Customer Reviews

Carrie: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

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The movie CARRIE is truly one of the best psychologically terrifying movies in recent history; part of its "get under your skin" power lies in Pino Donaggio's eccentric and transporting soundtrack. While it is not the kind of music you play for a candlelit dinner, if you want to evoke memories of the haunting film, this will more than do the trick. Mother At The Top Of The Stairs is perhaps the most artistically gratifying piece for me, with its perfect blend of suspense and unbearably sad chords repeated over and over. It captures, without fail, the specific moods and feelings of the characters and story brilliantly. There are pieces missing however -- as in the playful piece that underscores the girls' punishment-workout, and the guys' tuxedo shopping.

carrie is not only one of the best films of the 20th century; beneath each scene of the film seethes a stirring and evocative score. this is honestly one film that is, quite simply, inconceivable without the underlying propulsion of pino donaggio's remarkably breathtaking score. each note on this score brings forth intense visuals from the film in the listener's mind (i find carrie's theme to be one of the most succinctly enchanting melodies ever written). rarely is a score written that so effectively and astoundingly encompasses the depth and psychology of the film's characters. the lyrics to the two vocal tracks express intense longing and disillusionment, and are brought to life in a hauntingly bare style. i highly recommend this score for anyone who enjoyed the film. this is not a rushed collage of overtly mismatched songs; it is a painstakingly precise glimpse into the soul of the film.

This album's excellent, but probably only fans of the film will think so. A lot of the music is very dark and conjurs images of isolation, but the two Katie Irving songs are beautiful, especially "...Someone Like Me". The inlay card is interesting and has a detailed write-up about the film and the score, as well as a film poster on the back. The only disappointing thing I found about the album is that songs like "Education Blues" and "Heatwave" aren't on it. These are just as much a part of the film as the rest of the tunes, and perhaps their lighter tone would have made the album more accessible. Still, never mind, it's definitely well worth the money in my opinion!

When I saw the movie "Carrie" for the first time in January 1977, I was immediately impressed with the soundtrack. I bought the LP a couple of months later and 22 years later I just purchased the CD version. Since I have seen the movie about 30 times, I am very familiar with music and its relationship to the film. The liner sheet is very informative about the movie and music. The CD contains about 40 minutes of music and dialog clips from the film and the movie trailer when used with your computer. I have come across other movie soundtrack albums which the movie contained very little music that "filler" music was added to the CD. An interesting example of this is "The Rage: Carrie 2" which is a fine sequel which comes up short musically.

The CD soundtrack to the movie "Carrie" is a top-notch recording which sets the standard. I would highly recommend it. It is awesome when you can relate the music to the events in the film.

The producers of this soundtrack seemed to omit everything that wasn't done by Pino Donaggio. What IS there is excellent, especially the Theme from "Carrie" and "Mother At the Top of the Stairs," which is a brillant homage to those 200+ year old hymns found in church songbooks around the world. One song is only partially included; "I Never Dreamed Someone Like You Could Love Soneone Like Me." In the movie, there's an instrumental break where Tommy and Carrie talk about why he asked her to the prom. The version on this soundtrack omits this break, making the song shorter and, to me, not as enjoyable.

As others have mentioned, there are several pieces that are outright missing. The most notable one is that great song that's playing when Carrie and friends enter the gym; a song called "Education Blues" by Vance Or Towers. It's a party rock tune that foreshadowed the New Wave revolution that would come in the '80s, and slightly different in the movie than on their obscure 1975 LP. BIG oversight.

Also as some have previously mentioned, the Moog-style music when the guys are shopping for tuxedos and the girls are in detention are gone, presumably because they weren't the classical string arrangements that Donaggio seems to prefer. So the comic relief is also missing.

Due to the high cost of music licensure, I can understand why Martha & The Vandella's "Heat Wave" is missing, yet it was the backdrop for one of the movie's most memorable scenes with Nancy Allen and John Travolta. Still, this song is widely available. What is NOT, and is missing from this soundtrack, is the song playing in the background of that "other" Travolta / Allen scene, the notorious parking scene. In the background is a song that might be called "Pretty Lady" or "Pretty Baby," and is uncredited on the DVD of the movie. I've been trying to figure out what it is for years. If you happen to know, your e-mail would answer a now 30 year-old question.

With the running time that today's CDs afford, the omissions of these tracks is inexcusable, and I would have preferred them to the added dialogue snippets that differentiate this CD from the original vinyl product. Still, what IS present has never sounded better. Donaggio's brilliant, complimentary score demonstrates why he is one of the all-time great film composers!

Brian DePalma's 1976 film CARRIE was one of the most significant horror movies of the 1970s, second perhaps only to Steven Spielberg's JAWS. The great elements of the film (Sissy Spacek, the direction, etc.) aside, the one that has been overlooked until now is the soundtrack score by Pino Donnagio.

The irony about DePalma's selection of Donnagio to score CARRIE is that he originally wanted Bernard Herrmann, Hitchcock's favorite composer, to do it. But Herrmann's untimely death, coming just a few short hours after finishing recording his score for TAXI DRIVER, made DePalma look elsewhere.

Donnagio's score for CARRIE is, not surprisingly, very reminiscent of Herrmann's work for Hitchcock (particularly PSYCHO), but there are elements of Stravinsky (as there were for John Williams' JAWS score) as well. The two songs on the album, as done by Katie Irving, are very pleasant and melancholic ballads that only Linda Ronstadt could have done better. But Donnagio was wise to have seen CARRIE, as have many of the movie's viewers, as a dramatic tragedy as much as it is a psychological horror film. His score reflects that belief very well.

My ex used to have this soundtrack on an LP. Remember those? Anyway, I used to play it all the time, because the music was so haunting, and yet eerily soothing. I think that Katie Irving's poignant vocals could have propelled her onto a carrer of her own, and any fan of the fim would just burst, like I did, to have this on CD.

Frankly, I think I wore the LP out in my youth, and the appeal of the CD is lost on me, even as I can claim Donaggio's previous DON'T LOOK NOW (1973) as one of my five favorite film scores of all time. I can still hear why I was mesmerized way back when. Donaggio's score IS adolescent angst in a Herrmann/classical/pop vein, and he does this well. I was never extremely fond of Katie Irving's breathy vocals, but the title tune could have been a smash country and western ballad if someone in Marketing had possessed that insight at the time. Donaggio's gone on to score about a hundred fair-to-middlin' Italian scores, and some bombastic ones for DePalma (BLOW OUT - far too saccharine and BODY DOUBLE - well, I love the Minnie Mouse-doing-the-Eurodisco-streap-tease song). In my maturity he seems a little over-the-top, but he did seduce me into a world of feelings and impressions previously unavaible to a teenager, and for this I remain grateful. Film score purists will be better directed to his Italian output, such as OLTRE LA PORTA, and his lovely western score, AMORE PIOMBO E FURORE (Love, Bullets and Fury), which contains a dynamite vocal by legendary wild woman/Cajun, Ronee Blakely, and, of course, the haunting DON'T LOOK NOW.

For the last time we'll pray.

As a horror fan, I love and appreciate what I consider to be Brian De Palma's best movie, "Carrie". However, even his superb film is undeserving of Pino Donaggio's beautiful score. He captures the mood of the characters and the situations so effortlessly. Most horror films from the 70s were only scored using the same seething menacing scores with a jolt for a shock. However, Donaggio's score captures the entire spectrum of emotion carried in the movie. Carrie's innocence, her revenge, the peers she takes her revenge on, and the psychosis of her mother are all captured so well with this score. I don't know why it's not quite as well remembered as some of the scores that are commonly brought up. It's just as memorable as it is beautiful, frightening, and ultimately heartbreaking.

I loved the movie, and now I love the CD. The music is great, it always sends shivers down my spine when I listen to it. The only bad thing about it is "School In Flames" is just humming and an unusual ringing and clicking sound. I think it's unique. If anyone wants a CD that sends shivers down your spine I recommend this ear-thrilling CD to them.
Enjoy Listeners!