Jesus Christ Superstar: 25th Anniversary Edition by Original Soundtrack

The release date for this 25th Anniversary Edition by Original Sound Track was March 24, 1998

This is about love for songs, themes, feelings, doubts & changing a belief system within the self that is not just a love for the other gender but the entire human race without any conditions. The music evokes a sense of re-awakening and i believe it is derived from a biblical yet harmonious perspective. You and I, the listeners, Webber the composer, take the journey into a spiritual over haul which begins with the Overture.

We are immediately driven to the out skirts of Jerusalem where there are several believers who have gathered in joyous song, obvious by the various people who are baritones, bass, sopranos and mezzo sopranos. They shout with glee their love for Christ’s reverie. It offers the unique visual of ritual 'dance' as the loud, resounding drum beat brings you into awakening of your spiritual sense. 
-----------------------------------------
Song #13 on disc #1 is my favorite from Miss Yvonne Elliman. "I Don't Know How To Love Him" is sung with passion by earthy Miss Elliman. For me and any listeners who pay attention to lyrics, you will feel her confusion, deeply rooted in the wrong versus right. Every song can evoke a great response to religious, spiritual & biblical concepts expertly created by the composer, when I listen to it. This is not Hollywood exclusive but better. Why ? Because it uses song and feelings with the assistance of beautiful voices of Yvonne, Ted Neely, and once a tortured soul, Carl Anderson as Judas Escariot. Them and Andrew Lloyd Webber knew all were just perfect for their respective part.

As the provocative, sensual, harlot, Mary Magdaline, Elliman performs vocally her best this personal testamony to her feelings. The album has many great spots; but a fantastic solo by Ted Neely is performed in "The Garden of Gethsemene" in which he bellows an eerie query on why did this have to happen to him. He begs his heavenly father to set forth insight but even Christ is not understanding the why at that particular moment proving he is as and will always be, seen as human, just like the rest of us.

The music is ethereal full of emotion that follow the last seven days remaining before he was crucified in which Christ spoke with people, healed people, gave generously of himself to the people and then was defeated by the very people he so adored. He and this sound track has gained popularity. I empathize with Yvonne’s sorrow and deep affection for a man she really did not know yet still felt a very strong powerful spiritual connection too that nobody could ever understood unless they too, believed.

You are thinking this is Hollywood, it is a sound track from a great controversial film, and someone imagined Christ's life to be like this but wow did Webber offer the best music trip into a very intriguing look into what might have been. Simple right ? Well, not really. A score such as this during our latter half of my formative years could re-direct one (me) away from the indoctrination process set in motion by parents, grand parents and community. If a child believes Christ was pure, this sound track, in addition to the movie, certainly sparked doubt. But the score evokes wonderful insight into the probability that Jesus was human despite the story of his sacrificial death.

I loved it ! I loved Yvonne and Ted immediately because they are pure in heart. She sang it as if for God alone to cherish, while we all were just simply mesmerized. She was not afraid to show being afraid. When I heard it in the theater I felt her singing just to me telling me that this, love, is a very complex matter. There are no easy ways around what comes assigned to you not the other way around. You do not seek it, it seeks you and if you are not ready, it even humbles you. I was more awakened by a higher spirit while listening to this song than some of the sermons I had already absorbed in my short life.

This is powerful, both spiritually & psychologically, I could not have been without it in my collection of greats ! And since this review has now been modified from its original presentation- I can add this note:
Tonight, Wed 2/25/09, I saw Ted Neely live at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland Ohio, the Palace Theater performing again, the greatest Jesus there ever was. He sung his heart out and when I came home, I popped this into the compact disc player and went right back to the show. It is that crystal clear and provocative ! Sound quality fantastic, price worth it but not in-expensive and will last and last and last as the story of Jesus has.
Enjoy !
*tidbit--This track was added to the sound track from the movie score; but it was not on the Broadway album with Jeffery Hunter as Jesus Christ released in early 1977

This is a two disc set 
DISC #1
1 Overture
2 Heaven On Their Minds
3 What's The Buzz
4 Strange Thing, Mystifying
5 Then We Are Decided
6 Everything's Alright
7 This Jesus Must Die
8 Hosanna
9 Simon Zealots
10 Poor Jerusalem
11 Pilate's Dream
12 Temple, The
13 I Don't Know How To Love Him
14 Damned For All Time / Blood Money
DISC #2
1 Last Supper, The
2 Gethsemane
3 Arrest, The
4 Peter's Denial
5 Pilate And Christ
6 King Herod's Song
*7 Could We Start Again, Please?
8 Judas' Death
9 Trial Before Pilate
10 Superstar
11 Crucifixion, The
12 John Nineteen: Forty One