988/1991 Imported edition by Relativity/First Night edition from London, England. Comes with the original lyrics booklet in English version. CD, case and artwork in like new condition.

It was supposed to be the last in Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's trilogy of worldwide hits following Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, but Martin Guerre had a bumpy road between its West End debut in 1996 and its aborted attempt to open on Broadway in spring 2000. This 1998 recording of the U.K. touring cast is vastly different from the original 1996 album (now out of print), with a simplified plot, almost entirely new lyrics, and new singers (including Stephen Weller, Matthew Cammelle, and Joanna Riding, who played Julie in the 1993 London revival of Carousel).

Best known from a 1982 French film (as well as an Americanized remake, Sommersby), the story is based on a documented court case from 16th-century France in which a man claiming to be Martin Guerre apparently returned to the village and wife he had left years earlier, but no one was sure if he was the same man they remembered. This musical version bypasses the mysterious elements of that plot in favor of a passionate story of love, friendship, and religious persecution, reinforced by three powerful new songs--"Live with Somebody You Love," "Without You as a Friend," and "How Many Tears." Veteran Les Mis patrons will enjoy the familiar soaring melodies and rousing choruses, but the show's passions often become overheated, and because it's sometimes difficult to totally sympathize with these variously flawed characters, ultimately Martin Guerre is not as emotionally involving as Boublil and Schönberg's earlier works. Still, this recording is notably superior to the original version, and with the show's immediate future in limbo, this might be the last word on Martin Guerre for a while. Accordingly, those interested in the current state of musical theater--and of course Boublil and Schönberg fans--will want this album. --David Horiuchi

1995 EMI Angel CD. Disc, jewel case, and inserts are all in excellent condition. Original US issue. 14 tracks. 101% guaranteed.

The highlights version of the two-disc set of Miss Saigon's 1989 London cast gives you 58 minutes (out of the original 107) and most of the best moments of the score. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's setting of Madame Butterfly in the Vietnam War includes beautiful and passionate music, most notably the bawdy opener "The Heat Is on in Saigon," "Why God Why," the romantic duet "The Last Night of the World," the female duet "I Still Believe," the male chorus number "Bui-Doi," and the Engineer's mocking "The American Dream." Time constraints, though, forced the elimination of "The Movie in My Mind," the wedding ceremony ("Dju Vui Vai"), and the revealing "Now That I've Seen Her," as well as much of the music that carries the plot forward. Casual listeners, therefore, might be satisfied with these highlights, while those who want to relive the show will need the complete recording. The booklet includes production photos and full lyrics. --David Horiuchi

Audio CD