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Various Artists

Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture

Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture Tracks
1. Overture/And All That Jazz - Catherine Zeta-Jones / Renee Zellweger / Taye Diggs
2. Funny Honey - Renee Zellweger / Reilly, John C. / Colm Feore
3. When You're Good to Mama - Queen Latifah / Taye Diggs
4. Cell Block Tango - Catherine Zeta-Jones / Susan Misner / Deidre Goodwin
5. All I Care About - Richard Gere / Renee Zellweger
6. We Both Reached for the Gun - Christine Baranski / Cleve Asbury / Shaun Amyot
7. Roxie - Renee Zellweger
8. I Can't Do It Alone - Catherine Zeta-Jones / Taye Diggs
9. Mister Cellophane - John C. Reilly
10. Razzle Dazzle - Richard Gere
11. Class - Catherine Zeta-Jones / Queen Latifah -
12. Nowadays (Roxie) - Renee Zellweger / Taye Diggs
13. Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag Medley Title - Renee Zellweger / Catherine Zeta-Jones / Taye Diggs
14. I Move On - Catherine Zeta-Jones / Renee Zellweger
15. After Midnight - Danny Elfmann
16. Roxie's Suite - Danny Elfman
17. Cell Block Tango / He Had It Comin' - Queen Latifah / Lil' Kim / Macy Gray
18. Love Is a Crime - Anastacia
Various Artists - Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture
Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture Review
The movie version of Kander and Ebb's Chicago was long in the making, but it's well worth the wait. Director Rob Marshall's main change was to turn the classic musical numbers into fantasy sequences, but of course this isn't obvious on CD. Most importantly, the arrangements are bursting with life while being true to the show's spirit, and the casting is simply inspired. Catherine Zeta-Jones actually started her career on the British boards (she was in The Pajama Game and 42nd Street), so her turn as slinky Velma Kelly isn't that surprising; Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart is more of a leftfield choice, but she shows she can handle the singing demands with pizzazz. The real revelation may well be rapper Queen Latifah, who belts out "When You're Good to Mama" with a marvelous affinity for the material. OK, so the R&B reprise of "Cell Block Tango/He Had It Coming" by Queen Latifah, Macy Gray, and Lil' Kim fails to convince, while Anastacia's "Love Is a Crime" is just blah (rest easy, purists, it's over the end credits). On the other hand, the CD provides two bonuses: "Class," which was cut from the movie, and "I Move On," a great duet written by Kander and Ebb for the final cut. It's really easy to mess up film adaptations of Broadway shows. Happily, Chicago proves it can be done right. --Elisabeth Vincentelli


Users's Reviews
Feel free to add your comments about Chicago: Music From the Miramax Motion Picture
I can't seat still every time I listen to it.
5
This album is great especially after you had seen the movie. I wish they would have separated the Overture from All That Jazz so you can skip through the opening instrumental to get to the singing but it's a small quibble. The Cell Block Tango sounds even better on this album and they really did wonders with this particular orchestration. I will tell you this..... this album helped shed me some pounds from imitating the choreography every time I played it.

John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah shine heartily on their tracks, Catherine Zeta-Jones is a great belter and infuses her singing with that sly sexiness she brings to the screen, and Renee Zelwegger croons convincingly from track to track. True, at times she tends to dig low and the notes come out a bit growly (the reprise of Nowadays illustrates this) but there is something quite appealing about her voice. The only major flaw with this recording is Richard Gere. Say what you will about him but his Al Jolson-esque singing just annoys the living daylights out of me. If there is a weak link, he's it. He comes off better in the movie I think, his tap dance at the end is exciting to watch. His singing, though, had me wishing he had played it normally.

Here's the thing...if you like Chicago the Movie and/or the Musical, this is for you. I would suggest seeing the movie first if you are unfamiliar with the music. It's one of the better musical scores of the past half century and it's been given a whole new life with vibrant and booming orchestrations!
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-12-29
Great music, the voices on Broadway are better
4
While I think that they did an excellent job with this film, the voices ofthese Stars do not impress me for such a show. I feel like they have had a lot of training and are signing their best, but they do not compare to the talents of "Real Musical Theater Singers". With the exception of the song Mr. Cellophane which is superior! But in general the CD is exciting.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-11-07
Poor Imitation of the Broadway Soundtracks
2
This is enjoyable, but not nearly as good as the Broadway versions. 1996's cast album with Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking is fabulous (James Naughton is an excellent Billy Flynn). The Gwen Verdon/Chita Rivera/Jerry Orbach album is also wonderful. The movie soundtrack does not come close to rivaling either one -- the actors were cast primarily as actors, not singers! Richard Gere comes off as especially weak.
Posted by Anonymous, on 2005-08-28