This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
The Firm.
1993, Paramount.
Dave Grusin.
MCA/GRP CD, 1993, GRM 20072 Rating:
Based on a novel by John Grisham, The Firm, stars Tom Cruise as a successful, young and inexperienced lawyer who receives a job offer from a top firm only to discover it is rife with corruption. Grusin adopts his familiar jazz style but takes it in an interesting new direction with lively piano solos that capture the film’s energy. Cues such as ‘Main Title’, ‘Memphis Stomp’ and ‘The Plan’ are lively and affecting. ‘Mitch and Abby’ beautifully conveys the ebb and flow of the relationship between the two lead characters. The only real action cue on the album, ‘Mud Island Chase’ is a dark, complex piece, again on piano, that mirrors the action on screen as Mitch (Cruise) is pursued by would be killers. Grusin’s cues alternate with songs performed by Jimmy Buffett, Robben Ford and Lyle Lovett, who bring a mixture of MOR, country and combinations of both to the mix. Some of these tracks, such as M-O-N-E-Y by Lovett, which fits perfectly with the big bucks backbone of the film and ‘Never Mind’ by Nanci Griffith are crowd pleasers. Even ‘Start It Up’, performed by Robben Ford and the Blue Line, which sounds a little like something you might hear in a backwoods bar somewhere, is listenable. Still, there is a sense that had Grusin’s Academy Award and Grammy nominated score been given a more substantial role in the film, some of these tracks would have been shelved and Grusin’s work is just too good to be watered down by such lightweight fare. The Firm Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. The Firm – Main Title (Dave Grusin)
2. Stars On The Water (Jimmy Buffett)
3. Mitch & Abby (Dave Grusin)
4. M-O-N-E-Y (Lyle Lovett)
5. Memphis Stomp (Dave Grusin)
6. Never Mind (Nanci Griffith)
7. Ray’s Blues (Dave Grusin)
8. Dance Class (Dave Grusin)
9. The Plan (Dave Grusin)
10. Blues: The Death Of Love & Trust (Dave Grusin)
11. Start It Up (Robbin Ford & The Blue Line)
12. Mud Island Chase (Dave Grusin)
13. How Could You Lose Me? – End Title (Dave Grusin)
The Italian Job.
1969, Paramount.
Quincy Jones.
MCA CD, 2000, MCD 60074/112488-2 Rating:
This energetic, stylish score for the 1969 heist caper starring Michael Caine is living proof that a soundtrack can lift a film above the sum of its parts. In this case, master composer and producer Quincy Jones, best known for his work with Michael Jackson and his scores for ‘In The Heat of the Night’, ‘In Cold Blood’ and ‘The Color Purple’, has put together a mix of lounge (‘On Days Like These’), jazz (‘Greensleeves and All That Jazz’) and good old British chanting (‘It’s Caper Time’ and ‘Getta Bloomin’ Move On!’) for an album that covers all the bases. There is a real sense of the British abroad about both the film and the soundtrack, as a cockney geezer goes after a security van full of gold bullion in the centre of Turin, under the noses of local crime bosses. Jones’ manages to combine the continental and the quintessentially British nature of the film well, injecting a good dash of humour and playfulness into the action. ‘Hello Mrs Beckerman!’ contains echoes of Michel LeGrand’s score for ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’, but Jones’ effort is more rough and tumble. At only 28 minutes long, the score may be short but it is a great ride. The Italian Job Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. On Days Like These (Matt Munro)
2. Something’s Cookin’
3. Hello Mrs. Beckerman!
4. Britannia And Mr Bridger, If You Please
5. Trouble For Charlie
6. On Days Like These
7. It’s Caper Time (Self-Preservation Society)
8. Meanwhile, Back In The Mafia
9. Smell The Gold!
10. Greensleeves And All That Jazz
11. On Days Like These (Reprise)
12. Getta Bloomin’ Move On! (Self-Preservation Society)
Thomas Crown Affair.
1968, United Artists.
Michel LeGrand.
Rykodisc CD ,1998, RCD 10719 Rating:
Following the relationship between a daring jewel thief, (Steve McQueen) and the insurance investigator sent to trap him (Fay Dunaway), ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ is an exciting, if essentially shallow slice of stylish escapism. Michael LeGrand’s score plays perfectly to its strengths, at its best when focussing on the cat and mouse relationship between the two leads and the romance that follows. It also garnered LeGrand with an Academy Award for best song with ‘The Windmills of Your Mind’. From 60s Go-Go to Jazz and swing numbers: sweeping pianos, elegant strings and plenty of quirky moments, this score delivers just the right amount of pazazz. Cues such as ‘The Boston Wrangler’ and ‘Cash and Carry’ are high points. ‘Moments of Love’ intersperses swooping saxophone with playful percussive sounds, capturing perfectly the interplay between the two characters as they progress from adversary’s to partner’s in crime. There is even a vocal from LeGrand himself on ‘His Eyes, Her Eyes’. This 1998 CD release from Ryko contains dialogue from the film along with substantial liner notes. Thomas Crown Affair Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray
Track Listing:
1. Theme from The Thomas Crown Affair (The Windmills Of Your Mind – vocal by Noel Harrison)
2. Whose Head Are You After? (Dialogue)
3. Room Service
4. Think You’ll Get Me? (Dialogue)
5. A Man’s Castle
6. Chess (Dialogue)
7. The Chess Game
8. Cash & Carry
9. His Eyes, Her Eyes (Vocal by Michel LeGrand)
10. Playing The Field
11. Something Else (Dialogue)
12. Moments Of Love
13. The Boston Wrangler
14. Doubting Thomas
15. Please Come With the Money (Dialogue)
16. The Crowning Touch
17. Theme From The Thomas Crown Affair (The Windmills Of Your Mind)
18. His Eyes, Her Eyes
