Customer Reviews

The Bridges Of Madison County: Music From The Motion Picture

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Bridges of Madison County" Soundtrack CD.....

It is not neccessary to have seen the film to appreciate what this music is about.It opens with the wonderfully romantic orchestral love theme "Doe Eyes". Composed by Clint Eastwood(yet another great talent of his revealed), and conducted by Lennie Niehaus, the music fills the room with the soothing sounds, and already you are under the spell!

Then ,like love letters put to music,Dinah Washington's feminine and soulful tones and Johnny Hartman's deep but docile voice exchange stories of love and romance through song. Dinah sings "I'll Close My Eyes", she says"through those moments, were apart, I'll close my eyes and see you with my heart".Johnny returns with "Easy Living" and expresses that"people say you rule me with one wave of your hand...Darling it's grand.."These are followed by "Blue Gardenia"(Washington), "I see Your Face Before Me"(Hartman) and "Soft Winds"(Washington), all expressing the fleeting affair and the lasting love.You will also be treated to some wonderful instrumental solos interwoven in the songs.

A light and lively rendition of "Baby, I'm Yours"(Barbara Lewis) gives the sense of the time era, followed by more wonderful love songs,including artists Irene Kral with the Junior Mance Trio. There are twelve tracks in all(see buying info for complete lists), and closes with the mesmerizing "Doe Eyes" once more.

The CD is a great quality and sounds terrific on the stereo.

This album is for anyone who has ever loved or has ever been loved!....Close YOUR eyes and enjoy...Laurie

One of the many reasons the film version of Robert Waller's pallid and common novel surpassed expectations and became one of the few films to improve its original source is due in no small part to director Clint Eastwood's impeccable taste and selection of the soundtrack. Choosing vocal work from the elegant Dinah Washington and the cool, smokey eroticism of Johnny Hartman as well as composing the vivid and drifting "Doe Eyes", Eastwood created a film that breathed autumnal, ephemeral romance.

This is a soundtrack album that stands on its own as excellent listening. Besides the simply gorgeous aforementioned "Doe Eyes" (Eastwood has developed into quite a deft and sensitive composer), higlights include Hartman's brilliant rendering of "For All We Know", "Easy Living" and "It Was Almost Like A Song" along with Washington's "I'll Close My Eyes".

I used selections from this as part of a soundtrack for a stage version William Inge's PICNIC and the drifting, haunting, and luscious sounds contained here produced an effective atmosphere of longing and loneliness.

A beautiful collection of music that made a pretty good film work. A certain must own for lovers of jazz.

The Dinah Washington tracks speak for themselves, as do the John Hartmans. . .but how I wish that, once he's done with films, Clint Eastwood would be recognized for his senstive musical gift. "Doe Eyes" alone makes the listener hopeful and breaks their heart without so much as one word of lyric, or without ever having to know the story of Francesca & Robert. Mr. Eastwood's directorial efforts have been appropriately rewarded. I only wish he had been duly cited for this beautiful composition. Someday. .

The best thing about Clint Eastwood's 1995 tearjerker, "The Bridges of Madison County," is the soundtrack. Although most of the album (other than Eastwood's syrupy "Doe Eyes" which appears twice on the disk) is listenable, it's the recordings of Johnny Hartman that make this disk indispensable. Hartman, who has to be considered on the short list of the greatest male vocalists of all time, recorded the material heard here for the now out-of-print album, "Once in Every Life," on the Bee Hive label in 1980, three years before his untimely death at age 60. The album, a late masterpiece surpassed only by his 1963 collaboration with John Coltrane, has never been released on CD but Eastwood has done us all a huge service by releasing the entire content of the album spread out over two disks (this one and its sequel "Remembering Madison County"). Hartman's voice, a smoky baritone, is perfectly suited to the mature romantic ballads he performs here with a very complementary sextet. Hartman recorded some of the tracks, notably "I See Your Face Before Me," earlier in the mid 50s also. On the soundtrack he sings the song at a slower tempo, shading it with nuances earned over the many years he had lived with the lyrics. His renditions of the aforementioned song, "It Was Almost Like a Song" and "For All We Know" may well be the definitive versions.

This is an essential purchase for anyone who loves male jazz vocals.

This is an extremely relaxing and soothing CD and especially recommended when you get home late at night and play it in a dim light. Carries your soul away. You will know what I mean when you listen to it .
Highly recommended.

After reviewing the DVD movie, I was touched by the love that 2 people can share. As in any movie, I believe music helps the movie. I had to get the CD for at least the movie theme song.
But once listening to the complete CD, you'll find several songs that you'll remember the movie's scenes. One of the artist, Johnnie, has an exceptional deep, romantic voice that you'll want to hear over and over. A beautiful CD to capture romantic memories that you'll relate to!

When I saw the movie and listened to the theme song I bought it right away. Doe Eyes is the most beautiful, heart-wrenching song I have ever heard. I rarely cry and hearing this song can make me cry (it touches the soul). I feel so good after listening to the song and it can have a moving effect. I agree with the other woman that Clint Eastwood should have been more noticed as the composer of the song. What a wonderful start for him. It is a masterpiece.

From the opening note this CD takes you to heaven and beyond. Johnny Hartman is amazing along with Irene Kral to Dinah Washington, who could ask for more? I suggest this CD to anyone who wants to escape for 45 minutes and just listen to good pure music, perfect for a romantic evening or just sitting out on the deck and enjoying! This is also my 6month old daughters bedtime CD. It's that wonderful, it puts her right to sleep.

I have seen the movie, listened to the CD and read Amazon's customer reviews. I fine this CD truely amazing and cannot understand why anyone would rate this any lower than a 4 star CD. IT TOUCHES THE SOUL!

Eastwood's lifelong love of jazz certainly comes through in this recording. The soothing sounds of Dinah Washington and Johnny Hartman melt into the stereo system and are a treat for any true jazz lover. Like the soundtrack for "Midnight in the Garden...," it seems that Eastwood is choosing movies lately that let him put together fun soundtracks that he can put in his own CD player.