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| • | Newest Major Reviews: | . | • | This Week's Most Popular Reviews: | • | Best-Selling Albums: | ||
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you want to hear a deadly serious, introverted journey of a small ensemble to recover from enormous personal loss. Avoid it... if the music you want to hear commemorate 9/11 for your personal purposes is grand, heroic, patriotic or soothing. Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Danna's score is restrained to the level of interaction between two characters. There is no representation of the attack, the large scale recovery efforts you saw on the news, or even the music you heard at the memorials that followed a year later. The score is introspective in every way, relying on the solo piano to provide its contemplation. It is accompanied by themeless performances by a handful of woodwinds and strings. The first score track, "My Beautiful, Gleaming...," and finale cue, "Follow Me," offer the only six to eight minutes of redeeming music, or material that even hints at a positive healing. The majority of the score is a meandering piano, trying to find its path, and this experience, with only a simple, slow theme and often no accompaniment at all, causing the score for The Guys to dwell in despair much like the fire captain does. It is a sober reminder of the pain and suffering of New York, and while it may suffice to great degree in the film, it may not transfer as well to album. If anything, the music serves as a reminder of the growth and pain the evolved out of the tragedy without any of the positive highlights. For the purpose of accompanying the characters of the film, Danna's effort is commendable. The fourth cue on the album, "Are You Okay?," presents some spectacular, of not equally depressing piano cues. The Sony Classical album is book-ended by two noteworthy cues. It opens with a solitary and moving performance of a traditional Irish folk song that was arranged by Danna for this film. It is performed by Mary Fahl, whose voice was so well utilized for the Civil War epic Gods and Generals in the same year. Her ability to bridge her voice between American and Irish styles effectively serves to remind audiences of the heavy Irish tradition in the New York police and fire departments. She also contributes wordless vocals to several score cues. The album furthers this tribute with a recording of the song by the New York Fire Department Emerald Society Pipe and Drums. Danna's score does not repeat these Irish influences, making the album well balanced. A short album, the music is not what you would expect to hear from a 9/11-related tale. It is ultimately a depressing listening experience with minimal activity and unfortunately, when presented on its own, reminds us of only the solemn side of the event, and none of the greater perseverance which prevailed. ***
The insert includes no extra information about the score or film. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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