Customer Reviews

The Horse Whisperer: Songs From and Inspired by the Motion Picture

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This stunning collection of songs is not a soundtrack score (that is available separately) but it does include songs that were used in the movie, together with other songs of a similar type.

The album is book-ended by two cowboy classics - Dwight Yoakam singing Cattle call and George Strait singing Red river valley. Both of these men are well suited to these songs and their covers are among the best I've heard. There are new recordings of three other oldies here - Big Ball's in Cowtown (Don Walser), Cowboy love song (Don Edwards) and Whispering pines (Iris DeMent). All of these are brilliant, especially Whispering pines. It is a pity that Iris only seems to record songs for multi-artist projects these days - a new album of her own would be much appreciated.

The other songs were all new at the time. Of these, the standout is A soft place to fall, by Allison Moorer. Allison is the sister of Shelby Lynne and her contribution to the soundtrack marked her recording debut. It gave her vital exposure. The song appeared on her first full-length album. Allison, like Shelby, has her own ideas about what sort of material she wants to record, so while her first three albums have been of an extremely high quality, she has not emerged as the major star that record company executives were hoping she would become.

Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, The Flatlanders and The Mavericks all put in great performances on their songs, some of which are not available on any of their own albums.

This is an excellent album which helped to re-awaken interest in western music, deservedly so.

I generally don't bother with soundtracks, but there were too many of my favorite artists on this collection with songs that weren't available anywhere else.

The album kicks off with the Eddy Arnold classic "Cattle Call." [The song had most recently been covered by Leann Rimes on Blue.] Here Dwight Yoakam adds a Tex-Mex flavor to the song with the accordian of Skip Edwards featured prominently in the mix.

Newcomer Allison Moorer offers the break-up song "A Soft Place to Fall." [Note: Do you think she's ever heard Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" when she wrote the line "Looking out your window at the dawn/Baby, when you wake up I'll be Gone"?] That notwithstanding, Moorer has since released her debut album Alabama Song, which features "A Soft Place to Fall."

The most famous alumni of the Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore) team up for the melancholy "South Wind of Summer."

Emmylou Harris offers her rendition of Chris Smithers "Slow Surprise" (from the singer-songwriter's 1997 album Small Revelations). Harris' aching vocal takes the rough edges off Smithers' original in presenting her lovely version here.

"Big Balls in Cowtown," a song most identified with Bob Wills, is served up here in lively fashion by Don Walser with Ray Benson on guitar (who included his own version with George Strait on Tribute to Music of Bob Wills).

George Strait in turn offers up a traditional reading of "Red River River Valley" with lap steel accents to set the sorrowful tone of the song.

Traditional country and bluegrass artist Gillian Welch provides the album's finest vocal performance on "Leaving Train," a lament of lovers parting as friends.

The album's best track, however, features the aching vocal of Lucinda Williams' "Still I Long for Your Your Kiss."

Since these songs nearly all deal with sorrow and loss, it can be a bit depressing to take this album in all at once. But if you enjoy your music honest and reflective, you can't go wrong with this collection. RECOMMENDED

Enjoyed this mix of "Cowboy" music. Although I believe only 2 tracks are heard in the movie. The album travels through time in a pleasing journey of 12 tracks from Dwight Yoakam to the current statesmen of country music - George Stait doing an interesting rendition of the "Red River Valley" Several of the tracks are by powerful female artists, It is grand to hear Emmylou Harris singing again. If you enjoy C/W music do not hesitate to purchase this CD

Since the album is of the "songs-inspired-by" genre, I am not sure which cuts on the CD actually were featured in the film as released. But it is as slpendid a gathering of voices and songs as one could want to catch what must have been a bittersweet movie. The bookends for the collection are Dwight Yoakum's cover of the Eddie Arnold hit "Cattle Call" and George Strait's lovely "Red River Valley." I knew the voices of Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch, and Iris Dement, and I was not disappointed, but Allison Moorer ("Looking for a Soft Place to Fall"was a delightful surprise.

I'm not a fan of country music, so when I received this CD, I thought, hmm. But I listened to it and I loved it! Especially Allison Moorer's "A Soft Place To Fall." It's my new favourite song. It almost makes me want to cry.

Living in the NorthEast, one has the impression that admitting you enjoy country music is rather like a man saying he reads poetry. It's a social blunder. But then an album such as this comes along -- a collection of contemporary and familiar tunes that not only restores the original spirit of American country music but also demonstrates such a wide range of talent, ingenuity, and mastery. George Strait's "Red River Valley" is incredible, as are "Dream River", "A Soft Place to Fall", and Emmylou Harris' "Slow Surprise". The entire album is a pleasant listen,and if the intent was to compile a vision of life on the vast (?) cattle ranches of the western states, it does so continually. Longing for love; passion for work, struggle and home; and imaginative lyrics contribute to a collection of country artists and lyrics that are . . . well, that are poignant and poetic. This album is certainly one to talk about.

Excellent introduction to the current state of non-glitz C&W music. The women artists consistently distinguish themselves and the men are good but maybe too retro-country. Alison Moorer (who I'd never heard) is intense! Lucinda's song and performance are great, without (thankfully) a single mention of "Loozyanna." Emmylou's song is one of her best ever. Always-great Gillian once again proves she's got the best ideas these days about what country-folk music's really about. Iris's singing is an acquired taste but she nails the classic Whispering Pines. The men's performances and songs are all very good, but it feels more like they're trying to fill the boots of former great country singers than show us something as original as the gals. Exceptions: outlaw Steve Earle, who's one of a kind; Mavericks' singer who really knows how to put a song across (though, in fairness, he ought to share royalties with estate of Roy Orbison) and George Strait's Red River Valley, which strays into Donny & Marie territory. This is a really good CD, BUT TO PUT IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE, I also bought "The Essential Hank Snow" at the same time I bought this one, and before we canonize any of these modern country artists (except maybe Gillian Welch), I've got to tell you that that cat could sing and play circles around ANYBODY on the Horse Whisperer.

This is a great soundtrack it is fun and enjoyable to listen to. The best songs on this cd are all of them

I thoroughly enjoyed the music choices on this disk.

What a great concept, to have an album of songs inspired by a movie! Though only a couple of these songs were actually in the movie, they all "feel" comfortable and familiar, though I'd never heard them before. Reminiscent of the lonesome but contented feel of Tom Booker and his ranch. Great western sounds, more traditional than what I hear on the radio lately. I enjoy the different sounds to the voices, sad and crying sometimes, independent and glad of it other times. Good mix of vocal ranges. Great album for an evening in front of a roaring fire.