Customer Reviews

A Simple Plan: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack

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

 

 

the soundtrack to a simple plan is simply astounding. by danny elfman...a musical genius, it evokes the emotions of the film perfectly. it is simply the minds of the characters ,and their simple plan gone wrong, playing through your CD player. it's amazing what danny has done here.he's taken a completely new direction in terms of his musical voice. it's certainly his most minamilist approach to scoring.the music has a most melancholic tone to it, but there is a strange warmth to it that is so intriguing. this is a complex score that may sound like nothing more than random notes thrown blinly on the page upon your first listen, but give it a chance. unfortunately its fairly hard to come by but when it does, grab it.its a gem!!!

Once again Danny Elfman has managed to create a score wich fits the movie perfectly; I doubt any other musical interpretation of the emotional element of this film could have been more fitting; his dissonace, cold and hars, match the spiritual decay of the main caracters, and his intensly haunting themes are brilliantly composed. In all honestly, this score is one of the best ever made, and while many may be turned off by the rather unusual ochestra-arrangement it is a stunnig psychological materpiece...a musical journey into fear, betrayl, greed and freindship.

Usually when we think of Danny Elfman, we think of someone indulging us in delightful absurdity. His music is inspired by whatever movie he is trying to score, and much of the movies he had scored happened to be dark fantasy, and comic book adaptations.

In A Simple Plan, the film is a serious thriller about greed and desperation. The somber nature of the movie is reflected in the soundtrack. The music is slower in tempo, and there is more use of traditional instruments in addition to various synthesizer samples.

This soundtrack is a masterpiece. Although Elfman's music is always excellent, he has truly outdone himself this time. Brilliant, emotional, intense, touching, etc. I can't praise this CD enough. The "Burning $" track is now one of my all-time favorite pieces of music. This score perfectly complements the harsh subtlety of the movie. If you like film music, BUY THIS!!!

I must say I had some trouble finding this album in stores. When the movie was starting, I could tell right away that Danny Elfman had composed the score. He has a history of creating haunting melodies as the underscore for films, and this was no exception. Haunting and repetitious (that's a good thing)this is one of those CD's that you will keep in your player for quite some time.

Yep. I'm WAAAAAAY behind the 8-ball. This score came out 12 years ago, and here I am racing to catch up. By this time, nobody is going to even see this review much less read it. Never the less, here we go.

I've never been a particularly big fan of Danny Elfman. He has primarily ridden the coattails of director Tim Burton the way John Williams rides Steven Spielberg's. To date, he's had few memorable compositions, and I say "few" because he did compose two masterpiece scores back in the early 1990's -- namely Batman and Batman Returns. Aside from that, his scores have been comically mediocre and forgettable. Too much tin. Not enough soul. Over the top on 'noise'.

Until he composed "A Simple Plan". I watched this movie for the first time 5 years ago, and the movie was so depressing I nearly drank Drano and called it a day. I haven't watched the movie since, yet five years later I remembered how much I connected with Danny's haunting score. Being the music-dork that I am, I logged onto Amazon, ordered up a used copy and hoped that my memory wasn't playing tricks on me.

True to form, this score delivers. This is definitely Danny's best work. I collect film scores (that are worthy of collecting) and this is only my 2nd Elfman CD. However, it has now remained in my must-play rotation for over 2 months, and that is how I judge the quality of an album.

Disregard the lousy scores ruining the silver-screen today: 2012, Avatar and countless other keyboard-heavy, content-lite compositions that come today and are forgotten tomorrow. The best scores are over a decade old -- back when this was an art. The Last of the Mohicans, Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Thunderheart, The Ghost and the Darkness, Geronimo, Flesh and Bone, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Rambo III (yes, I'm serious), Gettysburg, The Crow, Spy Game, Nell, Gladiator, Blackhawk Down, Crimson Tide, Medicine Man, Memphis Belle, Rudy, Waterworld, Rob Roy and Glory make up the best film music of the past 50 years.

Add "A Simple Plan" to it.

Elfman's foray into film scoring territory mastered by Thomas Newman, the subtle minimalist side, is a disappointment. Instead of bringing anything fresh to it, he creates a BORING main theme which he plays with incessantly. The only thing that buoys this record is "Tracks In The Snow", in which Elfman recovers, and crazily throws percussion around to weave a suspenseful and raucous action cue. (GOOD) But the rest? (BAD)

as a longtime fan of danny elfman, i've listened to almost all of his work, bought almost all of his CDs, and loved his music for years. unfortunately, elfman has disappointed me, for the 1st, and hopefully, the last time. A SIMPLE PLAN has good intentions as a score, it even has a couple good cues, but the entire score is boring, without that quirky bold flavor that elfman made his with scores to EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BATMAN RETURNS and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

I realize elfman is trying to expand his musical horizons and experiment, but this score, as a listening experience, is a DUD.