Magnolia (Score to 1999 Film) [SOUNDTRACK]

Jon Brion (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: Jon Brion
• Audio CD (March 14, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00004S2W3
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,404 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Little Library Music/Going to a Show

2. Showtime

3. Jimmy S Breakdown

4. WDKK Theme

5. I've Got a Surprise for You Today

6. Stanley/Frank/Linda S Breakdown

7. Chance of Rain

8. So Now Then

9. Magnolia

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

You're forgiven if, after all the hype for Aimee Mann's original compositions featured on the soundtrack to Magnolia, you overlooked Jon Brion's instrumental score. While he helped Mann produce several of the songs that brought the film into tight dramatic focus, he also put together the orchestral score that played underneath the scenes, which subtly adds tension without calling attention to itself. One track was used as the coda to the Mann-Supertramp soundtrack cut. Brion's work here includes eight additional tracks and a reprisal of the "Magnolia" theme. Enlisting an actual 80-piece orchestra brings out a dimension not evident on Brion's other soundtrack Hard Eight, which features all synths. While "WDKK Theme" is a playful 45-second instrumental jingle, most of the tracks are somnambular, as if the entire trip were a near-hallucinatory, foreboding walk down mansion passageways dark with wood. (Not surprisingly, this is most evident during the 11-minute epic "Stanley/Frank/Linda's Breakdown.") While the jury may still be out on whether the movie was an artistic success, the music has certainly made an impression.--Rob O'Connor

Amazon.com

We've been waiting for producer-musician Jon Brion's debut album for years now--after all, he's lent a hand to great albums by Elliot Smith, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, and Aimee Mann--but who knew that it would come in the form of the orchestral score for the critically acclaimed movie Magnolia? Indeed, you won't find a trace of Aimee Mann's song-filled soundtrack on this disc, nor even a hint of the Beatles (one of Brion's obvious influences). You will hear Philip Glass-inspired moments of counterpoint and repeating instrumental motifs that follow this score from start to finish. It's a brilliant disc, but aside from the manic "WDKK Theme," this is dark stuff. The string section of the 80-piece orchestra is bent on melancholy on "I've Got a Surprise for You Today" and "Stanley/Frank/Linda's Breakdown." That said, this is a gorgeous work that rewards repeated listenings. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Companion To A Film of Absolute Brilliance, March 15, 2000

By	John Journey (Northern California) - See all my reviews

The emotional complexities and stunning brilliance conveyed in the film Magnolia can be attributed to many sources. The largest being the cinematic genius of Paul Thomas Anderson. Second, the performances of perfection by the cast. Third, the haunting, beautiful and heartfelt music of Aimee Mann and Jon Brion. Mann's songs were the perfect companion to the characters and it is properly conveyed in the soundtrack released a few months ago. This c.d., showcasing the wonderful score by Jon Brion, envokes the compassion and beauty of the film like few musical scores have ever done. It's lack of a Best Original Score nomination is a complete mystery (much like the lack of a nomination Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress Best......well, thats another story entirely.) I suggest any fan of the film, or the admirer of musical scores, to purchase this soundtrack. The highlight for me, as it reminded me of the emotional denoumont of the film, is the track "So Now Then" (anyone who has payed attention to the film, like I have numerous times, knows where this name is derived from and what scene it accompanies.) This is a fine addition to my small Magnolia collection, as I am now awaiting the DVD release of this, the best film of '99. I also suggest you purchase, if you have not already, the other version of the soundtrack and the screenplay also. Read the words, listen to the music, a be thankful that musical and cinematic genius is not a reminant of the past.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect soundtrack for those self-melodramatic souls like me, March 21, 2001

By	D. D. Sullivan "mondoego" (the back of the Tides Restaurant, cowering with Mrs. Bundy) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a big fan of the movie and of Paul Thomas Anderson in general, but I must say it's Jon Brion's score, along with the constantly shifting, AVID-mad editing patterns, that really gives "Magnolia" its relentless drive. It's a must for anyone who utilizes dramatic movie soundtracks in their everyday existence as a method of self-amused alienation from life's more regrettable periods of senseless boredom. Are you one of those tortured souls who play Bernard Herrmann scores while cleaning house just to keep things interesting? This is the soundtrack for you. My advice: play the first two tracks while driving around your neighborhood doing simple errands: you will feel the same sense of dramatic purpose that Moses must have felt walking up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. And an otherwise mundane trip to the bank or dry cleaners to the accompaniment of "Stanley/Frank/Linda's Breakdown" allows for the same overwhelming sensation of irreversible forward momentum and epic human tragedy as experienced at the fall of Troy. Enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Driving Mysterious Force Behind "Magnolia's" Momentum, March 29, 2000

By	Edward Dunn (Silicon Valley in California) - See all my reviews

The Aimee Mann-focused soundtrack of "Magnolia" expressed and echoed the key lyrical themes themes that run through P.T. Anderson's wonderful film. Now, Jon Brion's "Original Score"--when listened to in isolation--reveals how his symphonic contribution dictated the pace and rhythmn of the climatic sequences of the film. Anderson apparently gave oxymoronic instructions to Brion--"Make it happy and sad." "Make it fast-paced and slow-paced." So, what does Brion do? Exactly that! Slow, stately pieces have a concurrent headlong rush to them. Melancholy, chamber music sequences evoke a sense of optimism. I've seen the film three times, and that's exactly how I've responded to each viewing: In the midst of betrayal, ruin, disappointment and death there emerges an astounding sense of rebirth and renewal, even triumph. Now that the film, the Mann soundtrack and the Brion soundtrack are all available, it's clear that "Magnolia" is one of Hollywood's most significant collaborations--and that doesn't even consider what was brought to the table by that astonishing company of actors. Even better, thanks to CD recorders, I created a 3rd soundtrack that alternates each Mann song with each Brion song, creating yet another way in which to enjoy this lovely and enduring masterwork.