Ocean's Eleven [SOUNDTRACK]

David Holmes (Artist), Various Artists (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 4, 2001)
• Original Release Date: December 7, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B00005RTFG
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,727 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #92 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy
  #95 in	Music > Soundtracks > Movie Scores

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The idea of remaking the Rat Pack's infamous shaggy-dog story cum Vegas heist thriller may have seemed ludicrous without a Rat Pack. But that didn't deter ever-inventive director Steven Soderbergh, who's again wisely teamed with not only Out of Sight star George Clooney, but that underrated project's Irish-born club mixer turned scorer David Holmes, as well. The resulting soundtrack is a spunky, cross-cultural joyride that careens from Perry Como's "Papa Loves Mambo" to the loopy hip-hop of Handsome Boy Modeling School's "The Projects," while paying some gratifying visits to Percy Faith, Arthur Lyman, Quincy Jones, the terminally cool Claude Debussy, and, of course, King Elvis along the way. Holmes's own concoctions are as smartly retro-hip and seamless, slyly intertwining cool jazz-funk and smoky cine-Muzak with some dance-floor grooves that keep the musical tension boiling. The sharp dialogue snippets that bubble throughout seem a quirky throwback to soundtracks gone by, a sometimes oversized olive in Holmes's inviting musical cocktail. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing?, July 28, 2003

By	D. Hansen "crichton007" (UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I picked up this album looking to add the cool filler tracks used in the movie's score (you know the jazzy upbeat riffs) into my MP3 player mixes. You get those (and the Elvis "A Little Less Conversation" track) but there were two things that ruined this soundtrack for me.

1. Almost all of the tracks contain dialogue voice overs from the movie, even the catchy tracks I was looking for weren't just music, they all contained dialogue to get in the way of the music.

2. Even the Elvis song I wanted to get a copy of was faded out before it was over (something that happens to all of the tracks here) and blended into the next track on the CD.

I guess if my description fits what you're looking for then pick this up. If you are looking for the same thing I was then I might suggest listening to this at the library or someplace else before spending your money on this.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good despite (or because of) the dialogue, January 22, 2002

By	Jeff Lash (Saint Louis, MO, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved the movie, largely due to the great scoring, and was excited to hear the soundtrack, despite the other (not-so-kind)reviews I read here.

Yes, there is dialogue on the CD, but most tracks do not have movie excerpts, and, on those that do, the dialogue is usually only at the beginning or the end of the track, and is not more than 20 seconds long. At first I didn't like the dialogue, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

David Holmes' scoring is incredible; he creates gritty-cool lo-fi funk tracks that are rough yet at the same time incredibly cool. Most are acoustic-based with some electronic touches beautifully added as garnish.

There are also a number of other tunes from other artists -- Elvis, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Perry Como, Arthur Lyman, Quincy Jones, Percy Faith, and a beautiful rendition of "Clair de Lune" by the Philadelphia Orchestra. While I bought the soundtrack to hear David Holmes' scoring, the other tracks added to the experience and tied the soundtrack together and helped recreate the mood of the movie.

I still would have liked a bit more of the original David Holmes compositions, but what's on the disc is great, so I can't complain. It sufficiently recreates the hip slick feel of the movie while still leaving the listener with enough leeway to create his own mood.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Music, and truly addictive, January 21, 2002

By	B. Hall (Lakeland, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading some of the prior reviews, I felt the need to comment on this CD. I'll admit that when I first listened to it, I was a bit disturbed by the dialogue over the music. Like so many others have written, if I wanted to hear the movie, I'd purchase it.

But after listening to it a few times, this CD simply wouldn't be the same without it! I can't stop listening to this great music, and the dialogue really grows on you. It's really something original, and I applaud Warner Bros. for having the style to populate the CD with something that really fits with the attitude of the movie at the expense of the few closed minded people who can't get over this relatively small hurdle.

If you can be open minded, and remember that this soundtrack is supposed to be as lighthearted and classy fun as the movie, this will be one you won't regret buying.