Customer Reviews

Barry: The Beyondness of Things

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I've been an ardent fan of John Barry's work and didn't even know it when I was young. It was "Born Free" and that theme was stuck in my head as long as the theme from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" many years later. Then came the Bond films and I was hooked on the composer named John Barry. I followed all of his film scores and each one has his own distinct signature. It's a real shame that this piece of fine work "Beyondness of Things" didn't make it to the silver screen as "The Horse Whisperer". I remember seeing the "teaser" trailer and I believe the music was Barry's. That's what intrigued me about seeing the film. What a disappointment! But, now Barry can allow his many fans to enjoy this work. It's melodic, soothing, sensual and has bits and pieces from his films. Tr 9 sounds alot like Mr Kidd and Mr. Wint from "Diamonds are Forever". Also, there are pieces that remind me of "Out of Africa" and "Dances With Wolves". A reviewer wrote that this latest work from Barry is LAZY!! Far from it. This is an introspective work from the master and it's interpretation is beautifully done. It really strikes a chord within the soul and heart. Read the titles and you'll know what I mean. It's different, but still unquestionably Barry! A beautiful and very enjoyable piece of work!

As much John Barry music as I own, I come back to the "The Beyondness Of Things" more than any other. The music is sublime in a way that only Mr. Barry's music can be.

The chords and arrangements create a vast, panoramic soundscape that puts you in the mind of wide open spaces, such as an expansive plain or ocean at sunset. It is perfect to relax and meditate to, or take a scenic drive to while you reflect on your thoughts. But make no mistake: the music is also highly engaging to actively listen to, and you will no doubt hear something new each and every time.

The sound quality of this set is also noteworthy, in my opinion being better than any other John Barry recording I've yet heard.

"The Beyondness Of Things" is for you if you like reflective, pure orchestral music that is simultaneously joyous and melancholy, and always hauntingly beautiful. It will also serve as a perfect introduction to Mr. Barry's softer, non-James Bond work. I simply cannot recommend this CD enough.

We've all read so much about "chicken soup for the soul" lately - well, I think this as close as you're going to get to hearing chicken soup. Barry takes us on a journey that invigorates, calms and seduces our senses with The Beyondness Of Things, his first non-movie soundtrack album in a great many years. I found myself listening to the first track The Beyondness Of Things on a clipper sailing through the Caribbean... ...until I heard a honk behind me and realised I was still stuck in a traffic jam on the interstate.

Well here it is... you no longer have to make do with the countless artists who sample and reconfigure John Barry... its 1999 and we have the real thing... a new release of tone poems by the one and only... this is actually reported to be the soundtrack commissioned by Robert Redford for The Horse Whisperer, who fired Mr Barry and had the soundtrack done by Thomas Newman (what in the world was he thinking?), but it is presented without any film-related baggage and intended to be listened to out of a film context... and yes, it gets perilously close to schmaltz in places, but as you listen... and as the goosebumps raise up time and time again... you realize how responsible Mr Barry is for so much of modern pop music... his simple but drenchingly emotional melodies, heightened by dynamic shifts in the backing chords, have been used time and time again by artists ranging from New Order to Sonic Youth, from The Wedding Present to the entirety of "trip hop" (the Sneaker Pimps are still paying him royalties)... and I think this record is more interesting in a pop context than in a strictly film-related one... "Beyondness" is a collection of 12 4-5 minute slices of pure emotion liberated from the restrictions and the inherent manipulative aspects of the Hollywood blockbuster... put it on and open your own theatre between your ears

John Barry, who was made famous many years ago for striking themes like James Bond, has been one of the most spiritual and romantic composers during his latter years. His music is quite soothing and really speaks to the soul if you're heart is open. I think it's great that he can release original music that isn't pinned to a movie score. This collection is very good, though I think there is too much harmonica recorded throughout the cd.

This is another beautiful score by John Barry, but it's not from a film. Instead, it is a suite of very lush, lyrical, little pieces, not hampered by attachment to the presentation of a particular film. If you like John Barry film scores, you'll love these compositions.

BEYONDNESS is characterized by the same kind of stately melancholic folksiness that you hear in Aaron Copland and Peter Schickele. (MEADOW OF DELIGHT AND SADNESS is especially Schickele-esque.) All 12 tracks have full orchestral arrangements, but Barry gave a pop-tune structure to all of the tracks. Some tracks even do the gradual fade-out shtick that is often used on pop tunes.

Barry uses a solo harmonica on a few tracks. As he did in FRANCES and MIDNIGHT COWBOY. Indulging in a luxuriant expansive melancholia and wistfulness. He frequently uses a distant female singer to bookend the tracks. She sings brief wordless phrases in an ethereal manner. Her passages in GIVE ME A SMILE are achingly beautiful. In GIFTS OF NATURE, Barry gave the female singer some brilliant modernistic harmonic notes. My fave track is A CHILDHOOD MEMORY. It has a brass passage that's astonishly effective because Barry knows how to create chordal tension.

this CD turned me on to John Barry. I have subsequently bought James Bond soundtracks and Eternal Echoes by Mr. Barry. I would love to see the Enigma soundtrack re-released; I don't think you can go wrong with John Barry music. I would love to see another CD of new music by him.

Buy this CD. Everyone I've ever played it for, no matter what their tastes in music, loves it. It is contemporary, sensual, etherial, romantic, philosophical, and timeless. The title - "The Beyondness of Things" - says it all. It will fill you with gratitude for your life and for every good thing that has ever happened to you. And it will make you wonder, "To what is this life flowing, and where does it all go?"

What more can I say about this man? He's a genius in his own rights! I mean his music are hauntingly powerful. Each time I hear his scores they never fail to bring tears to my eyes...and I'm a straight guy for pete's sake.

There seem to be something in his music. That sense of age-old class with a touch of nostalgic vintage. From Chaplin to Out Of Africa, from Moviola to Frances...I mean this guy could really make you fall to your knees in [good] melancholy and feel that sense of romance.

Sadly, he didn't write for THE ENGLISH PATIENT cos that's how "classic" and "vintage" his music are...in the good way, of course.

I'm currently writing a script of my own. It's my very own epic which romanticize a certain era in American history and nothing beats that kind of scoring other than Barry's music.