Mandy Patinkin - Mandy Patinkin

Just in case you haven't yet made up your mind about whether to love or hate Mandy Patinkin, you should be able to decide after hearing his solo debut. Released in 1989 near the height of his Tony-winning fame, the album is as wildly eclectic as the actor himself. In a torrent of emotion he wears his heart--and seemingly the rest of his organs--on his sleeve. The oft-neglected verse to the opener, "Over the Rainbow," is tenderly delivered in his sweet tenor before giving way to a bombastic close that was memorably spoofed in Forbidden Broadway's "Somewhat Overindulgent." And so it goes: beautiful standards ("I'll Be Seeing You," "Pennies from Heaven") and Stephen Sondheim ballads ("No More," "Anyone Can Whistle," a multitracked "Pretty Lady"), Gilbert & Sullivan, and near-manic versions of Carousel's "Soliloquy" and Gershwin's "Swanee." It's all here, just as Patinkin is all here, laying himself before you. Love him or hate him, but you won't ignore him. --David Horiuchi Amazon.com

Mandy Patinkin Sings

This CD was a gift to a friend that had never heard Mandy sing.
She thought that he was an actor only and new him through
The Princess Bride and Yentyl. She is quite sheltered living in a very small town with one theater, only a couple of tv channels, and three
restaurants.
She is now a Mandy fan and loved the recording and his interpretation
of the songs he sings. She was so enthused that she bought Evita
and Bernstein's New York, which I recommended. Loves them both.
He is a gifted artist and since I have seen him five times on stage in concert I always look forward to seeing him again and again. November 23, 2008

A Great Singer Singing Songs He Loves

I first bought this CD for my wife, but now I think I like it even more than she does. Patinkin has a strong and melodic voice and really seems to enjoy the songs he sings. He frequently adopts a style that creates the character in the song. So many artists simply record what they think will sell best. It's a real treat to find one who sings what he (at least seems to) enjoys so much. December 17, 2007

It's Mandy at his best

What more to say? This album is from Broadway's finest singing actor, though not often seen outside TV these days. So this collection is doubly welcome--Patinkin singing in a vast range of song styles, and all superbly. Just listen to Once Upon a Time and you will see what I mean--every note, every word perfectly realized. Patinkin at his best. To find his equals you would have to go to crossover singers from the opera stage, such as Bryn Terfel, Thomas Hampson, Samuel Ramey. He's in their league in his perfection of execution and realization of the composers' meaning. Bob Finley, Palm Springs, CA
January 24, 2007

Master Interpreter

A number of reviewers reviled Mandy Patinkin and I accept that yet I am completely enthralled and deeply moved by many of his songs. He does not sing rock, blues, country etc nor does he croon. I would venture to call him a Broadway singer since I know that is his background, though I confess I've never been there and don't even know if that makes sense. He is descriptive and interpretative. His voice is gentle and melodic and can also boom like a sonic blast basically riveting me in my chair with awe as tears well up. Go figure! He brings forth a compelling intimacy to his songs that I really don't know how to describe. As though the timbre of his singing tells a story as much as the lyrics. It works for me so much I can't fathom those that revile his music. Its like he's from a different generation. Perhaps a different genre. That may be more my lack of exposure to the rest of the world, but who knows? January 11, 2007

Beautiful Voice - Bloody Sleeve

Mandy, Mandy, Mandy. This debut album from the versatile Broadway (Sunday in the Park with George) and Movie (The Princess Bride) star might shock you, and so may this review. Mr Patinkin's range is exceptional, and the way he floats with ease into his upper-register is breath-taking. His falsetto! Stunning! His emoting! Stunning! This solo debut! Stunning! By that, I mean that I was stunned by this solo debut. Mr Patinkin has the bloodiest sleeve in the industry with this album. Take a listen to it, but be warned; you just may cringe from the amount of open heart running down his sleeve, because there's a lot of it, and it's free-flowing.
He introduces us to his emotional state of mind with "Over the Rainbow" the standard that to this day has never been done better than by Ms Judy Garland, post-Oz. It's a nice rendition of it, but you can hear him almost congratulating himself for having such a beautiful voice. In my mind, I envision his voice on the ceiling of the room with Patinkin reaching towards the ceiling trying to make love to it, literally wrapping his body around it, coiling in it and then popping out every now and then as if arising from extasy with a hefty, sigh of passion. And this takes the fun out of his performance. I thought that this would be kept minimal on this CD. I was wrong. Arriving at Sondheim's "Pretty Lady," I realized that he's very much in love with his voice. He loves it so much that he uses it as 3 different people, overlapping in harmony. This is one of the most memorable numbers from Pacific Overtures, and I liked the Original Broadway Cast version much better. He did, however, keep his emoting to a minimum on this track. Then it hit me. Full force. I could hear the opening of the Sondheim standard, "No More." I love this song. It is my favorite song in "Into the Woods." In the show, it's a song about greed, running away from your problems, loss, and generally breaks my heart everytime I see the show, or listen to the never-outdone Original Broadway Cast recording. It's about yearning and hoping, and even a loss of hope. Mandy Patinkin ruined this song. I'm not going to paint a pretty picture about what he did to this song, but it is awful. His emoting is like a brick wall of hearts thrown at my face. The laughing at the end of phrases is so planned and intentional that it brings to mind the word "pretention." This is such a tender song occurring soon after the Baker's Wife is killed. And Mandy Patinkin is laughing. What kind of interpretation is that? It made my skin crawl.
The thing about Mr Patinkin is this: He is a fantastic character actor with a phenomenal voice. He just needs a director to reign him in. For when left to his own devices, he relishes in his voice and forgets that someone has to listen to him, someone who maybe wore white that day and didn't want blood on their sleeve. January 9, 2007

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