Customer Reviews

Stephen King's The Stand: Original Television Soundtrack

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These compositions are magnificent on many levels. Snuff Walden is one of music's greatest composers. You wouldn't know his name, but you've most certainly heard his music. His credits include the incidental music for TV shows such as Thirtysomething, The Wonder Years, and I'll Fly Away. Walden also plays all the guitar parts for his scores. For The Stand mini-series Stephen King approached Walden to do the music. In that request King wanted what he termed "Blue Jean Music." And that's exactly what he got. Each track on this CD invokes many emotions, from hope and struggle to turmoil and simple pleasure. The third track on the CD, "On the Road to Kansas," is Walden at his best, creating an acoustic masterpiece. One word that sums it up for me is "Tasty." And this blend of acoustic work is what Snuff Walden is best known for. Equally impressive is the more rocky track, "The Trashman in Vegas." Here Walden switches directions employing a harder feel with a Mark Knopfler style of guitar playing. His versatility really shows, however, in the title track, where he uses a full orchestral arrangement for the climax of the film. Many things are impressive about this soundtrack. The mood, feel, and emotion created throughout this work is an incredible achievement. Anyone listening to this entire CD would swear that it was impossible for one guy to have written all the music on this thing. But that is what Snuff Walden is all about. Versatility and sheer musicianship. Someone needs to pull this guy aside and ask him to come out with a Snuff Walden instrumental CD of material independent to that of a TV show or movie. When The Stand originally aired I watched the whole thing, but throughout what really knocked me out was the music. I was unable to find the CD until about four months ago. I own a retail electronics store in New Hampshire and from time to time I throw The Stand soundtrack in the CD player and run it through one of the higher end home theater systems on display. Every time I play it during store hours someone will eventually come in, hear the music, and say something along the lines of, "What is that CD? Can I buy it from you? It's really great!" Of course I tell them what it is and where on the internet to find it, and although I have been offered twenty bucks in one case for my copy, I wouldn't part with it. Tasty!

I loved The Stand when I saw it on t.v. for the first time over 6 years ago! One of the best things about the miniseries is the music. The music by Snuffy Walden was so appropriate for each scene. Now everytime I listen to a track like "One will fall by the way" or "Ain't She Beautiful" I can actually envision the movie scenes in my mind. But you don't have to see the movie to enjoy the c.d. The music captures so many different moods, it's very relaxing to listen to. Simply said, the soundtrack is just awesome, and very beautifully done.

Stephen King wanted ''blue jeans music'' for The Stand Soundtrack, and I think Snuffy Walden succeeded! I really think that Snuffy Walden did a wonderful job at setting the music to the movie. Some has a folk/celtic touch, some with a blues twist, many songs combining his acoustic guitar with piano and stringed instruments. His music talks to you without words. You don't have to be watching the movie to feel the emotions of his music. My favorite part in the movie is when while ''One will Fall by the Way'' is playing. There is an interesting shot of Glen, Ralph, Larry and Stu walking with mountains in the background, and the shot pans over to a man who has died from the flu sitting on a tractor in the middle of a field. You really feel the vastness of the countryside here, as they go west with nothing but the clothes on their backs. ''Mid-Country by the Stream'' brings a feeling of tranquility and new beginnings-the acoustic guitar is great in this song. The song ''Ain't she beautiful'', gives a feeling of worry of things to come in an empty world, but also hope. ''Tom and Stu go home'' bring a feeling of vastness, loneliness, and hope of connecting with others. ''On the Road to Kansas'' has a great acoustic blues feel-the guitar shows great emotion, the guitar tells you what people are feeling here. I really recommend getting the soundtrack even if you aren't a big fan of ''The Stand'' as the music is wonderful. His piano is great in ''Tom and Stu go home'', and especially in ''Mother Greets the Multitudes'' where the piano is combined with violins/stringed instruments. ''The Stand'', with an orchestral arrangement, and ''The Trashman in Vegas'' with a rock feel to it, are both much different from the other songs, showing that Walden is great at bringing across a wide array of emotions and able to set the mood.

From the ominous cords of Code Blue all the way to the lyrical closing credit music, W.G. "Snuffy" Walden has done the impossible. He put Stephen King's epic novel (and flawed mini-series) to music. Whether it helps you remember key moments from either the book or the mini-series, this music fits both beautifully. Walden's spare, almost acoustic style is perfectly suited for a world that no longer works the way it did. Highly recommended.

I will be kind, and assume that use of recorded material in the
movie did not extend to the soundtrack. I liked the original
music composed for "The Stand", but what is conspicuous by it's
absence is the hit song by the Larry character, "Baby, Can You
Dig Your Man?". Perhaps it was never actually completed. Just
bits of it played in "The Stand". Another excellent song that
was in the movie, but not in the soundtrack, was an old 80's hit
by Crowded House called "Don't Dream It's Over" that Molly Ringwald's character played on her portable record player while
she was still in Maine.

I didn't know that "The Stand" soundtrack was out there until a few nights ago when I located it on Amazon. This is the kind of music that makes you want to have an open prairie with a lonely stretch of highway to be riding across, the windows down and the volume up. The opening guitar chords are seductively frightening. Track 3, "On The Road To Kansas" is what you'd want to hear if you were ever journeying across the fruited plain... along with the "trekking" theme from "One Will Fall By The Way". After all this time, this beautiful music is now in my possession. Thanks Amazon!

Even those who didn't like the TV version of The Stand hummed much of the music for days afterwards. I know I did. So I jumped at the chance to buy the CD. The only thing that keeps it from being a 5+++ is the omission of the music played when the power plant was brought on line. (Man-o-man I love the sound of hammer dulcimers!) Nevertheless, this is one great CD.

Ok ... for someone who doesn't typically listen to "bluejeans" music, I was surprised to find that the soundtrack to Stephen King's The Stand would have such a moving and permanent effect on my religiously bluesy soul. But after listening to the entire album I found it to be a well balanced and emotionally engaging ... "straight to the heart" compilation of songs.

I had originally bought the album because of the hauntingly beautiful and melancholic piano melody in "One Will Fall By The Way", which just by itself, made the entire album righteous. But ... the usage of tempo and rhythm in expanding that melody with guitar/violin/strings into an undulating rustic traveling melody is superb. It captures the transition from the emotional to the physical reality of their journey ... even without having seen the movie ... one can feel the change from thought to motion when violin/guitars take up where the piano left off.

I felt this soundtrack is the movie retold in song, and credit should go Snuffy for he has reworked a masterpiece into another one, exchanging the emotions and personalities with hauntingly beautiful thematic melodies and vast landscapes with the undulating collaboration of stringed instruments.

Although I had bought this album for one song, I have been touched on some level by all of them. I applaud Snuffy for a fantastic job. esp. in his mastery of tempo, rhythm and style to capture some very complex emotions.

Stephen King's The Stand miniseries was a wonderfully terrifying look at what would happen if a plague of biblical proportions were to befall the world, and W.G. Snuffy Walden's masterful soundtrack brings the movie even more to life. From the first track to the last, it tells the story of the superflu plague and its aftermath in ways that no mere words and pictures can do, thanks to Walden's stunning guitar riffs and piano. He is definitely a master at what I call "musical storytelling".

My only real disappointment with this CD is the fact that the label who put out this soundtrack seemed to see no need to include the original pop and disco tunes that were included in the miniseries. Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" and Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" are a couple of tunes that I felt really added to the drama of The Stand, and it's a shame that they were left off the soundtrack itself.

All in all, a stupendous effort from Snuffy that succeeds admirably.

The music is beautiful! Very relaxing and bone chilling at the same time! Order it!