Customer Reviews

The Falcon And The Snowman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have listend to this soundtrack millions of times and NEVER get tired of the tracks "Chris", "Daulton Lee" and "This is Not America" (both instrumental and vocal versions). Pat Metheny blew me away with this soundtrack. Without it, the movie would have been much less than what it was. This is a must for any film score collector, or synthesizer lover.

David Bowie's vocal on this is my favorite song ever done by Bowie.

I bought this CD for the one song "CHRIS" and it was worth it! I had heard this cut many times on jazz stations but they never announced who it was! When I found it was Pat metheny, I could not find it anywhere. That cut is positively mesmerizing!Interesting to hear David Bowie, too! Thank You Amazon for stocking everything we need!

'The Falcon and the Snowman' was, frankly, a so-so film, but it was the inspiration for this gorgeous soundtrack. I have the movie on DVD, and although the sound is crystal clear, it's unfortunately in mono. The movie featured songs by many other artists -- such as Free's 'All Right Now' and the Doobie Brothers' 'China Grove' -- but this album focuses entirely on music performed and arranged by Metheny and Mays. My copy of the CD simply uses a photo-reduction of the original LP sleeve, so the text is virtually unreadable. But reading through the end credits on the DVD, the band personnel are Metheny, Mays, Rodby and Wertico. There's no mention of another singing percussionist -- neither Aznar nor Vasconcelos are acknowledged to be on this album, although the chanting on 'The Falcon' sounds identical to Pedro's voice.

The album is a gem, although there are basically just two constantly recurring themes: the sublime 'Daulton Lee' and the chart-destined 'Chris'/'This is not America'. Track #6, 'The Extent of the Lie', is another Metheny/Mays soundscape, of the type first tried out on the 'As Falls Wichita' album.

I remember seeing Metheny in interview at the time of the making of this soundtrack -- it was all recorded in England -- and this was at a time when Metheny and Mays were effectively the unofficial sales arm of New England Digital. Metheny gave a superbly modest demonstration of the synclavier, using a keyboard rather than a guitar as the input vehicle. It was fascinating to see the sheet music automatically generated from his doodlings. Sounds simple now, but back in 1985 this was impressive!

The film features my ideal intelligence job: you lock yourself away where no-one can reach you, and you observe many of the top-secret activities going on around the globe. If only it were better paid!

Ultimately this soundtrack is better than the movie, and I still think it's the best soundtrack the PMG has recorded. I cannot help feeling that Metheny and Mays have at least a couple more monster soundtracks within them, if only they could work together on the project.

I had never heard of Pat Metheny. I was feeling David Bowie's "China Girls" and when the track "This Is Not America" came out, I went and brought this album hoping to hear some even fatter tracks from David Bowie. I'll never forget walking down S. King Dr on the south side of Chicago, and putting in my walkman the soundtrack. When "Psalms 121" came on I was in a trance! To this day, I have no idea how far I walked on that hot summer day of 1988 but I kept turning that tape over and over again, thus was my introduction to Pat Metheny. I am a huge fan of his and was fortunate enough to see him in Chicago during the "We Live Here" tour. There he actually performed for the first time "This Is Not America" and it was an unforgetful, AWESOME show.

Great Soundtrack - The lead in from the choir singing Psalm 121 to Pats guitar syth lead into Flight Of The Falcon "is classic." Pedro Aznar does the vocals on this project and does a beautiful job throughout in the true Pat Metheny Group style. Steve Rodby conducts the National Philharmonic Orchestra for the orchestrations (not Pat & Lyle - sorry James). But in agreement with James Green on the rest, this soundtrack can stand alone without any connection to a movie. The unlikely pairing of The Metheny Group and David Bowie on "This Is Not America" produces an excellant and memorable collaboration. Highly Recommended!

While Side 2 (commencing with Bowie's crooning on the theme song) is pretty much a wash out in terms of jazz and film music - the chorales are just too much!), Side 1 is a different kettle of fish altogether. Highglighting a string of 4 SUPER CUTS is the main theme "Chris", probably the seminal pre-hip hop rhythm of the 80s, layered with Lyle Mayes poignant synthesizers. "Chris" is one of those hypnotic groove jams you immediately want to put on a tape loop and play for 60 minutes until you've achieved that altered state of consciousness. "Dalton", another jam, is almost just as infectious. So just program your CD to repeat the first four cuts ad infinitum and you'll be transported.

I am a huge Pat Metheny fan, but I can't heartily recommend this album (but I could enthusiastically recommend the 10 other Pat Metheny CDs I own and treasure!). Why? Because "Falcon" is too repetitive--variations on a theme by "This is not America", and not much else. I had hoped for another "Passagio per il Paradiso", which I find to be more interesting.

Before listening to this soundtrack, I would have never expected it to so accuratly depict such a broad range of emotion. From the pop classic "This is Not America" with David Bowie to its instrumental counterpart "Chris", to the stirring "Daulton Lee", Metheny provides an emotional soundtrack to an emotional film about how two kids who seemingly had it all threw it away at such early ages.

The soundtrack alone captures the feel of the entire movie, and that's what a movie soundtrack is susposed to do.

I have listend to this soundtrack millions of times and NEVER get tired of the tracks "Chris," "Daulton Lee," and "This is Not America" (both instrumental and vocal versions). Pat Metheny blew me away with this soundtrack. Without it, the movie would have been much less than what it was. This is a must for any film score collector, or synthesizer lover.

David Bowie's vocal on this is my favorite song ever done by Bowie.

Even if you don't see the movie, this recording will blow you away.There is so much here. I would compare it to Joni Mitchell's " Heijira ". An awesome effort of pure genius. If you don't get this album, you're dead and too stupid to fall down.