin sing "Santa Fe" and "I'll Cover You (Reprise)," without having to switch discs (vocally, Martin is the standout performer on the soundtrack, showing that he was only really good on the original cast album because now he is simply great). The CD player in our car holds six discs, so switching from one disc to the next is not a problem (and at home you can create your own playlists on your media player or at your online juke box), but if for some reason you are going to a desert island and they are only allowing you one CD, this highlights CD could be a good thing. Then again, maybe with one CD you can listen to half of the soundtrack on the way to work and the other half on the way back, so there is that logic behind your purchasing decision as well.
I was going to say everybody has their big songs here, but I doubt most people will agree with that since "Over the Moon" is missing, but that is a studio version versus what Idina Menzel as Maureen does live in the film (so go grab your DVD). Still there is Adam Pascal as Roger with "One Song Glory," Rosario Dawson as Mimi Marquez singing "Light My Candle," and Wilson Jermaine Heredia as Angel doing "Today 4 U." You also have the duets with "Rent," "Tango: Maureen" and "I'll Cover You." Most of the credit belongs to Larson for writing the songs in the first place, but the film's director gets credit for reuniting three-quarters or the original cast, who bring a decades worth of experience to singing these songs again, and for bringing in producer Rob Cavallo to record the album. Best known for his work with Green Day on albums from "Dookie" to "American Idiot," Cavallo makes the music come alive, matching the vocal splendor of the singers (I confess, I like the soundtrack better than the cast album).
I have only one complaint is terms of what is missing once they cut down the soundtrack from 28 to 17 tracks (which is only missing eleven, keeping in mind the original cast album had 43 tracks). The key highlight that is missing for comes in the first half of "Goodbye Love" when Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson blend their voices and power through the lines, "I'd be happy to die for a taste of what Angel had, someone to live for, unafraid to say I love you." But I have to think that where most of the complaints will come is that "Finale A" and "Your Eyes," are omitted, which means you only have half the big finish (even though those two missing tracks are less than four minutes of music. I suspect a marketing ploy, because that is where some listeners will be motivated to upgrade to the complete soundtrack (or, if they already have it, to burn their own single CD version to suit their own tastes). But that is why I ended up rounding down on this one.
Final note: I like the idea that the cover of the Highlights is done in black & white, so you have no problem telling it from the complete soundtrack, which is in color. It beats having to tell the difference based on size become the cover art is essentially the same, as is the case with "Sweeney Todd" and "Phantom." I have tickets to see the tour show later this month and since I have to drive from the shores of Lake Superior to those of Lake Michigan to see it, I will have plenty of time to listen to the 2-CD set over and over again.
Rating: -
Not totally thrilled...
I feel that Rosario Dawson just doesn't have as strong of a voice as the rest of the cast. I could go on but I won't. Other than that I think it's pretty good.
Rating: 
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I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am 14 years old and i live in West Virginia, I saw rent with my friends recentally. I LOVED IT SOOOOOOO MUCH! Rent is now my favorite movie and the CD's are are what i fall asleep listening to , and the first thing i here when i wake up! This is a FABULOS movie and two of the best CD's I've EVER listened too!
Rating: -
Money on "Rent" is well spent.
Some may not agree, but this is basically "The Best Of Rent". The biggest "Rent-heads" may want the complete 2-disc version, but casual fans should do fine with the highlights. I have seen the play, and these songs from the film rock just a tad more, yet are mostly the same. The opener "Seasons Of Love" is great, and is the song the cast always sang on TV appearances. The track "Rent" rocks, "One Song Glory" has a nice hook, and "Light My Candle" is sweet and flirty. "Out Tonight" is a full-on rocker, and sung very well by Mimi (Rosario Dawson). Other favorite tracks are "Santa Fe", "Without You", and the catchy and truthful "What You Own". Overall, anyone who even remotely liked the play or movie, or might enjoy the most rocking of show-tunes, should cough up the cash for "Rent".
