MY LIFE
Rating: 
Original Review: John Barry's score for this unashamed tear-jerker of a movie is one for the romantics: lush, sentimental almost to the point of being sickly, but undeniably beautiful. The whole score is played almost exclusively on flutes, violins and piano and, to be fair, the first eleven cues don't differ very much, but I find that I don't get tired of hearing the theme: it has such a pureness and clarity that you wish it would go on forever. It reminds me a little of the 'Two Socks' theme from Dances with Wolves, in that it is quite playful, but carries a deep emotional resonance which transcends the superficial pleasantness. A secondary theme, which is first heard briefly in 'A Childhood Wish', sounds like an old Wurlitzer piece, as though you can imagine a huge organ appearing from beneath the floor of a stage, playing it's light hearted little ditty. The theme, which I am naming 'The Childhood Theme' gets another airing in 'Child's Play', and a third, more downbeat theme is heard in the opening moments of 'I'm Still in the Game'. The only really different cue is 'The Circus', which has a jazz feel and is played on smooth strings, a piano kept by a tambourine beat; and 'The Roller Coaster', which sounds like the final cue from Dances with Wolves, with a forceful drumbeat and rising strings. The End Title is the longest cue and last and, I feel, presents the best rendition of the main theme to bring the album to a close.
Track Listing:
- Main Title (1:37)
- A Childhood Wish (2:40)
- Pictures from the Past (1:26)
- I'm Still in the Game (3:12)
- My Life: Love Theme (1:35)
- The Old Neighbourhood (1:51)
- I Used To Hide In There (2:02)
- You're A Believer (1:42)
- My Last Trip Home (1:53)
- Moments (2:58)
- D-Day (1:53)
- Child's Play (2:57)
- The Circus (2:15)
- Nice To Meet You, Brian (2:19)
- The Roller Coaster (2:04)
- End Title (3:20)
Running Time: 33 minutes 43 seconds
Epic Soundtrax 475510-4 (1993)
Music composed and conducted by John Barry. Orchestrations by Greig McRitchie. Piano solos performed by Mike Lang. Recorded and mixed by Shawn Murphy. Edited by Cliff Kohlweck. Mastered by Dave Collins. Album produced by John Barry.
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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1997. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.