I don't usually like live recordings - they are usually thrown together, sometimes as an after-thought, and never seemingly with the planning and attention to detail of a studio album. There are exceptions, and when they happen, they tend to be outstanding.

Speckulation's recording of A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewee falls into this category. The recording, made at a sell-out gala concert in London's West End in July 2008, is so well recorded and performed, that at times it's hard to believe you are listening to a live recording.

Stiles and Drewe are two of the hottest writers in musical theatre today, yet many have not heard of them. Their list of credits (Honk, Mary Poppins, Betty Blue Eyes, Just So) is impressive, and it can only be a matter of time before they get the commercial success and fame that they deserve.

This recording should go someway in helping with that. It's also given a boost by the sheer amount of talent on the recording, from Julie Atherton to Scarlett Strallen, and from Daniel Boys to Alison Jiear. It's hard to pick out a favourite track, as they are so diverse and equally entertaining. A special mention must go to 'A Little Bit of Nothing' and 'Diva' as the stand out comedy moments, and 'Joys of Motherhood' and 'Magic Fingers' (from Honk and Betty Blue Eyes respectively) as the stand out musical theatre numbers on recording.

Julie Atherton again pleases with 'Wait a Bit' from Just So, the musical that launched her career, but if I'm going to plump for one number that I could listen to all day, it would be the composers singing 'Does The Moment Ever Come' from the same show.  

To quote another number from the album, Practically Perfect. If you have not heard Stiles & Drewe's work before, I recommend giving this CD a try.

9

Ian Gude