Andrew Dull-Webber

 Bracing myself. I carry a hatred for Andrew Lloyd-Webber based as much on his personality as his music. I actually formulated a theory many years ago that he those who like him overrate him, whilst those who denigrate him underrate him.

You have to take your hat off. With shrewd borrowings from here, and delegating the difficult tasks, like orchestration, there he has hit a winning formula. And, having found it, he is probably wise to stick to it.

I have seen the adverts on the Tube for A Woman in White 'his best score since Phantom of the Opera' The Daily Bigot 'So, not as good as Phantom of the Opera' Gert Blog And I'm not exactly rushing to see the film of Phantom, although I daresay when it comes on the TV I shall watch it. Probably not on Pay-per-View, though.

I taped this album off my sister, and, I have to confess, there are some bloody good tunes on it. I mean, that's what ALW does - bloody good tunes, and some of his best work is greatly assisted by great lyricists like Tim Rice.

My personal favourites include Take That Look Off Your Face and Tell Me On A Sunday (Marti Webb), but that's as much to do with Don Black's lyrics. And Marti Webb's voice, which has an edge and some character.

I also like I Don't Know How To Love Him, good tune, good lyrics and a generally good voice, Yvonne Elliman. She does screech a bit in the middle bit, but it is a bloody difficult song to sing.

My favourite song on this tape is Memory. I even bought it on vinyl single back in the summer of 1980. I think I have blogged it previously.

I don't dislike Don't Cry For Me Argentina, but Julie Covington has a thin wispy bland voice. I saw Evita years ago in Nottingham and the singer belted this out. But I much prefer David Essex's O What A Circus, which isn't on this tape.

But we also have to sit through Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman singing All I Ask of You. What a totally dreadful combination. I have no sense of whether this is truly a dreadful song, or whether it just seems so because of those two ghastly singers. Maybe it would be worth seeing the film in order to find an answer...

And much of the rest is just aural sherbert.