Xanadu soundtrack on CD

I decided to put my US disc back into iTunes and adjusted the volume limit on all tracks down 2 bars then encoded it gave it another listen, I actually think it's a bit better. I normally don't do any adjustments when importing into iTunes but the US CD warrants it because of the overall brightness it does make it sound better than the Aussie disc.

I went ahead and just ordered the UK disc based on everyone's comments...I'm excited to get it and see how it sounds compared to my Aussie & US Cd. I'm hoping the UK disc will become my standard version.

 

I just think the original vinyl LP got it right. 10 great songs, no filler. Of course, if the movie were released today instead of in 1980 (on CD) the soundtrack would have 17 songs and have no flow.

I do think the B-side songs have merit and I would be happy to see them on a new expanded CD, but Jet/MCA got it right in 1980...

For saying Xanadu was a big selling album, it's gotten short shrift on CD. It needs a deluxe edition.

I always wondered how well the LP would have done if the film had been good? I think it would have sold twice as many copies..

Luckily, they got the best songs out as singles before the movie opened!

If I had my way I would have released All Over The World in place of I'm Alive as ELO's lead single. It's a far better song. Really summery and dynamic. That and Magic would have killed together!

Initially, I was a bit underwhelmed with Magic... It took a few plays to hit me, which seems odd now as it's such an obvious smash. I think I was expecting something a bit Totally Hot-ish from Olivia as her lead single from the movie. But what an amazing song it is, for sure...

Although he did good stuff on the Physical album, I think this is where John Farrar peaked. He never gave Olivia another song anywhere near the quality of Magic...

 

Really?! "I'm Alive" sort of drew me into the movie from the very start - that fantastic song accompanying the dancing muses with their day-glo outlines is iconic in my mind.

Sadly though, unlike other musicals of the time ("Sgt. Pepper") I think this movie deserved a lot more attention; but like "Grease 2" a couple years later (which ended up opening in direct competition with "E.T."), it ended up being a victim of circumstance.

 

Yes, Farrar definitely peaked with the songs he wrote for Grease and Xanadu...no doubt about it. I personally think that Magic, Suddenly and Xanadu are still her biggest hits. I know Physical was her biggest seller, but for me, her three hit songs from XANADU remain my favorite from her.

 

Please post your thoughts after you've had a chance to listen to the UK CD, especially compared with the Japanese version.

 

The circumstance being that it was a terrible movie!

It's really hard to defend Xanadu as an Olivia fan. Yes, the music was great, it was colourful, energetic etc... But as a film it's totally dreadful. Michael Beck was a horrible leading man, the plot was insane, the dialogue atrocious... I could go on...

This should have been the film to ensure Olivia a Hollywood career. I don't think anyone would have expected her to become an Oscar-magnet, but a bit of light comedy, another musical or two wouldnt have been outside the realms of possibility but Xanadu killed that. The only option left to her after this was a reteaming with John Travolta. And that turned out to be even worse!

It could be said that due to the aforementioned troubles with the script and plot, Olivia was doomed from the start. But she has to take a lot of the blame. She just didn't have the talent or screen presence to pull of a big Hollywood movie. In truth, Xanadu exposed all her limitations. It's all very well to have a lovely voice and a sweet smile, but it cut's no ice if you can't deliver a line of dialogue!

Another (smaller, maybe) thing that annoyed me about the film... Magic was undoubtedly the best song in the film and look how they treated it! Background music as Olivia skated around that auditorium shouting gibberish at Beck and then a short reprise at the end of the movie! Shows how clueless they were...

I seem to have gotten off on a tangent. Weren't we talking about the soundtrack CD?!
S

 

Well said! It's the reason why I've avoided picking up the XANADU DVD all these years, although interestingly, I regret not picking up the DVD/CD combo when I saw it in stores long ago. Today, I just see the movie w/o the CD. I am an ONJ fan, but not necessarily a fan of that film, but I do have some nostalgic memories for it of course. However, the soundtrack has remained a personal fav of mine since the film came out.

Actually, what is the best song from XANADU...I can't decide if it's Lynne's title track or Magic? I still think that Magic is the bigger smash and is such an incredible song, but it seems that Xanadu still gets a bigger response from her audience when she performs it live, and it's also such a gem from Lynne. I'm referring to the original 1980 version of course, not his underwhelming and close to boring 2000 ELO remake.

 

Some valid points, but it's funny how there's that video on youtube where the film's producer was amazed watching Olivia on set, saying how professional she was and what a successful leading lady she was poised to be.

Myself, I think she had magnificent presence in the film and was the most gorgeous she's ever looked. Absolutely charming and ethereal; more so than Grease imo.

But yes, the movie was really bad. If there was a cut made showing only scenes that featured Olivia, then I could watch that and enjoy it (seriously). Her role and the songs were the only good things about it.

 

I would love to see "Xanadu" on Blu-Ray & I'd like to see the soundtrack reissued complete with "Drum Dreams" (E.L.O.), "Fool Country" (Olivia Newton-John), & "You Made Me Love You" (Olivia Newton-John). If at all possible, I'd like them to reattach the original beginning to "Fool Country" (the instrumental tap sequence part).

 

It's all relative. Maybe my expectations of the Japanese discs were too high. I would like to hear the UK disc and compare it to the Japanese version.

 

I see a Xanadu CD pretty cheap on amazon.co.uk. Amazon shows a date of 2003. Would this disc have the original UK mastering?

 

Maybe Xanadu is the best known track from the album worldwide. It's certainly a classic slice of pop. I remember the first time I heard it. I was at work and the minute I heard her voice soar out, I knew it would be a #1. And it was! Here in the UK at least. The wonderful Magic, a US #1, only got to #32 here... Mind you, over here Magic was the 4th single released after I'm Alive, Xanadu and All Over The World, which probably didn't help it's chart chances...

I'm still incredibly fond of Magic. It's a real 'career' song for her. I know people who don't like her voice but have to admit it's a fantastic pop record. A year and a half later, Physical was an even bigger hit for Olivia. But it's not half the song Magic is...

 

1980 was Farrar's greatest year. Not only did he provide the best half of the Xanadu soundtrack, he put out his excellent self-titled solo album too!

I remember seeing the John Farrar album advertised in a magazine and thought about buying it. God knows why I didn't ... If I had, I would have heard 2 tracks from the Physical album a year early!

Moving onto the Physical album briefly. First time I heard it I thought the standout song was Landslide. I couldn't believe it hadn't been chosen as first single! Good job I didn't work for her record company! I still think Landslide is excellent. I like to say it was the last great song John ever wrote for her. Even the video was brilliant!

 

I'd be down with this and am probably one of the few people that doesn't find the film to be awful. Cheesy, sure, but I find it to be completely delightful.

 

I have the original 83' Japan CD for her GH Vol 2 and they included the single of Landslide, pretty cool. I have the 45 single but it's always nice to have the digital version. I love Landslide, the video actually contains about 8 sec extra run in of drum beats, always loved that part so I extracted the audio version of Landslide from the DVD.

I have John's solo Lp, it's a promo with bio and photo, to me the LP sounds 100% better than the Seeformiles CD and I thought the CD had excellent sound, this LP is way better. When I first played it I was blown away at the mastering on the LP. I posted it here

 

Speaking of John Farrar again...I guess he needs his own thread.
I have always LOVED the instrumental he made that aired during the tv premier of Physical (I was bummed when they left out all her speaking parts on the VHS tape release. I extracted that audio as well, since it's only about a min I spliced 2 of them together so it's about 2:25, each time I hear it and the beach sounds the memories flood of when it aired on tv...memories...memories. I also love his instrumental for Had to Be on the CD single.

Here is the Intro to Physical I'm speaking about.

 

I'm going to agree with Bobby here and say that the 2003/2009 are most likely going to be the same 98 mastering. I kinda doubt that they would have remastered and reissued this in the UK for 2003 & 2009, was Xanadu really that huge of a seller that it warranted the expense of remastering & reissuing it? I could be wrong but I bet Amazon just has dates miss labeled.

 

Is the version of Landslide on the 1983 CD edited? It was on the UK vinyl and Aussie vinyl and CD. I think they removed the last chorus. Annoying! I think the track lasts about 4 and a half minutes on the Physical LP.

Agree about the TV special drum intro to Landslide. I always loved that. Also loved the bit at the beginning where Olivia is frolicking on the beach and in the sea. I think that instrumental piece by Farrar is called Rollin'. Correct me if I'm wrong. Had the TV special on tape for years. I loved the spoken bits and the slightly different mixes on some of the songs. I think this video album, as it was called back then, was Olivia's creative high point. Far better than the cheap-looking, unimaginitive videos for Tied Up and Heart Attack only a year later!

 

Yes, it's the single 45 version. I collect her 45's and I have a WLP for Landslide and it comes in at 4:00, so for me although it's the edited version, it's the US single version and it's always cool to have this released on digital CD, so I'm happy Japan included it on the GH CD.

 

That's really odd as I'm sure the UK single of Landslide was the unedited album track... I'll double check but I'm fairly certain.

 

I first realized the single version on the Japan LP EMS-91045 which includes 14 tracks, 4 more than the GH Vol 2 MCA US CD I had for years. I always wanted the Japan CD of this album but I wanted the 1st pressing of the CD from 83 CP35-3046 has the compact disc logo on the bottom right side, it's a bit pricey but I finally found a 1st pressing and contains the same 14 tracks with the single version of Landslide.

 

I have been looking for this LP ever since Xanadu was released...do you think I will ever find it??

 

That's the art I use for my own version of the Xanadu soundtrack. It'd be cool to get one of the movie prop album covers!

 

Landslide is a great song...I like it better than Physical. I find many of her album cuts are better than the chosen hits. Was at my used vinyl store today and picked up Making a Good Thing Better, Clearly Love, The Rumour because I think its rare on vinyl, plus Soul Kiss, which I remember not liking when it was new but figured why not give it another shot. Also got the one with Dont Stop Believing on it, so I think I have her whole catalog now. Totally Hot is my favorite and I think most consistent...I'm sure there will be tons of filler on most of the other albums but glad to have them.

 

The thing that really frustrates me about the Physical album is that there are at least three great songs that follow a similar pattern which fails imo. "Landslide," "Stranger's Touch," and "Silvery Rain" all have wonderful, melodic verses that are contrasted terribly with jarring, awful choruses. I have such a love/hate relationship with these songs. I love the sweet-sounding verses and bridges, but hate the "rocky" choruses.........."It was a laaaaandslide" "He's overpowering me" and "Fly away Peter, fly away Paul." Ugh! Why?!?!? And I hate those shrieking synths/violins on "Landslide."

I'm glad we got "Make A Move On Me." That track was done right and is miles better than those other three. Love it.