Up Close and Personal
Thomas Newman
" Close and personal Thomas Newman "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Up Close & Personal is a romantic drama film directed by Jon Avnet, starring Robert Redford as a news director and Michelle Pfeiffer as his protegée, with Stockard Channing, Joe Mantegna and Kate Nelligan in supporting roles. The movie itself failed to inspire critics, but was nonetheless a box office success and its song "Because you Love Me" was nominated for an Academy Award. The music on the other hand wasn't, but cemented Thomas Newman's name and fame for these kinds of motion pictures. And it is understandable that the music shares a lot in common with efforts before and after Up Close and Personal.
"Miss Sierra Logger" opens with the 2 styles you'll encounter during this listen. First the typical Newman-esque music for soft strings, flute and piano. This side of him is the most recognizable, and was used with excellent effect in the trailer of K-Pax. This is repeated in "Philly Rebound". The second style is an unexpected breeze, a mambo flavored rhythm that sets the score from time to time into motion. Most notably when artists Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri deliver something similar during 2 additional tracks.
And so the score is divided between these 2 styles. However one comes in contact as well with Newman's lovely orchestral softness (piano during "A Week Eight Days", "Vulgar Innuendo", "Sun & Moon") or during Newman's enchanting string work ("Up Close", "Upwind" and "She Knows Now"). A third sound occasionally meshes with these, and that's a somewhat darker suspenseful tone. Luckily dark doesn't necessarily mean weaker considering "Uprise", "Moral High Ground" and "Los Locos" still has an enjoyable (and above all effective) effect. "Cellblock C" does dare to take it down a harsher road, with a lot of percussive effects heightening the dramatic effect on screen.
Up Close and Personal holds the trademark maneuvers of Thomas Newman, with an occasional new flavor coming from the mambo inspired pieces. But for the majority of the time, we are hearing a score we have heard from him again and again. But I don't mean this in a bad way. Despite Up Close and Personal being very recognizable, there's this kind of magical feeling coming from Newman's soft meandering music, occasional darker tones and Newman's brief but interesting mambo music. And if you put all that together, you receive a score that's very recommendable for a background listen whilst doing something else.
Tracklisting
1. Miss Sierra Logger (2.56)
2. A Week Eight Days (2.33)
3. Uprise (1.30)
4. Vulgar Innuendo (0.58)
5. Hong Kong Mambo * (3.47)
6. Up Close (2.45) Excellent track
7. Moral High Ground (1.41)
8. So Much Cherry Piecrust (2.31)
9. Café ** (6.37)
10. Sun & Moon (1.11)
11. Los Locos (2.11)
12. Upwind (2.46)
13. Cellblock C (2.38)
14. Philly Rebound (1.21)
15. No Justice (2.03)
16. Bonefish (1.50)
17. She Knows Now (2.23) Excellent track
* Written and Performed by Tito Puente
** Written by Robert Gueits and Fernando Lopez, Performed by Eddie Palmieri
Total Length: 41.41
"Miss Sierra Logger" opens with the 2 styles you'll encounter during this listen. First the typical Newman-esque music for soft strings, flute and piano. This side of him is the most recognizable, and was used with excellent effect in the trailer of K-Pax. This is repeated in "Philly Rebound". The second style is an unexpected breeze, a mambo flavored rhythm that sets the score from time to time into motion. Most notably when artists Tito Puente and Eddie Palmieri deliver something similar during 2 additional tracks.
And so the score is divided between these 2 styles. However one comes in contact as well with Newman's lovely orchestral softness (piano during "A Week Eight Days", "Vulgar Innuendo", "Sun & Moon") or during Newman's enchanting string work ("Up Close", "Upwind" and "She Knows Now"). A third sound occasionally meshes with these, and that's a somewhat darker suspenseful tone. Luckily dark doesn't necessarily mean weaker considering "Uprise", "Moral High Ground" and "Los Locos" still has an enjoyable (and above all effective) effect. "Cellblock C" does dare to take it down a harsher road, with a lot of percussive effects heightening the dramatic effect on screen.
Up Close and Personal holds the trademark maneuvers of Thomas Newman, with an occasional new flavor coming from the mambo inspired pieces. But for the majority of the time, we are hearing a score we have heard from him again and again. But I don't mean this in a bad way. Despite Up Close and Personal being very recognizable, there's this kind of magical feeling coming from Newman's soft meandering music, occasional darker tones and Newman's brief but interesting mambo music. And if you put all that together, you receive a score that's very recommendable for a background listen whilst doing something else.
Tracklisting
1. Miss Sierra Logger (2.56)
2. A Week Eight Days (2.33)
3. Uprise (1.30)
4. Vulgar Innuendo (0.58)
5. Hong Kong Mambo * (3.47)
6. Up Close (2.45) Excellent track
7. Moral High Ground (1.41)
8. So Much Cherry Piecrust (2.31)
9. Café ** (6.37)
10. Sun & Moon (1.11)
11. Los Locos (2.11)
12. Upwind (2.46)
13. Cellblock C (2.38)
14. Philly Rebound (1.21)
15. No Justice (2.03)
16. Bonefish (1.50)
17. She Knows Now (2.23) Excellent track
* Written and Performed by Tito Puente
** Written by Robert Gueits and Fernando Lopez, Performed by Eddie Palmieri
Total Length: 41.41