Pippin
Original Cast Album
1972: Motown 0501
“Love Song” is extraordinarily intimate and sadly touching, a song I can’t listen to without first preparing myself and establishing the zones of reaction…while it’s a gently playful celebration of all the silly trappings of new love, on most levels, musically it has a depth that touches on profound sadness, especially at the end. Love as a flicker of candle flame amid much darkness….
And then there’s “Spread a Little Sunshine,” at the other end of the spectrum, a piece of brilliantly cheerful cynicism—Fastrada singing what on the surface is positive but in truth is pretty nasty. The core of this song is perhaps captured best in its phrase &147;think before we strike&148;—it’s in no way saying “be nice,” rather saying “think first, so you’re more effective when you do strike.” This recording of the song is functional but rather tepid; check out Chita Rivera’s balls-to-the-wall delivery of it on YouTube for a much better embodiment on all levels.
Comments © 2005 Mark Ellis Walker, except as noted, and no claim is made to the images and quoted lyrics.