Monty Python's Spamalot Soundtrack CD

A musical of the highest excalibur! 'Spamalot' is a new broadway show "lovingly ripped-off" from the film 'Monty Python And The Holy Grail'. the show stars tim curry ('The Rocky Horror Picture Show') as King Arthur, David Hyde-Pierce ('Frasier') as Sir Robin and Hank Azaria ('The Simpsons') as Sir Lancelot. Currently playing sold-out shows to packed houses at Broadway's Shubert Theatre, 'Spamalot' captures the distinct brand of Python humour that appeals to audiences of all ages. Directed by legendary Oscar and Tony Award winner Mike Nichols ('Angels In America', 'The Graduate', 'The Birdcage'), 'Spamalot' was written by founding Python member Eric Idle. In addition to many new songs written by idle and composer John Du Prez ('A Fish Called Wanda', 'Monty Python' and 'The Meaning Of Life'), fans will instantly recognize the songs from the 'Holy Grail' film as well as the classic Python tune 'Always Look At The Bright Side Of Life'.

Composer: John Du Prez.
Composer/Lyricist: Eric Idle.
Personnel: Scott Kuney (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, ukulele); Abe Appleman, Michael Roth, Maura Giannini, Hae Young Ham, Ming Yeh, Martin Agee, Cenovia Cummins, Suzanne Ornstein (violin); Tom Rosenthal, Richard Brice, Lois Martin (viola); Diane Barere, Stephanie Cummins, Jeanne LeBlanc (cello); Kenny Dybisz (flute, piccolo, recorder, clarinet, oboe, alto saxophone); Alden Banta (clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone); John Chudoba (trumpet, piccolo trumpet); Anthony Gorruso (trumpet); Zohar Schondorf (French horn); Mark Patterson (trombone); Anthony Geralis (piano, synthesizer); Ethyl Will (keyboards); David Kuhn (acoustic bass, electric bass); Sean McDaniel (drums, percussion); David Mancuso (timpani, percussion).
Audio Mixers: Frank Filipetti; Jason Stasium.
Liner Note Author: John Du Prez.
Recording information: Right Track Recording Studios, New York, NY (02/07/2005).
Directors: Todd Ellison; Mike Nichols .
Photographer: Larry Mah.
Arranger: Glen Kelly.
While millions of fans have made a hobby out of repeating Monty Python bits for the amusement of themselves and others over the years, Spamalot may be the first example of folks going pro with this pastime -- though Eric Idle's participation at least gives this the advantage of also being an official product. Spamalot is, of course, the stage musical loosely based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and while the original cast album only provides part of the experience, listening to the album will give many fans a very curious sense of deja vu -- some of these songs are drawn from the movie, albeit with a great deal more polish (such as "Brave Sir Robin" and "Knights of the Round Table"), and others translate business from the film into musical terms ("He Is Not Dead Yet" and "Run Away"), while "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life" from Life of Brian is also thrown in for good measure. The score does manage a good bit of original silliness, though, including a number of amusing parodies of show tune clichés ("The Song That Goes Like This") and one truly inspired new laugh-generator, "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" ("...if you don't have any Jews"). In many respects, the Spamalot recording favors Broadway over Python; the material lacks the sharp edge of Python's best material, and the level of polish seems nearly antithetical to those old television shows and the low-budget film that inspired all this. But the songs are sprightly, the material is genuinely witty, and the cast is in fine fettle, especially David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin and Sara Ramirez as the Lady of the Lake. In short, this won't replace your copy of Another Monty Python Record, but Python fans will have fun with it, and it's a great trailer for the stage show. ~ Mark Deming
Silliness abounds on the Broadway cast recording of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, a loose adaptation of the revered (and much-quoted) film MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. Penned by Python member Eric