Lady in the Water [SOUNDTRACK]

Bob Dylan (Composer), James Newton Howard (Composer), Pete Anthony (Conductor), Hollywood Studio Orchestra (Orchestra), Amanda Ghost (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Amanda Ghost
• Orchestra: Hollywood Studio Orchestra
• Conductor: Pete Anthony
• Composer: Bob Dylan, James Newton Howard
• Audio CD (July 18, 2006)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B000GDH8O2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,950 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For his fifth collaboration--and following the Oscar-nominated score for The Village--with director M. Night Shyamalan, James Newton Howard has delivered rather good work. Considering the supernatural tone of the movie, some of the composer's touches are predictable (a glockenspiel offering eerie punctuations, a huge choir suggestively going "oooh" and "aaah"), but he also demonstrates a sure sense of melody. Listen, for instance, to the various threads making up "Prologue." Despite the size of the orchestra at his disposal, Newton Howard always opts for subtle touches rather than wham-bam scary-movie effects. The most stereotypically actiony cue is "The Great Eatlon," but it's done as well as can be: it remains ominously restrained for quite a while, until the choir comes in to deliver an elegiac passage and the track switches to grandiose pomp. Tacked at the end of the CD are four Bob Dylan covers, including a gothic take on "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by A Whisper in the Noise, and Silvertide's rocking "It Ain't Me Babe" and "Maggie's Farm." --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Elegant..., July 18, 2006

By	Jordan "Jordan" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This would have to be one of my favorite scores from Mr. James Newton Howard, my other favorite being The Village. Simular to The Village, this soundtrack consists of beautiful strings and harmonic layers. This would have to be one of his best film scores, in my opinion. Easy to relax to, this soundtrack speaks for its self. The strings are pure divine as James puts an organized film score together with piano and a wonderful vocalist. I just wish the Italian song that was in the teaser trailer was on the soundtrack; Il Postino (Mi Mancherai): performed by Josh Groban was on it. This is Highly recommended!

1. Prologue 5/5
2. The Party 5/5
3. Charades 4/5
4. Ripples In The Pool 5/5
5. The Blue Word 5/5
6. Giving The Kii 5/5
7. Walkie Talkie 4/5
8. Cereal Boxes 4/5
9. Officer Jimbo 4/5
10. The Healing 5/5
11. The Great Eation 5/5
12. End Titles 5/5
13. Times They Are A-Changin 5/5 (Sad. Made me cry.)
14. Every Grain of Sand 5/5
15. It Ain't Me Babe 4/5
16. Maggie's Farm 5/5

One word "Beautiful." You would totally like this if you liked:
1. Peter Pan~ James Newton Howard
AND
2. The Village~ James Newton Howard

James Newton Howard would have to be "One" of the best composers I have ever heard of for his magnificent music. Bravo Mr. Howard!

Jordan
Overall grade* A

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whisper In The Noise, July 24, 2006

By	Clinton C. Lugert - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great to see the Minneapolis based, "A Whisper In The Noise" on this sound track (Times They Are A-Changin). The rest of their albums are wonderous and they are truly moving live.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Howard's Lyrical "Lady in the Water", August 1, 2006

By	G M. Stathis (cedar city, utah USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Over a number of years it has become virtually certain that when James Newton Howard writes a new film score that it will include at least one theme, motif, coda, or lyrical moment that will just blow you away. His music for M. Night Shyamalan's "Lady in the Water" is no exception. While most of this score is lyrical with nods to suspense and menace, there is a central thematic motif for the so-called Blue World and the character named Story, the "lady in the water." This motif appears early in the album, but comes to a grand expression in "The Healing" and "The Great Eatlon." Whether performed by orchestra with or without chorus, or solo piano (one of Howard's trademarks) it is enticing and at times resounding. Sadly, as with his last two associations with Shyamalan, Howard's music is probably better than the film, but that does not detract from this recording which is a solid production from Decca with adequate packaging. There is a significant problem with the album and musical choices for the film in general. The decision to reproduce four Bob Dylan songs by new musical artists is a bit dubious at best. They do not work very well. At the very least they tend to be distractions on an otherwise fine soundtrack.