WEST SIDE STORY motherjumping sountrack poll!

I'm going with "Something's Coming" – he just sings his damn heart out...such a huge range of emotions & great orchestration.

awesome poll

voted "cool"

"One Hand, One Heart" is amazing, too...I think I'm having a Jim Bryant kind of night.

"Cool" is great – it really does sound like it's barely found a way to keep its own lid from spilling over.

so what are some all-time definitive killer versions?

Ha I only know the movie soundtrack! Tho I am sure a million grubby pop punk bands have covered "Gee Officer Krupke."

yeah, that's what I'm most familiar with too.

Gee, Officer Krupke! - Def Jef, The Jerky Boys, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Salt-N-Pepa < unfortunately not on youtube

fave tune here is "America"

Tonight, Maria, Krupke, Somewhere, Cool all gr8 too.

so hard!

TS: Natalie Wood VS Marni Nixon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZfnOSS22pg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ToHs9eAl54

Jet Song, only one I ever had in my head.

til yr last dying day

haven't seen this in a while, i think i remember liking "maria" the best

When I saw the poll title I thought this was going to be harder then it was. When I looked at the song list it was obvious that "Maria" comes into my head more than any of the others. I've drunkenly contemplated doing it at karaoke a number of times!

first impulse is "tonight," but it's a hard call. the jets song and "cool" are great, "somewhere" is sweet and sad. and "maria" and "america" etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo8SWn5mxus

man i just watched maria on youtube and it destroyed me

i am leaning "somewhere" right now, but, since no one has mentioned it, "i feel pretty" rules.

i am going to end up watching this whole damn movie tonight.

It's 2.5 hours long and it doesn't feel like it at all.

Holy shit: Elvis Presley was originally approached for Tony. However, his manager, Colonel Parker, strongly believed the role to be wrong for Elvis and made him decline in favor of other movie musicals. When the movie became a hit and earned 10 Oscars, Elvis later regretted having given up the part.

Now I remember why "Maria" wins; because of the suspended time moment during the gym dance sequence.

The little instrumental bit with the technicolor floating xmas lights - one of the greatest moments in film!

Quite a few rock covers: Yes did "Something's Coming", The Nice did "America" as an instrumental, Alice Cooper borrowed from "Jet Song" and "Cool" (twice).

I love it when ILM polls induce me to pull out a record I haven't played in a dozen years! (Haven't seen the film in at least as long.) Probably wind up going for "Something's Coming" but who knows?

Select orchestral bits sounding like Stravinsky-gone-beatnik [/talking out of ass]

I voted for "Somewhere" but this is one of those unfair-to-single-out-a-particular-tune albums.

At least ten of these are utterly unfuckable with, I really can't decide.

"Something's Coming" (Jim Bryant) – 2:32
"Maria" (Bryant) – 2:34
"America" (Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Sharks & Girls) – 4:59
"Tonight" (Jim Bryant, Marni Nixon) – 5:43
"Gee, Officer Krupke" (Russ Tamblyn, Jets) – 4:14
"One Hand, One Heart" (Bryant, Nixon) – 3:02
"Somewhere" (Bryant, Nixon)

Narrowed it down to this lot, leaning towards one of the fun ones but srlsly this is an objective lesson in how to write stone cold amazing ballads (if they count as that).

It's one of the most 'covered' soundtracks, and even though the majority have been easylistening hell, this soundtrack (and the film) survives!

Search out "Gee Officer Krupke" by Yellow Dog, and "Tonight" by The Look.

Doesn't the soundtrack hold the record for most weeks at #1 in the U.S.?

You guys who are repping the movie soundtrack should get the original Broadway cast recording IMMEDIATELY because it is fucking incredible.

This is still my favorite musical of all time; every single piece of music is fantastic. (Leaning towards "Krupke" for lolhighschoolglory reasons but my real choice is probably either "America", "Maria" or "Somewhere")

Are we voting specifically on the movie version?

If it's just songs, "Somewhere" wins it for me. But the movie version of the song is a desecration.

ONE OF YOUR OWN KIND
STICK TO YOUR OWN KIND

so chilling, so great; the impact a song like this has on you when you are growing up as the only black person you know in your peer group within a 20 mile radius can't be stressed enough

yeah, Leonard Bernstein and Sondheim both correctly judged the film to be a mess.

xp

WSS is always guaranteed to make me a bit teary, reminds me of my mum. Might go for the kickarse multi-part reprise of Tonight (listed here as 'Quintet' I think).

I grew up on a version sung by Jose Carreras and Kiri Ti Kanawa, by the way. How middle class.

I feel that the movie version of "America" is an abomination before our lord Stephen Sondheim.

Has anyone seen the current Broadway version? I heard it is very good.

This is my favorite musical of all time, it is hard to pick a favorite but I ended up picking "Maria".

A friend of mine said it was amazing; I really really really REALLY want to see it.

America. No question.

i saw the current broadway version; the chick who plays Maria is a star. i had some problems with it, but it is the best of musicals, so it was still awesome.

Oh I'm jealous. I'm not a big fan of musicals in general but this is one of like five that I really really love. I haven't seen anything on broadway since "On the Town" years ago which was so bad I walked out before intermission.

5. "Dance at the Gym" (Blues, Promenade, Mambo, Pas de Deux, film dialogue, and Jump) – 9:24[10]

There's a lot of good stuff jammed into this track/scene.

wasn't russ tamblyn's brother in the standells or something?

woah - russ has an insane CV - Elvis's choreographer for Jailhouse Rock, played a punk in Teenage Confidential, West Side Story, Twin Peaks and Neil Young's insane Greendale thing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Tamblyn

there is a whole twin peaks-west side story connection. bc of the benjamine horne + russ.

Hard to choose, but I'll go with "America."

In my mind I am trying to see the movie with Elvis as Tony and wishing I could visit the alternate universe where that happened.

Tony's a little light in the loafers. Col. Tom was right.

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6500000/Elvis-and-Natalie-Wood-elvis-presley-6519344-190-308.jpg

just read this the other day due to following a link abt the pixies in a thread abt indie http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2011/01/the-ft-top-100-songs-of-all-time-10-west-side-story-obc-america/

I think "Tonight" is my EASY favorite of the bouncier numbers, and of teh ballads, "A Boy Like That/i Have a Love". I also love all of the instrumental bits too.

many of my favs here barely got any votes! ;_;

I agree! Love "Cool" so much for example. I feel like it gets made fun of a lot (or just lovingly parodied, like in "Flight of the Concords") BUT I do think it has its finger on the pulse of something nervous and volatile and real!

'Somewhere' makes me ;_;

"You people make this world LOUSY!"

I believe it's "You KIDS" (at least in the movie).

I can't remember off hand -- I'm mostly going from what I heard on the stage the other night, but it may have been "you kids!"

"Cool" is great and the choreography is amazing. can't wati to see it up closer tomorrow night...for $25!

"Cool" is so iconic, not just the song but the choreography...you can't have West Side Story without Cool.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/277676305_9c37fc8e67.jpg

In Work Freak, Stefan Fastis notes that Marlon Hill (above), Scrabble genius," has "breeze it, buzz it, easy does it" as a personal mantra (along with "know the ledge").

Saw the revival tour last night. I'm pretty gay for this show.

Tho it is a little distracting that the members of both gangs are so ... um, pretty?

this poll is bad and wrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80-DtChQ39U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x84LJjZhKSs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip9CCVX4Ms4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taeFKIKfnZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAu3a7CMA84&ob=av2e

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OavR37tHXDw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIii2urYUmg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjoF46_yp_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVveVuIglhg

haha this one's bad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeLeTsQJ7S8

Spielberg-directed film remake rumored; I'd bet it never happens.

Also P Kael otm re '61 movie (scroll to end):

http://www.geocities.ws/paulinekaelreviews/w1.html

please no

remake might not have brownface

except when people get charred from huge spaceship explosions

big-budget bigscreen B'way musical adaps would never use separate actors and singers in roles anymore, right? too "fake" lol

its quintet

i mean how could it not be quintet for fucks sake

woah - russ has an insane CV - Elvis's choreographer for Jailhouse Rock, played a punk in Teenage Confidential, West Side Story, Twin Peaks and Neil Young's insane Greendale thing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Tamblyn

― Brio, Wednesday, 4 November 2009 15:47 (nine years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol @ the omission of his proper star turn in seven brides

i played this score in my hs's production lol. really wonderful tho!

underrated by this poll:

dance at the gym
a boy like that/i have a love
one hand, one heart

actually basically everything that isn't one of the top 2 lol

its quintet

i mean how could it not be quintet for fucks sake

― old yeller-at-clouds (darraghmac), Saturday, 1 December 2018 03:14 (five months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i am still pissed off tbh

this Jimmy Bryant guy gets a lot less press than Marni Nixon

he'll be 90 next week

I maintain "Somewhere" is the best song in the musical, but the movie version is pitiful.

100% otm

This is still the best musical

krup you :)

The best music in a musical, at any rate.

well, that's why Kushner is fixing the book

I was just on the politics thread and reading that name here filled me with so much rage and terror

I was just watching a long interview with Steve Vai (don't ask) and he said the two most formative musical experiences of his youth were getting introduced to Led Zeppelin and the "West Side Story" soundtrack around the same time.

The highest google search result for best Broadway musicals (that isn't a shitty user-generated list): https://www.chriscaggiano.com/the-100-best-musicals-of-all-time.html

I'm mystified at those who rank Gypsy above all else.

well, that's got one of the best books, and psychological terror

plus "Have an Eggroll, Mr Goldstone"

But, like, maybe 3 memorable songs if memory serves?

gypsy does that thing musicals do where the first half seems to think it has all the time in the world to indulge in affectionate vaudeville pastiche and then when you come back from intermission it's like SHIT IS THAT THE TIME? I HAD A BUNCH OF PLOT ACTUALLY

Together, Wherever We Go (which i knew as a kid from Tony Randall singing it on The Odd Couple)
Everything's Coming Up Roses
Some People
Let Me Entertain You
aforementioned Goldstone
Rose's Turn (not exactly a song, ok)

a number of these were staples of TV variety shows in my childhood, so...

also the station mgr of WFMU regularly plays "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" amongst Rammstein and Japanese recordings of Jesus Christ Superstar on his freeform show

Was gonna say...

Everything’s coming up roses
Let me entertain you
Bump it with a trumpet

I know my “are the songs memorable?” firewall on what musicals I consider great allows in The Sound of Music, but so be it.

Gypsy is pretty great; I'd never seen it until recently when I went to a local production starring a friend (who killed, btw)

I'm still all about WSS though