Customer Reviews

Ali

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I ran right out and bought this immediately after watching the film, hoping that the wonderful ambient/trippy stuff, like the theme playing over the credits, would be on here. No such luck. This is basically a rhythm and blues primer...well done, but if you're looking for the wonderful "out there" music that ran throughout the movie, forget it. It ain't here. Too bad too...that's what I wanted. Oh well. Live and learn.

This soundtrack was by the far the most inspirational soundtrack I have ever heard. R. Kelly's "World's Greatest" brings me from the bottom to the top. I listen to the soundtrack before basketball and volleyball games and any time whether I'm feeling great or awful, it inspires me to pick my head up. I cannot wait until the new movie Ali comes out, but if you're someone who appreciates a good soundtrack with balance and variety, this is definitely a must.

I purchased the Ali soundtrack for my son, who was wishing for a copy of A Change Is Gonna Come. Little did I know, I had discovered 24K GOLD. My thirty something son, his wife and I were all blown away by ALL of the tracks. Mostly old school revisited, it is "The Greatest" piece of work that I've heard in a very long time.

If you were ever a fan of the old jamming and grooving R&B of the 60s-70s (like Sam & Dave, Booker T and the MGs, ReRe, etc.) you must not miss this one. I intend to buy copies for other friend?s and relatives just to hear them groan with the agony of remembering ?the way back when, in the long ago?.

BTW, there are some newbies (well new to me) here too that are spectacular-like Ms Angie Stone and her $$-absolutely fantastic!!! Frankly I had stopped buying new music, preferring to try to find a turntable to dust off, but I will be on the lookout hence forth for some of these newer artist that have definitely picked up the FUNK!

The music should have been in alignment with the era of Ali's reign, not a pop culture pseudo retrospect. What do Bilal or R. Kelly have to do with ALI as a man? The greatest injustice to me was not using Sam Cooke's original music. I understand that there were problems with rights to publication and use, but for this movie - to truly illustrate the friendship, respect and love that these two had, Sam's music should have been used. I was seriously disappointed.

Buy this CD completely for the song "Tomorrow" by Salif Keita. It is a melodic song perfect for relaxation. The rest of the cd is tolerable.

IF you are looking for a contemporary R & B soundtrack, look elsewhere. Although quite a few of the artists are contemporary, this is not an R & B album. Rather, it is a soul/neo-soul album and if I did not like soul, I would have hated this album. I mainly bought the album on the merit of Alicia Keys and R Kelly's songs since they are such great artists. The remaining soulsters are good except for Bilal. That guy is so flippin' off the wall, man. That Sh!t he is singing is terrrrrrrrrrible.

So you have been warned, if you only like R & B, stay clear of this. If you like soul music, you will want to pick this up, but I will add that it is not perfect.

This is one of the best soul compilations I have heard in a while. Forget the fact that it is for a movie, because some of the best songs were not written specifically for this film - and the poor songs were. This is good old-fashioned soul music, at its best!
This album features two of the most promising soul artists of our time (Bilal and Alicia Keys - believe the hype) and legends of the past (Aretha Franklin and Al Green) offering some of the most emotionally charged music around. With very few exceptions (the Everlast song comes to mind) the entire album has the sound of classic late 60's soul.
Keys' song, Fight, probably was written specifically for this project. It doesn't get bogged down with boxing cliches (which, in part, ruin the two R. Kelly songs and the Everlast song). It is a powerful song about how much a woman is willing to fight for a man's love. It is as good, if not better, than everything found on her album but with an old school feel to it, which fits nicely with the overall tone of the album.
Bilal's song, Sometimes, is one of the most honest self-reflective songs I have ever heard. The first half of the song is written as a reflection as to what he would like to change about himself, and the second half turns to what he would like to change about his relationships. His powerful voice is part D'Angelo, part Prince, but all soul - and very unique. One listen to this tune will have listeners running to check out his album.
The other highlights are Al Green's stirring live rendition of Sam Cooke's classic, A Change is Gonna Come, Aretha Franklin belting out her frustration with her man on Ain't No Way, and two wonderful songs by acts I've never heard of For Your Precious Love and Mistreated. For Your Precious Love is amazing, if for no other reason than the woman's soulful voice. Mistreated is a great song about a man giving advice to a woman who has a no-good-man. I look forward to finding more music from both artists.
Unfortunately, the album does have a few downers. Everlast's song does not fit with the tone of the album, and has too many cliches to be listenable. Surprisingly, the two R. Kelly songs have a similar problem. I am a HUGE R. Kelly fan, and was expecting much more out of the King of R&B! The songs go wrong partly because of the cliches to boxing, and partly because he is trying too hard to match I Believe I Can Fly. He needs to relax, and let it come to him. Both songs seem forced. I expected more out of such a great artist. My other problem with the album is the instrumental tracks that occupy the end of the disc. I could have gone for a couple other soul tracks, instead of these boring instrumentals. If I wanted those tracks, I would have looked for the score - not the soundtrack.

this is a awesome cd it is fun and enjoyable to listen to. the best songs on this cd are all of them. if you have not listened to this cd then i recommend that you do

Ordered what I received,,,just as they should Be....No Surprises, No Quirks or mistakes, just great service and right on Time!!!

Anyone that purchased this thinking, as I did, that they would be buying a little bit of the magic that infused the Ali soundtrack during some of the more poignant and inspiring parts will be in for a rude awakening once this package of disappointment is delivered.

Tragically not one, but two of the most memorable ambient score pieces from the film are omitted from this soundtrack. To get your hands on
'Memory Gospel' by Moby, you'll need to pick up his compilation album by titled 'Play: The B Sides'. That is the unofficial "Ali theme" song you hear when Ali's fight turns around against Liston. Why this isn't on any of the Ali soundtrack releases, including the score, is presumably for business reasons only Moby and and Columbia Pictures are privy to. To get your hands on 'Set Me Free' by Dungeon East & Whild Peach, you'll need to pick up the Ali 'Score' which was released in 2002. This was the one other track that seemed "Ali-esque" enough to remember long after I had seen the movie.

It's unfortunate that arguably the best two mood pieces aren't included in this offical OST, and that buyers are forced to find them elsewhere. Interscope and Columbia lose some favor points by not denoting that somewhere in the packaging or in the OST advertising.