I bought this set used on vinyl when I was 17. Then again on cassette when I was 25. I'm now about to buy it on cd. Why? Hands down it is the best concert album of his works. Nothing gimimicky, just a great evening of song, most with the original performers recreating their moments. Also, there are more than a handful of cut songs and obscure lyrics. For you Sondheim buffs: the original lyrics to "We're Gonna Be All Right" which got sanitized during the tryout becuase Dorothy Rodgers thought the lyrics were too racy. And a previous reviewer complained that there were No performance of Night Music songs on the disc, Here's why. The Cast Album had just been recorded by Columbia and they held the rights to any of the original cast recording of the songs. During "Liasons" and "Send in the Clowns" the Engineers from Warner Brothers (the original Label) had to shut off the mics. A shame...written accounts of the evening state that Glynis Johns had the house in tears with Send in the Clowns. Still and all, a worthwhile album.

Aside from featuring a song ("Two Fairy Tales") that appears on no other tribute/compilation CD that I'm aware of, and several other rarely performed tunes, this tribute has another significant feature: All the singers appeared in, or were intended to appear in, original Sondheim productions, so the net effect is to provide some tantalizing examples of how these songs sounded live on stage by their original singers.

There are so many treasures on this CD! Examples: If you doubted that Beth Howland owns "Getting Married Today," this rendition will put your doubts to rest; she actually sings it faster than on the OBR of Company! Similarly, while there have been plenty of decent renditions of "Broadway Baby," Ethel Shutta proves why she was the first (and best). Nancy Walker's "I'm Still Here" ranks with the greatest versions of this song. And what a joy it is to hear Angela Lansbury, by this time an experienced musical thespian, singing songs from Anyone Can Whistle with considerable assurance.

One small complaint I have is that while the cast of the then-current A Little Night Music appears, none of them sings any songs on their own; they merely provide part of the chorus (and Hermione Gingold was one of the "Beautiful Girls). As I am a Len Cariou fan, I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear him live. Still, this is a sensational collection that should delight both Sondheim fans and musical theatre fans in general.

This is probably my favorite of the Sondheim compilation CDs I have. It's a live concert recorded in 1973, right in the middle of the "Golden Age" of Sondheim. It's got the great songs one would expect ("Being Alive", "America", "Broadway Baby") and it also has a good handful of songs that were cut from his shows...all of them on par or better with the ones that were kept in! It stars many of the members of "Company" and "Follies" along with biggies like Chita Rivera and Angela Lansbury, whose "Me and My Town" is a riot. My only complaint is the sound quality. But if anything, it just gives the recording more character! This is a great CD and I couldn't consider my Sondheim collection complete without it.

This is a must for Sondheim fans. Nancy Walker does "I'm Still Here" and gives the best version on disc to this date. Most of the other performances are done by the actors who introduced them in the original productions.

One of the best things about this collection is the end with Sondheim himself singing the title song to his flop show, Anyone Can Whistle. Lary Kert, the orginal Tony from West Side, Angela Landsbury, and Chita Rivera are some memorable names. Very good musicical selections. A little form everything up until Company. even thhings from Sondheim's first, Saturday Night.