It's that time of year, so I thought a poll might be fun. Which rockin' account of Jesus's ministry do you prefer? Feel free to use any and all applicable criteria: music & lyrics, cast/soundtrack recordings, stage presentations, movie adaptations.

Me? I really like both, but Superstar reigns supreme.

I prefer the "Superstar" tribute album done surf. Most of the tracks are instrumental but there's a few vocals with a mix of surf & garage music.



Jesus Christ Surferstar

Track List

1. Overture - Daikaiju
2. Heaven On Their Minds - Urban Surf Kings
3. What's the Buzz - Waistcoats
4. Strange Things Mystifying - Prawns with Horns
5. Then We Are Decided - Breakfastime
6. Everything's Alright - Susan & Surftones
7. This Jesus Must Die - Atomic Mosquitos
8. Hosanna - El Ray
9. Simon Zealotas - Pipelines
10. Poor Jerusalem - Lava Rats
11. Pilate's Dream - 3 Piece Suit
12. The Temple - Ward 69
13. I Don't Know How to Love Him - Crime Factor Zero
14. Damned For All Time/blood Money - Babyshaker
15. The Last Supper - Hypnotic IV
16. Gethsemane (i Only Want to Say) - Surfones
17. The Arrest - HiFi Ramblers
18. Peter's Denial - Fabulous Planktones
19. Pilate & Christ - Capacitors
20. King's Herod's Song - Susan & Surftones
21. Could We Start Again Please - Noseriders
22. Judas Death - Johnny Vortex
23. Trial Before Pilate - Supertones
24. Superstar - Atlantics
25. Crucifixion - Longhorn Devils
26. John Nineteen Forty One - Aqualads

I'm with Jimbo. I like them both, but I prefer "Jesus Christ Superstar". In a comparison of the two, "Godspell" is just a little too cute and I think that the musicianship in the original Andrew Lloyd Webber cast edition of "Superstar" is superb.

When I was at college in the late 70s, I regularly attended the on-campus folk mass on Sundays. The guitar-strumming hippy-chicks were always good for a song or three from Godspell, but never a one from Superstar.

You used to hear Godspell at Sunday folk masses in Queens NY back in the day. Beats the horrible music they play now....very generic.

Superstar. I wore out the vinyl on my mom's copy when I was a kid.

JC Superstar, mainly because of the killer title tune and Yvonne Elliman

One of the cable channels ran JCS a few months ago and it still holds up in most places. Always liked Ted Neeley's portrayal. Never did see JCS on Broadway though.

I also have the Blu-ray and DVD.

Don't have Godspell on DVD though. Need to see that one again.

Superstar.Can't remember a single song from Godspell.

Day By Day was the big one.

Oh! Thought that was from the other one.
Been a long while since I saw either one.

Godspell for the Jack Bristow.



Day By Day, Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord, and All Good Things were all heard in mass when I was a kid. The first two we sang in school.

Yep good stuff.

Love 'em both. Played Judas/John the Baptist in Godspell when I was 20. But JCS has "Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)", so it gets my vote.

I don't really know either.
I was too young when these came out......and only knew "Day By Day" and the JCSS title song from top 40 radio at the time. I'm also not religious at all (including what I'm supposed to be), so cringed at the thought of these for a long time.

I'm slightly more open to it now......planning to see the version of JCSS with Johnny Rotten at Madison Square Garden unless the ticket prices are ridiculous.

You can't beat Murray Head in the JCS movie.

We saw a touring edition of Superstar with Dennis DeYoung playing Pontius Pilate. He positively slayed the audience with "Pilate's Dream."

P.S. Google says that was 1993. Holy crap, 20 years ago?!?!

Had them both when I was a teenager but I'm kind of torn on which is my favorite. Godspell is the only one I've seen live, in a local production directed by a former coworker, and it was great. JCS, though, probably had more memorable songs. It also unleashed Andrew Lloyd Webber on the world, but I'm not sure if that's a plus or a minus.

words: Ian. Gillan.

I have wrestled with this dilemma many a time. They are both darn good.

I think the best songs from one stand up to the best songs from the other. I give the nod to JC Superstar on the basis of quantity. Both shows have some great songs, but JC has more of them.

Interesting, my situation is quite the opposite.

I really like both movies, but the title track from JCS is about the only song from the production that I can ever recall afterwards.

Godspell, on the other hand, has so many memorable tunes that I know nearly all of them by heart.