People Speak [Soundtrack]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 8, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B002UK6DTA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,164 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

The music artists came to this project because of the hope they have for what `The People Speak' will do for a new generation," said Chris Moore, one of the film's executive producers, along with Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and others. "Writing speeches and books is one way to bring about change; music is another. There is a long history of music serving as an inspiration for others to stand up and make a difference. One song can affect people unlike anything else."

Product Description

The Original Soundtrack from the film The People Speak (based on the Howard Zinn book). Features EXCLUSIVE, NEW, LIVE performances from Jackson Brown, Bob Dylan, John Legend, P!nk, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder and more!

Some of the world's most renowned artists came together for this film soundtrack. Springsteen performs with just a guitar and harmonica in his New Jersey home recording studio; Legend sings solo backed by a piano at a Boston theatre, as well as others (including Taj Mahal, Allison Moorer, The Black Crowes' Rich Robinson and X's Exene Cervenka and John Doe) at the Malibu Performing Arts Center, where they perform both vintage and recent protest-music classics for The People Speak.

The People Speak is based on the Howard Zinn book, "A People's History of the United States". The book turns traditional textbook history on its head. Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, and poor laborers of all nationalitiesinto this thorough narrative that spans American history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword on the Clinton presidency.

Tune in to watch the film premiere on History on December 13.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The People Speak and the musicians are worth listening to..., December 9, 2009

By 

Chauncey Gardner (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People Speak (Audio CD)

You may not love every artist on this collection, but you cannot challenge the passion imbibed within the performances. Highlights for me are the Exene/John Doe acoustic version of SEE HOW WE ARE which still gives me chills, right up there with I MUST NOT THINK BAD THOUGHTS. The trilogy of Dylan-Springsteen-Vedder seems an inspired selection, a sequenced passing of the baton, and serve as reminders as to the power these artists can channel. Other highlights for me include Allison Moorer's rendition of the standard "BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME" and the surprisingly restrained but touching cover of "WHAT'S GOING ON" by John Legend. A great addition to your music collection that you can feel good about purchasing on several levels.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great line up!!, December 8, 2009

By 

Justjill (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People Speak (Audio CD)

I've heard a lot about this project so bought the soundtrack today when it came out. It's really great! Amazing songs. Really love the tracks from Exene Cervenka/John Doe and the Rich Robinson (from the Black Crowes). And there are songs from Dylan and Springsteen, too. John Legend does a killer cover of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On". The is probably going to be one of those sleeper hit albums that you'll hear about later on. Can't wait to see the film this weekend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior collection, December 23, 2009

By 

Thomas E. Davis (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: People Speak (Audio CD)

This soundtrack album is culled from a wide variety of sources both new and old. The rock, soul, folk, and country artists are all impeccable choices to represent generations of struggle by political dissenters, the working poor, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized groups. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Randy Newman, Taj Mahal, John Legend, Exene Cervenka, Allison Moorer, and others sing classic songs of protest.

The film itself is a vital one in the era of the Tea Party. Howard Zinn, who passed away in 2010, worked tirelessly to present the voices of all Americans, but particularly those ignored by the powerful and by the media, to tell our nation's story. The performers in this film (among them Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Benjamin Bratt, Danny Glover, Don Cheadle, Marisa Tomei, Rosario Dawson, Sandra Oh, Sean Penn, and Viggo Mortensen) act out the words of people like Dalton Trumbo, Abbie Hoffman, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Cindy Sheehan, and many others. Zinn offers contrasts and counterarguments to the prevailing conservative ideology in hopes of empowering people who might otherwise be dismissed or brainwashed by reactionary forces.