Customer Reviews
Audiophiles Beware! Terrible Sound Mix 
2008-09-21
I gave this three stars because no matter how bad the sound, the music is that good. Still, it's hard to believe that this is a remaster. For some reason they decided to mess with the fine mix from the LP and, instead, crank the vocal parts way up above the instruments. Sample some of the cuts and listen for yourself--if the LP is drilled into your head (like it is mine), you'll notice the difference. ON THE OTHER HAND, the sound mix on the DVD is pitch-perfect, which makes the screw-up with the CD all the more baffling. Tip: buy the DVD and rip the tracks to mp3 using freeware like DVD-MP3 Ripper.
Excellent version, some audio issues 
2008-06-24
I hadn't heard or even thought of "Jesus Christ Superstar" for a long time, but came across the film on cable and watched it out of curiosity. By the end of the first song, I was hooked (again). I'd forgotten how good it was. I'll review the movie separately under the item listing for the DVD, but I will report that I ended up watching it repeatedly (HD cable on demand allowed me to watch it at my convenience). It actually seemed to get better with each successive viewing, and so did the soundtrack. Both the music and the film have held up extremely well considering how old they are. In fact, I think that JCS is Andrew Lloyd Webber's very best work and while I have enjoyed "Phantom of the Opera", it's not as good.
Since the only recording I had was on LP and packed away in a box somewhere, I needed to get it on CD or as a download. I started checking around on Amazon to see what was available and what other people recommended, and soon discovered that fans of this music have *very* strong opinions. There simply is no overwhelming consensus, but both the original studio recording (it was released as a studio recording before any stage performance had been given, let alone recorded) and this film soundtrack have fairly widespread support. Having watched the film so many times, I wanted the soundtrack, in spite of some negative reviews about the sound quality (mostly fair) and some reviewers who don't care for the performance. I purchased it as a download, since it was about half the price of the CDs and I could get it immediately.
First, I'll discuss the performance. If you don't like the film, or if you don't like the singers in the film, then you won't like the soundtrack. But it's hard to imagine why listeners would not like the singers. Carl Anderson as Judas is outstanding and so is Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. I found that Ted Neeley's performance as Jesus, which at first seemed a bit weak and underpowered, was actually nuanced, thoughtful, and built up through the movie, as is appropriate for his role. When he finally gets angry, you really pay attention. Having said that, some people really dislike Neely in the role and you may be one of them, so if you haven't seen the film, listen to his tracks before you make a decision. I also liked Barry Dennen as Pilate, and Josh Mostel as Herod.
Now for the audio quality. Many reviewers complained about the remastering, and I agree that there are some problems, but none of them is a deal-breaker. A frequent complaint about the CD is the gap between each track, which also exists on the download version. However, you can get rid of it in iTunes by setting the "stop time" of each track to match the instant that the music stops, and then selecting "gapless play" for all of the tracks. It takes a little time, but it does a pretty good job of getting rid of the gaps, which are very annoying. This music was supposed to be heard in one continuous flow, not as segments or songs with silence in between.
Another complaint that people have is that the sound was remastered and remixed poorly, and I agree that it's not nearly as well done as the remastered soundtrack that you'll hear while watching the film. I have no idea why they didn't just use the same mix for the CD, but they didn't, and it was a big mistake. There are noticeable changes in volume level between tracks, which makes it necessary to raise or lower the volume control. This doesn't occur during the film. The vocals tend to be a bit too "forward" at the expense of a fuller instrumental background, another problem that doesn't affect the film. There is also some very annoying high-pitched distortion at the very beginning of "Everything's Alright", which, while it only last a few measures, is also absent in the film version. Finally, this is not a totally complete soundtrack of all the music from the film. There is an all-instrumental interlude that takes place before the track "Judas' Death" that doesn't appear here, and it's very good music (reminiscent of a passage from Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky"). It could easily have been included and it should have been.
Still, even with these reservations about the sound quality, I strongly recommend this version. I'm also ordering the CDs of the original version, since that was the one I first heard years ago and it is indispensible. I decided against any of the later versions, though they also have their adherents. I think it says something about the power of this music that there are so many performances available, and that each of them has its supporters.
Good 2008-06-05
This is a good translation onto CD from the movie. If you are expecting the solid, powerful vocals present on the rock opera album, you won't get it here. They are not weak by any means, just 'different'. But it does make for good comparison between the two albums. There are aspects of the Judas I like on this album and some I like on the other. Same with Jesus. It is good to see how two different singers approach the characters.
Still Perfect After All These Years 2008-06-04
I fell in love with this music when I first heard it in 1973. In the past, I have purchased the vinyl LP and cassette tape. Now that I have the CD, I can listen to Ted Neeley's awesome voice hit all the high notes; Carl Anderson agonize over his decision to believe or betray; and Yvonne Elliman's confusion without worrying that the tape will break at the worst possible time or worse still, simply wear out.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a major part of my audio life. I listen to it with wonder whenever I can, as often as I can. I highly recommend this soundtrack to anyone who enjoys extremely excellent music and wants to be transported by the experience.
GREAT ADDITION TO YOUR ROCK COLLECTION 2008-05-15
The soundtrack from the movie is so much better than the soundtrack from the theatre cast. I think this one is more fun and more energetic. It's become a tradition in our house every easter vigil.
Hope this helped.
Jesus Christ Superstar movie soundtrack 2008-05-12
This 1974 Norman Jewison film may have been a critical misstep, but some fans actually preferred it to Broadway's rock spectacle. The thing is,
Jesus Christ Superstar was first introduced as a two-disc rock opera, not unlike the Who's
Tommy, as it even scored several Top 40 hits. While no set matches the original, it's still hard to go wrong with the music, no matter what the source. This also includes the pretty "Could We Start Again, Please," composed for the stage version, and sung here by the original LP's Mary Magdalene, Yvonne Elliman. Ted Neely (Jesus) and Carl Anderson (Judas), meanwhile, have spent two decades on the road, recreating their roles night after night, although they have to now be at least two decades older than Jesus was at the Crucifixion.
--Bill Holdship
Wonderful performances marred by awful audio production 2008-03-26
I think that the performances in this film are vastly superior to any other recording of JCS. Okay, the original album is pretty amazing, but I think that there's a certain passion and immediacy to the film's performance that is missing in some portions of the original album (for example, Pilate). Ted Neely is really tremendous (screechy, yes, but I like it), and Carl Anderson really embodies Judas with great presence. I also prefer the mostly American cast of the movie, as opposed to the British original cast. But that's just me.
It's been said by many reviewers, but I must reiterate: the sound quality of this CD is pretty bad. It's inconsistent in volume, is overall very tinny, and has issues with balancing the vocals with the instruments. Why there hasn't been a decent remaster is beyond me. Another irritating thing about this CD is that there is a multi-second pause between every track, really ruining the momentum, especially between tracks like "Trial Before Pilate" and "Superstar."
I wish that the instrumentation and clear audio production of the original album could be mixed with the performances from the film. That would really be the best. But as it is, I recommend that you buy this album only if you're prepared to listen past the poor audio and focus on the brilliant performances. Buy it with the original cast album to get the full JCS experience.
hanutingly beautiful 2008-02-24
These songs are from the original movie...they are hauntingly beautiful and will stay with you forever. A timeless classic!
The Epitome of Uneven 2008-02-05
I've been a fan of this rock opera since Day One, folks. I even got this soundtrack when it originally came out. . .on LP. (Probably still have the album sitting in an attack somewhere.) So I was delighted to recently have another listen to this remastered two-disc edition. I will say one thing: Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical definitely reflected the turbulence of the times, those many years ago.
Ted Neely. Carl Anderson. Yvonne Elliman. When these artists are on their game, the music is good. Which is why tracks like "Everything's Alright", "Heaven on Their Minds", and "Gethsemane" are fun to listen to; they are quality music. Problem is, there are some duds from this soundtrack--much of it carried over from the motion picture--and they are just plain bad music. I had forgotten just how bad.
And this is supposed to be "remastered?" I was very disappointed with the quality of the audio; much of the instrumentals were either muted or so faded they could hardly be heard. A rock opera needs bass and guitar and percussion. . .it sounded more like the musicians were punching pillows.
So there you have it. This remastered version of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is good in spots, and then pure blech in spots. It's as uneven as the banks of a river--but it sure brought back a plethora of memories.
--D. Mikels, Author, Walk-On
Not what it could have been 
2007-11-09
I don't want to get into the whole comparison bit (individual singers, studio cast vs movie vs 1990's revivals etc). I know the studio cast album inside and out, so my preference is mostly there. And I haven't even seen the movie in ages. This is just my reaction to listening to this CD on its own.
The sound is just plain weird. To my ears, it sounds like they started with the studio cast multitrack, used parts of it as it was, remixed other parts, recorded new parts over some of it, and recorded some stuff from scratch. (I haven't been able to verify this independently, but I'm researching.) The vocals are obviously new, and the quality of those is incredibly uneven. The net result of all this is a patchwork quilt of sound that never quite comes together. Maybe on vinyl it wasn't so noticeable, but it's the biggest mark against the CD, and no remastering could fix that. Remixing maybe, but not remastering.
Andre Previn is credited as musical director, and with his resume, I'm surprised he didn't do the whole thing from scratch. (Andrew Lloyd Webber was involved with the orchestrations, but we all know how little he & Tim Rice were involved with the film, to their dismay.) At least all-new recordings would have meant balance & uniformity in the sound, and shouldn't that be numero uno when you're doing a musical? Maybe Previn or Jewison liked the sound of the studio cast album and wanted it part of the package, but the Broadway production worked from scratch and sounded just fine (yay Elliot Randall!). Overlaying new stuff in a mostly standard movie musical style on top of the heavy rock of the original just doesn't work. It needed integration, not layering.
If you like the movie cast, this was a horrible way to present them; if you don't like the movie cast, it only makes things worse. Personally, I like Carl Anderson but Ted Neely is just too weak, and Paul Yaghjian as Annas is irritating beyond belief. Overall, I give the whole thing a `C' grade, if only as a missed opportunity.
