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Sunday, February 19, 2017

The Last Samurai...Original Motion Picture Score...Music by Hans Zimmer

This was Hans Zimmer's 100th score since beginning his film career in 1988. A pioneer of fusing both the electronic and orchestral and the Westernized with the indigenous, Zimmer does both here with skill, drawing heavily on samples of the traditional Taiko (a massive Japanese drum) for its rhythmic action sequences, while constructing a melodic Western motif for Tom Cruise's character that's both centerpiece and counterpoint for the score's trans-cultural intent. Aside from the brief, ominous thunder of the expected action/suspense boilerplate, Zimmer has constructed passages of gentle, Asian-inflected pastoralism that have parallels with much of his evocative work on The Thin Red Line. Those cues are the score's very soul, a canvas against which his more traditional themes reverberate all the stronger.

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

20 Feet from Stardom...music from the motion picture...various artists

Among the songs included on this album is a new recording of the classic song "Lean On Me," featuring Darlene Love, as well as an original song, "Desperation" performed by The Voice finalist Judith Hill. The iconic Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter," is performed by Merry Clayton, a rare recording from her 1971 debut album of the same name. Also highlighted on the soundtrack are two time-honored backup singer tracks, "Young Americans" performed by David Bowie and "Walk On the Wild Side," performed by Lou Reed.

20 Feet From Stardom shines the spotlight on the untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonizing with others. These gifted artists span a range of styles, genres and eras of popular music, but each has a uniquely fascinating and personal story to share of a life spent in the shadows of superstardom. Along with rare archival footage and a peerless soundtrack, 20 Feet From Stardom boasts intimate interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger and Sting to name just a few. However, these world-famous figures take a backseat to the diverse array of backup singers whose lives and stories take center stage in the film.

Although these singers are usually relegated to the margins, and few, if any, become household names, their work has defined countless songs that remain in our hearts and collective consciousness. 20 Feet from Stardom juxtaposes the interviews with industry legends and the relative unknowns who support them like Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill as they illuminate the art of melding their own distinct voices with lead vocals and reveal their desires for careers as solo artists. It is a celebration of the voices from the edge, which brought shape and style to the soundtracks of our lives.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Big Fish...music from the motion picture...score by Danny Elfman

The soundtrack to Tim Burton's neo-classic moving picture Big Fish (2003), starring Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham Carter, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Lange, collects classic pop songs and a score of longtime collaborator Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mars Attacks!, and others).

The soundtrack also contains a new song from Pearl Jam, specifically written for the movie: 'Man of the Hour'. The soundtrack's songs range from Bing Crosby's early 1930's Jazz hit 'Dinah' to the 1950's nostalgia of Buddy Holly's 'Everyday' and Elvis Presley's 'All Shook Up', right up to the 1960's and 1970's recollections of Canned Heat's 'Let's Work Together' and 'Ramblin' Man' by the Allman Brothers Band. The album was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack..Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture

Ramblin' Jack Elliott has outdone himself, or lets say his daughter has, by putting together this collection, the choices, and the voices along the way. This is true Ramblin' Jack, capturing him at various stops in more than 45 years of recording. The duet with a young Bob Dylan is a rarity. The 1998 versions of great Ramblin' Jack often performed songs (this time live at New York's Bottom Line) such as "1913 Massacre" and "Don't Think Twice" along with songs captured at the 1998 Elko, Nevada Cowboy Poetry Festival, "If I were A Carpenter" and "Cuckoo" are among the best he has ever done.

This is the soundtrack to the film documentary produced by Alyana Elliott, and is a must for anyone interested in folk music, or American music, in the 20th century. If you have never heard of Ramblin' Jack, now is the time. If you are already a fan, this is yours.

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Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Heaven and Earth...Original Motion Picture Soundtrack...music by Kitaro

While regarded as one of the pioneers of the new age music genre, Kitaro is also no stranger to scoring for film and television. His music for the ‘Silk Road’ series by NHK in the early 1980's yielded four astonishing albums. A decade on, he would compose the music for Heaven and Earth (1993), the final picture of Oliver Stone’s unofficial ‘Vietnam War’ trilogy.

Kitaro won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score, which came rather unexpectedly, especially in a year that saw John Williams produced what was arguably his finest score for Schindler’s List (1993). His work for Heaven and Earth remains to be one of the most accomplished endeavours of his illustrious career.

Building from the symphonic sound of his massively-popular 1990 album Kojiki, his music here shows both dynamism and sensitivity as the melodies and arrangements echo the style of a traditional film score, yet are uniquely elevated by his penchant for using Asian instruments—our ears bear witness to the exquisite if sad sounds of the huqin (a kind of Chinese violin) in several tracks, and the powerful Taiko drums in ‘Arvn’ and ‘Village Attack/The Arrest’.

The synthesised sounds of what seem like the Japanese koto and flute are also brilliantly integrated with the orchestra, particularly in the stunning first track, ‘Heaven and Earth (Land Theme)’.

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

The Hottest State...Original Motion Picture Soundtrack..music by Jesse Harris and various artists

The soundtrack for the film, The Hottest State, isn't just another compilation of songs pulled out of obscurity and thrown together for a movie companion piece. If anything, this album could also be categorized as a tribute record. The album features sixteen songs, plus two score passages, all recorded exclusively for the film by some of the finest names in music today, all for the benefit of paying tribute to one of the brightest new song-writing talents in the last two decades: Jesse Harris. Grammy winning singer/songwriter Jesse Harris wrote all the music for the soundtrack and serves as the album's co-executive producer along with the film's director/screenwriter/producer, Ethan Hawke. Together, they assembled a peerless group of artists to record Harris' songs: Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Feist, The Black Keys, M. Ward, Brad Mehldau, Tony Scherr and Argentinian newcomer, Rocha.

Adapted by Ethan Hawke from his novel of the same name, The Hottest State is a bitter-sweet romance that distils the joy, pain, erotic highs, and emotional lows of first love.

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Thursday, March 31, 2016

Fearless...music from the original soundtrack...music by Maurice Jarre

The soundtrack to the Peter Weir movie, Fearless, has every piece of music on it that made the movie so good. Even better, these are the full versions, not the edited versions used in the film. The music fits perfectly and is a credit to the composer and editors. The way they kept only the music and no dialogue during the unbelievable plane sequences at the end made more of an impact than if we had heard the actual sounds in the plane. Most notable is the 3rd Symphony, which just makes your heart cry.

It's also a very relaxing soundtrack to listen to on its own with Maurice Jarre at his very absolute best. So, if you liked the movie, and thought the music helped the atmosphere, then this is worth adding to your collection.

1. Max - Maurice Jarre
2. Mai Nozipo - Dumisani Maraire/Kronos Quartet
3. Polymorphia - National Philharmonic Orchestra/Leonard Slatkin
4. Sin Ella - The Gypsy Kings
5. Fearless - Maurice Jarre
6. Symphony No.3: 1. Lento-Sostenuto Tranquillo Ma Cantabile - Dawn Upshaw/London Sonfonietta/David Zinman

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Monday, January 18, 2016

Sophie's Choice...1982 Film ..Original Soundtrack...Music Composed and Conducted by Marvin Hamlisch

Soundtrack to director Alan J. Pakula's 1982 drama that Meryl Streep won the Oscar for best actress. Kevin Kline co-stars along with Peter MacNicol. 15 tracks, all composed and conducted by Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winner Marvin Hamlisch.

Listen as this soundtrack brings you up and down through a romantic journey through the heart. Sophie's Choice was an excellent heart wrenching true to life movie, and this soundtrack is an emotional portrayal, at the heart of the movie.

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Sunday, December 20, 2015

127 Hours..music from the motion picture..featuring original music by A.R.Rahman

Original soundtrack to the 2010 film from director Danny Boyle includes a collaboration with composer A.R. Rahman and Dido as well as other instrumental score themes by Rahman, plus classics by Esther Phillips, Plastic Bertrand, and Bill Withers, plus new music from Sigur Rós and Free Blood. The featured new song "If I Rise," is the first collaboration between internationally renowned Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman and Dido, the mega platinum two time Grammy Award nominated and 4 time BRIT Award winning British singer and songwriter. The atmospheric and transcendent music score of Academy Award winning composer A.R. Rahman is at the heart and soul of the inspiring new 127 Hours, the true story of Aron Ralston, a trapped mountain climber and his ordeal in the Utah wilderness.

• 1. Never Hear Surf Music Again - performed by Free Blood (5:51)
• 2. The Canyon (3:01)
• 3. Liberation Begins (2:14)
• 4. Touch of the Sun (4:38)
• 5. Lovely Day - performed by Bill Withers (4:16)
• 6. Nocturne No. 2 in E flat, Op. 9 No. 2 - written by Frederic Chopin (4:00)
• 7. Ca Plane Pour Moi - performed by Plastic Bertrand (2:59)
• 8. Liberation in a Dream (4:05)
• 9. If You Love Me (Really Love Me) - performed by Esther Phillips (3:26)
• 10. Acid Darbari (4:20)
• 11. R.I.P. (5:10)
• 12. Liberation (3:11)
• 13. Festival - performed by Sigur Ros (9:24)
• 14. If I Rise - performed by Dido Armstrong and A.R. Rahman (4:37)

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Fahrenheit 9/11 Original Soundtrack...music by Jeff Gibbs and Various Artists

Michael Moore's indictment of the Bush administration's post-9/11 fear-mongering and rush to war in Iraq was the most unlikely blockbuster of its crucial election year, a human-scaled, deeply patriotic American reflection that became the most successful documentary in history within days of its release. Its soundtrack is arguably the most understated, if shrewdly effective, component of Moore's potent agitprop.

Composer Jeff Gibbs' brooding synth washes give the score an appropriate center of gravitas, lending an even more ironic tone to the almost obscenely bright pop and rock chestnuts (The Go Go's "Vacation," Joey Scarbury's "Theme From Greatest American Hero," REM's "Shiny Happy People," Elmer Bernstein's timeless theme from The Magnificent Seven) Moore uses to skewer his targets. Perhaps most notable is the chilling use of Arvo Part's Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten to underscore the film's stark, restrained evocation of the horrors of 9/11. Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" closes matters out with a blast of bracing, if ever cynical, hope. --Jerry McCulley (Amazon)

1. The Un-President -- Jeff Gibbs
2. Vacation -- The Go-Gos
3. Bush Waits...And Waits- -- Jeff Gibbs
4. Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, for String Orchestra and Bell -- Paavo Jarvi/Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
5. We Gotta Get Out of this Place -- Eric Burdon
6. Weapons of Deceit -- Jeff Gibbs
7. Deserter -- Jeff Gibbs
8. Cocaine -- J.J. Cale
9. Shiny Happy People -- R.E.M.
10. Magnificent Sevent Theme -- Elmer Bernstein
11. Afghan Victory Dance -- Jeff Gibbs
12. Fire Water Burn -- Bloodhound Gang
13. Theme from "Greatest American Hero" -- Joey Scarbury
14. Aqualung -- Jetthro Tull
15. All They Ask -- Jeff Gibbs
16. Rockin' In the Free World -- Neil Young

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Friday, September 18, 2015

Eddie and The Cruisers...original soundtrack..music by John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band

Eddie and the Cruisers was a movie about the disappearance of a (fictional) leader of a rock band, with an awesome soundtrack to boot. The soundtrack has now become a must have for any avid music collector and proves that 80's music was not all commercialized-synthesized shlock. Retro in sound to the 50's and 60's, with a contemporary edge, it has stood the test of time exceptionally well !

Many have compared the Eddie and The Cruisers/John Cafferty soundtrack to Springsteen's and the E Band's work (hopefully as a compliment and not as a rip off).Let's just say the Boss is the Boss and John Cafferty is John Cafferty. John Cafferty and his band were/are anything but a rip off. He has this very distinct knack for writing original and performing his material with plenty of hooks and upbeat melodies. His vocals are also easily recognized.They seem to have the tough rebellious rockin' edge to them when called for and yet that controllable warm vocal range that allows him to do a great ballad like Tender Years!. The Beaver Brown Band can do no wrong---the sheer artistry and musical synergy between JC & BBB is a great musical force unto itself.

1. On The Dark Side
2. Tender Years
3. Runaround Sue
4. Down On My Knees
5. Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes
6. Wild Summer Nights
7. Boardwalk Angel
8. Betty Lou's Got A New Pair Of Shoes
9. Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of You)
10. Season In Hell (Fire Suite)

Eddie and The Cruisers

Friday, August 21, 2015

Bullets Over Broadway...Music from the Motion Picture

Bullets Over Broadway: Music From The Motion Picture
1994 Soundtrack by Dick Hyman and the Three Deuces Musicians

1. Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Good-Bye) - Al Jolson And The Vitaphone Orchestra
2. That Jungle Jamboree - Duke Ellington
3. Singin' The Blues Till My Daddy Comes Home - Bix Beiderbecke
4. Poor Butterfly - Red Nichols And His Five Red Pennies
5. Crazy Rhythm - Roger Wolfe Kahn And His Orchestra
6. At The Jazz Band Ball - Bix Beiderbecke
7. Lazy River - New Leviathan Oriental Fox Trot Orchestra
8. Who - George Olson And His Music
9. Let's Misbehave - Irving Aaronson And His Commanders
10. You've Got To See Mama Ev'ry Night (Or You Cant\'t See Mama At All) - Dick Hyman And The Three Deuses Musicians
11. You Took Advantage Of Me - Dick Hyman And The Three Deuses Musicians
12. Nagasaki - Dick Hyman And The Three Deuses Musicians
13. When The Red, Red Robin Comes, Bob, Bob Bobbin' Al - Dick Hyman And The Three Deuses Musicians
14. That Certain Feeling - Dick Hyman And Derek Smith
15. Make Believe - Dick Hyman And The Three Deuses Musicians
16. Thou Swell - Dick Hyman

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Soundtrack Heaven
The Aussie Music Blog
The Vintage Music Blog
The Jazz Music Blog
This Jukebox Rocks
The Blues and Roots Music Blog
Martin's Music Machine
Twitter @islandmanrocks

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

21 Grams...original soundtrack...music by Gustavo Santaolalla

It's said all humans mysteriously lose 21 grams upon their death, a notion that inspires much hard-boiled philosophizing in Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's structurally ambitious follow-up to Amores Perros. As in that film, several characters’ lives become intertwined via a tragic accident, but here told via a chronologically disjointed structure that's a masterfully wrought puzzle of editing and plot construction.

Given that unusual structure, the musical soundtrack by Gustavo Santolalla by necessity carries much of the film's mood and emotional undercurrents in its spare, brooding cues and occasional songs. The composer's primary instruments here are a heavy-vibrato electric guitar (its tone reminiscent of the great Ry Cooder) and an equally altered accordion, set against a ambient wash of electronics and percussion that's so murky as to often seem impenetrable. The Kronos Quartet admirably matches the mood with their closing rendition of the haunting "When Our Wings Are Cut, Can We Still Fly." The hip-hop swing of Ozomati's "Cut Chemist Suite" and R&B of Ann Sexton help anchor it in a more familiar frame of reference, while Benicio del Toro's spooky, spoken-word take on "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (a performance recorded in Memphis' legendary Sun Studios, no less) effectively channels Tom Waits by way of David Lynch. Another fine example of the evocative, genre-free possibilities of modern film music. --Jerry McCulley (Amazon)

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Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Apocalypto....soundtrack...original score by James Horner

Apocalypto is not your usual film soundtrack. It's only 'themes' are the ethereal and tribal vocals, and the pounding percussion - these two elements are in most of the tracks, yet never get repetitive. Instead, James Horner is able to change and mix them to create any mood necessary: A sense of foreboding and dread, an intense action/chase scene or even a quieter, reflective piece.

All the tracks are very original and quite powerful. Beautiful, unique instrumentals with occasional gentle background vocals without words. It works as quiet background music or you can turn it up and appreciate the extreme quality. Few soundtracks on their own can carry the emotion one felt while watching a film; however, this soundtrack does that and more.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Almost Famous...music from the motion picture...various artists

Writer-director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Say Anything, Singles) was a teenager when Rolling Stone magazine sent him out to write cover stories in the 1970's. Nearly 30 years later, Crowe tells the tale in satisfying fashion and extensive detail with Almost Famous, accompanied by a soundtrack that accurately reflects the time of his trial by fire.

Led Zeppelin have never before licensed a performance to a soundtrack, so "That's the Way" earns the distinction. A live version of Lou Reed's "Waiting for the Man" performed by David Bowie in 1972 typifies the emerging underground glam movement. Classic rock from Simon and Garfunkel, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Yes fill things out. Cat Stevens's "The Wind" is rescued from the Timberland commercial. Nancy Wilson of Heart contributes the original score (one track, "Lucky Trumble," featured here) and a track by the fictitious hard-rock band Stillwater, whose "Fever Dog" sounds like a lost track from the hard-rock-guitar wars of the 1970's. Add in tracks by garage-rock faves the Seeds, soul strutter Clarence Carter, and Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band and you've got an expansive collection of tunes to sift through. More than 50 songs are featured in the film.