Customer Reviews

The Crying Game: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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If the album had nothing beyond Boy George's haunting re-make of "The Crying Game," it still might be worth buying it. Unfortunately, there's not much great about the soundtrack beyond the title tune.

After opening with the Boy's tremulous vocal stylings, it breaks off into the Percy Sledge's original version of "When A Man Loves a Woman," a nice slice of 1960s soul, followed by another great track, Cicero's 'orchestral' version of "Live for Today," produced by Pet Shop Boys. The soaring vocals of featured singer Sylvia Mason-James make for dance heaven, with a message in the music (be yourself, try to be honest in love, seize the moment).

So far, so good.

Following the opening is a disastrous remake of Shannon's 1983 dance classic "Let the Music Play." The vocals are too watery, the backing too slow. Next, a screechy-voiced '60s group, the Blue Jays, render the oddly-named "White Cliffs of Dover" (the song has nothing to do with cliffs or Dover), which sounds as though it was recorded in a wind-tunnel with drowning cats as the backing band. Cicero and Sylvia Mason-James return to sing a 'gospel' version of "Live for Today," which falls flat after the earlier orchestral version. After having heard Boy George, Dave Berry's original version of "The Crying Game" is rendered utterly obsolete; although it worked wonderfully in the film, here it sounds dated. The first side closes with Lyle Lovett singing Tammy Wynette's country classic "Stand By Your Man." It works, in an odd sort of way, and was, again, perfect in the context of the film.

Side two is totally orchestral, with Anne Dudley conducting the Pro Arte Orchestra of London. The opening piece, "The Soldier's Wife" is a tense, beautiful song, foreshadowing events in the movie. Beyond that, though, many of the movements on side two begin to sound a bit repetitive. They're very well done, though, and worth listening to, as a sort of classical mood music.

Overall, it's a hodgepodge. If you loved the brilliant movie from director Neil Jordan, then chances are you'll love the soundtrack. It's worth watching the movie before taking a chance on buying this uneven album.

The 1992 THE CRYING GAME was and is an extraordinary film, and it used music in a particularly interesting way. Popular songs tended to make an ironic comment about the characters and their situations; instrumentals composed specifically for the film tended to misdirect expectations. But it is a rare film soundtrack that can stand entirely alone from the film for which it was created, and in this the soundtrack for THE CRYING GAME is actually somewhat typical of the genre. You can certainly enjoy the popular songs on their own, but the instrumentals have little relevence beyond the film itself.

Originally named THE SOLDIER'S WIFE, the film ultimately drew its title from the 1964 hit by Dave Berry, a song that reoccurred throughout the film. The soundtrack opens with a lush, exotic arrangement of "The Crying Game" recorded by Boy George specifically for the soundtrack; it is an elegant piece of work, with George's vocal skills remarkably well suited to the plantive lyrics and the James-Bond-like guitar that weaves through it. It is then followed by a number of vocals, a few of which were recorded independently by other artists but several of which were made specifically for the film.

Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" is a great R&B classic; Lyle Lovett's recording of "Stand By Your Man" is surprise, for one doesn't really expect a man to record the song--but he not only does justice to it, he gives the piece an unexpected illumination in the process. And then, of course, there is the original Dave Berry song, which is indeed an increasingly hard-to-find item and is indeed a classic of its kind. All of these songs are certainly worth having.

As for the rest of the soundtrack--not really. The versions of "Live For Today," "Let The Music Play," and the WWII classic "White Clifts of Dover" are credible (although one really misses Vera Lynn on the latter!), but I would not describe any of them as essential. And the instrumental selections composed specifically for the film, and which serve it so well, really do not stand alone very well; I cannot imagine many people who would enjoy repeatedly listening to the oddly paranoid mixture of military drums that overlay the wistful instrumentals on these selections.

If you are a hardcore fan of the film you'll certainly want the soundtrack, for it summons images from the film that are not easily described without reference to the film itself. On the other hand, if you are less interested in the film than in an artful soundtrack, you might find the whole thing more trouble than it is worth, particularly since the handful of pop jewels are available elsewhere. But I will say that I found the two versions of "The Crying Game" offered here worth the cost of the CD. Recommended with stated reservations.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

"The Crying Game" is Boy George chortling about the misery of love. It is produced by the Pet Shop Boys and sounds like their stuff; you can even hear PSB singer Neil Tennent in the background whispering "Kisses." "Live For Today" is in two forms; one disco-y and one like a gospel organ number. It is by the hamfisted Pet Shop Boys protege Cicero (the first artist on their now-defunct Spaghetti label). You get the original version of "When A Man Loves A Woman" (which opened the film) and a Lyle Lovett version of "Stand By Your Man." There is also the original version of "The Crying Game" and a song called "White Cliffs of Dover" which are both sort sad 60s songs that sound like they were filtered through a tube compressor or something (they sound old!!)

How can anyone not fall in love with Boy George's "The Crying Game" and of course Dave Berry's classic version. However, the most unforgettable version sung by Kate Robbins conveys the emotions accompanying Dil (Jaye Davidson)'s alluring performance/movement so well that the audience is left totally convinced why Fergus/Jimmy falls hopelessly in love with Dil in that instance as we all do there and then!! A real shame that this version is NOT included in the original soundtrack.

Nevertheless this is a great CD which also includes Lyle Lovett's "Stand by Your Man", Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Blue Jays' "White Cliffs of Dover" as well as Anne Dudley's superb musical score such as "The Soldier's Wife", "It's in My Nature" etc performed by the Pro Arte Orchestra of London.

The film is a rare gem which deals with difficult taboo subjects and ambivalent issues such as IRA, homosexuality etc particularly back then in the early 90s. Who wouldn't fall in love with the very alluring beauty Dil and gain a better understanding and appreciation of the marginalised and oppressed? Once you watched the film, it's not an option not to own the original soundtrack.

This version is missing a couple of songs from the movie such as: When a Man Loves a Woman and Stand By Your Man.
If you love the movie and you really must buy the soundtrack for it, you are better off buying the other version. Make sure it's the one with the woman holding a gun and it says ORIGINAL motion picture soundtrack on the cover.

Sometimes the music is as good as the movie. This soundtrack almost acheives that distinction.

"The Crying Game" has to be one of the oddest soundtrack albums of all times, probably befitting the film from which it came. It features old school R & B, dance/disco, pop, and orchestral/incidental music. The first half of vocal selections paired with the second's Anne Dudley score makes for a quite erratic listening experience.

The album is like an "appetizer platter" where there's something for everyone but not enough to satisfy the "hunger".

I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE SONG "THE CRYING GAME"; I DON'T HAVE THE CD BUT I HAVE THE VIDEO OF THE MOVIE. I'VE WATCHED IT SEVERAL TIMES; I WAS FASCINATED WITH THE MOVIE & I WATCH IT WHEN I GET IN A MELANCHOLY MOVIE. THE LEAD TUNE IS SO HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL. THANKS TO AMAZON.COM, I'M NOW GOING TO BUY THE CD.

If you really liked the movie it's worth it, because you get to hear the songs from beginning to end and understand the lyrics a little better. One of the reviewers, who said that the song "White Cliffs of Dover" had nothing to do with its title, should have listened to the words, right at the start ("There'll be blue birds over/The white cliffs of Dover" anyone?) I like the old, second world war sound that it has. I just wish they had included the movie version of "The Crying Game", the one that's sung by the leading lady. I don't like the original version (why couldn't they have left that one out?) and the Boy George/Pet Shop Boys version is a flop. It just doesn't have the same glamour and intensity, or beauty for that matter. For fans only.