Customer Reviews

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am sure many of you are familiar with the movie which airs almost every year around Thanksgiving. When I was young, I had the soundtrack on an old 33 RPM album. I played the record so much, you could barely hear the music any longer. Call me crazy, but the title song, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," still ranks as one of my all time favorite songs. I tried in vain for years to replace the album; and forget about trying to find it on CD. Finally, it has been re-released, and on CD! Be a kid again! Enjoy the music for yourself! Recall the old days of a young Dick Van Dyke! And if you know where I can find one of the old Chitty Chitty Bang Bang toy cars, let me know!

How could the soundtrack to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" be anything but brilliant. Rykodisc stated that this was MGM's greatest selling soundtrack and its musical appeal cannot be faulted. The title song was nominated for an academy award, but it lost to 'The windmills of your mind'. The music was written by the songwriting team of brothers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who also wrote the music and lyrics to Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The jungle Book, Charlottes web and Tom Sawyer. Every single song is inspirational, and amoung the greatest they have written. Many people would say that the title song is the greatest song they have written. The 90 piece orchestra used to record the songs is stretched to its limit with "Me 'Ol Bam-Boo" and "Toot Seets". This soundtrack is extreamly clear, with no background hiss. I have never heard a recording of this vintage with such clarity and I own "The Sound Of Music 35th Anniversary edition. Only one problem, it might take you a while to get the theme song out of your head.

I remember watching the movie when I was a kid and now my children are enjoying it too. My son especially loves it and I was very happy to find the music for him to listen to in the car. Now we listen to it constantly (I'm not sure if that's good or bad) We espcially like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Posh, and Old Bamboo.

Although one can justifiably quibble with the consistency of the composers' work on this CD and the overall quality of the film itself, the effect of this music is worth more than the sum of its parts. There are endearing melodies and surprising lyrics(look at "Posh", observe the title track). There is a schmaltzy counterpoint("Music Box/Truly Scrumptious") that works despite itself. And the whole endeavour smells of the workshop that produced "Mary Poppins". Argue as you will, there were many of us touched by this flawed score and complicated film. We would be poorer without it.

Wonderful orchestrations & great singing by Dick van Dyke & Sally Ann Howes! Finally issued on cd after many years of unavailability. I grew up watching this film, and perhaps your favorites too will be "Toot Suites," "Hushabye Mountain" and "Doll on a Music Box." The movie has also been re-issued on video, digitally remastered as well!

I just finished listening to this soundtrack I borrowed from the library, and it was FANTASMAGORIGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The famous songwriting team, Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman, who also wrote songs for "Mary Poppins", "The Slipper and the Rose", "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland", and many more timeless movies for the young and young at heart, brings out some more songs that we can all treasure.

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" I love it! All four versions of it are chittyrific! 5/5

"You Two" A charming song for single parents with two children. It's fun, sentimental, and full of love. 5/5

"Toot Sweets" In case you don't know, this is a song about the latest candy: a fruit candy that toots like a flute. It is what the song tells us: toot sweet! 5/5

"Hushabye Mountain/Hushabye Mountain (Reprise)" A neat lullabye to play to your children before you go they go to bed. Just let this song play, and their imagination flies. Mine certainly did!
5/5

"Me 'Ol Bam-Boo" A fun, upbeat song you can kick your heels to. It's lotsa fun! 5/5

"Truly Scrumptious" This is the name of Caratacus Potts love interest, and his two children sing about her being a nice person. You can also play this to your love interest. It's a really good song. 5/5

"Lovely Lonely Man" A romantic song where Truly sings about her love to Caratacus. It's really beautiful. 5/5

The other songs I haven't heard yet ("Posh" and
"The Roses of Sucess") or don't like ("Chu-Chi Face"). I like the speaking dialogues; it gives us a hint of what is going to happen later on. But you will not be let down. So let your imagination soar to the sky, and buy "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" movie and soundtrack today!

The movie is not only delightful but the soundtrack offers an excellent selection of music. It doesn't take long for both adults and children alike to find themselves singing along. The song "Hushabye Mountain" is especially beautiful.

My daughter fell in love with this movie when she was barely 2, so we got her the soundtrack for a long car trip. She loved that too! She listened to it over and over, much better for us than some other alternatives, and more than a year later continues to do so.

Many people would say that "Mary Poppins" was the Sherman brothers best score, but I'm convinced that that's only because "Mary Poppins" is the better movie. If you compare the scores note for note, melody for melody, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" comes out on top. Almost all of the tunes here are instantly memorable and hummable and will stay with you for weeks after you hear them. The title song is one of the catchiest tunes I've ever heard, and "Truly Scrumptious" and "You Two" are also tops. (Only "Me Ol' Bamboo", as others have noted, sounds like a retread, and too close to "Step in Time" to be original.) The Shermans did not necessarily write complicated songs; they stick to basic chords, and don't use too drastically exciting chord changes, but their gift for melody was undeniable. On top of that, the lyrics are tongue-twistingly fun and provide amusement for kids and adults alike. (Sample: they describe the car as "uncategorical, a fuel burning oracle, a phantasmagorical machine!") This is one CD you definitely won't regret getting.

Bright, entertaining, and delightful fun. My family hums and sings the songs all the time. It's a great way to lift your spirits. If you don't have it, you should buy it!