Customer Reviews

Philip Glass : The Music of Candyman

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Want to listen to some astonishly beautiful Philip Glass music? Listen to 'The Music of Candyman'. If you are already a Glassfan, this will be a welcome addition to your collection. If you are new to Glass and want a great introduction, this is the disc for you. It is by turns spooky and creepy, soaring and uplifting, dramatic and starkely beautiful...In short, 'The Music of Candyman' is perfect for its purpose. I will leave the technical discussions to others--emotionally, THIS DISC WILL GRAB YOU.

This is the debut CD from Glass's new label, 'Orange Mountain Music' ... which promises to release more archival Glassmusic. Bravos to Kurt Munkacsi, Glass's long-time producer, for setting this up.

So, while we wait for more great Glassmusic, we get to listen to 'The Music of Candyman': Beautiful, haunting, and a lot of fun!

With a collective sigh of relief from fans who thought that Philip Glass and company had gone into record-release hibernation, The Music of Candyman is finally available commercially. Having heard tracks from the infamous bootleg copy, I can say that this version is well worth its (rather steep) cost, as it's been appropriately remixed and gussied up. Musically and esthetically, it's some of Glass's best, making it a must-listen (especially approaching Halloween), and the methodical dementia portrayed through the music is unmatched by any gothic sounding work in the same category (see Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells in The Exorcist). There are one or two segue problems from the remix, but nothing immediately noticeable, and any problems are certainly overshadowed by the terrific musicality and emotion of the work. Five stars! Now let's see more!

This CD is the epitome of FUN! It is AWESOME! Words can not do this CD justice- take my word for it, if you're seeking a true EXPERIENCE in music, one that will take you away from the concerns and tribulations of this crazy world, put this CD in your player and turn off the lights, because "The Music of Candyman" will take you on a joy ride. Just like Candyman himself, this music runs the gamut from intense, scary, frightening, romantic, seductive, gentle, powerful, haunting, and maddening- constantly changing, disorienting the listener. In the movies, you never knew where Candyman was going to strike next. And so it is with Glass's score- you don't know what's going to happen next. So much happens on this CD that I guarantee you won't know where you're at when it comes to an end.

Legendary composer Philip Glass scored the first two of what turned out to be three "Candyman" films, in 1992 and 1995. "Candyman", and the sequel, "Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh" were moderate-budget horror flicks with a strong psychological bent; they were decent movies and I thought the second one was better than the first. Anyway, what made these movies stand out was the Glass scores. And now, it is finally available to the public as the first release on Glass's new record label, Orange Mountain Music.

Written primarily for pipe organ, chorus (the uncredited Western Wind Vocal Ensemble, who do a fantastic job), and piano, this CD will give your stereo system a workout, and I hope you have a good subwoofer to experience the awesome bass lines from the organ in all their room-shaking glory.

There are many beautiful and powerful moments, finally heard here in pure glorious sound, using the state-of-the-art equipment and talented engineers at Philip Glass's and Kurt Munkacsi's recording studio, Looking Glass Studios in New York City. I would watch the DVD's of the first two "Candyman" movies, just to listen to the score- many great moments weren't heard in all their glory as there was dialogue and sound effects being on the soundtrack as well, but here the music is alone. Much like being alone in a dark room with Candyman himself, you definitely get a different perspective without any distractions from the eerie proceedings.

Philip Glass is truly a musical phenomenon and is perhaps the most versatile composer of all time- he can write anything from mammoth symphonies, songs, string quartets, high-voltage works for his own Philip Glass Ensemble, operas, film scores, and more- and he also knows how to have a good time as well, as evidenced by his "Candyman" score- most serious (read: "classical") musicians today don't know how to have a good time, but Philip Glass does! He is having a great time with the "Candyman" music and you will too! It's fun and intellectually stimulating at the same time.

It's great music for a haunted house; it's great music for a drive through the countryside; it's great music to refresh yourself after a long day at work; it's great music to drive your Mom insane if you're a rebellious kid!

Buy this CD today!
Just don't say "Candyman" five times!

This is just a small note to those considering to buy the album. The music in this album does not sound quite the same as the original soundtrack of the movie(s) (of which I've only seen the first, so my opinion is solely based on that). It seems to have been re-recorded with a much smaller ensemble of choir singers and a smaller organ, giving it a bit flimsy sound. Also, some essential bass notes seem to have gone missing, which further reduces the impact of this music.

Don't get me wrong. It's a great album and I'm really glad they finally released this.

With the triumphant release of "The Music of Candyman", I can now stop listening to Sammy Davis Jr. singing "Candyman". What a relief!

I have had the music of Candyman etched in my brain ever since I first saw the movie. Living in the Chicago area, everytime I pass a housing project (usually going downtown and making a wrong turn -- my latest going to Mr. Glass's "In the Penal Colony" at the University of Chicago last year) automatically evokes the music of Candyman.

The music on this CD is excellent and the sound quality is fantastic. Kurt Munkacsi and Don Christensen did a wonderful job...it is almost 3D sound! Try it with headphones!!!

I love all of the original Candyman music, but the music from Candyman II is equally haunting and eerie. I love music from tracks 9, 10, and 11. Whoever did the vocal part for "Annie's Theme" did an incrediable job! The sound quality is so good, you can hear the young lady taking her breath between singing that beautiful, but eerie melody.

No fan of Mr. Glass's music should be without this recording!!!

I am extremely excited about Orange Mountain Music, and for their first release, everyone did an excellent job. I look forward to future releases of the many Glass Treasures that are in the Glass Archives.

So, don't say Candyman five times, say "I'm going to but this CD right now" five times! :)

I look foward to future reviews of this CD.

Thanks Kurt, Don, and of course, Mr. Glass for making this musical masterpiece available to us.

Just voices and organ. Glass very often succeeds in making combinations of sounds that hit your ear in a way that makes you think: yes, that's exactly the way this music should sound.
After the beautiful opening track 'The Music Box', the other tracks are a little reminiscent of parts from the Koyaanisqatsi sound track. Haunting, beautiful, but a bit more elaborate and with more variation.
Though this will not become my favourite Glass album (nothing beats La Belle et la Bete...), I will play this cd quite often.

It's Philip Glass as I like him: immediately you recognise his fingerprint, and yet you hear something new.

Quite possibly the best horror soundtrack to the greatest slasher movie of all time. Candyman is one of my all time favorite movies you see, and the soundtrack is one of the main reasons why. It is truly one of a kind. Pick it up. Now.

Philip Glass and Ennio Morricone may be the 2 best contemporary classical composers of the 20th century. To that list you can add some new agers like Vangelis and some "soundtrackers" like Horner, Max Steiner ("King Kong", "Sea Hawk", etc..), Bernard Herrman ("Psycho", etc..), etc.. For me, this "Candyman" soundtract is perhaps the best of them all. Even better than the classical spaghetti westerns by Morricone. Not really feeling like a soundtract at all, this 50+ minute album hits the spot for fans of gothic and surreal sounds/music. Oh and add to that the choirs and female voices and you have a masterpiece. The soundtract to "Candyman" is what introduced me to Glass' music back in 1993. I waited 8 years for this to finally be released on cd. It was well worth the wait. This "should" be your first Glass cd. Afterwards, you cannot miss "Koyannisqattsi" and his "Itaipu" albums. If those 2 albums and "Candyman" don't get you hooked on his music, then nothing will.

WOW! It is finally here! After years of people making the illegal
bootlegs from the movie, we GLASS FANS have finally been given a piece of gold. This recording is completely amazing! The clarity and the simple tones of some of the pieces bring Candyman back into the room!! I have always loved the seemingly concise melodies of some of Mr. Glass's pieces, and Candyman is one of those treasures in my mind. The haunting melodies from the solo piano... I am sure in another context ( without having seen Candyman), this music would bring very different images to mind.
I buy a lot of soundtrack music, and sometimes it comes across as real "filler" music, that does not stand alone by itself. The music of Candyman on this CD, stands on its own. Glass fans, and fans of piano music alike will appreciate this recording.. THANKS for FINALLY releasing it! Please let us see more of the treasure (Brief History of Time, The Juniper Tree, etc)....

I saw the film "Candyman" several years ago and, being originally from Chicago, the film resonated with me more than if had been filmed in a different city. However, what stuck in my head for a very long time was Philip Glass' surreal, creepy musical score. When I learned there was a CD with the entire score years later I knew I had to have it.

The album actually draws from both the original "Candyman" film and its sequel "Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh" (which I have not seen) and while there is some carryover musically there are really two separate musical suites on this CD. The first seven tracks are derived from the first film and center on a haunting melody that is the leitmotif for the film's protagonist, Helen Lyle. The tune is first heard most simply in "Music Box", before changing to a piano solo in "Helen's Theme" and finally culminating in the crescendo of a breathtaking choir with resonating basses and soaring sopranos. The remaining tracks build on the sense of horror in the film, particularly the staccato section of high notes in "Return to Cabrini."

The second half of the CD (tracks 8-13) begin with a brief reiteration of Helen's theme before changing over to Annie's theme, a beautiful melody sung by an anonymous artist. Whereas the first film made heavy use of piano in the score, the sequel replaces it with a magnificent pipe organ. "Annie's Theme" finds its own culmination with choir and organ in "The Demise of Candyman" which soars to unexpected heights.

While you might not listen to this CD every day, it is well written and arranged, and is perfect to enjoy as scary "mood music."