Thursday, February 21, 2013

Evelyn: Music from the Motion Picture by Stephen Endelman


Evelyn: Music from the Motion Picture by Stephen Endelman, Van Morrison, Pierce Brosnan and Sissel (2002) 

Amazon.com
Pierce Brosnan may have been the most hyped James Bond since Sean Connery, but he's gratifyingly used his burgeoning Hollywood clout to midwife Evelyn, a warm, intimate portrait of an unemployed widower battling both the church and Irish government for the custody of his own children. Composer Stephen Endelman colors the film with a musical mix that leans on traditional Celtic folk touches (fiddle and pennywhistle), skillfully weaving them into an orchestral context that ranges from the gently pastoral to some emotionally detached minimalism. Anchored by vocal performances from Van Morrison and Sissel, and featuring a couple good-natured pub songs by Brosnan himself, it's an inviting soundtrack rooted in Irish traditions, yet one savvy enough to contrast them against a more modern emotional landscape. --Jerry McCulley

1. Sitting On Top Of The World - Van Morrison  
2. Opening Credits  
3. Mom Leaves On St. Stephen's Day  
4. The Nuns
5. The First Judgement  
6. On The Banks Of The Roses - Pierce Brosnan  
7. Desmond Hugs Evelyn  
8. The Chase  
9. The Parting Glass - Pierce Brosnan  
10. D'you Fancy Him?
11. Grandpa's Angel Rays  
12. Fight The Good Fight  
13. Desmond Loses
14. The Rugger Game
15. Jig Two  
16. Statue Of Justice  
17. The Verdict  
18. Angel Rays - Sissel  



                              


Monday, February 4, 2013

Dancing At Lughnasa....Bill Whelan



Beautiful music for an endearing film..Bill Whelan's orchestral soundtrack for "Dancing At Lughnasa" is simply gorgeous. The music aptly conveys the feelings of longing, alienation, sadness, and uncertainty, as well as times of joyful exuberance, as revealed by the film's endearing characters. The music also perfectly suggests the transition of the winding-down of summer and the coming of autumn, just as the film's characters also face a severe change of season in their personal lives.Even without the wonderful film, the music that Bill Whelan has created here stands on its own as a cohesive, moving, emotive work. (text source: Amazon)

1. Prologue
2. The Kite
3. The Road To Ballybeg
4. Jack's Arrival
5. The Gander
6. Gerry And Christine
7. Monsignor Carlin
8. A Kiss In The Forest
9. A Black Bike
10. Our Secret
11. The Picnic
12. The Blackberry Bush
13. The Lughnasa Fires
14. Lough Anna
15. Dancing At Lughnasa
16. Don't Leave Me Yet
17. The Splendid Hat
18. Epilogue
19. Down By The Salley Gardens



Friday, February 1, 2013

A Life Less Ordinary...music from the original soundtrack by various artists


An eclectic album, the film has a vast number of tunes and the album picks from across the board reflecting the film rather than aiming for any one musical genre. Beck's "Deadweight" is loungy, nicely juiced and very cool. REM's low-key, quasi-ambient "Leave" is an intriguing detour for Stipe and Co. All this plus exceptional cuts by Folk Implosion, Luscious Jackson, Sneaker Pimps, The Cardigans, and the splendor of Elvis Presley's "Always on My Mind."

1. Deadweight - Beck
2. Love Is Here - Lucious Jackson
3. A Life Less Ordinary - Ash
4. Velvet Divorce - Sneaker Pimps
5. Kingdom Of Lies - Folk Implosion
6. Leave - REM
7. Don't Leave - Faithless
8. Oh - Underworld
9. It's War - The Cardigans
10. Always On My Mind - Elvis Presley
11. Peace In The Valley - A3
12. Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin
13. Put A Lid On It - Squirrel Nut Zippers
14. Deeper River - Dusted
15. Full Throttle - Prodigy