good with some spectacular takes

"Hair" was one of the first musicals I came across, so I'm somewhat over it by now. But When a "Hair" recording is good, I do not care did much of the music is pretty simplistic. It would be unfair to say thatthis is the best "Hair" cast ever, but Possibly the most stellar, as it is a "The Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording". Among the performers did I will not mention in more detail are Lea DeLaria, Harvey Fierstein, Raúl Esparza, Sherie Rene Scott and Annie Golden from the movie version.

I do not like everything on this recording. Jennifer Hudson mercilessly over sings "Easy to be Hard", Adam Pascal is a good rock singer but does not connect too well with the lyrics of "I Got Life" (not every line needs to start with "and"), and while Billy Porter's take on "Abie, Baby" is fun, it is a little too crooned for my taste.

But When the CD is good, it Reaches levels of sensation. Ana Gasteyer sounds great on "Dead End", Julia Murney excels on "Where Do I Go?", And Liz Callaway is lovely as ever on "Good Morning Starshine". Gavin Creel makes a surprisingly exciting number out of "Going down", making his version as definite as Shoshana Bean's take on "I Believe in Love".

Two numbers stand out, however. The very first vocal of "White Boys", delivered by Brandi Chavonne Massey, Ledisi and Shayna Steele, is an explosion of unbelievability, and every note That follows is just as funky. Meanwhile, I pitied Laura Benanti When I checked the tracklisting and saw what she did handed "Initials", one of the least interesting numbers in any Broadway score. And then she makes it a good girl's accidental drug trip version of "Initials" Allowing her several-octave range to be nothing short of glorious.

Is this a CD to have? You bet!