NELL
Rating: 
Original Review: Nell is my first foray into the world of Mark Isham and, I'll admit, I'm quite impressed. Mark uses synthesisers and electric instruments as well as flutes, but the music never seems forced: it all flows quite nicely and naturally. However, having seen the film, the main title, 'Welcome to Robbinsville', was certainly not what I was expecting: it's a toe-tapping hoe-down piece with a catchy beat that really does conjure up images of rural USA. However, after this really upbeat opening, the score settles down to the stuff I was expecting: mysterious, almost other-worldly, with lots of wind instruments and harps and the like. 'The Woman in Grey' starts with a rather unsettling 'wind' effect, but soon becomes a gentle, enigmatic track; 'God Has Led You Here' is a flute solo and is very ethereal in nature and the theme for 'Nell' herself contains a very slow, thoughtful rendition of the Robbinsville theme on pipes. One of my favourite cues is 'Milly' where Isham finally bends to emotion and allows a trio of violins to accompany his flautists, bringing an extra dimension and depth to the understated orchestrations, and this is repeated in the cue 'Trees in the Wind', which again is beautiful and contains elements of the Robbinsville theme under the flutes. The best section of the album, if you like soft, gentle, moving music starts here and finishes with #16 'Makin' Love', each track in between featuring delicate flutes and serene strings playing lush, dreamlike melodies. 'A Glass Wall' is a much more, dramatically heightened piece, with a prominent drumbeat adding a touch of urgency to the cue. Again, the album finishes with two excellent cues, once again featuring flute solos. Mark Isham was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Nell in 1995 and you can see why: it's not music to fall in love with, or to inspire you, or to get your blood pumping. It's simply beautiful.
Track Listing:
- Welcome to Robbinsville (Theme from Nell) (3:52)
- The Woman in Gray (3:34)
- God Has Led You Here (2:41)
- A Wild Woman (1:57)
- Nell (2:21)
- Milly (1:54)
- Robbinsville (Reprise) (4:22)
- A Trick of Light (4:23)
- Eva'durs (3:03)
- Twins (1:02)
- Trees in the Wind (2:08)
- Thou Art Beautiful O My Love (1:41)
- Swimming and Popcorn (1:38)
- Doana Kee (1:13)
- Hungry for Quietness (1:29)
- Makin' Love (1:01)
- A Glass Wall (1:59)
- Into Eachother's Eyes (4:32)
- Don't Weep For Nell (3:22)
Running Time: 48 minutes 12 seconds
London/Decca 444-818-4 (1995)
Music composed by Mark Isham. Conducted and orchestrated by Ken Kugler. Flute solos performed by Jim Walker. Recorded and mixed by Stephen Krause. Edited by Tom Carlson. Mastered by Joe Gastwirt. Album produced by Mark Isham.
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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.