Record Guide; JAZZ/POP

July 13, 1982

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice: ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.'' Chrysalis CHR 1387 - The musical that has been pleasing crowds on Broadway has been captured in an album. Written by the same team responsible for ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' and ''Evita,'' the record spills forth with clever, snappy tunes that tell the story of Joseph. Giving biblical episodes a contemporary twist definitely may not be to everyone's taste, but the Andrew Lloyd Webber music and Tim Rice lyrics are undeniably engaging taken as a collection of songs. Narrator Laurie Beechman, and Bill Hutton's Joseph, are enthusiastic and pleasing. And Tom Carder's Pharaoh a la Elvis Presley is a gem, along with the rest of the cast that sings in this appealing album.