It's not entirely show tunes, but nearly....
July 9, 2020 8:21 PM Subscribe
However it was that you first learned about Mandy Patinkin, you might not know that he recorded a really great album in the late 80s. Appropriately titled "Mandy Patinkin", it was released in 1989. The YouTube playlist unfortunately does not preserve the nature of the medleys on the album, but it's still an amazing listen.
The second link is to discogs which has the full track-list (indicating the medleys), and composer/lyricist information and all the other pertinent info.
The second link is to discogs which has the full track-list (indicating the medleys), and composer/lyricist information and all the other pertinent info.
I stumbled across a CD of the album in a used music shop in the mid-90s during college and picked it up based on how much I loved Patinkin's appearance on Letterman with Tony Randall, and I have fond memories of listening to it regularly while studying.
posted by Inkslinger at 8:41 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Inkslinger at 8:41 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
Mandy Patinkin has a really unique and lovely voice, so I was excited to listen to this. But the song "My Mammy" was featured in the Jazz Singer and the entire concept of a white person and their "mammy" is super racist.
posted by diamondsky at 8:44 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by diamondsky at 8:44 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]
I picked up a copy of Experiment as a senior in HS on the advice of my English teacher. I love his version of "Taxi." That was the first time I heard of him, so imagine my surprise when I saw him in The Music of Chance and thought "Wow, this singer can really act!"
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:51 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by grumpybear69 at 8:51 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh, I love this album. (And Experiment. And Oscar and Steve.) His "Once Upon a Time" might have been my introduction to that song, which is so lovely.
The inclusion of two songs from "Into the Woods" makes me wonder if he was ever considered to be in that show. I guess he was pretty busy in 1986-1987, what with "The Princess Bride" and performing in "The Knife."
This is indeed a terrific album, and I hadn't revisited it for years (despite playing it many times when I got it).
Thanks for posting this, hippybear!
posted by kristi at 8:52 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
The inclusion of two songs from "Into the Woods" makes me wonder if he was ever considered to be in that show. I guess he was pretty busy in 1986-1987, what with "The Princess Bride" and performing in "The Knife."
This is indeed a terrific album, and I hadn't revisited it for years (despite playing it many times when I got it).
Thanks for posting this, hippybear!
posted by kristi at 8:52 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]
I never knew he did "Love, Unrequited, Robs Me of My Rest" (a fiendishly difficult patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe). Abruptly crashing into "And the night has been long / Ditto, ditto my song / And thank goodness they're both of them over!" after such an extremely fast song is such a fun moment.
I've always liked his "American Tune" in Yiddish.
posted by zachlipton at 9:12 PM on July 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
I've always liked his "American Tune" in Yiddish.
posted by zachlipton at 9:12 PM on July 9, 2020 [3 favorites]
His recording of No More proves how much of a crime it was that Disney didn't include the figure of the Narrator/Father in the movie version of Into The Woods, because cutting that role cut that song. And it is so so so good.
posted by hippybear at 9:46 PM on July 9, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 9:46 PM on July 9, 2020 [6 favorites]
Incredible
One could almost say inconceivable.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:50 PM on July 9, 2020 [4 favorites]
One could almost say inconceivable.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:50 PM on July 9, 2020 [4 favorites]
It’s easy for this song to fly under the radar if you’re not familiar with it but “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody” is absolutely shockingly, horrifyingly racist. Like, “egregiously glorifying slavery” racist.
posted by corey flood at 11:12 PM on July 9, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by corey flood at 11:12 PM on July 9, 2020 [6 favorites]
Mandy Patinkin was on regular rotation in my house as a kid. After listening to him again for the first time in at least 20 years I am struck by how close my brother's singing voice is to his.
posted by nestor_makhno at 1:34 AM on July 10, 2020
posted by nestor_makhno at 1:34 AM on July 10, 2020
I love his performance of Brother, Can You Spare a Dime, done as one of his six "surprise" appearances on Letterman with Tony Randall. Here are all the performances with my link to the timestamp of my favorite.
posted by dobbs at 5:08 AM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by dobbs at 5:08 AM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
Mandy Patinkin yt . (They do it with love.)
I see your Mandy and raise you Somewhat Overindulgent .
posted by dannyboybell at 5:16 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I see your Mandy and raise you Somewhat Overindulgent .
posted by dannyboybell at 5:16 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
One could almost say inconceivable.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
posted by bonehead at 6:07 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
posted by bonehead at 6:07 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
I am looking at my CD of this as I type. If it were vinyl, I would have worn it out by now.
posted by tzikeh at 6:57 AM on July 10, 2020
posted by tzikeh at 6:57 AM on July 10, 2020
When I think of Mandy Patinkin, I personally think of The Princess Bride and then his work with The International Rescue Committee. Those are, of course, reason enough to love him. But this is turning that respectful admiration into deep affection. I'm gonna have to watch everything he was ever in, aren't I?
posted by OnceUponATime at 6:57 AM on July 10, 2020
posted by OnceUponATime at 6:57 AM on July 10, 2020
I'm gonna have to watch everything he was ever in, aren't I?
You can skip Maxie and you won't miss much.
I also recommend against watching his seasons of Criminal Minds for exactly the reason he recommends against having been in them:
posted by tzikeh at 7:01 AM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
You can skip Maxie and you won't miss much.
I also recommend against watching his seasons of Criminal Minds for exactly the reason he recommends against having been in them:
The biggest public mistake I ever made was that I chose to do Criminal Minds in the first place. I thought it was something very different. I never thought they were going to kill and rape all these women every night, every day, week after week, year after year. It was very destructive to my soul and my personality.”(source)
posted by tzikeh at 7:01 AM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm gonna have to watch everything he was ever in, aren't I?
1986 Sunday In The Park With George
posted by hippybear at 7:11 AM on July 10, 2020 [6 favorites]
1986 Sunday In The Park With George
posted by hippybear at 7:11 AM on July 10, 2020 [6 favorites]
Got it. Skip Criminal minds. Don't skip Homeland.
I did just remember the other reason I love him, though. Dead Like Me.
posted by OnceUponATime at 7:36 AM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
I did just remember the other reason I love him, though. Dead Like Me.
posted by OnceUponATime at 7:36 AM on July 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
I did just remember the other reason I love him, though. Dead Like Me.
UGH I loved that show so much and was completely bummed that they didn't get to have a final season. The "movie" is... meh.
Sunday in the Park with George is an all-time fave.
posted by tzikeh at 9:13 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
UGH I loved that show so much and was completely bummed that they didn't get to have a final season. The "movie" is... meh.
Sunday in the Park with George is an all-time fave.
posted by tzikeh at 9:13 AM on July 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also the man is a mensch in every sense of the word. Love.
posted by tzikeh at 9:15 AM on July 10, 2020
posted by tzikeh at 9:15 AM on July 10, 2020
He is a mensch, and you can bring up another one of hippybear's excellent posts to watch Mandy in The Secret Garden, especially the Tony Awards performance.
Or, you can watch Mandy react when one of his interviewers runs out on him (for a very good reason).
posted by gladly at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
Or, you can watch Mandy react when one of his interviewers runs out on him (for a very good reason).
posted by gladly at 10:54 AM on July 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
One could almost say inconceivable.As in Wow‽ That's the biggest condom I've ever seen‽
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
posted by y2karl at 11:49 AM on July 10, 2020
I love you, hippybear.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:34 PM on July 10, 2020
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:34 PM on July 10, 2020
The album was a family car trip staple for us in the eighties. At least, the first few tracks were. The numerous Al Jolson songs on side two I don't remember so much. Did I block them out? Did my parents intentionally stop playing the cassette before it auto-reversed into the minstrelsy section? Did we just get bored and put in Billy Joel's Greatest Hits again?
The tracks that are good are just phenomenal.
posted by HeroZero at 7:22 PM on July 10, 2020
The tracks that are good are just phenomenal.
posted by HeroZero at 7:22 PM on July 10, 2020
All these "Somewhat Overindulgent" mentions, but no "Super Frantic Self-indulgent Hyperactive Mandy"?
posted by tzikeh at 7:59 PM on July 10, 2020
posted by tzikeh at 7:59 PM on July 10, 2020
He's incredible in Homeland, and right now his Instagram feed is mostly a blend of promoting social justice causes, and videos that his son takes of Mandy and his wife at home together, being charmingly clueless about the modern world and charmingly in love with one another. Much recommended, even if it is a little disconcerting to see him sans beard after so many years of Saul Berenson.
posted by penguin pie at 6:11 AM on July 11, 2020
posted by penguin pie at 6:11 AM on July 11, 2020
I was lucky enough to see him in "Sunday in the Park..." It remains a highlight of my theater-going life. I always hoped someone would make an updated Jolson Story with Mandy.
posted by Sassenach at 11:01 AM on July 11, 2020
posted by Sassenach at 11:01 AM on July 11, 2020
Oh wow, and now I'm listening to him sing for the first time - extraordinary - I'd expected a booming bass!
I've always thought that a huge part of what made his portrayal of Saul so incredible was the control he had over his voice, the just-perceptible vibrato (?) he was able to put behind his emotions - so powerful and moving.
posted by penguin pie at 3:41 PM on July 11, 2020
I've always thought that a huge part of what made his portrayal of Saul so incredible was the control he had over his voice, the just-perceptible vibrato (?) he was able to put behind his emotions - so powerful and moving.
posted by penguin pie at 3:41 PM on July 11, 2020
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