The Muse Soundtrack album - Reviews

 The Muse Soundtrack album - Reviews

Members of The 22nd Row review the album, the score and the film

source:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090101191539/http://www.whizzo.ca/elton/articles/19990824.html

Jim McKay

Tue, 24 Aug 1999 08:01:05 -0500

The Soundtrack to The Muse came out today in the USA. If you are a fan of the Friends soundtrack and Carla/Etude, you will really like this, although this is a bit more upbeat. That is appropriate since The Muse is a comedy, of course. The album is almost entirely piano and orchestra instrumentals, save for the the last two tracks which are two versions of Elton and Taupin's pop song (and single), The Muse. Guy Babylon is credited as co-producer as well as as arranger. I love the instrumentals. The single has yet to grow on me, although, I prefer the remix instead of the "regular" version.

While this won't satisfy those wishing for an Elton rock and roll album, it will be a huge treat for those wishing for a rather classical sounding album of instrumentals from Elton.

Scott Lovegren

Tue, 24 Aug 1999 12:57:07 -0500

After a first listen to this 36:19 minute, 20 track recording, all I can say is, its' a plucky little recording. Don't buy it if your hoping for a lot of piano playing, the tracks are mostly orchestra based. The title song is ho-hum and not that catchy, probably not chart worthy and the re-mix of the title track hardly stirs the mix enough to have bothered the original. Overall-Scott-grade-C plus. Makes me long for Friends.

"Reality runs up your spine" EJ/BT

Anna Brown

Fri, 27 Aug 1999 07:19:47 -0700 (PDT)

My personal opinion of The Muse Soundtrack. I think the score is lame. I really do. When I first heard that Elton will be doing an original score to a movie, I thought, yeah, he'll probably win an Oscar for it, as anything he touches practically turns to gold (no pun intended). After hearing it, though, I'm very disappointed. It's too bouncy and happy, like those people that are happy ALL the time, to the point of annoying.

The song, though, I think it FANTASTIC. I agree, it kind of has to grow on you, so I had it on my repeat feature for three hours while I was cleaning house, and guess what -- it did! I love it. I am concerned, however, about its chances at the Oscars. I would LOVE to see Elton get another one, or two, for that matter, if he can somehow pull the score category off. But with songs like You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins from Tarzan and You've Got A Way" by Shania Twain from Notting Hill, I don't know if Elton, if nominated, would be considered a favorite, or even a contender. I know it's a little early to think about hate Oscars, but it seems to be the only award Elton cares about anymore, so it would probably mean a lot to him to receive it.

I would love to hear your opinions on this.

Anna

Gary Knox

Sat, 28 Aug 1999 11:28:02 EDT

Scott Lovegren said the title tune to The Muse soundtrack was "ho-hum and not that catchy". He may be right about the first part, as the lyrics are rather simplistic - - definitely Taupin-for-hire stuff. However, it is one of the catchiest tunes EJ has crafted in quite awhile! I played it for the first time in my car with my kids while we were on vacation and we've all had the bloody song in our heads ever since! I'm not sure what the hook is, whether it is Elton's soulful voice or the onslaught of interesting imagery: "like lightning in a bottle", "I catch the spark, oh... she lights the dark", but whatever it is, it stays with you long after you've played it a few times.

I'm no expert at guessing singles success, but it seems to me it'll thrive on the Adult Contemporary charts and it may have a shot on the Hot 100 as well.

So, Scott, put the CD in, hit repeat, and let Sir Elton's crafty pop mastery insinuate itself into your brain.

As for the rest of the soundtrack, I was a bit disappointed. As always I was hoping for more piano. The orchestra sounds great but it may be too much of a good thing. Almost all the tunes are bright and upbeat and I cannot but wonder how the movie can sustain this mood throughout. Elton said in that recent Frost interview he likes funereal, sad music and perhaps I was looking for some moodier music along those lines. Still, it is a great sounding recording, a great new direction for Elton. Women Talking Dirty is next and I can't wait to hear what happens.

Gary Knox

Jim McKay

Sun, 29 Aug 1999

To those who write in with their opinions of The Muse score by Elton, I think the writers should mention if they have seen the movie or not. When I offered my first impressions last week, I had not seen the movie. Thanks to Meg, I got to see The Muse Friday. I have to say, that my appreciation of the score and the closing single greatly increased. Yes, as Anna offers, it's bouncy and happy to the point that it is almost annoying. BUT THAT IS EXACTLY why it is perfect! That is how the context of the movie business is being portrayed, -- like these people are happy ALL the time, to the point of annoying. It's intentional and brilliant. And so perhaps Elton will be an Oscar contender for capturing in music the saccharine-sweet nature of Brook's characters.

Darla

Mon, 30 Aug 1999 19:41:24 EDT

I picked up The Muse soundtrack last week and I absolutely loved it. Before seeing the film the music already had me picturing the action. At one point I was listening to a track and I thought, this is bizarre, I don't know if I like this one, then I looked at the title and it was Multiple Personality and then I thought oh, cool, it fits!

The driving music was perfect. For those who complain it's too upbeat I say, hey it's comedy, it should be upbeat. The upbeat music contrasts perfectly to the turmoil the main character is in. It reflects the pie-in-the-sky world that is La La Land. Sure, we'd all like more piano, it's Elton, who wouldn't, but one must listen without prejudice and pretend it could be a score by anyone and judge it on it's merits alone. I was very, very impressed, the melodies were wonderful. They had a sweetness to them, particularly The Gift that reminded me a bit of some of Beethoven's music of which I am a big fan.

I liked the title track, too, except that once again, a good song is marred by bad production. I just can't stand the overpowering syncopated drum sound in that song. I don't know about anyone else, but really didn't hear much difference between the remix and the regular version of the song.

I saw the film over the weekend and I really liked it as well. Brooks is a great dialogue writer. I felt the music fit the film like a glove. Well done.

Darla

William Cleere

Mon, 30 Aug 1999 21:06:40 -0800

I've been an Albert Brooks fan for about 7 years now. I own all the movies that he's written and directed. Being a fan of both Brooks and Elton, I was thrilled to hear that EJ was doing the score. I got to see the film over the weekend and loved it. The music was exactly as it should've been, I thought. A pseudo-classical type score that rarely went under dialogue. The music was mostly used in transitional scenes, such as Albert Brooks driving and walking and so on. I thought Elton did a marvelous job writing music that wasn't "theme" music like in Star Wars or other operatic type films. Elton's music was there to keep the pace of the movie going, and I think this goal was achieved. Also, if you watch other Brooks' films such as Lost in America or Mother, you will find similar types of musical scores. Those two movies were done by Arthur Rubenstein and Marc Shaiman respectively. Two composers with impressive resumes I might add. Point being that Albert Brooks takes his movie music very seriously, but he uses it to a different effect than most movies. Hence, the "bouncy" and upbeat soundtrack from Elton. Timing is of the essence in comedy, and Elton's music contributes greatly to the comic timing of The Muse as a whole.

--Bill Cleere

Margot Wright

Tue, 31 Aug 99 23:37:25 PDT

I did not see the movie and if I had I'm sure I would have loved the score...everyone knows that movie music sounds much better and relevant when it is played during the actual show. However, I bought The Muse soundtrack and was very disappointed in the score..it didn't have nearly as much piano as I had hoped and many songs seemed the same to me. And the title track I thought was terrible upon the first listen..but I've upgraded it now to refreshing. I love his ooh- oohs and the way fluctuates his voice.But Taupin's lyrics are quite schmaltzy and the line "means to fill your quota" is painfully awkward.

all IMHO,

Margot

"Please excuse my frankness - well it's not my cup of tea" - lyrics by

Bernie Taupin, sung by Elton John

Perry J. Passarotti

Wed, 1 Sep 1999 10:32:28 -0400

We listened to The Muse Soundtrack over the weekend while cleaning the house as someone else had posted. We cleaned the house in record time... the pace of the soundtrack helped tremendously. We enjoyed the piece and are looking forward to seeing it in the movie (we're also BIG Albert Brooks fans).

Regarding the two versions, we're split- I liked the first version and my wife Eva liked the master-blaster version better. But on one thing we agree -> we don't understand the lyrical reference to "two hands on the throttle". I mean, you can have your two hands on the throttle while you're going down in flames too, so it was a little disturbing.

be seeing you

Perry

(EJ@MSG on 10/16!!!!   yeah!)

Andy Geisel

Wed, 1 Sep 1999 22:32:39 EDT

Just wanted to throw my two cents in on "The Muse". First got to hear it the day before I saw the movie. With many lively and fairly complex runs, it's a spritely soundtrack.

Though not as elegant as say "Midsummer Night's Dream", it flows well and reminds you that Elton was indeed classically trained. You can hear him drawing from his influences.

It also fit the mood of the film quite well and did what Albert Brooks scores do - serve to transition the scenes and underscore montages. Elton has good comic pacing, too I might add. As for the song, nothing memorable. He could have done better and I for one would have preferred a more "Michelle's Song" approach and arrangement, as opposed to the generic modern sound of "The Muse". Ultimately forgettable. Don't look for it at Oscar. Phil's is better at the moment, and then there's Toy Story 2.

I think we should expect bigger and better from "El Dorado".

On the whole, though, a fine work. Can't wait to see the next one.

Now, onto "Sixth Sense", which is composed by James Newton Howard. An amazingly good score. Very sedate, but woven perfectly into the fabric of the film, which is also amazingly good. (For my money, screw the "Blair Witch Project" - Sixth Sense is REAL movie making). James Newton Howard has shown himself to be an excellent craftsman at film scores and it is to this level that someone like Elton, we all know how good a songsmith he is already, should aspire. I think we'll all agree he's more than capable.

Andy Geisel

Studio City, CA

"like lightning in a bottle..."  EJ/BT '99

Ben West

Tue, 7 Sep 1999 16:21:12 -0500

Well, as a soundtrack lover, I have been intrigued by the comments placed here on the Row and decided to go see for myself. I have now listened to the soundtrack and seen the film, so here's my two cents. (even though some may feel I have no sense..<g>)

First, this is a more than a soundtrack, this is a film score. I get the feeling that some never really listen to a film's score. The most popular soundtracks as far as sales are the ones with pop/rock songs on them, not actual orchestral scores (ie. #1 and #2 all-time in sales, Titanic, propelled by Celine Dion, and The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston). There are many impressive writers of purely orchestral scores such as James Goldsmith, James Newton Howard (whose score for Grand Canyon is one of the most incredibly complex, jaw-dropping works in the last 10 years), and the father of the modern film score John Williams. These scores can go from extreme complexity (Grand Canyon) to elegant simplicity (Close Encounters by Williams... mostly based on 5 notes). Either way, they add to the film immensely. However, to quote Williams, "the best film music is not heard, but felt."

The score for The Muse does this well... it is light and airy due to the nature of the film, and moves well within its context. This was not the format for 3 or 4 studio-type songs from Elton, it was simply to drive the action of a film. I feel that some members wanted several songs, or expected something that a score simply cannot be.

Whether or not it has themes that are "borrowed", I agree with the point that much of the "classical" music world has similar sounds and themes, and can sound extremely similar. You'd be hard pressed to convince me that the beginning of Jaws wasn't directly influenced by Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony.... and there are hundreds of other examples of film music being influenced very directly by the classical realm. This isn't plagiarism, it's just that there is nothing new under the sun.

As for the title song, I haven't listened to it long enough for it to grow on me. I agree with those who say that it sounds a little contrived, and I don't see it as an Oscar contender, but with Elton's name behind it, he may at least get a nomination... we can hope for the best!

Thanks, and if anyone knows of a newsletter similar to the Row for soundtrack fans, or if anyone wants to discuss them, please e-mail me at macmanben@aol.com

David R.

Tue, 7 Sep 1999 18:44:57 -0400

This has become such a hot topic on the Row, and being a musician myself, I figured I had to put in my two cents.

I am not an avid listener of classical music (in fact, The Muse is the first quasi-classical album I have bought), so I do not know the characteristics of Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, et al's compositional style and techniques. However I do listen to a wide variety of jazz and rock (classically influenced and not), and pride myself on having a very diverse record collection. That said, on to the opinion.

I think the score is fabulous, however too short. I love the different themes that make up all the cues in this score. And while someone said it gets repetitive, it is a score and most scores (and classical pieces for that matter) have themes that are ultimately reverted back to and stated in a different matter. The different shading and instrumentation in the statements of the themes are beautiful. It sounds like a rhapsody with 18 different but cohesive movements, and the entire score could be seen as one full classical piece. I would like to see Elton release the sheet music for piano only (i.e. the string parts would be arranged for the 88). It is a very good effort by Elton in a relatively foreign field compositionally for him, and I have said for a long time that Elton should do an all instrumental album. His piano playing and compositions are what drew me to him in the first place. Vocals I can take or leave, as they deteriorate with age. Writing styles and playing styles will stay with one performer forever.

The title song, to not mince words, in my opinion is HORRIBLE!!!!! It is one of the worst things (I can't bring myself to refer to it as a song, or a piece of music) I have ever heard Sir Elton do. It is a valiant attempt from Elton to do already flaccid R&B sap territory, as covered by Brandy, Monica, Tyrese, Deborah Cox, etc. Not to throw any disrespect to R&B; it's classic days were deep-down funky and beautiful, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind And Fire, Kool and the Gang. . . It's now absolute garbage. I have nothing against drum machines when they're well disguised and sequenced, but the 808 sounds used on the song are BLATANTLY obnoxious. Especially when I have the same sound on MY synthesizer. I wanted to hear Elton R&B-style funky. Yes this is R&B, but far from funky.

I am not saying for Elton to stop moving forward. As an artist he must evolve. But I would rather hear him evolve into a classical composer, than into a washed-up artist struggling to stay with the times. I have nothing against using technology to make music. Loops are wonderful compositional tools, and samples, when hidden, add a character all their own. But use it to make music, not garbage.

All in my opinion, of course.

David R. aka DavidPiano

William Cleere

Wed, 8 Sep 1999 19:18:15 -0700

It's been stated here a few times lately that Elton's Muse score is very reminiscent of classical music that has already been written. It should be noted that in a recent interview about The Muse, Albert Brooks said that he edited up a version of the film using works by Vivaldi and others to serve as a guideline for Elton to write to. So it would seem Elton was writing within specific parameters for this movie. Not only does a film composer have to adhere to strict music in and out cues, he is also usually given a "guide" soundtrack to give him an idea of what style music to compose. That was definitely the case here. An example of this would be that when doing Star Wars, George Lucas gave John Williams a rough cut using music from The Planets by Gustav Holst. One only has to listen to about three minutes of those two recordings to hear the similarities there.

For what it's worth...

Bill Cleere

Ben West

Fri, 10 Sep 1999 10:05:01 -0500

Bill Cleere's article was correct in mentioning that composers are often given a "guide", and it would certainly be interesting to hear the guide music for some films. There are other restrictions placed upon the composer, too. For instance, music has to be sped up or slowed down to fit the space that is needed to be filled in the film. This can lead to either an unwanted tempo in some portions or even the total removal of some themes/motifs. Also, film composers generally only have 6-10 weeks to complete a score, from the first time they see the movie to the finished recording. So don't blame Sir Elton if this doesn't feel like something he's spent months of intense work on.... it's not, but it is still a good work, and a good look at a different side of our favorite. I would enjoy hearing a purely instrumental album as well, that has been fully worked up, with all of Elton's intensity... We all can dream.