Philadelphia: Music From The Motion Picture [Soundtrack]

Howard Shore | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 4, 1994)
• Original Release Date: January 4, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029F1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MiniDisc  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,286 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This CD contains 10 tracks and runs 40 minutes 37 seconds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Neil's contribution alone justifies its purchase..., August 6, 2002

By 

Brian J. Sleeman (Marquette, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philadelphia: Music From The Motion Picture (Audio CD)

I'm *not* a big soundtrack fan, but this one seems to work better than most others. Having the likes of the Boss and Neil Young contribute to it certainly doesn't hurt, and Peter Gabriel's "Lovetown" is another great addition.

But what really stands out on this disc in my mind is not the award-winning composition by Bruce, but the hauntingly beautiful ballad from Neil. Being a Neil completist, I've heard them all, and this one is easily in his top five most beautiful songs to my ears, maybe even number one. There's something painfully honest and heartfelt in the way Neil sings, and his mournful piano tugs at your heart and begs your attention.

When he was asked to contribute to the soundtrack, the producers requested something in the vein of "Southern Man," his incendiary guitar rocker decrying the racism of the South at the close of the 1960's. In typical Neil fashion, he turned around and delivered them an aching piano ballad instead, and he hit it out of the park. Tom Hanks said it best during the awards ceremony, that with all due respect for Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia," the wrong song won. Neil's track really captures what this film is all about.

Controversy aside, what it means for you is that you get an even stronger album here. Those two songs alone are essential, and with the addition of Peter Gabriel and the accompanying songs from lesser-known temporary artists from other genres which do little more than provide filler (although it's good filler), you can't really go wrong by this CD.

I'd also recommend fans of Neil's performance check out his "Silver & Gold" DVD, culled from his solo acoustic tour in '99. That disc features a lot of Neil's newer material, but he also revisits "Philadelphia" for the first time on stage. Sitting alone at the piano, his cracked tenor can bring you to tears.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abundance of great, haunting songs!, September 29, 2003

By 

Ismail Elshareef "ielshareef" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philadelphia: Music From The Motion Picture (Audio CD)

This soundtrack comes with an eclectic collection of timeless songs. "Philadelphia" and "Streets of Philadelphia" draw you with their haunting and sobering sound. If you have seen the film, "La Mamma Morta" will bring tears to your eyes, but if you haven't seen it yet, then it will haunt you with Callas' incredible vocals.

This is an all-mood album of promise and love. The booklet insert that comes with the CD has some nice pictures from the movie and no lyrics. Add this CD to your collection if you like music that touches your soul and heart.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What About Neil Young?, April 8, 2002

By 

A Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philadelphia: Music From The Motion Picture (Audio CD)

I've read the other reviews and I pretty much agree with them. But, I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned Neil Young's contribution: Philadelphia. It's a beautiful song, and it adds an emotional wallop to the end of the film. You hear it as we watch home movies of Hanks' character as a child, just before the end credits roll. The combination of images and music is quite stirring, for me at least. It's an encouragement to look deeper into the humanity of people, to see who they really are and the gifts that they bring to life, no matter what their sexual preference happens to be.