WHY does iTunes persist in getting the cast lists wrong? This 'says' that Paul Robeson is on it, but it just ain't so. I call that fraud - I bought it because he was supposed to be on it. Shame, shame iTunes!

If I could, I would probably give this album three and a half stars; as it is, I'll be kind and go with four. When I first heard it, I was extremely disappointed: I had recently seen both movie versions of Show Boat and from the cast list and audio clips heard here assumed this would be the ideal recording. My hopes proved too high and were subsequently dashed. However, upon a relisten I realized just how great the cast is. John Raitt is one of the few baritones who could sing the difficult tenor part of Ravenal, and he brings to the role as certain swagger which belies neither gentlemanliness nor passion. Barbara Cook sounds wonderfully fresh as Magnolia, and contributes shimmering top notes to her duets with Raitt, including the very famous, operatic "You Are Love" and the wonderful "Make Believe," the latter becoming especially wonderful in their hands. It's also wonderful to hear "After the Ball" sung well—in the show Magnolia is supposed to start poorly then improve gradually—but a little more world-weariness, a little more emotion would have helped. Willaim Warfield gives a simply awesome rendition of "Ol' Man River," especially in the last few bars, though personally I prefer Paul Robeson. These three singers did what was probably best considering the circumstances of the recording: they either just sang (Warfield), or they stuck with traditional colorings and interpretations (Raitt and Cook, neither of whom had sung these roles before, actually). Anita Darian, on the other hand, goes over the top and weeps her way through "Bill." It's nearly grating. Oddly enough, one of my favorite things about this recording is Louise Parker as Queenie; you can hear her in both "Can't Help Lovin' dat Man" and the Act I finale. Any of the numbers not featuring the two leads, Warfield or Parker are basically forgettable: this recording just doesn't feel like a complete listening experience, but rather a well-rehearsed, rather bland recital. Despite iTunes' label, all the tracks on the CD release are available to download here, including four bonus numbers, sung by performers for which they were in some way or another intended: Tess Gardella (the original Queenie, she also sings Julie's part of "Can't Help Lovin'..." here, and does a bang-up job, easily surpassing Darian—though perhaps not Parker), Helen Morgan (the original Julie, who will make you cry in the 30s film version, but is a little too tweety bird here), Paul Robeson (intended to play the role of Joe in the opening run but unable to do so until the movie came out in the late 30s, for which he was given the extra song that can be heard here), Jan Clayton (Kern's favorite Magnolia; "Nobody Else But Me" was written for her).