Ralphy's C.D. Reviews

Review date 18-02-1999: Thomas Newman - Original Score The Horse Whisperer

Through the same internet-contest in which I won the earlier reviewed Another Level-CD I also won this score of the movie "The Horse Whisperer" (In fact it was a contest about this movie and I also won among other things tickets to the film and the book on which it is based). This is not the album which sells as the original soundtrack. On that album 12 country songs are featured, on this CD 28 pieces of music (I wouldn't call them songs) are featured which were the background sounds and music for the movie-scenes themselves.

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The music on this album was composed and produced by Thomas Newman, who has a long tradition of making soundtracks. He has been nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) in the past for films like "Little women". He stepped in his fathers footprints, Alfred Newman was a very successful movie-music creator in the past. You might also know his cousin Randy Newman, so Thomas grew up in a very musical family. Other scores by him include "Scent of a woman", "The lost boys", "The people versus Larry Flynt" and a former cooperation with director Robert Redford in "Up close and personal".

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The question that sprung to my mind when I listened to this score was: "Why would someone buy an album like this?" Not that the music is bad, far from, but as mentioned above they're just background sounds to a movie and can hardly stand on itself. As I have seen the movie I can remember the images (mostly of scenic Montana) belonging to the sounds (at least generally) and so to me the only reason to buy the score is that you're a giant fan of the movie and want to have everything about it. The music is mostly very soothing and semi-classical, often performed with instruments like violin, flute and horn and at other times they try to get a western and country feeling with guitars, mandolins and even a mouth organ. It's the perfect romantic-sphery background music and I may put it back on when I start reading the book. I rate this album with a 6.0, 'cause the music is well performed and composed. It might be something for the famous philharmonic of my hometown Bocholtz to put in their repertoire.

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