American Beauty
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List Price: £15.99 £9.98 Dreamworks
Binding: Audio CDEAN: 0600445023321Format: SoundtrackLabel: DreamworksManufacturer: DreamworksNumber Of Discs: 1Publisher: DreamworksRelease Date: 2000-04-10Studio: Dreamworks
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Editorial Reviews: The Shawshank Redemption to Desperately Seeking Susan ), but his score for American Beauty is simply gorgeous and one his best. Filled with inventive instrumentation--tablas, bird calls, dulcimer, banjo, ukulele, detuned mandolin, and more--the score varies between highly rhythmic, world-music influenced passages ("Dead Already," "Lunch with the King") and the more subdued ("Mr. Smarty-Man," "American Beauty"). Throughout, Newman's score is inventive and a great complement to the dark comedy's numerous mood swings. The movie's other soundtrack--a collection of memorable alt-rock tracks--gave us just a sampling of this score. Here's the rest. It's short (37 minutes) but sweet. --Jason Verlinde
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: BeautifulComment: Most soundtracks only work in the context of the film or program that spawned them, and even then a lot are only half-baked rehashes of someone else's more original score. Not this one, though. Thomas Newman has composed a sountrack of incredible invention and subtlety, which can be enjoyed in it's own right. Hell, even a walk through Liverpool city centre became a bit mystical, accompanied by this on the ipod and decent sound cancelling earbuds! A fabulous piece of music.Customer Rating: Summary: Mesmerising musicComment: I listen to a lot of world music and like music that I can listen to while I work. This album was perfect. Really interesting and catchy without being overpowering. It has been on repeat all morning and I am still happy to listen to it. Buy it!Customer Rating: Summary: BeautifulComment: Newman's score is as fresh and original as it haunting and emotional, each track is beautifully constructed and the various arrangments can make you feel disconcerted, sad or overjoyed depending on the track. Buy this film on DVD and buy this CD neither will dissapoint and both will be played again and again losing none of their charm.Customer Rating: Summary: Simple, sumptuous, beguiling, unforgettableComment: This score, amazing in its simple, uncluttered musical style must surely rate amongst the finest of recent years (together with another masterpiece - 'Gladiator'). Using very unusual instumentation and extremely clever yet utterly economical musical phrases, Thomas Newman weaves a spellbiding mix of ethereal sounds and repeated motifs to bathe the listener in the most captivating audio experience.On watching the film for the first time (buy the DVD too!) the impact of the not-a-word-wasted script gently supported by the score which, despite its 'background' role you cannot help but focus on, is an unforgettable experience. Production too is of the highest quality, with some speaker-rattling bass to stretch your system to the limit. Absolutely outstanding.
Customer Rating: Summary: An album from contemplative relaxation in heaven.Comment: What a piece of work. Absolutely amazing. Somewhere close to 40 minutes of pure bliss. The beauty in Newmans compositions are so simple yet so very effective and will be enjoyed by anybody who soaks up sound, mood and atmosphere. I cannot tell you how much of a great addition to my cd collection this is. From jungle to techno to breakbeat and rap I've got it and now I have this. It arrived on the Saturday and by the night I had listened to it 3 times, even to my housemates approval. Buy it if you have a soul.
