Danny Elfman - The Corpse Bride (20 tracks) +Album Reviews

Elfman's talent shines in Corpse Bride...

James Head | NC, USA | 09/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Without a doubt, the Burton/Elfman/(Depp) pairing (or trio) has been a profitable and impressive one in the past. With outings such as THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BEETLEJUICE, SLEEPY HOLLOW, and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, I am amazed at what an outstanding director and composer/conductor can do together.

CORPSE BRIDE is certainly no exception. Elfman's talent pours from this impressive compilation of ditties and instrumental pieces set in the Gothic-like days of yore. Victor and Victoria, who have never met, are set to be wed, and their families react differently to this occasion in the track entitled "According to Plan." This delightfully funny and rich tune sets the stage for the rest of the album, which contains a mix of several more vocal tracks and many instrumental tunes.

The gothic feel prevails elsewhere on the album, with liberal use of the harpsichord and organ. Instrumentals such as "In the Forest," "Moon Dance," and "Finale" ooze with gothic mystique and a sense of times gone by. Each time, Elfman captures the essence of emotion and action from the film, translating it flawlessly into music, both with and without words.

In the moving "Tears to Shed," Helena Bonham Carter laments the Corpse Bride's dilemma with humor and a touch of sorrow. Elfman himself voices Bonejangles, who belts out "Remains of the Day" with jazzy style. The final vocal track, "The Wedding Song" is a melliflous mix of styles that sends the listener on a truly marvelous journey. Its exciting, allegro pace is full of transitions as those involved with the wedding take turns sharing their points-of-view -- all building to a truly magnificent and brilliant cadence.

I must say that I disagree with the Amazon reviewer's opinion that this album shows Elfman overextending himself. While the soundtrack to CHARLIE... was most excellent, CORPSE BRIDE runs in a different musical vein. Its style, while often satirical and humorous, is distinctly old-worldly; perhaps even other-worldly. The notion that Elfman has overextended himself simply isn't the case -- the orchestrations here are rich and full, the lyrics clever and appropriate for all ages, and the overall ambience created by the album is one of slightly spooky, very kooky fun.

Elfman's delicate touch and distinctive style should not be missed here. You won't regret the chuckles you'll get from the vocal performances, nor will you the humming you'll do as you continue to sing the tunes to yourself long after you're done listening. Very highly recommended."

Danny Elfman is My Hero

Casey Germane | CF, IA | 01/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's face it, he's the master of opening titles. The opening to this score will not disappoint! I love how it starts like a fairy tale then changes into a monotonous, gray tune that at the same time is still really pretty.

The harpsichord rules this album for the most part, the majority of the music being awesome Baroque/Victorian/Gothic scores...they're simply astounding. Bits of 20's style jazz is sprinkled throughout. It's cool and relaxed and so much fun!

A few highlights (besides the Main Titles):

Victor's Piano Solo- a calming, Beethoven-esque piano piece with a, erm, rather abrupt ending.

Moon Dance- comparable to Ice Dance from Edward Scissorhands, but has more of an ethereal beauty to it.

Piano Duet- Just listen to it.

New Arrival- I think it's about 30 or 40 seconds long, but it's this amazing blast of jazz!

Finale- beautiful...Danny Elfman rocks the finales all the time, too.

End Credits Part 1- Lovely. Amazing cello and piano stuff here.

Then there are four additional jazz songs by "Bonejangles and His Bone Boys". You won't regret buying this!

"

Victorian Meets Jazz In A Wonderful CD

Lauren | Tacoma, WA USA | 09/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This soundtrack is wonderful! It lives up to Danny Elfman's astouding career easily. Let's go through the songs:

1)Main Titles- A great opening piece. The mysterious elements blend seamlessly with the Victorian sound Elfman plays with throughout the movie.

2)According to Plan- You know a song is good when it entertains and informs at the same time! It's tons of fun to hear these wonderful British actors singing together.

3)Victor's Piano Solo- Pretty self-explanatory. Beautiful tune.

4)Into The Forest- A soft beginning turns into a tune of wonderment, soon followed by ringing notes of terror. Classic Elfman heard here--very cool.

5)Remains of the Day- The song where Elfman's voice shines, it is also the introduction of jazz into the story. A highly morbid song, sang with happy sounding music, is always awesome and welcome in Burton/Elfman collaborations. (My personal favorite!)

6)Casting A Spell- Another song that blends mystery with some Victorian. Eerie, yet... catching.

7) Moon dance- This song is beautiful, and has a very creative tune. It brings curiousity to my mind, for some reason.

8)Victor's Deception- The music portrays many emotions in this song--from horror vibes at the beginning to sweet and sad in the end.

9)Tears To Shed- I love this song as well! 8 provides a perfect introduction. Helena Bonham Carter's voice is full of emotion, and Jane Horrocks and Enn Reitel have wonderful character voices that make the song what it is.

10)Victoria's Escape- Full of Victorian Horror music, with some pretty melodies played in the middle.

11)The Piano Duet- Excellent. Just excellent. This piece is just so cool; especially near the end. The voices at the end are very cool too.

12)New Arrival- A very short, very jazzy piece. Catchy.

13)Victoria's Wedding- An interesting piece, with rapidly changing emotions. A happy ending is there.

14)The Wedding Song- The fourth and last lyrical piece. This one is absolutely wonderful! At times slow, at others fast, it's always a happy excitable smash.

15)The Party Arrives- This song seems to have a different tune every couple seconds-it seems to describe everyone arriving, one by one. Very cool.

16)Victor's Wedding-At times, it is quiet and almost morose, but eventually, the happiness can be heard coming back. It's filled with hope and joy, with only a touch of sadness.

17)Barkis's Bummer- Very low note song. Mysterious with a touch of fear. Intriguing chords.

18)The Finale- This is the lightest song on the soundtrack. You can feel the happy ending in each individual note.

19) and 20) End Credits parts 1&2- A very fun way to watch the credits. Jazzy, cool, and a good summary of the songs heard throughout the movie.

Bonus Tracks- Excellent interpretations of songs from the movie-it could pass for a jazz act!

This is an excellent soundtrack! Trust me, you won't regret buying it.

"

Dark, Beautiful, Humorous, and Touching

Lauren | 11/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this soundtrack on October 15, since I was totally dying to see the movie and I read a bunch of reviews fot the album on this website, reading that it was really good. So I went to Tower Records and bought this soundtrack along with a $20.00 gift card as a birthday present for my BFF. I listened to this soundtrack right when I got home, and I LOVED IT!! Right when I put the CD into my CD player, put on my earphones, and turned on the CD player, I heard the main titles for the first time. It was a gorgeous melody, and I listened to the whole CD. I enjoyed every single track, even though a few weren't that impressive, such as track #12)New Arrival, and the Bonus Tracks From Bonejangles and His Bone Boys. But some of the songs were very special to me, and I'm thrilled to hear that Corpse Bride is an animated musical, since I love those kind of movies as a toddler, and still do as a 12-year-old. However, it's disappointing that there's only 4 songs with lyrics when I bet Danny Elfman could've composed even more awesome songs with lyrics for this movie. But if he did do that, then it would take longer to animate this movie, considering how the producers took about a decade to film this movie. Anyway, here's what I say about my favorite songs, which I listen to almost every night before I sleep.

1)Main Titles: This was a great beginning to the album, with a lot of sweet instrument playing this piece and a great, touching melody.

2)According To Plan: I was really, really impressed with this song. I loved how Victor's and Victoria's parents were fussing over the arranged wedding in this catchy, amusing song. I just LOVE that clever line that goes, "and that's why everything, every last little thing, every single, tiny, microscopic, little thing must gooooooooo according to plan!"

3)Victor's Piano Solo: Wow. I was so moved by this piece. It's so beautiful, it took my breath away. Since I didn't see the movie yet, I visualized Victor playing his solo in private in a Victorian parlor with warm sunshine streaming from a window upon him and his piano.

5)Remains of the Day: I love the jazzy, upbeat melody and singing that Bonejangles sings to Victor about the tragic story of Emily the Corpse Bride. Two thumbs up for the creative lyrics!

9)Tears To Shed: The parts when the Black Widow and the Maggot sing are amusing and a little cheesy, but Emily, who is voiced by the beautiful actress Helena Bonham Carter, sings so beautifully and I can hear the sadness reflected in her voice. I love the flute that plays in the background when she sings.

11)The Piano Duet: It's SO beautiful, especially when it switches from the melody of Tears To Shed to this beautiful, moving melody with a quick beat. I can see why people wished the piano pieces were longer.

14)The Wedding Song: I can see why people say this is their least favorite song on the soundtrack. I used to think it was lame and weird, but I like it now. My favorite part is when the female singers sing about how Emily the Corpse Bride has arrived and that her dream of marriage has come true.

18)The Finale: Gorgeous piece. It's touching and perfect for the ending of a great story.

19)End Credits Part 1: I liked this piece a little better than the Main Titles. It's very beautiful, how it started out with a solemn solo by the piano with a instrument that sounds like the windchimes, and then long, sad notes from the cello. The violins and violas were beautiful, and I loved it when the flute played, since I'm a flute player myself.

I LOVE THIS SOUNDTRACK!!!! I haven't seen the movie yet, and people say it's weird, but this is totally the kind of movies I love to watch!Customers, if you're a freak for Corpse Bride, or if you haven't seen the movie and you're dying to see it, I recommend this item to you. I hope you'll enjoy this soundtrack as much as I do!"

Can a Heart Still Break Once It Has Stopped Beating?

Karen Loo. | Chicago, IL | 09/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Corpse Bride is a visually stunning piece of stop motion, but as with many of Tim Burton's film, it is the talent of Danny Elfman that really gives it the kick it needs. And what a kick it is.

The Corpse Bride doesn't have nearly as many vocal tracks as Nightmare Before Christmas (only 4) which was sort of disappointing. Perhaps it was unnecessary, as some of our key characters express themselves pretty clearly in their shy ways and don't need a song. Still, I'm a sucker for singing along, so I'm quite thankful for the grand, stylish, jazzy tune of "Remains of the Day," my favorite song on the album, sang by Mr. Elfman himself, amongst others. Other vocals include "According to Plan," which sets up our story, "Tears to Shed" with a lovely chorus by Helena Bonham Carter, and "The Wedding Song" in which we reach the climax of our story. Fine tracks, to be sure.

As I said, our main characters are pretty introverted and thus more emphasis was placed on the instrumentals. "The Piano Duet" has to be my favorite piece, and I agree with those that say they wish it was longer. "Victor's Piano Solo" is also excellent. The background music is perfect for the film, each song lending to the fantastic, ethereal character thereof. The "Main Titles" are akin to Edward Scissorhands. Most of the songs are quiet and dreamy, with the exception of "The Party Arrives" and the 42-second "New Arrival," and will remind you of every detail of the snowy, gray world of The Corpse Bride.

As a bonus, there are 4 tracks not in the movie, played in the style of the character Bonejangles' band. These are lots of fun and a nice added treat.

Overall, this is a well-constructed album and recommended to any fan of the film, Danny Elfman, or those with a taste for soft orchestral music."

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