Customer Reviews

Summer of 42

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Other than the theme and end tracks, the whole album is from Picasso Suite. I have never seen that film but I have seen the Summer of 42. It is a lovely film. The sumptuous photography, the sensitive acting performances from Herme and the beautiful Jennifer O`Neill. I still treasure the impressionistic image of her on the sheet music. And best of all is Michel Legrand`s masterpiece. If you want to enjoy this all-time romantic favourite, The Summer Knows, get the DVD. You get to enjoy the movie and music which sounds better away from the CD. And Legrand`s variations on the theme (no vocal version included) are priceless gems. You cannot anything better than the piano tinkling out the theme and the strings sweeping in. Peter Nero got a hit on his piano but it cannot surpass the soundtrack. I wonder who played the piano for the soundtrack. Good man. The theme music was played in the film on as source music coming from the turntable (I still have the record) while the boy and Miss Lovely Jennifer were dancing. He was comforting her because she had just lost her husband to the War. Very touching scene.

When this soundtrack first appeared in 1971, it was then, as it is now, misleadingly advertised as the soundtrack to only the film SUMMER OF '42. Unfortunately, for the lovers of the Michel Legrand pop standard "The Summer Knows" (the main theme of SUMMER OF '42), this tune comprises only two of the twelve bands on this CD. Fortunately, for those of us who admire Legrand's eclectic score for the film THE PICASSO SUMMER, the remaining ten selections (including the beautiful "Summer Me, Winter Me") are from this 1969 Albert Finney/Yvette Mimieux-starring cinematic search for the most important figure in 20th Century art. An unbalanced album? Perhaps, but I personally appreciate its distribution of weight.

David, thanks for your review, I was looking for the theme for "The Picasso Summer" and your review pointed out that the "Summer of 42" cd included the theme music. It was under the title of "A Summer Song" on the cd but in reality, it is the theme music from "The Picasso Summer. Thanks - I bought the cd based on your review. I didn't like the movie at all - but Michel Legrand's score was superb. Thank You!