Track Listing

1. Main Title/Rock Island/Iowa Stubborn - The Orchestra, Traveling Salesmen, Ensemble
2. Ya Got Trouble - Robert Preston, Ensemble
3. Piano Lesson/If You Don't Mind My Saying So - Shirley Jones, Pert Kelton
4. Goodnight, My Someone - Shirley Jones
5. Ya Got Trouble/Seventy Six Trombones - Robert Preston, Ensemble
6. Sincere - Buffalo Bills
7. Sadder but Wiser Girl - Robert Preston
8. Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little - Biddys, Hermione Gingold
9. Marian the Librarian - Robert Preston
10. Being in Love - Shirley Jones
11. Gary, Indiana - Robert Preston
12. Wells Fargo Wagon - Ensemble
13. Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You? - Buffalo Bills, Shirley Jones
14. Gary, Indiana - Ron Howard
15. Shipoopi - Buddy Hackett, Ensemble
16. Till There Was You - Shirley Jones
17. Goodnight, My Someone - Shirley Jones, Robert Preston, Ensemble
18. Seventy Six Trombones

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1315 in Music
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
In light of all the hit Broadway musicals that have stumbled in their translation to the big screen, The Music Man stands out as an exception; it is one of the best-loved movie musicals of all time. A great deal of the credit goes to composer Meredith Willson, who resisted studio pressure to hire a big name for the title role (Frank Sinatra or Cary Grant) in favor of the Tony-winning stage star, Robert Preston, who turns in one of Hollywood's most magical performances as the spellbinder who hoodwinks a small town in Iowa. Shirley Jones did not perform the show on Broadway, but she had cut her teeth as a musical ingenue in the films of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Carousel and gives Marian the librarian a lovely voice and charming personality. Most importantly, Willson's score combines marching bands and barbershop quartets to capture perfectly the spirit of America's heartland at the turn of the century. A classic. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Robert Preston takes Harold Hill to Hollywood
"The Music Man" is the most American of all the great American musicals, with a performance by Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill that arguably ranks as the best of all time. Compare it to the few that come close and decide for yourself: Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady," Richard Kiley in "The Man of La Mancha," Michael Crawford in "The Phantom of the Opera." THEN think of how rare it is for the Broadway star to actually make it to the Hollywood film version. Preston only got to do the movie because when they offered the part to Cary Grant he told the studio if they did not use Preston not only would Grant not be in the movie, he would not SEE it.

Preston turns in an absolutely perfect performance, made all the more amazing by the fact he was a movie actor who played villains who really could not sing or dance. Although he had some assistance with the story from Franklin Lacey, the credit for "The Music Man" goes to Meredith Wilson who did the book, music and lyrics. This is a score that features not only the last great marching band song of the century in "Seventy-Six Trombones," but what is arguably the first "rap" song in the rhythmic "Rock Island" that opens the show. For his songs Wilson makes use of piano scales ("Piano Lesson" and "Goodnight My Someone") and barbershop quartets ("Sincere" and "Lida Rose"), but the most memorable numbers are those he gives his fast-talking salesman ("Ya Got Trouble" and "Seventy-Six Trombones." This original cast album features Barbara Cook as Marion the Librarian, a singer who certainly should have done a lot more on Broadway than just this one staring role. Just listen to her sing "My White Knight," "Will I Ever Tell You?" and especially "Till There Was You" (the only Broadway song ever recorded by the Beatles). I prefer the Movie Soundtrack to the Original Broadway Cast album, not only because I like Shirley Jones' voice over Barbara Cook's (that is quibbling between an A+ and an A), but because the tempo is slightly up on several numbers. Besides, I think Preston's performance is just that much better on this one as well. But of course, there is not real reason not to have both albums in your collection.

Wonderful, but could be better.
This is a great soundtrack, but it is unfortunate that Warner's did not give us more on the CD than the standard LP 44 minutes. For instance, there is extensive dance music in the "76 Trombones", "Marian the Librarian", and the "Shipoopi" numbers that could have been included on the CD, and wasn't. And although I do admire Shirley Jones, and she was a beautiful Marian, Barbara Cook was more believeable in the look of a small-town spinster librarian, and her voice is one of the greatest that the musical world has ever heard. Shirley Jones' singing is pleasant, Barbara Cook's singing is thrilling. But, Barbara Cook had as much a chance of recreating her Broadway role as Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury and Ethel Merman did in "My Fair Lady", "Mame" and "Gypsy". Hollywood has never appreciated true musical talent. But, this is a fun album. Buddy Hackett is a bit hard to take, but Hermione Gingold is a treasure.

One of the two or three greatest musicals ever...
Just like several of the other reviewers, I like the Broadway version of this show just a hair better than the movie soundtrack. However, when I decided to get a "Music Man" CD last month to replace my vinyl Broadway one, I lucked into a great price for the film rendition. Since I do love the movie anyway, the purchase was a no-brainer. Both have Robert Preston, and he is the true essential. I miss "My White Knight" and I love Barbara Cook, and Buddy Hackett can't sing...all true complaints of some other reviewers here. But those are really minor flaws. Buy whatever version YOU can afford, and let Robert Preston and composer Meredith Willson each make you proud to be an American and a music lover.