Jesus Christ Superstar

I just ordered the original, remastered, as you suggested. Same as I had years ago, the best!

 

I like the original recording as well. This was a concept album with Murray Head and Ian Gillam and was designed to raise money to put on the actual theatrical production. I'm also partial to the original Broadway cast version of the show with Ben Vereen and Jeff Fenholt. Not quite as rockin as the concept album but pretty damn good too.

 

I hope that you will report back on your thoughts about it and that you enjoy it!

 

I remember in the early (early days) of CDs, I came across an import of JCS from my distributor. I was horrified at the cover, not realizing *that* was the original UK cover. It wasn't later until I realized how cool the cover was that I understood

 

So, from what I see on Amazon and Chris' link to the Discogs page, there's the "Verve/Decca" version he's recommending, then Amazon has two others listed as "2012 remastered": the one that just says "Decca", and one that says "Polydor UK"...which shows no image of the back of the package. The latter is not mentioned in Discogs listings, so no corroboration. The Amazon listing shows the 23-dollar price, not the 16, and is the one they have a "recommend" banner above.

It occurrs to me, three different label configuations, all 2012...why wouldn't you ecpect the ones by "Decca" and "Verve/Decca" to be the same. I also see the Polydor UK set on ImportCD, I'm (perhaps too) confident that's not a boot. Perhaps we should expect that version to be the same as well?

 

I bought a remastered CD version a few years ago based on recommendations from this forum and it sounds wonderful. When I get home tonight I'll post back with the specifics. BTW, I have a "brown" 1970 gatefold double LP in excellent condition which replaced an even older original brown box LP set that I played to death.

 

It's spelled, Gillan.

 

Whattaya know. You learn something new every day.

 

The Broadway show was wonderful, I agree, and I also agree that the original album is the best. Loved both Murray Head and Ian Gillam, better then Ted Neely, in my opinion. However, I also thought Carl Anderson was outstanding. Thank you so much!

 

I have the fat boy Gold CD version of the original JCS which is the best. It’s the one with a white background cover instead of brown.

Sounds fabulous.

 

Huge fan of the original concept album, but on any given day, I could quite happily pick Ted Neeley's Gethsemane over Gillan's (& then change my mind the following day!)

 

Who is the cast on this version?

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ...006974&sr=1-2&keywords=jesus+christ+superstar

I was very happy with this version. Sounded better than my original album and cd

 

It’s the original very first recorded version. With Ian Gillan. Just a gold disc remaster and they changed the cover background to white to reflect a slight difference. Think it canecoutvin the mid 90s.

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I was fortunate to be in a production here in Mobile in 2011. Working on the script and songs really made the work slip its hooks into me. The original recording and film both have their high points. Even though I’ve been listening to Deep Purple for decades, it’s strange hearing Ian singing Highway Star or Smoke On the Water after JCS.

 

My 2-CD JCS was remastered by Andrew Lloyd Webber and sounds great. Lloyd's own comments from the first page of the included booklet:


More specifics: Various, Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice* - Jesus Christ Superstar

 

I believe this disc sports the same ALW remaster as on my CD set. It's great!

 

This is the CD I ordered!

 

Back in 2012 I ordered the Webber approved CD remaster from the UK. It has a different colorful slip jacket but the booklet in the case has the brown art. The first page has Webber’s note on the remaster as pictured above. The price code on the box was 600753392713. When I put that number in Amazon this version came up.

https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Christ...8&qid=1524031825&sr=1-1&keywords=600753392713

 

There are three versions of this album. Do you want the original rock-opera album, the film soundtrack, or the original cast soundtrack?

 

I can't confirm it, but I believe that your UK version on Polydor might be the same mastering as the 2012 U.S. VERVE remaster. I read somewhere that the U.S. pressing never had the slipcase cover, but that other countries versions did, again I can't confirm this for sure, but that is the rumor. The fact that your UK pressing has that Andrew disclaimer in the booklet (seen above in post #41, thanks "SteelyNJ"), which is also found in the VERVE version, makes me believe that they are the same!

 

I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be from the same source. Same time, same Webber note. It’s on Decca. It came out a few weeks earlier. I didn’t know if it would come out in the US so I grabbed it from Amazon UK upon release because it was a remaster.

 

A friend of mine regularly invites me to lunch over the Easter weekend and he often puts on the JCS film. I was explaining to my wife a few years ago that the original album was superior. When she asked why, I said, "Because it has Ian Gillan on it, and everything is better with Ian Gillan". Then I remembered "Born Again", so I qualified my statement. "Everything is better with Ian Gillan...except Black Sabbath" has become a catchphrase between us!

 

Yes, that is same European version I have. Slipcase looks like this:

 

That one is the original European CD release of the 1970 rock opera recording, released in 1995. Highly recommended for sound quality. Various - Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera