Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture
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Free Music Notes for Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture
Free Music Review: Good
Hit: 3 Stars
I only give this soundtrack three stars because of its limited staying power. There is some excellent melodic music to be found on this CD. It's accessible. It's easy to listen to. But I soon grew sick of this after 3 months. Undoubtedly, Aimee Mann is a truly gifted singer-songwriter, but I wouldn't categorize her as brilliant because quite frankly, it grows old too quickly. "Build That Wall" is a beautiful Beatles-esque song co-written by Jon Brion (the composer of Magnolia, the score). "Momentum" is honky-tonk bliss. And "Save Me" and "Wise Up" are the languid, haunting songs. This album is brilliant for the span of 3 or 4 months. After that, it doesn't stick. I recommend this album regardless because for the span of time it works, it really works. Above-average pop rock.Free Music Review: Worth buying for fans of film, Mann, Brion, or good music
Hit: 3 Stars
Aimee Mann, the singer-songwriter, and former frontwoman of Til' Tuesday has a good songwriting voice that has earned her a faithful following, including that of film director Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson found her music so inspirational and similar in scope to the theme of his then upcoming project, Magnolia that he acquired her to write and record 7 new songs for the film and 1 cover, "One" to set his scenes to. The result was Magnolia, a film that features perhaps one of the most groundbreaking uses of music in film in recent memory, and not just the "Wise Up" singalong that connected every main character in the movie, but let's not forget Claudia Wilson Gator's apartment-building jam of the frenzied masterpiece, "Momentum" whose loud, tortured musings about life in the fast lane not only played in the background to accentuate her chaotic lifestyle as an addict, but involved itself in the story as a major plot point, as without its excessive volume, Officer Jim Kerring would have never knocked on the door about that noise complaint. Or the ending of the film with "Save Me" which seems to sum up Claudia's character without distracting from the moment or being too obvious of a parallel. Without the Aimee Mann songs, the movie, especially the Claudia storyline, would be incomplete, and henceforth, I'm afraid to say, the songs are incomplete without the movie. It's telling that the most successful examples from the soundtrack are songs that directly correlate with scenes from the movie, such as "Momentum," "Save Me," "Wise Up" and "One." The only song that's entirely successful that isn't instantly recognizable from the film is "Build That Wall" a pleasant, airy song with darker undertones, which renders serene yet quietly resonant results. But when Aimee Mann veers off into directions similar to her work on past albums, it loses its drive and pop sensibilites, and settles for independent singer-songwriter fare, when it could have been great intelligent pop like the other songs- songs that appeal to the intelligent masses, not just die-hard Aimee Mann fans. The rest of the album includes a Mann-penned instrumental, that is pleasantly amusing, but not much else; 2 Supertramp songs, which are slightly interesting if only for the fact that they remind you of the brilliant scenes with William H. Macy lusting after Brad the Bartender; a dismissable Gabrielle song; and the powerful Jon Brion instrumental "Magnolia," which features chillingly beautiful cello work. However, when it's over, the majority of this CD seems like filler for only 5 songs worth listening to on a regular basis, "One" "Momentum" "Build That Wall" "Wise Up" and "Save Me" which as extraordinary of compositions as they are, the lack of more material like those songs, makes a non-die-hard Mann fan feel a little shortchanged.Free Music Review: Aimee at the top again
Hit: 5 Stars
After squabbles with her record company, the public had to wait a long time to hear anything resembling a follow-up to Aimee Mann's second solo album 'I'm With Stupid'. The 'Magnolia' soundtrack proves that she's still on top form, which was decidedly affirmed by Paul Thomas Anderson basing an entire movie on her work. Although several of these tracks were also included on the later 'Bachelor Number Two', this is still an absolute gem of an album.It starts with a cover of 'One', an tune that really fits the mood of 'Magnolia' but perhaps a little jarring alongside Aimee's originals. The album mostly contains angst-ridden songs about relationships gone wrong or heading for a fall. However, if the lyrics have a sad tone to them, the often buoyant melody means that they are never self-pitying and Mann often adopts a restrained approach of mock-hardiness. It would be impossible to pick a track of Aimee's here that is better than the others. Let's just say that they compare with her much-acclaimed 'Whatever' album, and that should be enough to make anyone want to buy it. The last two tracks of Aimee's, 'Wise Up' and 'Save Me', are possibly the most obvious to pick out though, purely because they are both the most prominent in the movie. In particular, the excellent 'Wise Up' which is part self-denial and part admittance of defeat, is sung by all of the characters in 'Magnolia'.
Of the other songs, they just don't seem to fit. Although the Supertramp tracks are reminiscent of an era which many people may find appealing, I didn't personally. The Gabrielle track, a huge song in England, is good but almost seems like an afterthought. Indeed, it wasn't included at all on the British release of the CD. Whatever the later tracks may be like though, this showcases Aimee's talent and will hopefully endear her to a whole new set of people. It's just fantastic.
Free Music Review: Good exercise CD
Hit: 5 Stars
There is no tiring from this sound track. Fine tunes with gentle reminders of the film to hold them together such as Tom Cruise saying "Ok Mr. Nix" and that game show guy saying "And now we're ready for round two!"Supertramp and Aimee Mann. What a duo! I never get tired of "Driving Sideways", and "Wise Up" is sort of a mantra for straightening out your life.
This is good music. Bravo!
Free Music Review: Five Stars to Aimee, But the Rest.....
Hit: 4 Stars
Aimee Mann's contributions to the soundtrack of PT Anderson's "Magnolia" are actually a more satisfying work in its parent film. Mann is at a peak of both artistry and craftmanship here. Never before has she sounded as confident and as crafty as she does here. She injects "Momentum" and "Driving Sideways" with a bit of cool jazz-pop, conjuring up the spirits of both Cole Porter and Burt Bacharach. Her take on Harry Nilsson's "One" is haunting, almost equalling the Three Dog Night original. The instrumental version of "Nothing is Good Enough" sounds like one of the better White Album outtakes, featuring "Lady Madonna"/"Hey Jude"-eque piano chord progressions. "You Do" is arguably her prettiest love song to date, sporting a great sax solo. And with "Deadly", Mann masters the power-ballad. To top it all off, she delivers the one-two combo of "Wise Up" and "Save Me". All in all, a perfect pop album.But Mann is unfortunately saddled with two annoyingly dated Supertramp tunes and a highly forgettable number by apparant one-hit wonder Gabrielle. The break between Aimee and 'Tramp is a glaring one, and it only reminds us how painful it is to listen that high-pitched wine over and over again! Of course, it doesn't affect Aimee's efforts one bit, especially in the wake of the CD age. Just program this 1-9, and listen to perfection!