The Bucket List
Marc Shaiman
" a score that doesn't warrant a soundtrack album at all "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Rumor has it that Marc Shaiman is back in town. Ironically this was the last movie he scored in 2005, before falling onto the money wagon success of Hairspray. From then on Rob Reiner recruited him to support him as he always has done on his movies. Now The Bucket List was the assignment they were facing, and it seems Reiner is still a respected director amongst the viewers. Because The Bucket List may have 2 Oscar stars on board, the box office numbers weren't lying that Reiner is still in top form. For the movies of Reiner, Marc Shaiman always had a supportive enjoyable answer ready. And The Bucket List couldn't stay outside that list.
It is then also a huge surprise that The Bucket List doesn't do a thing for me at all. I didn't expect the next best thing, but I didn't expect the laid back nature of the score as well. It is background ambiance, supportive music without making a huge statement in both melody as comedy. It is dreamy and airy, creating more a feeling the 2 old geezers accept the fate that they have come to the last stop in their respected lives. Or basically totally the opposite as what the movie is trying to tell.
The main theme heard in "Hospital Hallway", "Like Smoke Through a Keyhole" and "Best in LA" isn't a keeper, but an acceptable piano and sax led melody nonetheless. Neither emotionally strong or comically balanced, it will easily be forgotten after a while. The same for the more sleazy background jazz. "Hotel Source", "Did you Hear It?" or "Flying Home" are supportive background cues that will fly past your ears quicker than you expect. Only the last one is noticed because it holds the main theme in its sleazy sax version.
Dreamy music, dreamy piano music, it all turns up in the latter tracks. Only stuff like "The Mountain" is noticeable due to the warmer influence of Shaiman's biggest tear jerker of all Patch Adams. And "End Credits" isn't new at all but entertaining nonetheless. And with piano and strings it ends an extremely short album. However all the more lucky because I couldn't handle more minutes of this laid back background score. For many reasons, this is now a score that doesn't warrant a soundtrack album at all. Truthfully I think it had more to do with the fact Varèse could unleash the bonus cues, alternate tracks and a sign of Shaiman material they released in the past.
Luckily, the material isn't what you expect to hear. Expect fresh takes on all the material you think you already have. And then I'm talking about "A Seed of Grain (Theme from the American President)", receiving a choral version where it is sung by the Clurman singers. Honestly, I like the main theme more in the original version, but I nonetheless like the way they handled it. And further along expect piano versions of the main themes of City Slickers, Simon Birch, North, South Park, a tango piano version of The Addams Family or a funny version of Goldfinger (aka Printmaster).
While it is nice to have everything released nowadays, an album as this without the bonus cues would have released a big void in my mind. The Bucket List doesn't have material that warrants itself as interesting, refreshing or original and only die hard fans of Shaiman will be lucky they have it. And only because then they can brag they have the CD. It may seem like a brilliant scenario to unleash alternate takes as bonus material, but I don't think it will return a lot in my CD player. For that the original takes are way more interesting. So The Bucket List + bonuses are a neat way to release music, but if they think that the manner will take over the interest, they are wrong.
The Bucket List: **1/2
Bonus Cues: ***
Total Rating **1/2
Tracklisting
1. Hospital Hallway (0.49)
2. Like Smoke Through a Keyhole (1.59)
3. Best in LA (1.21)
4. Really Bad News (1.50)
5. La Vie en Rose (Gassion / Guglielmi) (2.26)
6. Hotel Source (1.14)
7. Did you Hear It? (2.24)
8. Flying Home (1.17)
9. Homecomings (3.29)
10. Life and Death (3.54)
11. The Mountain (2.22)
12. End Credits (3.54)
Memory Lane (Junk in my Trunk)
13. A Seed of Grain (Theme from the American President) * (3.10)
14. City Slickers (2.29)
15. Simon Birch (2.13)
16. The Addams Family (1.33)
17. Mother (1.07)
18. North (2.12)
19. A Wink and a Smile (from Sleepless in Seattle (2.22)
20. Blame Canada (from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) (1.46)
21. Mr. Saturday Night (2.23)
22. Goldfinger (aka Printmaster) ** (2.13)
23. What Makes a Family (Theme from Stuart Saves his Family) (1.29)
* Lyrics by Ramsey McLean, Chorus: The Clurman Singers
** Music by John Barry, original lyrics by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse
Total Length: 50.08
It is then also a huge surprise that The Bucket List doesn't do a thing for me at all. I didn't expect the next best thing, but I didn't expect the laid back nature of the score as well. It is background ambiance, supportive music without making a huge statement in both melody as comedy. It is dreamy and airy, creating more a feeling the 2 old geezers accept the fate that they have come to the last stop in their respected lives. Or basically totally the opposite as what the movie is trying to tell.
The main theme heard in "Hospital Hallway", "Like Smoke Through a Keyhole" and "Best in LA" isn't a keeper, but an acceptable piano and sax led melody nonetheless. Neither emotionally strong or comically balanced, it will easily be forgotten after a while. The same for the more sleazy background jazz. "Hotel Source", "Did you Hear It?" or "Flying Home" are supportive background cues that will fly past your ears quicker than you expect. Only the last one is noticed because it holds the main theme in its sleazy sax version.
Dreamy music, dreamy piano music, it all turns up in the latter tracks. Only stuff like "The Mountain" is noticeable due to the warmer influence of Shaiman's biggest tear jerker of all Patch Adams. And "End Credits" isn't new at all but entertaining nonetheless. And with piano and strings it ends an extremely short album. However all the more lucky because I couldn't handle more minutes of this laid back background score. For many reasons, this is now a score that doesn't warrant a soundtrack album at all. Truthfully I think it had more to do with the fact Varèse could unleash the bonus cues, alternate tracks and a sign of Shaiman material they released in the past.
Luckily, the material isn't what you expect to hear. Expect fresh takes on all the material you think you already have. And then I'm talking about "A Seed of Grain (Theme from the American President)", receiving a choral version where it is sung by the Clurman singers. Honestly, I like the main theme more in the original version, but I nonetheless like the way they handled it. And further along expect piano versions of the main themes of City Slickers, Simon Birch, North, South Park, a tango piano version of The Addams Family or a funny version of Goldfinger (aka Printmaster).
While it is nice to have everything released nowadays, an album as this without the bonus cues would have released a big void in my mind. The Bucket List doesn't have material that warrants itself as interesting, refreshing or original and only die hard fans of Shaiman will be lucky they have it. And only because then they can brag they have the CD. It may seem like a brilliant scenario to unleash alternate takes as bonus material, but I don't think it will return a lot in my CD player. For that the original takes are way more interesting. So The Bucket List + bonuses are a neat way to release music, but if they think that the manner will take over the interest, they are wrong.
The Bucket List: **1/2
Bonus Cues: ***
Total Rating **1/2
Tracklisting
1. Hospital Hallway (0.49)
2. Like Smoke Through a Keyhole (1.59)
3. Best in LA (1.21)
4. Really Bad News (1.50)
5. La Vie en Rose (Gassion / Guglielmi) (2.26)
6. Hotel Source (1.14)
7. Did you Hear It? (2.24)
8. Flying Home (1.17)
9. Homecomings (3.29)
10. Life and Death (3.54)
11. The Mountain (2.22)
12. End Credits (3.54)
Memory Lane (Junk in my Trunk)
13. A Seed of Grain (Theme from the American President) * (3.10)
14. City Slickers (2.29)
15. Simon Birch (2.13)
16. The Addams Family (1.33)
17. Mother (1.07)
18. North (2.12)
19. A Wink and a Smile (from Sleepless in Seattle (2.22)
20. Blame Canada (from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) (1.46)
21. Mr. Saturday Night (2.23)
22. Goldfinger (aka Printmaster) ** (2.13)
23. What Makes a Family (Theme from Stuart Saves his Family) (1.29)
* Lyrics by Ramsey McLean, Chorus: The Clurman Singers
** Music by John Barry, original lyrics by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse
Total Length: 50.08