This recording captures the 1985 London cast that transformed an obscure French musical based on Victor Hugo’s gargantuan novel of pre-Revolutionary France into a worldwide phenomenon throughout the late-’80s and ’90s and became one of the best examples of the era’s trend of blockbuster musical spectacles.
Yes, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg’s score tends to recycle its themes, but the beautiful melodies and stirring anthems rarely fail to captivate and touch its audience. Colm Wilkinson is the heroic Valjean, Patti LuPone is the tragic Fantine, Michael Ball is the love-struck Marius, and Frances Ruffelle is the despondent Eponine, with Roger Allam (Javert), Alun Armstrong and Sue Jane Tanner (the Thénardiers), Rebecca Caine (older Cosette), and David Burt (Enjolras) filling out the excellent cast. Fans will want to take note that this recording includes some material that was revised when the show crossed the pond to Broadway–”Little People” was lost altogether, while the “Love Montage” was significantly rewritten. Les Misérables sounds especially vivid in its 1998 remastering, and a synopsis and full lyrics are included. –David Horiuchi



Disc: 1 Amazon Music
1. Prologue: Work Song Listen
2. Prologue: Valijean Arrested/Valijean Forgiven
3. Prologue: What Have I Done?
4. At The End Of The Day
5. I Dreamed A Dream
6. Lovely Ladies
7. Who Am I?
8. Fantine’s Death: Come To Me
9. Fantine’s Death: Confrontation
10. Castle On A Cloud Listen
11. Master Of The House
12. Thenardier Waltz
13. Stars
14. Look Down
15. Little People
16. Red & Black
17. Do You Hear The People Sing?

Disc: 2
1. Love Montage: I Saw Him Once/In My Life/A Heart Full Of Love
2. Plumet Attack
3. One Day More!
4. On My Own
5. The Attack
6. A Little Fall Of Rain
7. Drink With Me
8. Bring Him Home
9. Dog Eat Dog
10. Soliloquy
11. Turning
12. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables
13. Beggar At The Feast
14. Finale