Music Review: Spirited: Soundtrack, music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Spirited: Soundtrack
by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (and others) (Hoopla Music)

Spirited was a fanciful Christmas musical film produced by AppleTV+, which got a limited theatrical release in late 2022 but will stream exclusively on AppleTV+ by the end of the year. Two soundtrack albums were released — the first was a collection of the 12 original songs written for the film (and performed by the cast) by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. This album was released both digitally and on CD. The other album, released only digitally, featured the instrumental-only score to the film.

 

Through the libraries’ Hoopla digital music service, the Spirited: Soundtrack is available to listen to. The film, a modern twist on the old “A Christmas Carol” chestnut, features Will Ferrell as The Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ryan Reynolds as Clint Briggs, a slick manipulative image consultant who may just be a soul that is too unredeemable for the three Christmas ghosts (and their support crew) to salvage.

 

The film is a hoot — alternately paying loving homage to the concepts and traditions at the core of “A Christmas Carol”, while still poking fun at holiday tropes and the old-fashioned nature of redemption that underlies that story. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are the musical team behind the hit Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen, as well as the musical films La La Land and The Greatest Showman. Songs on this soundtrack range from big song-and-dance numbers featuring the whole cast and large ensemble (“That Christmas Morning Feeling”, “Do a Little Good”), to intimate solos or duets (“The View From Here” featuring Octavia Spencer, and “Unredeemable” featuring Will Ferrell). Some are serious (“The View From Here” and “Unredeemable” and “Do a Little Good”) while others are hilarious (“Bringing Back Christmas”, in which Reynold’s character incites a culture war on behalf of the Christmas Tree Growers Association, and “Good Afternoon”, in which immense fun is poked at the use of that two word phrase to “swear” back in olden times). But my favorite song is amusingly handled as an “outake”, and is performed under the film’s closing credits — “Ripple”, in which Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present talks about the ripple effects of how saving one soul can impact so many others in the world.

 

Absolutely terrific soundtrack!

 

( official Spirited web site ) | ( official Pasek & Paul web site ) | ( Wikipedia entry for the Spirited Soundtrack )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Music Review: Jagged Little Pill: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Jagged Little Pill: Original Broadway Cast Recording

based on music by Alanis Morissette (Hoopla Digital Music)

 

This 2019 Broadway musical makes extensive use of the songs of Alanis Morissette that appeared on her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill in 1995 (as well as other Morissette music). The musical credits the music to Morissette and Glen Ballard, with book by Diablo Cody, and additional music by Michael Farrell and Guy Sigsworth. Morissette wrote two new songs specifically for the musical, “Smiling” and “Predator”, the former of which has subsequently been included on one of her albums.

 

The music all serves as a framing sequence for a story about a family going through some complicated times. Mary Jane “MJ” Healy is a mother, trying to hold her family together, despite the fact that it’s falling apart. Her husband is addicted to pornography, her teenaged daughter Frankie is trying to figure out what her sexual identity is, her “perfect” son Nick can’t live up to his reputation, and MJ herself is addicted to painkillers following a car accident. Iconic Morissette songs, like “All I Really Want”, “Hand in My Pocket”, “Forgiven”, “Hand Over Feet”, “You Oughta Know” and “Uninvited” take on multiple new meanings as sung by these characters, who are trying to find their way through a painful world to some pockets of happiness.

 

Honestly, though I do love Morissette’s original album, the performances and interpretations of these iconic songs by the various cast members of this show have almost more emotional power than the original recordings. Morissette was closely involved in the transition of her work onto the Broadway stage, and is said to be very pleased with how the show turned out. Sadly, the show made its Broadway opening in December 2019, and was one of the many shows to have been shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic — whether the original cast will return to recreate the show once the pandemic is done is unknown. Jagged Little Pill did receive 15 Tony Award nominations, and this album won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The libraries have it available as a digital album through Hoopla, though not as a CD.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original Jagged Little Pill album by Morissette, or the sheet music from the Broadway musical by Alanis Morissette, available in the Polley Music Library.]

[ official Alanis Morissette web site ] | [ official Jagged Little Pill Musical web site ] 

 

See Jeremiah J.’s review of Alanis Morissette’s original Jagged Little Pill album in the July 2013 Staff Recommendations on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Inside In/Inside Out by The Kooks (on Hoopla)

Inside In/Inside Out
by The Kooks [Hoopla Digital Music] 

Nice British indie rock music. Perfect tunes for chilling out by yourself, or with a few friends. I don’t know how else to describe it but it is a favorite of mine, that does not get old or repetitive over the years. Some albums, while pleasant, are not ones to listen to over and over, year after year. I feel this one is upbeat while still being sort of subdued and quiet. If you are looking for some alternative music to the usual pop/rock mix, I’d suggest this. This album is only on Hoopla right now, not on compact disc.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the band Oasis. There are quite a few of their albums available on Hoopla,also.] [ official The Kooks web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you downloaded and/or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Bagpipes of Christmas by The Monros (on Hoopla)

The Bagpipes of Christmas
by The Munros [Hoopla Digital Music] 

Looking for some ever so slightly different holiday music that’s still familiar? I’d suggest this album to you if you are. It’s just what the title says it is, bagpipe Christmas music, but there are also some Scottish melodies included such as Flower of Scotland, Highland Cathedral, Loch Lomond, and Wild Mountain Thyme. The Christmas songs are rather classic ones like Silent Night, Away in a Manger, The First Noel and Walking in the Air. I really enjoyed this album and think it has a somewhat wide appeal, although not everyone likes the bagpipes. This is available on Hoopla as a download or as streaming audio.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Winter’s Crossing, by James Galway (Compact Disc 781.62 IreYg), Scottish Tranquility, by Phil Coulter (Compact Disc 781.62 ScoC) or December, by George Winston (Compact Disc 781.65 Win).]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you listened to or downloaded this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Bagpipe Hero (downloadable music from Hoopla)

Bagpipe Hero
by The Red Hot Chilli Pipers [Hoopla Music] 

This is a rather interesting mix of songs, all preformed on the bagpipes. Scottish classics like Caledonia, Loch Lomond, Flower of Scotland and Highland Cathedral are included alongside pop/rock/alternative songs like Long Way to the Top, Chasing Cars and We Will Rock You. Again these are all played on the bagpipes and it was a little strange hearing some of these songs played that way, but it was fun and upbeat and I would definitely listen to it again. If you enjoy bagpipe music like I do, but feel you’ve listened to the same Scottish songs over and over, this is perfect and refreshing. It may also be appealing if you’ve never listened to the bagpipes and want to try it with some songs that are more recognizable to you than classic Scottish ones.

This album is available on Hoopla to download or stream, either via the app or their website hoopladigital.com.

[If you enjoy this, there are other albums by this band available on Hoopla.] [ official Red Hot Chilli Pipers web site ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Celtic Garden by David Arkenstone

Celtic Garden: A Celtic Tribute to the Music of Sarah Brightman, Enya, Celtic Woman, Secret Garden and More
by David Arkenstone [Hoopla Music]

Perfect music to study or read to, and well worth listening to over again. It’s all Celtic music as the title implies and contains some songs by Enya and some from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, which I quite enjoyed. There are instrumental and vocal tracks included. This would appeal to those looking for relaxing world music. I don’t have any negative feedback on this, other than I wish it were longer.

This album is available on Hoopla to download or stream, either via the app or their website hoopladigital.com.

[ official Celtic Garden on Allmusic.com ]

Recommended by Kristen A.
Gere Branch Library

Have you listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection (on Hoopla)

The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection
by John Carpenter [Hoopla digital streaming service]

Film director John Carpenter is considered to be one of the modern masters of horror or dark suspense films. In addition to writing and directing most of his own works, Carpenter has also created the music for many of his films…though not all of them. This 18-track music collection features some of the signature themes from several of Carpenter’s best known film soundtracks, including: Escape From New York, Halloween, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, The Fog, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween II, The Thing, Dark Star, They Live, Prince of Darkness and Village of the Damned. Of these, only two films have scores attributed solely to other artists — Starman (Jack Nitzsche), and The Thing (Ennio Morricone). On all others, Carpenter is the sole composer or a co-composer.

Carpenter’s soundtrack music is heavy on electronics, and emphasizes rock and roll. But, he can also craft a creepy track now and then. For me, one of the most memorable things about Big Trouble in Little China, Escape From New York and They Live is the highly atmospheric score and background songs. And Morricone’s score to The Thing is masterful as well, contributing to the claustrophobic and xenophobic tone of that incredibly frightening film. If you’re like me, and you like reliving your movie-going experience after the fact with soundtrack music, you’ll enjoy this collection of Carpenter tracks — initially a single-disc CD, but currently available from the libraries only as a downloadable resource from our Hoopla streaming service. It’s not quite as fun as listening to a full soundtrack to any of these films, but this is a fine sampler to put you in the mood for the full films or full soundtracks.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try viewing the various films attributed to John Carpenter as the writer/director.] [ official John Carpenter web site — including sound files ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you downloaded and/or listened this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Come From Away (downloadable music)

Come From Away
music by David Hein and Irene Sankoff [Hoopla Digital] 

This is the soundtrack to the current hit Broadway show of the same title. Come From Away tells the story of what happened in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland in British Columbia, as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001. When the U.S. airspace was shut down following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the hundreds of planes still in the air and en route to U.S. destinations, had to find someplace “else” to land, many of them low on fuel. One of those places was a small international airfield in Gander, on the isle of Newfoundland, about 550 miles NE of Maine. The book The Day the World Came to Town chronicles the events that transpired after 38 international flights were forced to land at Gander’s airfield, and the small community suddenly had to shelter and feed 7000 unexpected visitors, all in an atmosphere of fright and confusion.

Come From Away tells the same story, only with catchy, unforgettable music. A relatively small cast of characters stands in for the locals and the 6,000+ guests, and the music moves quickly from the pounding, driving introductory number “Welcome to the Rock” to a mixture of fast-paced and more introspective numbers. Obviously, in the case of a soundtrack, the listener doesn’t get to read or hear the non-musical plot points and dialog between the characters, but the flow of the songs still tells this story fairly well. We get the points of view of pragmatic Newfoundlanders, New Yorkers concerned with family at the Trade Center site, pilots from Texas, Muslim passengers feeling ostracized because of the circumstances. There’s even a romance brewing between a couple of the characters who would never have met each other if it weren’t for the tragic circumstances.

While there are certainly big rollicking numbers featuring the entire company, there are some truly stand-out pieces in this album: I Am Here, Prayer, Screech In, The Dover Fault, and my personal favorite, Me and the Sky. The full-company scene where the visitors (the “Come From Awayers”) all become honorary Newfoundlanders is funny and moving. I also appreciated that the musical features a coda in which the Come From Awayers returned to Gander on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 to thank all the locals. The vocalists are all excellent, and listening to this Broadway soundtrack really makes me long to see the full show. Hopefully a touring company will bring it to Lincoln or Omaha soon!
In this month where we commemorate the 16th anniversary of 9/11, if you’re looking to read or listen to something related to that topic, I recommend giving Come From Away a try. Currently, it is only available through the libraries’ Hoopla Digital Downloads service, but I’m hoping we’ll also buy it on CD eventually!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Day the World Came to Town, by Jim DeFede.] [ official Come From Away Broadway web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!