HAIR

This is actually the Australian cast recording of the Broadway musical Hair. Tully "+4" (four additional musicians) were the original house band for the production, however their habit of digressing from the score in the most unpredictable ways eventually got them fired! They stayed on the project long enough to record this cast album, and their involvement in the recording is probably the main reason collectors still look for this album. In the controlled environment of the studio, they wouldn't have been able to get away with as much as they could in the pit, so those hoping to hear some of their famous unpredictability will be disappointed. Instead they behave like impeccable show musicians - always solid, but always in the background. You hear some glimpses of their distinctive sound - Michael Carlos' keyboards are often to the fore, and Richard Lockwood makes his presence felt on tracks like "Frank Mills" - but it's not so distinctive as to make this essential listening for anyone who is not a Tully completist, or an obsessive fan of Hair. On the latter point, it's merits as a cast album, there are many other cast albums that would be better purchases. Due to space constraints they do not feature the entire score, only selections arranged in thematic rather than narrative order. It has to be said that this recording features some of the most mediocre singing you'll ever hear on a cast album. Only two singers really stand out for the right reasons - Tully's own Terry Wilson singing "Aquarius", and Creenagh St Clare singing "Walking In Space" - Sharon Redd does a creditable "Easy to Be Hard", though nothing outstanding; Wayne Matthews has a nice trained sounding voice, but doesn't seem to have the flexibility to adapt it to the rock genre, and it's best I not say what I think of any of the other singers.