Thomas Newman -- The Shawshank Redemption (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
10/10
And it's one of these reviews. The work being reviewed is not only objectively perfect (that's not a subjective statement!), but of deep personal significance, and it stymies me, and I just look at the blank entry in my drafts as time goes by, and I run out of posts. Well, I can no longer prolong my review of Thomas Newman's score for The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorites, which also happens to soundtrack one of my favorite all-time films.
Over time, I've finally gotten over the feeling that it is "basic" to consider The Shawshank Redemption as one of my favorite movies. I don't care that it's been the highest audience scored movie on IMDB for a very long time. The fact of the matter is, The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most powerful, most well-made films ever released. Its themes of hope and resilience resonate with me just as much now, as I approach 40 next year, as they did when I originally watched the film 1000 times on TBS a few years after its release in the 90's. I also have to wonder just how much a musical score has to do with my enjoyment of a film--the vast majority of my favorite films have great ones, and The Shawshank Redemption is no exception: Thomas Newman's score for the film is truly phenomenal.
Newman does a great job of creating a unique musical world for Shawshank. He finds a unique style of playing the piano...somehow sombre and playful at once, backing it up with subtle waves of keyboard, in a way that you can recognize the score just from the tone. The piano often wanders into the soundscape at meditative moments, or moments when time is passing...and it's tough not to imagine Morgan Freeman's voice in the background while listening.
1994 Sony BMG
1. May (0:33)
The score's palette expands, often during the same pieces to encompass the orchestra. Sometimes, a single woodwind pipes in, and sometimes gorgeous swells of strings. During the film's more momentous occasions, the full orchestra plays, often utilizing interesting examples of rising countermelodies. This increases feelings of struggle, a hope to break free. which, when the time finally comes, Newman pays off with brilliant catharsis, particularly on the title track, and my personal favorite, "Compass and Guns," which shows off the piano and keyboard aspects, as well.
The soundtrack features some other nice touches, like sections with fiddles and acoustic guitar, heard particularly on "Workfield," that create a "down home" feeling. There's even some harmonica. The soundtrack also features several songs found in the film, which denote Shawshank's time period or setting, such as The Ink Spots "If I Didn't Care" and Hank Williams "Lovesick Blues." Also included, the song used in the film by protagonist, Andy, to exemplify beauty to the prisoners, "The Marriage of Figaro."
The soundtrack features some other nice touches, like sections with fiddles and acoustic guitar, heard particularly on "Workfield," that create a "down home" feeling. There's even some harmonica. The soundtrack also features several songs found in the film, which denote Shawshank's time period or setting, such as The Ink Spots "If I Didn't Care" and Hank Williams "Lovesick Blues." Also included, the song used in the film by protagonist, Andy, to exemplify beauty to the prisoners, "The Marriage of Figaro."
This soundtrack also reveals more diversity with further listens, as in a few of the films lighter moments, Newman employs some timeless, yet very 90's cinema keyboard textures. I am sure there's more here I will continue to pick up on during the years...and this is just a review of the standard album. La La Land Records recently released an expanded edition featuring even more music from the film.
I mentioned being "basic" in the second paragraph. With that said, my favorite film composer is John Williams...everyone's favorite film composer. Williams is just impossibly good, but it's always nice when another composer reaches those same heights. Thomas Newman's The Shawshank Redemption is there.
1994 Sony BMG
1. May (0:33)
2. Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme) 1:53
3. New Fish 1:50
4. Rock Hammer 1:51
5. An Inch of His Life 2:48
6. "If I Didn't Care" by The Ink Spots 3:03
7. Brooks was Here 5:06
8. His Judgement Cometh 2:00
9. Suds on the Roof 1:36
10. Workfield 1:10
11. Shawshank Redemption 4:26
12. "Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams 2:42
13. Elmo Blatch 1:08
14. Sisters 1:18
15. Zihuatanejo 4:43
16. "The Marriage of Figaro: Duettino - Sull'aria" composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Edith Mathis, Gundula Janowitz, Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Karl Böhm (dir.) 3:32
17. Lovely Raquel 1:55
18. And That Right Soon 1:08
19. Compass and Guns 3:53
20. So was Red 2:44
21. End Title 4:05
3. New Fish 1:50
4. Rock Hammer 1:51
5. An Inch of His Life 2:48
6. "If I Didn't Care" by The Ink Spots 3:03
7. Brooks was Here 5:06
8. His Judgement Cometh 2:00
9. Suds on the Roof 1:36
10. Workfield 1:10
11. Shawshank Redemption 4:26
12. "Lovesick Blues" by Hank Williams 2:42
13. Elmo Blatch 1:08
14. Sisters 1:18
15. Zihuatanejo 4:43
16. "The Marriage of Figaro: Duettino - Sull'aria" composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed by Edith Mathis, Gundula Janowitz, Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Karl Böhm (dir.) 3:32
17. Lovely Raquel 1:55
18. And That Right Soon 1:08
19. Compass and Guns 3:53
20. So was Red 2:44
21. End Title 4:05
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