Customer Reviews

Baseball: A Film By Ken Burns - Original Soundtrack Recording

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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This is a simplistically beautiful CD. The cuts range from the joyous to the deeply moving. From Garison Keillor's opening reading of Walt Whitman's thoughts on baseball to the closing quiet of the Star Spangled Banner, the listener is taken on a musical and aural journey through the history of Our National Pastime. Even though the game of today can be a pale imitation in some ways of what it once was, baseball still has a strong emotional hold on millions of Americans.
While I love listening to the entire CD, my favorite track above all is the moving"Steal Away". I always think of Jackie Robinson when I hear this song. The song has the feel of quiet dignity and a life lived in simple strength.
If you love baseball like I do, buy this CD.....you'll be so glad you did.

Great album to accompany a great multi-chapter mega-documentary; Ken Burns' BASEBALL. Hands down, the best song on the CD is Carly Simon's rousing rendition of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME. One could only wish they would play this version during the seventh-inning stretch at ball parks around the country because it's such a fun and upbeat version. The other song that comes close is Natalie Cole's cover of DID YOU SEE JACKIE ROBINSON HIT THAT BALL? which is equally rousing and upbeat. These two songs alone are worth their weight in gold on the album.

While this soundtrack does not contain every song from the movie, it has the COMPLETE songs (not the snippets played in the movie) and the ones they picked are great! You will find yourself listening to this CD over and over again! The CD contains not only musical pieces but also radio calls (including Russ Hodges's famous "The Giants Win The Pennant!" call) and quotes. There is something for everyone on this CD, even if you are not a huge fan of any given team. (I ordered it used but if no used copies are available the music is well worth the new price.)

Ken Burns is smart enough to realize that some of the best music in many films, including BASEBALL, is the incidental music. As he did with THE CIVIL WAR soundtrack, Burns includes plenty of the beautiful piano solos from the PBS special on this CD.

The inclusion of the calls from The Shot Heard 'Round The World and Hank Aaron's 715th HR is a nice touch. Nothing drives people crazier than cranking that up real loud in afternoon traffic.

Unfortunately, what you see in the film and hear on the soundtrack is what baseball was in this country, and what it is now. It's still a popular game, it still makes a lot of money, it still has a lot of fans. But the love for the game, the feeling so many of us had for the players and the teams, isn't there any more. Would a major political figure speak so poetically on behalf of a player now, and would so many people listen and be as touched, as when Jesse Jackson gave his eulogy for Jackie Robinson?

For that matter, will there ever be another sports figure even half as important as Jackie Robinson?

If you saw the Baseball series and liked the music there, you will be pleased and surprised to find out that the music is on this CD. I think all the songs I remembered from the series is on this CD. I cannot be positive whether this soundtrack actually has all the songs, but I do not notice any that are missing.

Even if you did not see the Ken Burns series, you can get this CD and know you will be able to get in a baseball mood when you hear it. The songs all have a distinct flavor about them that just make me think baseball.

If you liked the series, you'll enjoy the CD. Several versions of Take Me out to the Ballgame on the CD.

This is a great soundtrack. We have and "opening day" hot dog party at my work every year. This was an awesome background sound track.

As with all the soundtracks to a Ken Burns documentary, this score can also be broken down into two sections:

First, there is the period music. I did not buy the CD for this purpose, but its focus on classical jazz/swing tunes will have old-timers walking down memory lane.

What I found especially compelling about this soundtrack is its background music, consisting primarily of soulful vocals, solo piano, and wailing violin. Whether trying to illustrate the lighter side of baseball, or drive home an emotional point, Burn's soundtrack is always adept at suiting its purpose. Overall, this CD is a great mix of period (mostly jazz) music and light little instrumental/vocal ditties that will have you nearly in tears when remembering them in correspondence with the film.

This CD contains classic and unheard-of selections through baseball's history. Seasoned with radio calls (again, famous and not), it is an excellent relaxing companion, either as background sounds while driving or reading the paper, or to just relax and listen to.