Life: Music Inspired By The Motion Picture [SOUNDTRACK]

Various Artists - Soundtracks - 1999

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 16, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Interscope Records
• ASIN: B00000I8KU
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,832 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Despite the fact that the two share top billing for the soundtrack's credits, R&B crooner R. Kelly plays a much greater role in shaping the sound of Life than does the Fugees' Wyclef Jean. Kelly's slow and languid style of soul gets slathered all over the album--often with mediocre results (Mya's "Why Should I Believe You?," Trisha Yearwood's "Follow the Rain"), though he does manage a gem or two (especially "Speechless," which features the incredible falsetto voice of Ronald Isley). As for Wyclef, he's up to most of his old tricks, including a simply banal (and wholly unnecessary) remix of Minnie Riperton's maudlin "Lovin' You," but he partially redeems himself with the surprisingly good "25 to Life" (featuring Xzibit, Juvenile, Nature, Ja Rule, and Reptile) as well as his own "New Day," which cameos the syrupy-sweet sax of jazz-popster Kenny G. --Oliver Wang

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fortunate!!, October 5, 2005

By	Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Comprising music that hardly features in the movie (LOL!!) and largely produced by R Kelly and Wyclef (with some help from Darkchild on 1 track), this is a stunning R&B collection from a stellar cast of performers.

`It's like everyday' by DJ Quik (featuring R Kelly) is an outstanding sleek bubbly rap. `Stimulate me' is by the soon-to-explode Destiny's Child. Both are R Kelly compositions/productions. `Every which way' by Talent and Vegas Cats is an R Kelly production with some help from Darkchild.

`It's gonna rain' is an R Kelly ballad featuring the powerful vocals on Kelly Price. Vocally, it starts off delicate and builds up in intensity with Price soaring towards the end.

`Discovery' starts off as a piano/string ballad, with percussion and more instruments filtering in along the way, and featuring an outstanding performance from Brian McKnight. In a similar vein is the ballad `Follow the wind' featuring country singer Trisha Yearwood. Both are R Kelly Compositions/productions.

Next is Mya on the lilting midtempo ballad `Why should I believe you?', followed by the Wyclef composition/production `What would you do' by City High with lyrics about hard living and asking what you would do in her place? This song belatedly became a hit in 2001 hitting #8 on the Billboard hot 100.

'What goes round' by Khadeja, the uptempo reggae-ish `Lovin' you' by Sparkle (the only song I'm not really into on this CD I must confess, cannot compare to Minnie Ripperton's classic original), the rap `25 to life' featuring Xzibit, Juvenile, Ja Rule Nature, and Reptile, and the excellent lilting `New day' with soothing vocals by Wyclef are all Wyclef compositions/productions.

`Speechless' is a tender ballad featuring some dramatic falsetto from Ronald Isley, and the upbeat organ laden `Life' features a fiery vocal performance from K-Ci and Jojo with an almost gospel fervor.

Saving the best for last; Maxwell! `Fortunate' is a tender ballad composed and produced by R Kelly. This song hit #4 on the hot 100, #1 R&B, and was the #1 R&B song of 1999. His biggest hit to date. Multiple vocal layering, a stunning vocal performance meandering from falsetto to full vocals, and moving lyrics about seeing everyday things in a different light because of love.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars superior, January 20, 2003

By	Kimberley Wilson (VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This isn't a true soundtrack. The music is INSPIRED by the movie. Having said that, it's also one of the best soundtracks to come out in the 90s. Every song on this album is great except for the offensive Stimulate Me. Why Destiny's Child did that one I don't know. The standouts are Brian Knights'gorgeous rendition of Discovery and Maxwell's Fortunate. Trisha Yearwood makes a powerfu stand with Follow the Wind. Speechless by the Isley's is sexy and smooth--Ron Isley's falsetto will send chills down your spine and Life by K.C. and Jo Jo sums up the movie.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This CD is worth it just for the Maxwell and K. Price songs, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

I heard "Fortunate" and "It's Gonna Rain" on the radio for the past couple of months, and have been searching Amazon high and low to see what CD contained those songs. I was so pleased to find them on one CD, and, because of that, it will be in heavy rotation on my stereo. Those two songs just *talk* to me; they are powerful, deep expressions of emotion. Imagine my surprise when I saw that they were both written by R. Kelly (as were most of the album's songs). I never had any respect for his work before, because I thought he was just cheesy, but a man who can write some spiritual stuff like this deserves some credit.

The rest of the album is iffy, but these two cuts made purchasing it worthwhile to me.