I have a conundrum, please help if you can. On Amazon, there are two cast recordings featuring the original London cast starring Lea Salonga. The first is on 2CDs, for $32.49. The second is the "complete" London cast, on 2CDs, for $52.98. Both recordings have 29 tracks, so how can the latter be more "complete" than the former? Is there any difference between the two other than the price?

Not if they are both doubles and both are listed to have on Lea. Unless one is used. http://www.flickr.com/photos/27199361@N08/ Phantom at the Royal Empire Theatre

The covers are different for both: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000026YNN/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance versus http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000000ORS/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

If you want Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce then I would order the $32.49 one. Lea Salonga only made the one recording that I am aware of. Notice the one listed at $52.98 is listed as an import and the label is not listed as Decca but Phantom Sound & Vision. I'm guessing it is the original recording as distributed in some other country and it just has the wrong cover art posted. The cover art posted on that one is from the Complete Symphonic Recording that was done in 95 (without Salonga or Pryce).

Both are actually the same recording. The higher priced one is the Import release and the lesser priced one is the domestic US release. Both recordings are the exact same. Also, Amazon is incorrectly using the artwork for the Complete Symphonic Recording for the higher priced one, which is confusing you. The Import release uses the same artwork as the domestic US release. This is the correct artwork for the 1989 Original London Cast Recording (both Import and US release versions): This the correct artwork for ONLY the 1995 studio Complete Symphonic Recording: So what does that make you, Brody? A zero-trick pony? - Wanna Be A Foster .........................The only power brody wields is in his own mind, joe. But it's amusing to watch him pretend nonetheless. - tazber

The first one pictured is The Complete Symphonic recording has the full show - incorporating revisions made after the show first opened in London - and represents MISS SAIGON as it currently plays on stage. This is not a specific cast: the recording draws from cast members from productions all over the world. (There is a similar CSR of LES MISERABLES.) Joanna Ampil sings Kim on this set, with Charles Azulay (Thuy), Hinton Battle (John - from the original Broadway cast), Kevin Gray as Engineer and Peter Cousins as Chris. This is also available at a cheaper price as a domestic release from EMI/Angel: http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Saigon-1995-Studio-Cast/dp/B000002SM0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1246639730&sr=1-2 The Amazon listng gives the cast for the original London cast with Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce - who later starred in the original Broadway production, and therefore there was no OBCR made. This set contains the key musical sequences, but not the entire show. This is the set shown second on your list. (Amazon makes a lot of mistakes like this.) Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre! I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

Thanks for all the information, guys - I appreciate it.

I have both and enjoy them both for different reasons... ... But I'm partial to Lea and Johnathan "TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES--- "THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS

Don't get the symphonic! Get the London recording with Lea, Claire, Simon! Whoever cast (casted?) the Les Mis and Saigon symphonic CDs should never work again. What horrible singers (especially Les Mis)!

I prefer the OLCR to the CSR, but the CSR does have the entire score, which is a plus. I think if you really love Miss Saigon, it's worth owning both. Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

If you're a completist, however, you should also get the Symphonic CD of MISS SAIGON because there are a lot of lovely melodies in the recitative passages excluded from the OLC and because there were numerous lyric changes made between the London transfer of SAIGON to Broadway. Also, you may want to consider the Highlights version of the OLC because Claire Moore sings NOW THAT I'VE SEEN HER (formerly HER OR ME) in the Highlights disc. These lyrics were further altered, and that version can be heard on the Symphonic recording sung by Ruthie Henshall. I don't think the singers in the Symphonic version of SAIGON are as bad as the LES MIZ cast. Joanna Ampil even sings higher optional notes that Salonga doesn't in the OLC, but both women are good. Can't say the same for the Symphonic LES MIZ. Other than Anthony Warlow, Michael Ball and Gary Morris, everyone pretty much sucked in the LES MIZ Symphonic cast.