The Story So Far..

Amazon.com:
Stephen Sondheim’s career is so rich that trying to encompass it on a mere four discs seems like a tall order. This satisfying set tries to please both newbies (the first three discs propose an overview of the master’s career via excerpts from all of his shows) and hardcore fans (the fourth disc sheds some light on lesser-known corners of Sondheim’s oeuvre). Of course, the individual selections won’t please everybody (Sunday in the Park with George gets one song while Evening Primrose and Into the Woods get four each?) but at least there are clear curatorial decisions. For instance, disc 2 covers only four shows—Company, Follies, A Little Night Music and Pacific Overtures—and clearly puts them up as Sondheim’s iconic works. Disc 4 is incredibly fun, maybe because a lot of the material is new to us. Highlights include "Truly Content" from 1962’s Passionella, excerpts from Sondheim’s superb Jazz Age–style score for Alain Resnais’ 1974 movie Stavisky, and not one but four previously unreleased tracks from Dick Tracy. The physical set comes with a nice booklet that includes, among other things, an essay by Sondheim expert Mark Eden Horowitz and the lyrics of the previously unreleased songs. -- Elisabeth Vincentelli

Disc 1:

1. America
2. Tonight
3. Gee, Officer Krupke
4. Everything's Coming Up Roses
5. Comedy Tonight
6. Everybody Ought to Have a Maid
7. There's Something About a War
8. Don't Laugh
9. Anyone Can Whistle
10. A Parade in Town
11. A Hero is Coming
12. This Week, Americans
13. Perhaps
14. Everybody Loves Leona
15. The Boy From...
16. (If You Can Find Me) I'm Here
17. Arts and Crafts
18. I Remember Sky
19. When?
20. Take Me to the World

Disc 2:

1. Another Hundred People
2. The Ladies Who Lunch
3. Being Alive
4. Happily Ever After
5. Waiting for the Girls Upstairs
6. Broadway Baby
7. Losing My Mind
8. I'm Still Here
9. Can That Boy Fox Trot!
10. The Miller's Son
11. Liaisons
12. Send in the Clowns
13. Night Waltz (Love Takes Time)
14. Silly People
15. Not Quite Night
16. Welcome to Kanagawa
17. Pretty Lady
18. Prayers
19. There is No Other Way

Disc 3:

1. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
2. Green Finch and Linnet Bird
3. A Little Priest
4. The Worst Pies in London
5. Not a Day Goes By
6. Old Friends
7. Finishing the Hat
8. Agony
9. Children Will Listen
10. Have to Give Her Someone
11. Interesting Questions
12. Second Midnight
13. Everybody's Got the Right
14. The Ballad of Booth
15. Happiness
16. I Wish I Could Forget You
17. Bounce
18. Isn't He Something!
19. Invocation and Instructions to the Audience

Disc 4:

1. I Must Be Dreaming
2. The Two of You
3. Class
4. Love's a Bond
5. In the Movies
6. I'm All For You
7. They Ask Me Why I Believe in You
8. Incidental Music
9. Truly Content
10. No, Mary Ann
11. Incidental Music
12. Theme
13. Auto Show
14. Arlette by Night
15. Operetta
16. Theme (European version)
17. I Never Do Anything Twice (The Madam's Song)
18. Theme
19. Sooner or Later
20. Live Alone and Like It
21. What Can You Lose?
22. Back in Business
23. More
24. Water Under the Bridge

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Customer Reviews

Rating: - Comprehensive but not complete
It's hard to believe it's taken this long for a box set covering the career of composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim to be compiled.Sondheim is no doubt one of the greatest composers of our time.There are so many great scores -- Into the Woods, Follies, Company, Assassins, Sweeney Todd, and so many more.This compilation offers a sampling from all of Sondheim's shows, and this is where my main criticism of this compilation lies:what songs should have been featured versus the ones that are included. ... Read More
Rating: - Sondheim's scores shine
THE STORY SO FAR is a compilation of music from all of Sondheim shows.It is arranged chronologically, so you can see how he has developed.His musical themes are evident in each succeeding show.Lyrically he is unsurpassed.I happen to be a Sondheim enthusiast; I saw every production on Broadway, have all of the individual cast albums.What makes this collection interesting is incorporates the important songs from the show, not just the "hits" although Sondheim, except for SEND IN THE CLOWNS (included) ... Read More
Rating: - Good if you're not already a collector
The Story So Far is a great collection of highlights from Sondheim shows, with alternate tracks, demos, and cut songs thrown in.If you don't already have at least one recording of a production of a show, then this collection is great.As someone who has, for example, the Original New York, The New York Revival, and London recordings of Into The Woods, I obviously collect Sondheim, and other, recordings.This duplication of material on other discs is abit repetitious.The recording proclaims all of these ... Read More
Rating: - A little bit of everything.
Packaging was poorly designed with nothing holding the booklet in the folder.Many of the recordings are songs from different plays which you probably already have on the cast albums.His writing is excellent as expected but his voice will surely grate on you after a while.Contains many old, original recordings which were never previously released in which he sang and played piano.Would LOVE to hear professional singers perform the songs.This is a "must" for serious collectors of Sondheim.
Rating: - Enchanting, enthralling, entertaining: must have!
"If they asked me, I could write a book . . ." oops, wrong songwriter. But that's the way I feel about Sondheim. Back in 1971 a college pal took me to see "Company" in LA. Thus began my life-long love affair with Sondheim. I am proud to say I saw "Follies" in LA back then too!

I own most of the available CDs (shows and compilations). I put "The Story So Far" into my refurbished, just purchased iPod. (I also created a whole playlist with just Sondheim's work.)

I cried, laughed, sang along ... Read More