Thursday, November 27, 2014

As It Is In Heaven (Sa Som I Himmelen)...original soundtrack to Swedish movie..music by Stefan Nilsson



This now rare soundtrack was popular when it was released in its native Sweden. It features some beautiful orchestration, choral singing and haunting ballads. 

Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2005 Academy Awards®, As It Is In Heaven is the story of Daniel, a successful international conductor who returns to his childhood village in Sweden. Soon thereafter, the local church choir seeks him out to solicit his advice. He can't refuse, and nothing in the village is the same again. As the amateur choir develops and grows, he is drawn to the people of his old hometown, makes friends and finds love... A beautiful and engaging film, As It Is In Heaven is a wonderful story about life and love that inspires and delights.








Friday, November 14, 2014

I Dreamed of Africa..Original Soundtrack..music composed and conducted by Maurice Jarre


Legendary composer Maurice Jarre's score of "I DREAMED OF AFRICA" is thematic abounding. Some of the finest orchestration and arrangements this icon has ever composed, much of which, we've come to expect from his past music - "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA" (1962) - "DOCTOR ZHIVAGO" (1965) - "A PASSAGE TO INDIA" (1984) - "GORILLAS IN THE MIST" (1988) - "DEAD POETS SOCIETY" (1989) and "SUNSHINE" (2000). Despite this wide variance of emotional range, Jarre expertly incorporates his main theme throughout the score, binding it together as a coherent piece.

The African vocals by Ayub Ogada and Geoffery Oryema are exceptional and the background music is lush and romantic. If you have always dreamed of music of "magnitude", then this soundtrack may suffice. Rustic and enchanting, it has a wonderful ability of letting you picture exactly what the music will fit into in terms of nature....listen to the music and you can picture yourself in a dream-airplane, single propeller, flying through the valleys of amazing beauty.

1. Arrival In Africa
2. Ondiek - Ayub Ogada
3. A Different Rhythm
4. Kel Kweyo - Geoffrey Oryema
5. The Storm
6. Death And Misery
7. Obiero - Ayub Ogada
8. Kuki's Determination

click here for more information



Saturday, November 8, 2014

Surviving Picasso...1996 original soundtrack..music by Richard Robbins


Picasso's art exemplified the often chaotic nature of his emotions and, in turn, the 20th Century. The soundtrack to "Surviving Picasso" is brooding and dark at times. However, it is exactly what the film needs to convey its turbulent message.

Whilst the movie was not meant to be a factual work regarding the Maestro himself, and was more focussed on Francoise's inner struggles, the soundtrack beautifully expresses each character's essence as portrayed in the movie...the ebb and flow of passion and desire, the suffocating swirl of being adored as never before but only as a fleeting moment that repeats itself over and over. The sad trumpet solos, the waning cellos, the majesty of the procession in the final song giving way to breaking free with the knowledge that love is strong but self-preservation triumphs.

1. Grands-Augustins (Main Title)
2. Francoise
3. Menerbes
4. 'You'd Be My Woman'
5. Marie-Therese
6. Cubist Flashback
7. Olga
8. Grandmother
9. Jacqueline
10. Circus
11. Dora
12. La Galloise
13. Vallauris Corrida (End Credits)





Saturday, October 11, 2014

Watchmen..2009..original motion picture score...music by Tyler Bates



Tyler Bates has done musically for "Watchmen" what Zack Snyder has done for it in film.

What sets this score apart most from what one might expect for a "superhero" film is that it is nothing remotely like any "superhero" score, or traditional score in general. It is very non-score sounding, more like musical characterizations. It separates the film from the genre almost as much as the original comic did for it's genre way back when. In this way, it is similar to 2008's wonderfully eclectic score for "The Dark Knight" and even hearkens back to "Blade Runner" for Vangelis which was very 80's sounding then without feeling unscore-like.

Bates does an incredible job of sounding nostalgic, melancholy bittersweet and hopelessly desperate as we travel with the Watchmen through generations of heroes and happenings, conflicts and commentaries. All this without distracting or detaching ourselves from the film's immediate present day events taking place. It feels appropriately 80's while at the same time new, fresh and exciting. Breaking new ground, yet familiar. The instruments vary as well, going anywhere from lush orchestral strings to near industrial techno and rock without skipping a beat or feeling out of place. It weaves wonderfully with the artist songs Zack Snyder chose for moments throughout the movie.

1."Rescue Mission"  
2."Don't Get Too Misty Eyed"  
3."Tonight the Comedian Died"  
4."Silk Spectre"  
5."We'll Live Longer"  
6."You Quit!"  
7."Only Two Names Remain"  
8."The American Dream"  
9."Edward Blake – The Comedian"  
10."The Last Laugh"  
11."Prison Fight"  
12."Just Look Around You"  
13."Dan's Apocalyptic Dream"  
14."Who Murdered Hollis Mason?"  
15."What About Janey Slater?"  
16."I'll Tell You About Rorschach"  
17."Countdown"  
18."It Was Me"  
19."All That Is Good"  
20."Requiem" (Excerpted from Mozart's "Requiem")
21."I Love You"  



Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Last Butterfly (1990 Film) Original Soundtrack...music by Alex North and Milan Svoboda



"The Last Butterfly" is the final film score written by the great Alex North in a career that began nearly forty years earlier with the inestimable score he provided for Elia Kazan's "A Streetcar Named Desire". His work remained, to the end, as precious as a fine rare jewel. The title of this film could have been a tribute to the composer himself. The album consists of about 20 minutes of music written by the Maestro, interspersed with music by Milan Svoboda.

1. Main Title - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
2. Antonie's New Digs - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
3. Foxtrot In Cabaret - Stepan Konicek
4. Mr. Grondin Pantomime - Milan Svoboda
5. Antonie's Payoff Music - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
6. Michelle's Demise - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
7. The Flashback - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
8. The Nightmare Begins - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
9. The Gordian Knot - Stepan Konicek
10. Afternoon Coffee - Alex North/Jazzfonic Orchestra
11. Things Don't, People Do - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
12. Avinu Malkenu - Alex North/Jewish Chorus
13. Snow White Ballet - Stepan Konicek
14. Signs Of Spring - Hana Hegerova
15. The Hit - Alex North/Jazzfonic Orchestra
16. Butterfly - Ivan Zeaty
17. The Red Umbrella - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
18. Ocarina Yiddish Dance - Vaclav Sykora
19. Save Stella - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
20. The Last Preformance - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra
21. Hansel & Gretel Ballet - Stepan Konicek
22. Lulinka - Vida Skalska

23. End Title - Marlo Klemens/The Prague Film Symphony Orchestra

The musical landscape of this album drifts by seamlessly from one vignette to the other. North's more studious compositions dance a charming pas de duex with Svoboda's folk-inspired pieces, and the chamber pieces harmonized gracefully with the cafe waltzes. For Alex North this is a beautiful elegy derived from the soul of a man obviously at peace with himself and his years. In his own typically unique and self-effacing way, the Maestro, with this work, bid a final and affectionate farewell to us all. 






Sunday, September 7, 2014

Killing Zoe Original Soundtrack ... music by tomandandy


The film "Killing Zoe" tells the tale of an American safe cracker who becomes romantically involved with a prostitute and is then caught up in a Paris bank robbery in which heroin sends the whole plan crashing down. The score behind the film is mind blowing and intriguing, playing a continuous line of trippy, acid-like trance blended with constantly twisting and bending industrial synth-music.

Every track serves its purpose, from the fast-paced, slap bass opening track of "Go!", through the trance-like and haunting "Entering The Bank", winding all the way down to the uplifting "Flying Home".

Tomandandy are some of the best mixers and trance artists on the scene, and its a shame that this album, as well as the majority of their remixes, go so unheard of. The way some of the tracks on here start out mellow and then snap into adrenaline-pumping techno speeds is a real rush, especially in "Red Drugs", "Entering The Bank", and "But You Must". The more mellow tracks serve for a trippy, dazed, almost acid-tripping influence, particularly on "Clarinets", "Ambient Dixie", and "Canaan". Other than that the rest of the tracks are just plain bizarre and a wild ride, especially "Safe Heroin".

1. Go! (Opening)
2. Red Drugs
3. Z Names
4. Entering The Bank (With Romance Remix By...)
5. Clarinets
6. Safe Heroin (Disco 2000 Remix By DJ Keoki)
7. The Assembler
8. Gold
9. But You Must (Brothers In Rhythm Remix By Rhythm Method)
10. Ambient Dixie
11. Canaan

12. Flying Home



Friday, August 29, 2014

Down in the Delta soundtrack: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture



Sometimes when a record company/executive producer tries to combine two different artists from different musical genres to accompany a movie, it is usually a recipe for disaster. This isn't the case with Down in the Delta, the soundtrack to the movie of the same name starring Alfre Woodard.

Featuring an international "who's who" in R'n'B, alternative, blues and jazz, it (like some other soundtracks) goes  hand-in-hand with the movie. Hearing D'Angelo singing "Heaven Must Be Like This" make you wish you could see how heaven is. "Patchwork Quilt" by Sweet Honey in the Rock is another highlight, so sweet yet so haunting. "If Ever" by Stevie Wonder reminds you of  nice summer's day and everything is well. Luther's contribution "Only Human" is also another winner making it mellow yet seductive.

"One of the best things about multiartist soundtracks is the opportunity for creative pairings that otherwise might not happen. It's also common that an abundance of superior talent won't necessarily yield spectacular results. It works both ways here." -- USA Today

1. Believe In Love - Sunday
2. God's Stepchild - Janet
3. Heaven Must Be Like This - D'Angelo
4. If Ever - Stevie Wonder
5. Where Would I Be - The Leverts
6. I'm Only Human - Luther Vandros/Cassandra Wilson/Bob James
7. Just A Little Luv - Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men
8. We Belong Together - Tony Thompson And Antoinette
9. Don't Talk 2 Strangers - Chaka Khan
10. Let It Go - Jazzyfatnastees/The Roots
11. My Soul Don't Dream - Me'shell N'degocello/Keb'Mo'
12. Uh Uh Ooh Ooh Look Out Here It Comes - Ashford & Simpsons
13. Don't Let Nuthin' Keep You Down - Sounds Of Blackness
14. Family (Score) - Stanley Clark
15. The Rain - Tracie Spencer
16. Patchwork Quilt - Sweet Honey In The Rock





Friday, August 22, 2014

The Fisher King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack..music by George Fenton



This is my tribute to the late Robin Williams. One of his more eccentric and maybe underrated roles and a soundtrack to match.

"Well, maybe Pinocchio's not a true story", like Jeff Bridges/Jack Lucas says in one of the scenes, but this is the fine soundtrack album for one of the finest movies of the 90s. It has it all: the original score by maestro George Fenton, the pop numbers from the era, some standards from the past and even some bits from the original dialogues! Also you can enjoy actors Williams and Jeters performing two tracks. If you loved the movie, you'll love the album and if you're a fan of Terry Gilliam's,..well, say no more!

1. Intro: The Jack Lucas Radio Show - Jeff Bridges
2. Chill Out Jack - Trip
3. Pet Peeves - Jeff Bridges/Caroline Cromelin
4. I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee
5. Sunrise Confession - Jeff Bridges/Christian Clemenson
6. The Power/Sign Off - Chill Rob G/Jeff Bridges
7. I Wish I Knew - John Coltrane
8. How About You - Harry Nilsson
9. The Grand Central Waltz - George Fenton
10. The Story Of The Fisher King - George Fenton
11. Jack Meets Perry - George Fenton
12. Everything's Coming Up Videos ('Some People/Rose's Turn') - Michael Jeter
13. An Evening Out (Includes 'Lydia The Tatooed Lady') - George Fenton/Robin Williams
14. Quest For The Grail - George Fenton
15. The Red Knight Suite - George Fenton
16. How About You (Swing Version) - George Fenton



Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Donnie Brasco: Original Soundtrack



This soundtrack is an interesting mix of different styles and eras of music. It does an effective job in conveying the different scenes and moods of the movie "Donnie Brasco". Highly recommended to anyone who enjoyed the movie enough to watch it more than once. Each song brings back a specific scene from the movie and listening to the soundtrack and remembering those scenes is a delight!

1. A Stranger On Earth - Dinah Washington
2. (The Gang That Sang) Heart Of My Heart - Lou Monte
3. Happiness - Pointer Sisters
4. What You Wont Do For Love - Bobby Caldwell
5. Heart Of Glass - Blondie
6. Love Machine-Pt.I - Miracles
7. Don't Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra
8. Disco Inferno - Trammps
9. Brooklyn Girls - Robie Dupree
10. Return to Me - Dean Martin
11. The Latin One - El Chicano
12. Just Around The Corner - Herbie Hancock
13. Donnie and Lefty - Patrick Doyle


Wednesday, July 23, 2014

True Romance: Motion Picture Soundtrack...very cool music


The unforgettable soundtrack to the Quentin Tarantino-scripted True Romance. Featuring "You're So Cool" by Hans Zimmer, this soundtrack has a level of coolness to it that is only matched by "Wild At Heart", and "Natural Born Killers". By no means your typical selection, it's special. Other than top-notch songs by "Chris Isaak", "Soundgarden", and "Charlie Sexton", this has music from other unfamiliar artists like "Nymphomania". The best thing here is the compositions from Hans Zimmer. They bring you right back to the film, and are excellent instrumentals. 

1. You're So Cool - Hans Zimmer
2. Graceland - Charlie Sexton
3. In Dreams - John Waite
4. Wounded Bird - Charles & Eddie
5. I Want Your Body - Nymphomania
6. Stars At Dawn - Hans Zimmer
7. I Need A Heart To Come Home To - Shelby Lynne
8. Viens Mallika Sous Le Dome - Howard Blake
9. (Love Is) The Tender Trap - Robert Palmer
10. Outshined - Soundgarden
11. Amid The Chaos Of The Day - Hans Zimmer
12. Two Hearts - Chris Isaak

 



Saturday, June 21, 2014

When the Wind Blows original soundtrack..score by Roger Waters plus tracks from other artists



This movie by director Jimmy T.Murakami and from the book by Raymond Briggs portrays an 'English' take on the survival of a nuclear detonation by a ageing couple in a setting anyone will recognise. The first half is almost a public information film on how to survive an atomic blast, but the last half will leave you shocked, saddened and despairing beyond belief. It can move you to tears; its funny, disturbing, hypnotizingly watchable and ultimately soul destroying.

The soundtrack is very interesting and a bit on the eclectic side. There are tracks by Genesis, Paul Hardcastle, David Bowie, Squeeze and Hugh Cornwall, plus the score by Roger Waters which fits well within the context of the movie and is not unlike anything he did with Pink Floyd or on any of his own releases. 

The instrumental shows Phil Collins' superior drumming and is a powerful mood piece. Surprisingly, Hugh Cornwell almost comes across as Roger's disciple in "Facts and Figures," the other good song that Roger didn't do.With Roger's pieces  there is a surprising undercurrent. If nothing else, "Towers of Faith" (his duet with the ever amazing Clare Torry) is worth the price of admission. As for the rest, well, my suggestion is to turn your CD player up rather loud and see if it doesn't give you the chills. Then, when Roger declares (in "Folded Flags) that his life is "in the hands of a second-rate actor" who was then a United States president whose finger was at least metaphorically on the button, tell me if it doesn't make you think twice!





Monday, June 16, 2014

Snake Eyes Original Score by Ryuichi Sakamoto


Depending on your viewpoint, director Brian De Palma has been frequently lauded/taken to task for liberally appropriating the stylistic flourishes of other directors. And if De Palma's biggest "inspiration" on Snake Eyes is Alfred Hitchcock, the director found an admirable, if unlikely, semblance of frequent Hitchcock collaborator Bernard Herrmann in Ryuichi Sakamoto. Though better known for more delicate, electronic, and ethnically tinged work, here Sakamoto does a truly amazing Herrmann impression, cranking up the brass and swirling the strings into an unsettling sonic maelstrom that would've done late '50s Hitch proud.

Snake Eyes instantly begins with an awesome theme played out on lush violins. It echoes Bernard Herrmann classic scores to Hitchcock movies. Usually when a score imitates another movie it doesn't stand on its own. But the Snakes Eyes score manages to come into its own and still be original. Sakamoto's score ends with the beautiful 'Snake Eyes-Long Version'. It's a shame that this came out in the modern day. If this score accompanied a classic movie it would have been well-remembered. It is an alternately fun and lush score to De Palma's underrated and visually stunning film. Sakamoto's haunting theme (best on extended track 11) is a loving tribute to Morricone and Herrmann and the cheesy '70s gangster film thrill/scare cuts are a treat. Also includes 2 vocal tracks by Meredith Brooks and LaKiesha Berri.

1. Snake Eyes
2. Assassination
3. The Hunt
4. Julia's Story #1
5. Tyler And Serena
6. Kevin Cleans Up
7. You Know Him
8. Blood On The Medals
9. Crawling To Julia
10. The Storm
11. Snake Eyes(Long Version)
12. Sin City - Meredith Brooks
13. The Freaky Things - LaKiesha Berri




Friday, May 23, 2014

From Dusk Till Dawn...music from the motion picture...various artists



From the rough songs of ZZ Top to the sexy sounds of Tito And Tarantula's "After Dark", this soundtrack has the same spirit as the film. "Dark Night" by The Blasters is a great opening for the film and the soundtrack. "Mexican Blackbird" by ZZ Top follows. Along with some blues tunes and an unexpected dialouge from Cheech Marin. The two score pieces fill the rest of the space. Great soundtrack for a night in an "off the wall cantina, man".

1. EVERYBODY BE COOL (DIALOGUE) 
2. BLASTERS, THE – DARK NIGHT
3. ZZ TOP – MEXICAN BLACKBIRD 
4. JON WAYNE – TEXAS FUNERAL 
5. MAVERICKS, THE – FOOLISH HEART 
6. JULIETTE LEWIS & QUENTIN TARANTINO – WOULD YOU DO ME A FAVOR? (DIALOGUE) 
7. JIMMIE VAUGHAN – DENGUE WOMAN BLUES 
8. LEFTOVERS, THE – TORQUAY 
9. ZZ TOP – SHE'S JUST KILLING ME
10. CHET'S SPEECH (DIALOGUE) 
11. TITO & TARANTULA – ANGRY COCKROACHES (CUCARACHAS ENOJADAS)
12. STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE – MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB 
13. TITO & TARANTULA – AFTER DARK 
14. STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE – WILLIE THE WIMP (AND HIS CADILLAC COFFIN) 
15. KILL THE BAND (DIALOGUE) 
16. GRAEME REVELL – MEXICAN STANDOFF 
17. GRAEME REVELL – SEX MACHINE ATTACKS




Tuesday, May 20, 2014

In Bruges..original motion picture soundtrack..music by Carter Burwell


Carter Burwell is at the top of his game with this score. In Bruges is a great film to begin with, and the score only adds to this. In perhaps his best work since Fargo, Burwell creates several beautiful themes with a limited range of instruments, and provides an interesting texture to a movie full of interesting textures. Highlights include "Shootout, Pt. 2," which is possibly the best theme on the disc, and "Prologue," which is a wonderfully contemplative piano piece that lets Burwell's wonderfully understated composition shine.

Highly recommended, as the score manages to be an interesting standalone listen, as well as a perfect companion to the film. There are movies where the soundtrack plays on, and it adds to the theme of the movie. Then there are movies, where the soundtrack adds nothing. And then, there are movies where the soundtrack more than adds to the movie. The soundtrack of "In Bruges" must fall in the third category.






Wednesday, April 30, 2014

An Education...original movie soundtrack...score by Paul Englishby and tracks by various artists


The Education score is composed by Paul Englishby. It features 'Smoke Without Fire' performed by Duffy 'Your Heart Is As Black As Night' performed by Melody Gardot and 'J'ai Deux Amours' performed by Madeleine Peyroux

The movie is set in 1960s London, Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is a bright 17 year old preparing to go to Oxford. After she meets a much older man (Peter Saarsgard) who smoothly romances her with flattery, stories and weekends in Paris, Jenny abandons her University plans, to the horror and consternation of her hard working father (Alfred Molina) and a teacher (Emma Thompson). Jenny must come of age and decide what is her real education. Soundtrack is by noted composer Paul Englishby (Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day) and includes recognizable 60s pop songs performed by Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Juliette Greco and Percy Faith. Duffy will perform a new song written exclusively for this film. An Education is based on the novel by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About A Boy) and is directed by Lone Scherfig. 

An Education received critical acclaim when it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as at the Berlin Film Festival. 











Saturday, April 5, 2014

Green Card: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer



Green Card is a beautiful score. If you have followed Hans Zimmer, you will have noticed his style changes all the time. The score is similar to Zimmer's Driving Miss Daisy or Rain Man. It's almost all synthesizers, and almost never gets depressing (unlike many scores out there). It's a fun, upbeat score that always has you feeling good, and given the right moment, can exceed that. If you like Zimmer's scores to Beyond Rangoon, Rain Man, or Driving Miss Daisy, then you will like this one. The music is romantic and catchy and always helps to remember the movie which was also brilliant! 

1. Subway Drums
2. Instinct
3. Restless Elephants
4. Cafe Afrika
5. Greenhouse
6. Moonlight
7. 9am Central Park
8. Cl Concherato In A : Adagio
9. Silence
10. Instinct II
11. Asking You
12. Pour Bronte'
13. Eye On The Prize




Thursday, April 3, 2014

City Of Angels: Music From The Motion Picture..various artists and Gabriel Yared score



Soundtracks traditionally mix styles of music and this one is no exception. The eclectic selection of tracks on this release is a mixture of genres from blues to rock to indie and the mellow style of Gabriel Yared for the actual movie score. Many well known artists here to please the most avid music collector as well as soundtrack aficionados.

1. If God Will Send His Angels- U2  
 2. Uninvited - Alanis Morissette
 3. Red House - Jimi Hendrix  
 4. Feelin' Love - Paula Cole  
 5. Mama, You Got A Daughter - John Lee Hooker  
 6. Angel - Sarah McLachlan
 7. Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls  
 8. I Grieve - Peter Gabriel  
 9. I Know - Jude  
10. Further On Up The Road - Eric Clapton
11. An Angel Falls (Remix) - Gabriel Yared  
12. The Unfeeling Kiss - Gabriel Yared  
13. Spreading Wings - Gabriel Yared  
14. City Of Angels - Gabriel Yared





                                 

Friday, March 21, 2014

Billy's Holiday...Original Songs from the Australian Motion Picture Musical



This movie is all about a normal guy called Billy Apples. He is a social drinker and sometimes lead singer of a band. While he is doing all of this, he still manages to bring up his teenage daughter. One night while sitting at home Billy finds that he has a talent! He finds that he is able to sing like his idol, jazz/blues singer Billie Holiday. From there he is going places, from huge live performances to even cutting a hit record, but in the end he must make a choice between the life he has, and the life he once knew. 

The real treat of this movie is this now rare soundtrack from 1995 featuring songs that were originally done by Billie Holiday but performed in the movie by Max Cullen himself (who manages an almost perfect impersonation of her voice). The score is jazzy, uptempo and will have you bopping, singing along and dancing around the room. 







Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Cabaret..Music from the Original Soundtrack Recording..1972


Cheated out of playing nightclub canary Sally Bowles on Broadway in director Hal Price's Cabaret, Liza Minnelli nevertheless delivered an Oscar-winning star turn in Bob Fosse's cinematic reinvention of the show (which had the good sense to retain perverse imp Joel Grey from the stage production). Although the 1972 film discarded several songs from the original score, the new ones sound even better: Minnelli's breast-beating "Maybe This Time," the sultry "Mein Herr," and the salaciously satirical "Money, Money." By placing almost all the pertinent musical action on the stage of the decadent Kit Kit Club, the Kurt Weill-like compositional nuances and political underpinnings bask in the spotlight...that is, when Minnelli stops eclipsing it with her no-holds-barred performance. --Kurt B. Reighley...Amazon.com review

1. Wilkommen
2. Mein Herr
3. Maybe This Time
4. Money , Money
5. Two Ladies
6. Sitting Pretty
7. Tomorrow Belongs To Me
8. Tiller Girls
9. Heiraten ( Married )
10. If You Could See Her
11. Cabaret
12. Finale



Monday, February 24, 2014

Dueling Banjos by Eric Weissberg, Marshall Brickman and Steve Mandel from the Original Soundtrack to Deliverance


Is this a movie soundtrack or a bluegrass album? Well, it is both, actually; the soundtrack to the movie Deliverance and probably the album that introduced bluegrass music to many people who may not have heard it before. If you like guitar and banjo pickin' music, then this album will more than satisfy your needs. The fact that it was originally released back in 1972 makes it all the more interesting as it still sounds fresh today.

Amazon review:
Wonderful, exhilarating, breathtaking music, both in speed and execution. Banjoist Eric Weissberg has spent most of his career in relative obscurity as a studio musician, which is a shame as he is one of the finest banjo players to ever pick up the instrument. City born and musically educated at the University of Wisconsin and Juilliard, Weissberg was a seminal banjo picker who combined the power and taste of Earl Scruggs along with the progressive melodic banjo stylings of the 1960s.

Obviously, the album features the definitive version of "Dueling Banjos" that Weissberg recorded with Steve Mandel. The rest of the tracks come from an incredible album called "New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass," released by Elektra in 1963. Most of the tracks feature brilliant dual arrangements between Weissberg and Marshall Brickman, a banjoist who left the music world behind to write movies for Hollywood (The Bad News Bears, co-writer for Annie Hall). They are backed by guitar legend, Clarence White, who creates beautiful backup runs on songs like "Pony Express" and fine solos throughout. I think the fiddler was Gordon Terry, whose atmospheric style on "Reuben's Train" will make your hair stand on end.

The album is loaded with famous and oft-copied banjo licks, including the descending single-string work on Little Maggie, the "bumblebee break" on an insane version of "Shucking the Corn," the C-F-E-C chord sequence on "Riding the Waves," and some of the fastest (and cleanest) banjo work you'll ever hear anywhere on songs like "Rawhide" and "Hard, 'Aint it Hard".

1. Dueling Banjos
2. Little Maggie
3. Shuckin' The Corn
4. Pony Express
5. Old Joe Clark
6. Eight More Miles To Louisville
7. Farewell Blues
8. Earl's Breakdown
9. End Of A Dream
10. Buffalo Gals
11. Reuben's Train
12. Riding The Waves
13. Fire On The Mountain
14. Eighth Of January
15. Bugle Call Rag
16. Hard Ain't It Hard
17. Mountain Dew
18. Rawhide








Friday, February 21, 2014

Bad Eggs...music from the motion picture by David Graney and Clare Moore..underrated gem


This rare soundtrack to the 2003 Australian movie crosses several genres including jazz, lounge, film noir and even some quiet soul funk. The interesting thing is that it was all done by the same composers, David Graney and Clare Moore. David and Clare have come up with a score that resembles scores to movies like Ocean's Eleven and Pulp Fiction with shades of Ry Cooder and David Holmes. Whilst essentially a soundtrack album, this is one that can be listened to on its own and still be entertaining (even with the snippets of dialogue added in, which aren't obtrusive). It reminds one of those crime thrillers from the 40s and 50s but with a contemporary sound. Possibly one of those underrated gems for soundtrack collectors. Oh, and the movie itself is one very funny black comedy.






Saturday, February 8, 2014

Selena..Original Motion Picture Score by Dave Grusin


Selena (1997) tells the true story of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, a Texas-born Tejano singer who rose from cult status to performing at the Astrodome, as well as having chart topping albums on the Latin music charts. The movie was written and directed by Gregory Nava and stars Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos and Jon Seda.

The score is by jazz composer Dave Grusin. Dave has done a great job for scoring the movie and it brings out the exact moments in the movie, whether they be happy or sad, and also making sure the movie is a memorable one. See more on Dave Grusin here..





Thursday, February 6, 2014

Tango: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin



While director Carlos Saura employs the eponymous, erotically tinged ballroom dance form both as vehicle and metaphor for his film's storytelling, Argentine composer and film and TV scorer Lalo Schifrin in turn uses the film's score as framework for a rich musical tapestry that stretches from the traditionally familiar ("El Choclo") to the dark, rhythmic fury of his own classical-dance fusion ("La Represion"). 

Schifrin, a six-time Oscar nominee and winner of four Grammy Awards, spent his early career as pianist for tango composing legend Astor Piazzolla; that experience, along with his accomplished classical, film, and jazz work, has informed a score that may both surprise traditionalists with its adventurous diversity and give the rest of us a thrilling introduction to a vibrant musical form that continues to evolve. Interspersed with Schifrin's marvelous original compositions is a generous sampling of traditional tango music from composers such as Piazzolla, Canario, Salgan, and Filiberto. --Jerry McCulley..Amazon.com

1. Tango del Atardecer Orchestra Ensemble  
2. Calambre Orchestra Ensemble  
3. El Choclo Orchestra Ensemble
4. Tango Bárbaro Orchestra Ensemble  
5. Caminito Orchestra Ensemble  
6. Tango Lunaire Orchestra Ensemble  
7. La Cumparsita Orchestra Ensemble  
8. Recuerdo Orchestra Ensemble  
9. Los Inmigrantes Orchestra Ensemble
10. A Fuego Lento Quinteto Real  
11. Quejas de Bandoneón Orchestra Ensemble  
12. A Juan Carlos Copes Orchestra Ensemble  
13. Nostalgias Juanjo Dominguez  
14. A Don Augustin Bardi Orchestra Ensemble  
15. La Represión Orquesta Filarmonica De Buenos Aires  
16. Flores del alma Viviana Vigil  
17. Picante Orchestra Ensemble  
18. Tango para Percusión Orchestra Ensemble  
19. Corazón de Oro Orchestra Ensemble  
20. Zorro Gris Orchestra Ensemble  
21. La Yumba Orchestra Ensemble
22. Tango del Atardecer (II)Orchestra Ensemble

 


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