Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording) Review

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Hair (The New Broadway Cast Recording) ReviewThe success of this revival of HAIR comes as no surprise. HAIR has never struck me as a period piece ... and even if it were, a well-conceived period piece can make for convincing art. The heart of any musical has to be original music that speaks the souls of its characters, and HAIR has always been secure in that strength.
I haven't seen the show and probably won't have the opportunity to. This vigorous recording amply compensates. It seems to be the first musical in ages where the vocalism isn't infected by American Idolitis -- You know what I mean: that insidious combination of Mariah-like fluttering, Celine-like caterwauling, premature and overworked climaxes, and general lack of subtlety that provides a virtuosic but hollow gloss.
The singing here is joyous and lively. The recording team -- performers, arrangers, engineers -- catches all the energy of the show but contains the chaos. One advantage over the 1967 OCR of the original production is certainly that you can here the orchestration, the Tribal chorus, and individual vocal lines a lot better. Shining the spotlight on the band in the first curtain call was a welcome inspiration.
One of the best things about HAIR is that it has always been its own creature. Its plot structure and its musical language were not of the theater, its themes put the concerns of the day before theatrical tropes. These qualities give the show a compelling integrity that shines through even though in 2009 the concerns of today may be different (but not terribly). It's a show that demands to be heard on its own terms, and either you get it or you don't.
I have the occasional nit to pick here and there, but that's part of the pleasure of having a worthy successor to the original. As with the "Actors Fund Benefit" disc, the reading of "My Conviction" is impossibly arch -- the song should make its point without such an exaggerated characterization. Every once in a while a reading sounds off the mark but overall the aim is true. The main performers (Sasha Allen, Gavin Creel, Caissie Levy) are all vibrant and strong ... Once in a while their performances sound a little underpowered, especially Creel in "I Got Life", which pales in comparison to the James Rado original and Treat Williams on screen -- the number should raise the roof (as the title song effectively does). Also, I didn't really care for the "soft jazz" take on "Easy to Be Hard" (synth, sax) ... this is a soul-baring torch song. On the other hand, the rockabilly twist on "Don't Put It Down" is a success. Overall, there is a greater emphasis on the ensemble, which certainly enhances the overall experience and makes the sequence "Black Boys" / "White Boys" / "Walking in Space" a real standout.
It's marvelous to have the full score here on disc, including some fragments that I hadn't heard before like the funky guitar riff that ushers in the reprise of "Ain't Got No (Grass)."
Forty-two years on, it's hard to recognize the revolutionary qualities of HAIR ... Other musicals have followed where it goes, though few as boldly and with as much raw energy and grace.
The new recording allows us to hear this remarkable score with fresh ears. Resoundingly recommended.
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