Walk The Line - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Various Artists | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: November 18, 2005
• Label: Wind-up Records
• Copyright: 2005 Fox 2000 Pictures, a division of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Wind-up Records, LLC
• Total Length: 41:38
• Genres: Country/Alt-Country & Americana, Country/Traditional Country
• ASIN: B0013TW1OA
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (243 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

192 of 205 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is for old and new Cash fans alike, an excellent tribute., November 17, 2005

By 

dkristie1734 "dkristie1734" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk the Line (Audio CD)

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon sound amazing. You know its not Johnny or June singing, but that's the whole point and will not mar the enjoyment you'll get from the songs on this cd. James Mangold (the director) didn't want to use a Cash impersonator or the original recordings for the movie; He wanted the actors to sing and play their own instruments in order to understand how important of a role that music played in these artists lives.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imitation (is the sincerest form of flattery), November 21, 2005

By 

M. Carter "divineragbag" (Rock Hill, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walk the Line (Audio CD)

Oh, wait. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon aren't trying to impersonate Johnny Cash and June Carter. Director James Mangold himself said, "If people want to hear Johnny Cash, they can buy one of his CDs." So stop calling the actors mindless impersonators; they're not copying Cash and Carter, they're trying to capture the essence of their sound.

Now, with that sermon preached, let's give this soundtrack the disgustingly positive review it deserves. Phoenix's voice is nothing short of astounding. Not only does he sound remarkably like Cash, he pours enough emotion into the tunes to make them believable. There's the opening "Get Rhythm," a toe-tapping ode to rock-n-roll. Better still is "I Walk the Line," where's Phoenix's voice doesn't miss a single note (listen to his impressively low register). He shines on uptempo numbers like "Cry Cry Cry," "Ring of Fire"--perhaps his finest performance--and the swaggering "Cocaine Blues."

And don't forget Reese Witherspoon. There's no denying her talent; she's got a nicely-twangy voice she's obviously been keeping under wraps. "Wildwood Flower" lacks some of the original's emotion, but Witherspoon is new and does a decent job. She mimics Carter's firecracker spirit on "Juke Box Blues," a twang-tinged delight, and "Jackson," a first-rate duet with Phoenix. Her back-up vocals on "It Ain't Me, Babe" also are impressive.

Tunes from other players are commendable if slightly less heartfelt. Tyler Hilton ably covers "That's All Right" and "Milk Cow Blues Boogie," and Waylon Malloy Payne scores a hit with the rollicking "Lewis Boogie." Shooter Jennings offers a fine country performance of "I'm A Long Way from Home."

Is this an album of cover tunes? In one way, the answer's a resounding yes. But every performer does well with the difficult task of interpreting the tunes to make them sound fresh.

And The Man in Black was nothing if not fearless when it came to his music.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars These are not singers., January 17, 2006

By 

Ashley "#1DMB Fan" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walk the Line (Audio CD)

It always makes me laugh how critical others can be. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are not singers, they are actors. But I thought they did a fantastic job singing the songs on this soundtrack. Obviously no one is going to sound exactly like Johnny Cash or June Carter...and that isn't the point of the soundtrack. Phoenix and Witherspoon give it their own sound and should be appreciated for that. I give them complete respect for actually learning and singing the songs and learning the instruments. Some people don't realize just how difficult that can be.