The Wicker Man (Original Soundtrack Album)
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Free Music Notes for The Wicker Man (Original Soundtrack Album)
Free Music Review: Wicker Man soundtrack a real gem
Hit: 5 Stars
I had been looking for this soundtrack for 20 years. Pleased to find it finally available. This is a real classic.Free Music Review: Wonderfully original soundtrack
Hit: 4 Stars
The Wicker Man certainly is a Trojan Horse. It appeared on the surface to be a rather cheap and badly made film. But the twist in the story is one of the best in film history (imo). The soundtrack is very bizzare. At times, some of the music reminds me of Mike Oldfields early work, such as Hergest Ridge and parts of Ommadawn. But just as you think there is one "style" to this soundtrack, the next song is totally different.
The "Corn Rigs" is a nice little folky tune. In the film,it seems unsuitable though. It's used in sudden short bursts which dim to nothing very suddenly. But i guess it's trying to set the scene for "Everything is alright in this Scottish island town". The "Landlords daughter" is a great "Beer swigging and rocking side to side" one. The scene is one of those "Walk into pub and everything stops (including the music)" moments that are very funny and actually quite common in reality. But on this newly released version,it lacks the rough edge of it in the film, when they're teasing Woodward about the landlord's daughter. On the CD it sounds a bit too "Comical". In the film, it's rather creepy. Lots of "nudge nudge, wink wink,say no more" type of atmosphere which doesn't transfer so strongly onto the CD, for me.
"Gently Johnny" is a mellow and very 'visual' piece that stands well outside of the film. "Maypole" is one of my favourites in the film and on this album. The lyrics symbolizing the endless creation cycle of life. Great stuff, and one of those songs that gets stuck in your mind if you're not carefull. "Fire leap" is very 'pagan' (if i can use it to describe this). I hear that for research for the music, some very old pagan songs were researched and altered. Perhaps this is one. Very harmonic. "The Tinker of Rye" is the one that most people cannot stand. It's comically awfull.
In the film, i had to laugh at Christopher Lee sitting at the Piano in a kilt, singing Tinker of Rye in that very deep operatic voice. His accompaniament is truly awful when it comes to singing. "Willows Song" is the one we all love. What a mellow piece. I was born a year after this movie came out. But the 'sound' of this song brings me to that era somehow. It's very "Hergest Ridge" (Mike Oldfield) that song. One of the songs on this album that is not quirky, but quite a serious and well made song. After this, we get into the Brass band moments with "Procession", which are very unusual and quirky. "Chop chop" gives us some bagpipes and bodhran drums for the "gamble" scene with the swords. "Lullaby" is a wonderful little piece. The sacrifical lamb being prepared. Quite a mystical and calming piece.
The next "Festival/Summer is a-cumen in" (never worked out why they didn't write "Comin' in" (as it should be written). Perhaps for reasons of possible misunderstanding?. This one is the most disturbing of the lot. At 1:59 into it,it's all rocking side to side in glee. When they begin singing it's very disturbing in the film. Considering what is about to happen, the rocking side to side glee of this song and the look of happiness on their faces is very disturbing. Hence, it was the perfect choice of song for this scene if they wanted to shock the viewers. At the end of this song they include the terrified voice of Woodward, screaming "Oh god....oh jesus christ" at the site that confronts him.
The "opening" song truly is beautiful and feels the most accurate of all the songs, in terms of culture and location. Beautiful. After this point, we head into much of the incidental music as such that occured in the film. Such as the "Hobby Horse" where woodward is chasing the hobby horse character around the town. This includes the footsteps and clapping of the wooden horse's mouth. I dont know if this was intentional, or if they had no choice as perhaps the master tapes are now long gone. "Searching for Rowen" is good, but the last minute or so seem way out of place. An electric guitar makes it way in.
"Sunset" is (as in the film) quite unsuitable in my opinion. Something about it just doesn't feel right in that final scene. It's too professional a piece of scoring compared to elsewhere in the soundtrack. Overall,this is a bizzare soundtrack but one to own because this is a rare chance to get it in this format. Hail the Queen of the may!!!
Free Music Review: A strange compelling mix
Hit: 4 Stars
What a strange mix this collaboration is, between talented but evidently unschooled song-writer Paul Giovanni and Royal College of Music trained arranger/orchestrator Gary Carpenter. The sound track can be divided into (a) folk-type songs sung by Giovanni and others (haunting layered voices and such) played by a band on guitars, recorders, violins, Jews harp, percussion, etc versus (b) incidental music with extended instrumentation (brass and woodwinds). My favorite of the former is "Corn Rigs" which opens the CD. Paul Giovanni has a gorgeous silky voice that I'm surprised never got more popular exposure. The two women singers and other vocalists are also effective. Of the incidental music I can't get enough of the second half of "Opening music" which is a sort of variations on the theme of "Gently Johnny" with recorders and/or flutes. I also like Masks, Searching for Rowan, and Sunset. Some of the songs that worked very well in the movie, "The landlord's daughter" and "Maypole" I generally skip over. I quite enjoyed reading Carpenter's reminiscence about the composition and recording of the soundtrack in the album notes. Note: I TIVO'd the movie and then bought the soundtrack so I could hear the complete versions of the songs. If you want the movie (which is definitely worth seeing) get it, but it does not include all the music on the soundtrack album.Free Music Review: I Digs Them Corn Rigs
Hit: 4 Stars
Pretty much what it boils down to is that if you like the music from the film, you'll like this soundtrack. I can't imagine anyone else but a fan of the film wanting to hear or buy this. The sound quality is top notch. These songs are pretty cool(though most folks tend to think they're just silly as hell. Funny how that is considering bands like Slipknot are popular nowdays), yet you definately have to be in the mood for them. I do anyway. I wouldn't recommend blasting it in the ghetto, but when the mood hits to relive naked women jumping through a fire or Britt Ekland prancing around topless while spanking herself, no other cd will do.Free Music Review: Very Nice to Have
Hit: 4 Stars
All of the music and some of the dialogue from the (excellent) film. A must-have for fans of "The Wicker Man." "Willow's Song" was surprising to me because I'd not paid much attention to them while Britt was doing her dance. This song and the others taken by themselves provides more insight into the film, adding a new perspective. Well worth the buy.