Customer Reviews

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Charlie Kaufman's movies have been brilliant, twisting, beautiful pieces of work. Some complain, but the average intelligent individual knows that, though flawed, each is one of the most original pieces of work you'll see in the given year. And fortunately, the soundtracks tend to match the film's with a wonderous grace and beauty.

"Being John Malkovich" featured Carter Burwell's saddest score to date, two mixes of a brand-new Bjork song, and the irresitable "Malkovich Masterpiece". Lesser-known (and Gondy-directed) "Human Nature" had an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, classical, and musical numbers ("Hair Everywhere"), and was a wonderful piece of work. The "Adaptation" score (also Burwell) was very understated and calm, featuring a bad Fatboy Slim mix and an excellent 60's classic ("Happy Together") which fit the film perfectly. And finally, the excellent pop-through-the-decades compilation that was the "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" soundtrack beat all, featuring everything from Donovan & Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon to Alex Wurman's score and a techno-remix by little-known dance act Peas.

So, along comes the most star-filled film to date, with one of his best scripts, handled by the brilliant Michel Gondry. Yet, instead of going with Carter Burwell, Greame Revell, or Wurman, Gondry picked one of the best and underrated in the business - Jon Brion, the man who handled the scores for all of P.T. Anderson's films (including his brilliant work for "Punch-Drunk Love"). He's also produced countless artists (Fiona Apple chief among them) and has done his own solo work (his excellent web-only "Meaningless"). So, this is the right man for the job, right?

We can now gladly say - absolutely.

First of all, this is Brion's briefest score. Many of the songs are less than a minute, but still have an aural beauty to them, and are very understated and subtle - much like Burwell's "Adaptation" score, but far more lush. This is all best exemplified by his closing number, "Elephant Parade" - a touching and moving piece by itself. He also contributes another original song of his own, "Strings That Tie to You", which, though wonderful, simply doesn't top his own "Here We Go" from the "Punch-Drunk" score.

Yet, he still manages to round up an elite and wonderful batch of songs. Chief among them isn't even in the movie (just in the trailer) - the joyous "Mr. Blue Sky" by E.L.O. One of the best Beatles knock-offs of all time (and I mean that in the best of ways). The use of Polyphonic Spree, and admittedly cheesy band, is good, particularly with the studio (and not orchestral) version of "Light & Day", though the KCRW version of "It's the Sun" borders on excess. The Don Nelson and Lata Mangeshkar tracks invoke true nostalgia, while unheard-of Willowz contribute a by-the-numbers rocker ("Something"), and a beautiful acoustic work ("I Wonder"), while a brand new cover by Beck brings his best Sea Change work to the table and creates the album's true highlight.

While it isn't perfect, this is one of the best, high-end, beautiful, and diverse efforts ever done for a Kaufman film. And yes, one can enjoy it even if they haven't seen the movie.

I understand the criticism about how the pieces on this soundtrack sound underdeveloped. After all, we have tracks here that last only seconds long--"Postcard" is only twenty-two seconds long. It is difficult to listen to individual tracks alone and feel satisfied, unless you listen to the few swing and rock numbers interspersed throughout. But if you listen to the way this soundtrack is arranged in its entirety, you have to at least ask if the producer of the soundtrack didn't arrange so intentionally.

Some of these pieces enter abruptly, without a gradual introduction or fading in, such as "Phone Call." And some of these pieces, such as "Row," exit abruptly, as though you were in the middle of listening to it on your CD player and someone accidentally tripped over the cord and knocked the player out of commission. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if the producers wanted to that they could have made smoother transitions between the tracks, by either sustaining the ending or fading in the beginning.

This soundtrack, as far as I can understand it, exists as a whole, and can be appreciated best if listened to as such. It complements the movie very well. The abruptness of the pieces, the seemingly fragmented ideas, the strange mixes of swing, rock, Indian, and jazz genres all reflect the flitting in and out of ideas that go through the head as we sometimes search to remember things. The ideas come in fragments, in different colors and sizes; we remember things from different times, putting them together in wrong order, etc.; much like how Joel Barish was doing in the movie when he was trying to save his memory. I wouldn't be as satisfied with this soundtrack if it were done in the traditional sense of putting together a fully developed suite.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I wouldn't be satisified if the pieces here were fully developed. Heck, I wouldn't have even thought of the idea of arranging the music the way it is here had this soundtrack existed in the traditional manner. But after having heard this arrangement, I would be less satisfied otherwise.

And, as though to clue us in on their intentions, the producers bring us the tracks in a different order than their occurences in the movie (just as how the movie moved along not in a timely order), including giving us songs that were not in the movie. There's a song here called "Strings that Tie to You," which occurs in the middle of the soundtrack. I don't ever remember it being played prominently in the movie. But here, it is a key song, because its lyrics are the most relevant of all to the movie. The lyrics describe exactly how one would feel before going through with the erasing procedure described by the movie. The ending number on this soundtrack is "Elephant Parade." "Elephant Parade" lasts twenty-six seconds, and in the actual movie, it doesn't come even close to being near the end. But here, they put it last . . . because the tune it plays echoes the song "Strings that Tie to You." It takes you right back into the middle of the arrangement of this soundtrack. It echoes as memories do. It echoes in a manner reconstructed; not quite accurately. The last note is even withheld, to give us a sense of incompletion. But it echoes nonetheless. I don't think anyone can doubt that the placement of at least those two tracks is intentional. "Elephant Parade" may sound like a short, incomplete fragment. It may not be the most satisfying possible track to end the soundtrack. But placed at the end the way it is, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I saw the movie and HAD to get something to take me back to my experience. The movie was a unique and interesting journey to me weaving moments of love, sadness, euphoria, confusion, humor, curiousity and hope in ways that although sometimes "out there," they still seemed very "real" and precious to me. The movie twisted and turned but I came out with tear-stained cheeks and a smile on my face. Outstanding movie and music! The characters and the story made me really look at my own relationship and see it in another light. That's what the music brings back for me.

My favorite "fun songs" are Mr. Blue Sky and Wada Na Tod. They will get put a smile on your face and lodge themselves firmly in your own mind's map! Everybody's Gotta Learn sometime is a soulful song and fitting end to the movie and the Polyphonic Spree songs are great. Jon Brion's score pieces are fantastic - some sad and some fun - but all introspective and thought provoking. I don't usually get excited about a soundtrack, but this movie/music combo compelled me to write this review.

I don't care for the two swing songs (Nola's Bounce, Some Kinda Shuffle) - they just don't appeal to my taste - but I love the rest of the album.

Five stars!

Multi-instrumentalist/producer/composer/wunderkind Jon Brion represents for Beatles-inspired pop once again with his sublime work on the soundtrack to Michel Gondry's new picture, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Much like his soundtrack to "Punch-Drunk Love," Brion evidences a masterful knowledge of the pop idiom, everything from early-80s power-pop (Beck's Brion-crafted cover of Korgis's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime") to neo-classical string exercises (especially the sublime "Main Titles"). A special treat is his own song, "Strings That Tie To You," which has been circulating on bootlegs for a few years now. The tune, a gentle heartbreak that wouldn't be out of place on one of Elton John's very early records, is as perfect a piece of pop as has been written in the last year. Soundtrack is hindered only by the inclusion of tracks by The Willowz, whose sound detracts from the dream-like quality of the rest of the record. All in all a brilliant outing for Brion & Co., able to stands on its own legs or as a souvenir of the picture.

As I wrote in my review of the movie, Jon Brion's score brilliantly accentuates the scenes in "Eternal Sunshine" without threatening to overshadow them. This is my first introduction to his music, and I'm quite impressed. But beyond that, it is able to stand on its own, as it does on this CD, without moving pictures as its backdrop. How often does that happen?

Favorite tracks include "Theme," "Peer Pressure," "Elephant Parade," "Strings That Tie to You," and "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes." One star off, though, for the inclusion of the Willowz, which, as others have pointed out, breaks the mood Brion carefully sets up. Five stars otherwise--four, as it is.

some of the songs aren't perfect, but wow, the ones that are, they hit their mark perfectly.

First off, I must refute the review that said the soundtrack's only hinderance is the willowz songs. I disagree. I think that they reflect the sort of indie punk vibe given off from the film. Not only that, but eh song "Something" is truly great. Its catchy and upbeat.

Not only that, but Beck's cover of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" by Krogis is beautiful. In the film it comes in at great, meaningful moments, and hearing it on the soundtrack recalls the film well. All in all its a great song.

Finally, the pieces from the film's composer, Jon Brion. Wow, some of them are truly brilliant. "Theme" is the first song and a great use of the minimalist style. "Phone Call", represents a sweet tender, and impossibly unexplainable moment of love from the film. But the song that struck the greatest chord with me (no pun intended), was the song "Peer Pressure". It happens during the scene in the film during which Carrey is wearing a cape, and it completely encapsulates one of the film's messages. The perfection of the love, the trueness of it, is reflected in the simple and moving piano notes, complemented by the building chords (violin?) in the background. Yet, as it peaks, just after its climax, its disolves and distorts into into a mess of noise quite quickly and then cuts out. To me, this symbolizes how the perfection of anything and everything will not last. That eventually that moment of perfection is over-- it has to end.

And what an end it is.

Great Album, better movie.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was one of the most original and refreshing films that I had seen in the past several years. I loved it when I saw it in the theater and thought that this film was Jim Carrey's best film he has ever done and I am not a Jim Carrey fan to say the very least. I also fell in love with the music in the film. Music producer Jon Brion (Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann) composes the film score. His haunting theme song is a brooding, melodic masterpiece that brilliantly opens the soundtrack. I also enjoyed the few offbeat tracks by E.L.O, Lata Mangeshakr, and The Polyphonic Spree immensely. Those tracks in particular unique and fit the particular scene in the film perfectly, especially the song "Wada No Tad" by Lata Mangeshakr. Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes" is another excellent track. I don't consider myself a big fan of his music but Beck has on occasion would put out a really great song and this is one of those great songs that I enjoy. I really liked the moodiness of the music. Jon Brion does a great job of putting together this soundtrack.

The movie is excellent, the soundtrack I find lacking for several reasons. It has an excellent theme, but unfortunately the theme is never fully explored or developed. The soundtrack has too many short tracks of original score work with a few full length songs that, while expressive of the movie, feel out of place at times. Had this soundtrack featured full length pieces of the fully developed theme I feel it would be one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. It leaves the listener wanting more. Tracks like Theme, Peer Pressure, and Elephant Parade show the true beauty of what Jon Brion is capable of, but unfortunately those tracks are 2:24, 1:12 and 0:26 in length respectively. I beleive this soundtrack needs an extended edition where the theme is fully explored because it relies too much on the found tracks. Not to disparage the Polyphonic Spree or The Willowz, as both contribute excellent tracks, but the theme tracks are lacking, and without further exploration the them will never be fully appreciated.

Running into Jon Brion's works is like discovering a gold coin under the sea. It feels that good. His music, in spite of the existentialist movies he scores, just feels right. If John Lennon were alive today, I sometimes think he'd be playing exactly this type of music (the lyrics are a different story...) And for the music of "Eternal Sunshine..." Brion pairs his effort with a handful of equally exquisite (and eclectic) works, courtesy of other musical grands, of the stature of ELO, Beck and The Polyphonic Spree, among others. The final result is an album loaded with music to remember and one that stands by itself quite comfortably, though -having seen the movie- fits the story in a painfully perfect way. In short, don't hesitate and get it.

I agree with Keith Brown. The Korgis came out with the song "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime". I was thrilled to hear Beck sing it in the movie. Good to see time-honored music still being performed by today's artists.