I don't enjoy musicals, and the very thought of anyone singing showtunes makes me cringe. (That road trip scene in
The Sure Thing is pure hell in the best way.) But I have an inexplicable love for
Hair (particularly the 1968 Broadway cast recording, though I enjoy the 1979 movie soundtrack as well, the songs given a bit more studio polish). It's a flurry of ridiculously catchy songs, and the fact that they were already a little dated and silly at the time makes it easier to listen today without dreading the anachronism. Most are also pretty short, though a few are proper-length pop songs. And while hits like "Aquarius" and "Let The Sun Shine In" and "Good Morning Starshine" are the better, more fully-realized songs, adorable sunshine pop with a hint of psychedelia, I'm partial to some of the more snippet-length spotlights for various cast members.
I went back and forth over which one I'd cite here, but wound up on "Air," a silly little 90-second pollution ode delivered in a girlish sing-song voice that somehow charms the hell out of me.
The Broadway version:
Film soundtrack:
2014 local production:
Updated version:
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