Canterbury Tales original Broadway cast album on CD

I had never heard of this show, any of its creators, or any of its cast (with the exceptions of Sandy Duncan, and Geoffrey Chaucer), so I was very interested to listen to this album when I came across it in the library soundtrack collection. Canterbury Tales seems to have all the ingredients of a good show. It ran for more than 2,000 performances in London, but only 121 on Broadway.

After listening to the cast album, I have a sense why it wasn't better received on this side of the pond. The music seems to stride several styles, while not really having a point of view. Is it medieval? No. Is it of 1969? No. It's kind of both and neither at the same time. Also, each song (at least as presented on the album) is so short, it's hard to get anything from them. They never develop either to tell something about the character which is singing it, or develop musically.

With song titles like "I have a Noble Cock", "Darling Let me Teach you to Kiss", and "Hymen, Hymen" there must have been some bawdiness in this show, but it doesn't come out all that strongly in the music. I'm grateful that someone thought that the cast album had enough worth to be transferred onto CD in 1994, but I'm certain it didn't fly out of the sales bin at Tower Records.

Canterbury Tales
Music by Richard Hill and John Hawkins
Lyrics by Nevill Coghill
Book by Martin Starkie and Nevill Coghill
based on the translation of Chaucer by Mr. Coghill
Cast: George Rose, Hermione Baddeley, Martin Green, Sandy Duncan, Ed Evanko, Ann Gardner