Matilda
David Newman
" In a time that comedy and nothing else mattered, it was mischievous magic that roared David Newman's sky in 1996. "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the collector's edition
In a time that comedy and nothing else mattered, it was mischievous magic that roared David Newman's sky in 1996. Well fantasy and magic considering his impressive The Phantom was released the same year. Yet forgotten due to a long list of unreleased scores is now the path that David Newman must walk. Luckily these times are changing, considering album after album is seeing daylight. One of Newman's most endearing projects couldn't stay behind. Matilda is a magical score that holds his 3 most noted styles together. A) his wonderful child like emotional touch, B) his totally energetic comedy music and C) that awesome brassy momentum.
Put this all together and it's easy to understand why many see it as one of Newman's most promising releases ever. The famous club release of Varèse Sarabande filled in that gap and what we got is still something different than what the bootleg offered us.
First off is the sound which is always important if you want to enjoy your music. Well, it's perfect and vibrant to conjure up all those energetic moments. Secondly, the score is presenting its cues into order (making the grand cues appear at the end).But by far the biggest reason was that one of Matilda's most explosive moments didn't even appear on the bootleg. Here it truly explains why Newman admirers nagged so long for a full release.
If you talk about David Newman's music then understand this. He's perhaps one of the true masters to conjure up emotion through a single theme. This merely by employing piano and strings. "Newborn" offers us the sweet theme for Matilda, "Matilda Writes her Name" by then gives us the other theme that represents Matilda's adventure in the Trunchbull's life. And yet they conquer your heart when they both appear so enchanting in "To the Library and Beyond" or "Multiplication".
By then Newman's more energetic approach is harder to appreciate (especially in some of his comedy scores) and yet here it's different. It is crazy and yet fetching, it is wild and yet somewhat approachable. The longest tracks present this mayhem the best in "A Narrow Escape" (covering more Elfman than usual) and "The Haunting" which throws all effects, fanfares and energy together to form one wild ride. The shorter tracks that offer this energy are still abundant as well in their approach. The Pee Wee like "Let's Get Sticky", the typical fanfare moment in "Hammer Throw" or the crazy "The Newt Dance". They are what makes David Newman tick.
The cues that work in between this energetic magic are in fact rather good. The FBI is represented through a funny organ tune. Yet it are the sound design effects that put the biggest smile on your face. "Chrunchem Hall" has these ethnic touches that make of it a creepy place, the electric guitar moment in "Trunchbull's Office" is downright brilliant and "Trunchbull Teaches Class" and "Trunchbull's House" show that Newman still has it.
Got it he always had, amazing are still the moments where his fanfares dictate everything else. The finest track of them all didn't even feature on the bootleg and that is what made the Club Release even more important for me to discover. Or how else can you express the brilliance of "Brucie Eats it All"? The Matilda theme in rapid form and the sublime fanfares that create a never before felt magical effect. The same for the end in "End of the Trunchbull", even though it must traverse more energized moments first.
In general, to call Matilda one of Newman's best is pushing it. Because apart from all the magical sound effects, moments and various killer tracks, Matilda still hops around in the more crazy comedic Newman sense. But that the score has heart, gusto and magic is downright telling the truth. It's not an album I would advise Newman newbies to pick up, but a fanatic and connoisseur of Newman's music will surely find that magical Matilda style worthy of repeated twists.
Tracklisting
1. Newborn (0.43)
2. Home from the Hospital (1.35)
3. Million Dollar Sticky Show (0.35)
4. Mathilda Writes her Name (1.11)
5. To the Library and Beyond (3.04) Excellent track
6. Teardrop (0.40)
7. Hair Tonic (1.48)
8. The FBI (0.56)
9. Wormwood Motors (1.16)
10. Let's Get Sticky (0.45)
11. After the Explosion (0.35)
12. Chrunchem Hall (3.18)
13. Hammer Throw (0.53)
14. Ms. Honey (1.01)
15. Multiplication (1.50)
16. Trunchbull's Office (1.12)
17. Let Him Eat Cake (3.04)
18. Brucie Eats it All (2.16) Excellent track
19. Trunchbull Teaches Class (2.37)
20. Drinking the Newt (0.47)
21. The Newt Dance (1.38)
22. Ms. Honey's Story (2.30)
23. Trunchbull's House (3.43)
24. A Narrow Escape (5.18)
25. Discovering her Powers (1.17)
26. FBI in the Garage (0.57)
27. Another Crime in the Making (0.37)
28. Carrot (0.19)
29. The Haunting (5.29)
30. The Pitcher (1.16)
31. End of the Trunchbull (6.34) Excellent track
32. Adoption (0.51)
Total Length: 60.51
Put this all together and it's easy to understand why many see it as one of Newman's most promising releases ever. The famous club release of Varèse Sarabande filled in that gap and what we got is still something different than what the bootleg offered us.
First off is the sound which is always important if you want to enjoy your music. Well, it's perfect and vibrant to conjure up all those energetic moments. Secondly, the score is presenting its cues into order (making the grand cues appear at the end).But by far the biggest reason was that one of Matilda's most explosive moments didn't even appear on the bootleg. Here it truly explains why Newman admirers nagged so long for a full release.
If you talk about David Newman's music then understand this. He's perhaps one of the true masters to conjure up emotion through a single theme. This merely by employing piano and strings. "Newborn" offers us the sweet theme for Matilda, "Matilda Writes her Name" by then gives us the other theme that represents Matilda's adventure in the Trunchbull's life. And yet they conquer your heart when they both appear so enchanting in "To the Library and Beyond" or "Multiplication".
By then Newman's more energetic approach is harder to appreciate (especially in some of his comedy scores) and yet here it's different. It is crazy and yet fetching, it is wild and yet somewhat approachable. The longest tracks present this mayhem the best in "A Narrow Escape" (covering more Elfman than usual) and "The Haunting" which throws all effects, fanfares and energy together to form one wild ride. The shorter tracks that offer this energy are still abundant as well in their approach. The Pee Wee like "Let's Get Sticky", the typical fanfare moment in "Hammer Throw" or the crazy "The Newt Dance". They are what makes David Newman tick.
The cues that work in between this energetic magic are in fact rather good. The FBI is represented through a funny organ tune. Yet it are the sound design effects that put the biggest smile on your face. "Chrunchem Hall" has these ethnic touches that make of it a creepy place, the electric guitar moment in "Trunchbull's Office" is downright brilliant and "Trunchbull Teaches Class" and "Trunchbull's House" show that Newman still has it.
Got it he always had, amazing are still the moments where his fanfares dictate everything else. The finest track of them all didn't even feature on the bootleg and that is what made the Club Release even more important for me to discover. Or how else can you express the brilliance of "Brucie Eats it All"? The Matilda theme in rapid form and the sublime fanfares that create a never before felt magical effect. The same for the end in "End of the Trunchbull", even though it must traverse more energized moments first.
In general, to call Matilda one of Newman's best is pushing it. Because apart from all the magical sound effects, moments and various killer tracks, Matilda still hops around in the more crazy comedic Newman sense. But that the score has heart, gusto and magic is downright telling the truth. It's not an album I would advise Newman newbies to pick up, but a fanatic and connoisseur of Newman's music will surely find that magical Matilda style worthy of repeated twists.
Tracklisting
1. Newborn (0.43)
2. Home from the Hospital (1.35)
3. Million Dollar Sticky Show (0.35)
4. Mathilda Writes her Name (1.11)
5. To the Library and Beyond (3.04) Excellent track
6. Teardrop (0.40)
7. Hair Tonic (1.48)
8. The FBI (0.56)
9. Wormwood Motors (1.16)
10. Let's Get Sticky (0.45)
11. After the Explosion (0.35)
12. Chrunchem Hall (3.18)
13. Hammer Throw (0.53)
14. Ms. Honey (1.01)
15. Multiplication (1.50)
16. Trunchbull's Office (1.12)
17. Let Him Eat Cake (3.04)
18. Brucie Eats it All (2.16) Excellent track
19. Trunchbull Teaches Class (2.37)
20. Drinking the Newt (0.47)
21. The Newt Dance (1.38)
22. Ms. Honey's Story (2.30)
23. Trunchbull's House (3.43)
24. A Narrow Escape (5.18)
25. Discovering her Powers (1.17)
26. FBI in the Garage (0.57)
27. Another Crime in the Making (0.37)
28. Carrot (0.19)
29. The Haunting (5.29)
30. The Pitcher (1.16)
31. End of the Trunchbull (6.34) Excellent track
32. Adoption (0.51)
Total Length: 60.51