Sister Act
Marc Shaiman
" Brace yourself, sisters. Spread out and look for Mary Clarence. Try to blend in! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
I must confess, this soundtrack was purchased solely for the songs and never for the score. But what I got was a bunch of good songs and a very enjoyable score alongside of it. So Sister Act is just perfect for those that enjoyed the excellent comedy starring Whoopie Goldberg and Maggie Smith. The songs will be reviewed per category, because you have the songs that make the film (meaning the adaptations that are sung by Dolores and the Sisters), you have the classic oldies and then you also have the modern selections. So, we have to grade these separately. But of course, we can not deny the 4 diverse selections of composer Marc Shaiman as well.
Perhaps we will start with the songs first. For instance we stumble upon various classics such as "Rescue Me" or "Roll with me Henry", songs that don't need an introduction anymore. We also discover new but fitting material as well, with "Just a Touch of Love" being perhaps the most important one, as it underscores the transformation during the movie. The reason however Sister Act scored so well with audiences was because Dolores and the Sister cooked up something surprising, even for mother superior.
The faithful "Hail Holy Queen", the bouncy "My Guy (My God)" or the absolute treasure "Finale: I Will Follow Him", all 3 songs will have made an impact on you during the movie. Marc Shaiman is of course to thank for this as well. On the back cover it clearly states that the music and the adaptations are by Marc Shaiman as well, so the praise should go to him as well. Now, speaking of the composer, his sole work might not mean much behind all those catchy tunes but he still brought something worth hearing, especially if you dig that personal touch.
The style we are discovering here is good old fun jazz (like for instance the stuff you can hear in City Slickers 2), it appears in "The Murder" and "Nuns to the Rescue" are just so much fun to listen to. Both carry a great amusing spirit and carry above all some nice surprises. The second track offers us a Benny Hill moment (1.24) but also two dialogue sequences. Do not worry, these are heard very briefly and are well chosen moments of dialogue, they will definitely be enjoyed by everyone. For the rest we have a short sneaky moment in track 3 and more of the same in track 10.
If we want to summarize Sister Act in general, it is plain old fun music. The songs will of course be the reason most of you will buy this soundtrack, because that's the strength of the film in general. But through listening to the songs, you also come in contact with a fun, neat little score composed by Marc Shaiman, and that is important too. Sister Act is a fun album for a fun movie and I must congratulate Shaiman for this, because I know that he had a hand in both the song and the music, making it a hoot of an album even after all this time.
Score: ***
Songs: ****
Tracklisting
1. The Lounge Medley: Deloris & The Ronelles (3.40)
2. The Murder * (2.18)
3. Getting Into the Habit * (2.39)
4. Rescue Me: Fontella Bass (2.54)
5. Hail Holy Queen: Deloris & The Sisters (3.19) Excellent track
6. Roll With Me Henry: Etta James (2.56)
7. Gravy: Dee Dee Sharp (2.11)
8. My Guy (My God): Deloris & The Sisters (2.27)
9. Just a Touch of Love (Everyday): C&C Music Factory (5.38)
10. Deloris is Kidnapped * (1.42)
11. Nuns to the Rescue *+ (4.46)
12. Finale: I Will Follow Him: Deloris & The Sisters (3.12) Excellent track
13. Shout: Deloris & The Sisters & The Ronelles (4.15) Excellent track
14. If My Sister's in Trouble: Lady Soul (4.00)
* Soundtrack composed by Marc Shaiman
+ Containing dialogue
Total Length: 46.24
Perhaps we will start with the songs first. For instance we stumble upon various classics such as "Rescue Me" or "Roll with me Henry", songs that don't need an introduction anymore. We also discover new but fitting material as well, with "Just a Touch of Love" being perhaps the most important one, as it underscores the transformation during the movie. The reason however Sister Act scored so well with audiences was because Dolores and the Sister cooked up something surprising, even for mother superior.
The faithful "Hail Holy Queen", the bouncy "My Guy (My God)" or the absolute treasure "Finale: I Will Follow Him", all 3 songs will have made an impact on you during the movie. Marc Shaiman is of course to thank for this as well. On the back cover it clearly states that the music and the adaptations are by Marc Shaiman as well, so the praise should go to him as well. Now, speaking of the composer, his sole work might not mean much behind all those catchy tunes but he still brought something worth hearing, especially if you dig that personal touch.
The style we are discovering here is good old fun jazz (like for instance the stuff you can hear in City Slickers 2), it appears in "The Murder" and "Nuns to the Rescue" are just so much fun to listen to. Both carry a great amusing spirit and carry above all some nice surprises. The second track offers us a Benny Hill moment (1.24) but also two dialogue sequences. Do not worry, these are heard very briefly and are well chosen moments of dialogue, they will definitely be enjoyed by everyone. For the rest we have a short sneaky moment in track 3 and more of the same in track 10.
If we want to summarize Sister Act in general, it is plain old fun music. The songs will of course be the reason most of you will buy this soundtrack, because that's the strength of the film in general. But through listening to the songs, you also come in contact with a fun, neat little score composed by Marc Shaiman, and that is important too. Sister Act is a fun album for a fun movie and I must congratulate Shaiman for this, because I know that he had a hand in both the song and the music, making it a hoot of an album even after all this time.
Score: ***
Songs: ****
Tracklisting
1. The Lounge Medley: Deloris & The Ronelles (3.40)
2. The Murder * (2.18)
3. Getting Into the Habit * (2.39)
4. Rescue Me: Fontella Bass (2.54)
5. Hail Holy Queen: Deloris & The Sisters (3.19) Excellent track
6. Roll With Me Henry: Etta James (2.56)
7. Gravy: Dee Dee Sharp (2.11)
8. My Guy (My God): Deloris & The Sisters (2.27)
9. Just a Touch of Love (Everyday): C&C Music Factory (5.38)
10. Deloris is Kidnapped * (1.42)
11. Nuns to the Rescue *+ (4.46)
12. Finale: I Will Follow Him: Deloris & The Sisters (3.12) Excellent track
13. Shout: Deloris & The Sisters & The Ronelles (4.15) Excellent track
14. If My Sister's in Trouble: Lady Soul (4.00)
* Soundtrack composed by Marc Shaiman
+ Containing dialogue
Total Length: 46.24