Customer Reviews

Gods & Generals

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Personally, this soundtrack is the first Academy Award-winning nominee of 2003 (and others agree). 'Cross the Green Mountain and Going Home are haunting ballads that not only reflect upon the Civil War, but also upon each other. One is the Celtic song, Going Home, beautifully performed by Mary Fahl. The second, Bob Dylan's country song 'Cross the Green Mountains, is eight minutes long but still adds greatly to the soundtrack. From what I know about the movie, the Irish Brigade was given some deal of screen time, so naturally, I think more about the Union during Going Home, and the Confederates during 'Cross the Green Mountain.

John Frizzell and Randy Edelman do a superb job in this soundtrack. Although Frizzell composed the majority of the music, you can still hear a little of the original Gettysburg theme from time to time. One improvement I think they made was the addition of vocals to the music. Gods and Generals and VMI Will Be Heard From Today are good examples of these vocals. I'm listening to the music now, and WOW, it has EVERYTHING! Even if you don't like the Civil War, and you don't want to see the movie, you have to hear this music!!

The DVD was great addition to the soundtrack. It has the theatrical trailer on it, as well as two music videos and six or so deleted scenes. Face it, if you're a Civil War fanatic, the DVD alone is worth the overall cost!

This soundtrack does a superb job of including the many feelings of the war while still packing the epic punch of Gettysburg. It displays everything from the tragedy and the horror to the hopeful and the inspirational, no matter what side they were on, and in the end, it offers us something that is truly American.

This soundtrack is one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard. Very different from the great soundtrack of Gettysburg, it is still as moving and as powerful. From the playfulness of "No Photographs" to the bouncy "The School of the Soldier" to the powerful "VMI Will be Heard From Today", there is not a single track that is not of the highest quality on the CD.

Usually I am not a big fan of artists making a song for the movie, instead preferring entirely orchestrated soundtracks. However, Mary Fahl's "Going Home" and Bob Dylan's "Cross the Green Mountain" are two very big exceptions to that rule. "Going Home" is hauntingly beautiful, with a touch of Celtic influence that does good things for it.

If it ended there, the package would have been wonderful. However, the bonus DVD made it even better. The music videos of Fahl and Dylan's songs are great, and the 6 deleted scenes whet your appetite for February 21.

If you haven't bought this soundtrack yet, I would recommend you do it ASAP.

This soundtrack is increadible!! The theme song alone justifies the cost of this CD!. Most of it is much slower then "Gettysburg" 1993, yet very well written and fitting. After having seen the Movie, I thought "To the Stone Wall" needed to be less happy and more dramatic and sad to show the bravery of the 20th Maine as they charged the hill at Fredericksburg and failed. When I heard the Gods and Generals Theme (track 2) for the first time, I was moved to tears! I can't count how many times I have listened to this track. It has to be one of the most emotional and powerful Movie themes ever written!! All I can say is WOW!!!

This is one fabulous soundtrack! The voice of Mary Fahl is exquisite and Bob Dylan is classic. The orchestral arrangements are extremely evocative. Emotions are evoked, spirits are stirred and sorrow is palpable through this powerful music. The vocals underlying several of the pieces speaks of the spirit of the past. Rarely am I so moved listening to music. The bonus DVD really is a bonus. The additional period music is a treat - hearing it performed on the correct instruments in the correct manner. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars! Robert E. Lee is quoted as saying "You cannot have an army without music" - You cannot have a movie of this epic proportion without equally epic music. Edelman, Frizzel, Mark O'Connor, Mary Fahl and Bob Dylan have all created or performed music of the highest calibre.

This is one of the best movie soundtracks in years. Listening to the various offerings on this album, one can almost hear the bullets flying, the troops marching, the exhausted soldiers returning home from battle. Mary Fahl's opening score "Going Home" is quite simply the best song of the year ... it is a haunting and moving song of soldiers returning home after hard marching and hard fighting. One need not have enjoyed or even seen the movie "Gods and Generals" (which I liked and appreciated, but not everyone did) to enjoy this album.

In addition to the fine music, the set also includes some nice extras, including a great video by Mary Fahl singing "Going Home" and some other nice-to-haves. This album is a fabulous value.

Film score fans debate which is better, "Gettysburg" or "Gods and Generals", but they both have good elements. The biggest problem with Randy Edelman's music for "Gettysburg" was his use of electronics and synthesized sounds, which understandably seems misplaced when trying to immerse an audience into a more authentic time period. "Gods and Generals" is fully orchestral and this makes its scope seem much more powerful and with bigger depth. I believe this music works much better standing on its own, away from the film. The movie has too many pretentious scenes that the music is forced to portray, inadvertently making the music feel overly melodramatic. But, on its own, John Frizzell's music takes on a completely different scope and is extremely impressive. Its power seems at times not in the battle music, but in the quiet reflective pieces, especially the sensitive "Go to their Graves like Beds" which has potent and beautiful piano work. The music is consistently solid and there is excellent violin and choral work. If you are a collector of film music, I think you might be very surprised with this CD. Do not judge the music as you heard it during the film (a strange thing to say since film music is designed for film). It was a mistake that I had made. Frizzell's work is a far, far better listening experience separated from the movie.

The second disc in the package is a DVD which includes the trailer, the two Dylan and Fahl music videos, and more interestingly, six deleted scenes from the film itself that strangely are not even available on the actual DVD.

I can't remember when I've been more moved by a movie soundtrack. I already know all the words to Going Home by Mary Fahl. Her voice is haunting. I really wish there were more than five stars for this CD. Additionally, the sweeping and evocative instrumentals bring me to tears. This was such a tragic and heroic time in America's history; perhaps timely in many ways. I think there are at least four or five Academy Awards in this CD; certainly Bob Dylan and Mary Fahl but also Original Music Score. Gorgeous, Sad, Magnificant.

still a wonderful musical compilation of early American folk style. Unlike the Gettysburg soudtrack, Gods and Generals offers a unique compilation of several different music styles representative of 19th century America. A good example of this is the strong Irish influence associated with several tracks. The two vocal tracks by Bob Dylan and Mary Fahl tell incredibly moving tales of the losses suffered during the war; I also love how the soundtrack begins and ends with the two vocal tracks.

Assuming "Cross the Green Mountain" is in the movie, Bob Dylan should be nominated for an Oscar for such a performance. Two of my favorite tracks include "The School of the Soldier" and "The First Crop of Corn". I just finished reading the novel "Gods and Generals". The book as well as the musical score certianly touched the human spirit in a different way than Gettysburg did. I am sure the soundtrack will compliment the movie perfectly!!!

The album surprised me quite a bit. Anyone familiar with some of John Frizzell's previous scores will be rather impressed. I enjoyed those previous scores, such as Alien Resurrection and Dante's Peak, but this is a piece of restrained orchestral beauty. The entire CD is quite good, but the scored tracks shine. The main title is sweeping and powerful, yet elegant in simplicity. The choral work is fantastic, and the Irish influences, performed by the Chieftain's Paddy Moloney, meld into the remainder of the score flawlessly. Randy Edelman's work is also impressive and possibly helped restrain Frizzell from using any of his electronic signatures.
I fully recommend this album and hold it in high regards for the class in which it is presented. This is a score that won't grow tired or become overplayed when you buy it. There are no overly strong themes that you'll become tired of hearing or feel the need to constantly replay once you buy it.
This is a surprise gem, and is unfortunately too late for Oscar consideration.

From Mary Fahl's heartwrenching ballad "Going Home" to the masterful voice of the legendary Bob Dylan, this music brings the War Between the States to life. A must to enhance the DVD experience.