Merry Christmas (Joyeux Noël)...original soundtrack by Philippe Rombi

A special treat for the festive season. This is one of those soundtracks that can not only be listened to at Christmas, but any time of the year.

One of Those Rare Film Soundtracks of Significance....Philippe Rombi is the main composer on this Soundtrack.The entire music excerpts of significance are intact, even the artists who were guests, providing professional opera singers for the voices of the two cinematic actor/singers.

Rombi opens the film about WWI with very eloquent, quiet, lovely solo piano music, and very often he is so sensitive to the message of the film that just when the action looks as though the music should be of the Carmina Burana ilk, Rombi settles for orchestral Adagios. He has elected to use the carols Stille Nacht and Adeste Fidelis for the actor Sprink to sing and uses the voice of the gifted tenor Rolando Villazon to intone the music. To establish the relationship between the two opera singers, Sprink and Anna (Villazon and Natalie Dessay), he has them perform a duet version of Bach's 'Bist du bei mer' - the words of which take on deep meaning as the film progresses. When he has a moment for Anna to sing a solo, he writes his own version of Ave Maria for Anna/Natalie Dessay to sing. It is very lovely.

There are several 'tunes' written for the score - 'Fraternizers' Hymn' ('I'm Dreaming Of Home'), the theme for Anna and Nikolaus - which very well could endure long after the score and film disappear, they are that good.

In all the score is very strong and well played, sung, and conducted. This is a soundtrack that bears attention for lovers of beautiful music.... Grady Harp (Amazon review)

1. Ave Maria London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 4:24

2. Overture London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 4:05

3. Hymne des fraternisés (piano) Philippe Rombi 1:26

4. Anna et Nikolaus London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 2:06

5. La guerre London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 6:00

6. Enterrement des soldats London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 3:07

7. Bist du bei mir Philippe Rombi 4:05

8. Stille Nacht Philippe Rombi 4:18

9. La lettre de Jonathan London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 0:51

10. Les souvenirs de Ponchel London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 1:18

11. Le match de football Edouard Dubois 1:49

12. Le discours de l'évêque London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 3:14

13. Le courrier des soldats London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 1:32

14. War adagio London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 5:07

15. Thème de l'absence London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 7:13

16. Hymne des Fraternisés: I'm dreaming of home London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 4:24

17. Adeste fidelis Philippe Rombi 4:15

18. Invitations: I'm dreaming of home London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 2:58

19. Anna et Nikolaus (film version including Nuit de Noël) London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 2:29

20. Aria pour violon et orchestre London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 3:59

21. Hymne des fraternisés (murmures et vocalises) London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) 4:25

Merry Christmas

(link updated 24-01-14)

                                                         

21...music from the motion picture

Original soundtrack to the 2008 motion picture featuring cuts from The Rolling Stones (a remix of 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'!), MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, UNKLE, Mark Ronson with Kasabian, Peter Bjorn and John, and many others. A great soundtrack to go with a great movie. The music is interesting, varied, and  very, very cool.


1. You Can't Always Get What You Want (Re-Mixed and Re-Edited by Soulwax) - The Rolling Stones
2. Time To Pretend - Mgmt
3. Big Ideas - LCD Soundsystem
4. Giant - D. Sardy featuring Liela Moss
5. Always - Amon Tobin
6. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn And John
7. Mad Pursuit - Junkie XL featuring Electrocute
8. Sister Self Doubt - Get Shakes
9. I Am The Unknown - Aliens
10. Shut Up And Drive - Rihanna
11. Alright - Knivez Out
12. Tropical Moonlight - Domino
13. Hold My Hand - Unkle
14. L.S.F. - Mark Ronson featuring Kasabian
15. Tender Buttons - Broadcast

21 soundtrack

                                                                 

200 Cigarettes....music from the motion picture

Starring Ben and Casey Affleck, Courtney Love, Martha Plimpton, and Christina Ricci, among others, 200 Cigarettes is a romantic comedy set on New Year's Eve 1981 in New York City's East Village. Supporting the film is a representative collection of late-'70s and early-'80s new-wave pop-rockers. The Ramones nail down the ferocious end of the spectrum ("I Don't Care"), but the emphasis is on straight pop with Nick Lowe ("Cruel to Be Kind"), the Cars ("Just What I Needed"), Joe Jackson ("It's Different for Girls") and the Go-Go's ("Our Lips Are Sealed"). Roxy Music deliver the sensuous "More Than This." Dire Straits' epic "Romeo and Juliet" is a tad out of place among the slam-bang pop-rock. Modern rockers Girls Against Boys effectively cover Earth, Wind and Fire's "Boogie Wonderland." Blondie contribute "In the Flesh" and a special megamix of "Rapture," plus two newer songs from their comeback effort. --Rob O'Connor...Amazon.com

1. Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe 
2. In The Flesh - Blondie
3. Just What I Needed - The Cars 
4. Save It For Later - Harvey Danger 
5. Our Lips Are Sealed- The Go-Go's 
6. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow  
7. I Don't Care - Ramones   
8. Boogie Wonderland - Girls Against Boys  
9. Ladies Night - Kool and The Gang   
10. It's Different For Girls - Joe Jackson   
11. Nowhere Girl - B. Movie 
12. More Than This - Roxy Music  
13. Romeo And Juliet - Dire Straits  
14. Peace, Love And Understanding - Party 
15. Blondie Medley: Rapture  -Blondie

 200 Cigarettes

                                                                 

Occasional Course Language..soundtrack from Australian independent movie from 1998

soundtrack from Australian independent movie from 1998 with a fine collection of tracks from the cream of Aussie Alternative and Indie artists

1. Spiderbait - Calypso
2. Jebediah - Simple
3. Automatic - Pump It Up
4. The Living End - From Here On In
5. Leonardo's Bride - Even When I'm Sleeping
6. John Paul Young - I Hate The Music
7. Grinspoon - Just Ace 
8. Turnstyle - I'm A Bus 
9. Ammonia - Keeping My Hands Tied
10. Hot Rollers - Wickerman's Shoes 
11. Monique Brumby - Up and Down 
12. Even - Don't Wait 
13. Needle Drop - Miss Me When I'm Gone
14. Sister Madly - Something Deep
15. You Am I - Purple Sneakers

Occasional Course Language

I Am Sam - Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture..with bonus tracks

Amazon.com

Jessie Nelson's poignant tale of a mentally challenged man named Sam (Sean Penn) who recruits a lawyer to help him regain custody of his young daughter leans heavily on the lead character's obsession with Beatles songs, and his innocent trust in their wisdom and emotional truth. It's an artistic gambit that shrewdly lends itself to this mostly rewarding collection of Beatles covers by a wide range of contemporary artists, many of whom no doubt leapt at the chance to record a treasured song by their own musical heroes. The renditions are by and large faithful, and inform the elemental genius of the originals by the strength and variety of the artist's voices alone. The husband-wife team of Aimee Mann and Michael Penn (Sean's brother) can't help but find resonance in "Two of Us," just as Nick Cave's latter-day, heart-on-his-sleeve crooner infatuation makes "Let It Be" all his own. It's the reinterpretations that are riskier. While Paul Westerberg's stripped-down, nasal reading of "Nowhere Man" perceptively underscores Lennon's inherent Dylan fetish and Howie Day turns "Help!" from anxious plea to desperate dirge, Grandaddy smugly alt-rocks the energy right out of "Revolution." The Beatles hardly need anyone to burnish their reputation, but this album goes a long way toward underscoring their most undersung legacy as rock's most transcendent melting pot. -Jerry McCulley

1. Two of Us - Aimee Mann & Michael Penn

2. Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan

3. Across the Universe - Rufus Wainwright

4. I'm Looking Through You - The Wallflowers

5. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - Eddie Vedder

6. Strawberry Fields - Ben Harper

7. Mother Nature's Son - Sheryl Crow

8. Golden Slumbers - Ben Folds

9. I'm Only Sleeping - The Vines

10. Don't Let Me Down - Stereophonics

11. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The Black Crowes

12. Julia - Chocolate Genius

13. We Can Work It Out - Heather Nova

14. Help - Howie Day

15. Nowhere Man - Paul Westerberg

16. Revolution - Grandaddy

17. Let It Be - Nick Cave

18. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds - Aimee Mann*

19. Two of Us - Liam Finn & Neil Finn*

* bonus tracks

I Am Sam

                                                          

Grace Of My Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ... music by various artists

A terrific sampler of greatest hits from the heyday of girl groups and the Brill Building--except that none of the songs are actually from that era. What we have here is an incredible simulation--from Allison Anders' unjustly overlooked 1996 movie about the tempestuous life and career of a Carole King- like singer-songwriter (the magnificent Illeana Douglas) who spends years writing for others before finding her own voice. But instead of just licensing the old Shirelles' recordings of Goffin-King hits, the filmmakers came up with the brilliant idea of doing original songs by combining the sensibilities of contemporary artists and their songwriting forebears. 

So, for example, Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach teamed up to write and perform the power- ballad "God Give Me Strength"; Leslie Gore teams with Larry Klein and David Baerwald for "My Secret Love" (performed by Miss Lily Banquette of Combustible Edison); Gerry and Louise Goffin team with Baerwald for "Between Two Worlds" (performed by Sean Colvin); J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. writes and sings some Brian Wilson/Beach Boys-type stuff ("Take a Run at the Sun," "Don't You Think It's Time"), and so on. Buy the record; see the movie. You won't be disappointed. --Jim Emerson

1. God Give Me Strength - Burt Bacharach And Elvis Costello
2. Love Doesn't Ever Fail Us - The Williams Brothers
3. Take A Run At The Sun - J Mascis
4. I Do - For Real
5. Between Two Worlds - Shawn Colvin
6. My Secret Love - Miss Lily Banquette
7. Man From Mars - Kristen Vigard
8. Born To Love That Boy - For Real
9. Truth Is You Lied - Jill Sobule
10. Unwanted Number - For Real
11. Groovin' On You - Juned
12. In Another World - Portrait
13. Don't You Think It's Time - J Mascis
14. Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder - Tiffany Anders And Boyd Rice
15. A Boat On The Sea - Kristen Vigard

Grace of My Heart