JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUND TRACK ALBUM)

I've seen this album on the home page and I have realised that I haven't reviewed yet what has been a fundamental album for me. As the reviewer before me (Gerinski) I met this spectacular rock opera with the movie release, but I've had the possibility to see it on stage in London in 1975. I'm not religious even if I'm from a catholic country and the religious aspect doesn't influence my judgement at all, my background helps me only in better understanding the story and how it has been interpreted.

This is the movie soundtrack. The original piece doesn't have "Then We Are Decided?" and has some little differences in the lyrics, however the musical arrangements are almost the same.

Let's first introduce the singers: Ted Neeley (Jesus) has a powerful and quite high-pitched voice. Suitable for metal clean singing. Consider that Ian Gillan has interpreted this part in the first version. They are not much dissimilar. I have lost his tracks. He sings as chorist in Meat Loaf's debut "Bat Out Of Hell" and this is all I know of his career after the movie.

Carl Anderson (Judas), recently passed away had one of the most beautiful voices that I've ever heard and a big part of the movie success is due to him and of course to his character. Unfortunately, out of this movie he has done just some barely listenable soul music with a short excursion in newage. It's a pity seen a so big talent wasted in tis way.

Yvonne Elliman (Magdalene) is a great interpreter. She's probably the only one capable of playing as actress other than singing. She's very expressive and it's a pity that the video- music of the 80s has ignored her. There's one song sung from her in the Saturday Night's Fever soundtrack. Also the other main interpreters would deserve to be mentioned but this wants to be a review, not a book.

Now the songs:

As in classic opera the overture is a short suite which anticipates the main musical themes of the opera. After you have listened to the whole album I suggest coming back to this track to better appreciate it.

The story starts immediately with what I consider the best song of the whole opera. "Heaven On Their Minds" is a rock masterpiece sung by a great vocalist. This version can't be compared to the original one in terms of vocals. The guitar sound is acid, vaguely inspired to the Californian psychedelia of these times.

"What's The Buzz" fades in.The Apostles (Peter's voice is another excellent one) ask Jesus about his plans. Unlike Jesus they live on Earth, but instead of calming them he starts speaking of his bad omen. Then Yvonne Elliman tries to restore the situation but Judas accuses Jesus for his "lazyness". Magdalene is a pretest to express all his hast for the inaction. The rock-blues of What's the Buzz is replaced by the melodic "Strange Thing Mistifying". Now it's the turn of Jesus to get angry setting all the apostles to an operatic choir.

A sudden transition introduces the priests who are the bad guys. The contrast between the falsetto of Kurt Yaghjian and the very bass voice of Bob Bingham appears for the first time and wiil be one of the remarkable characteristics of the opera. This song has been added to the movie and is not present in the theatrical version.

Back to the apostles, now it's Mary Magdalene who sings one of the big commercial successes taken from this soundtrack. She shos all her love to Jesus and Judas takes again the pretest to attck him. This is the first real clash between the two and it's underlined by a very rocking final. This is also one of the most moving moments of the movie when after the harsh discussion Jesus takes the hand of Judas.

Next there's one of the most famous tunes which has received also a lot of parodies during the years, one very funny from the Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese. It's where Caiaphas bass voice resounds strong, one of the topic songs. Up to now it has been just an introduction to the characters, now the story begins.

Even "Hosanna" is quite famous. It's sung by a choir alternated woth Jesus and is about the entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem (what will cause the reaction of the priests and the Romans). Musically it's one of my least favoorite songs but it doesn't mean that it's poor.

Just to show us the historical moment, "Simon Zealotes" appears with a good ballet and one of the funkiest songs, but the piano intro is one of the proggiest things. It's just an appearance for another impressive singer (Larry T. Marshall). The short "Poor Jerusalem" is Jesus' answer to him. It's a short acoustic piece which anticipates the appearance of Pilate (Larry Dennen) It's a finger picking guitar which makes me think to Pink Floyd's "Crumbling Land", bat more and more dark. "Pilates Dream" is his personal omen about his role in the crucifiction and its conequences.

Now a famous episode from the Vangelis (no relation with the Greek keyboardist). Jesus goes to the temple and founds it full of merchants. In the early 70s it's a metaphor of the capitalism and it's more than actual even today. The choral theme will come back several times later (with the lepers and the trial). Not the best song, but very functional inside the opera.

After all this drama an intimistic song by Yvonne Elliman. "I Don't Know How To Love Him" has been another big success and it's a stupendous love song but I must say that I don't see anything prog in it.

"Damned For All Time/Blood Money" is the most uptime and rhythmated rock songs of the album. Opened by a Hendrixian guitar solo gives room to another excellent performance of Judas. The first song of the medley is closed by Hannah who reprises "This Jesus Must Die", then Blood Money is just a coda with Judas realizing which kind of betrayal he has just done.

"The Last Supper", "Gethsemane" and "The Arrest" can be taken as a single song and are what is closer to a prog suite. It's opened by the Apostles choir, very melodic and with a liturgic mood, then there's the last discussion between Judas and Jesus, closed by the second with one of the most powerful high-pitched screams that I've ever heard "Get Ooooooout"" The guitar closes this first part, then Jesus remains alone and climbs the hill to speak to his father. This part has the most moving lyrics and I think wasn'tt liked by the catholic church because Jesus shows entirely his human side and his doubts and concerns. The song is sad, acoustic and is more or less based on the same chords of Pilate's Dream (I don't think it's a coincidence. Then The lepers appear and the musical theme changes again (the same of the temple). AfterJesus is covered by them we go back the the site of the last supper. "The Arrest" is opened by a reprise of What's the Buzz and is closed by the intro of "The Last Supper". End of the suite. Another reprise for "Peter's Denial" which is closed by another melodic short piece of Yvonne Elliman. It's followed by "Pilate And Christ". I think Pink Floyd's "The Trial" is partially in debt with this song. Here is Pilate's voice which is remarkable.

"King Herod's Song" is a funny interlude based on an easy tune and a dixie-NewOrleans rhythm. The trombone has a bit of Beatles (Sgt. Pepper's)

Time for the last melodic love song of Yvonne Elliman. "Could We Start Again Please?"is the transition to go back in the drama. "Judas Death" is tha darkest moment together with the crucifiction, but while the crucifiction is a noisy collage, Judas Death is a proper song with Judas screaming ad crying "You have murdered me".

"Trial Before Pilate" is where the theme of the Temple is reprised for the third time. It has its importance in the story but if there's a track that I sometimes skip is this one, specially because it's closed by the 39 lashes with Pilate counting the lashes over the guitar theme which introduced "Heaven On Their Minds".

"Superstar" is one of the most well-known songs ever. I've got tired quite soon of its main theme, but the soul/funky part with Judas and the angels is one of my preferred. What remains is tragedy, darkness and noise. This is how the story must end, very few to say.

Even with some weak moments this is a masterpiece, I don't know how much prog, but it has been fundamental for me. I have learned English thanks to its lyrics and I have acquired the taste for concepts albums thank to it,

Please forgive me if there's anything wrong, but this is one of tha few cases of a review written only basing on my memory without relistening to the album. The only real negative thing is the production that's surely below the quality standards, even for MCA,