One from the Heart (Music from the Motion Picture) [Bonus Track Version]

I was working at a public radio station, as a student, when I would play tracks from One From the Heart on my Saturday night jazz show. Every time I played one, the phone would ring with people asking to either hear more or for me to tell them what the song was. Every time. When a recording motivates someone to pick up the phone, that means something, when it motivates a lot of people, that means something even more. Anyway, this is simply great musical art, hidden away in a soundtrack. I think what makes the recording work is the juxtaposition of the the emotionally engaged voices of Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle. It is actually a tragic thing that they never recorded again.

waits and gayle are unstoppable! 3 best songs: opening montage, This One's From The Heart, Little Boy Blue

not sure why i love this record so much; maybe bacause it reminds me of europe circa 1983, amsterdam in december, i don't know. i remember the film was not great but it was heartfelt, and the music waits composed for it, whether rushed or not by coppola, is atmospheric and tender. Yes, tender. I recall Waits fans-types scoffing at the crystal gayle match-up, but the mix couldn't be better. The lovelorn sad broken up and broken hearted songs Waits spells out are right on the money for Gayle's vocals. The piano interludes and Waits' uncanny use of sound effects, all brilliant. And yes, it is one of my favorites to put on at christmastime.

A great soundtrack for a mediocre film. But the soundtrack is so good it almost makes the film great. Crystal Gayle and Tom Waits are the perfect ying and yang for the album. Her soft, SUPER emotive singing against his rough, stylized voice give this score a greatly uinique sound that will have you interested at the very least and in love with it at the most. Many gems on this record that are perfect for setting the mood or moments of reflection...a definite buy if you are a fan of the genre

By this point in Wait's career, he realized that he had begun parodizing himself. I guess before he could make the monumental transormation into the all teeth, bones and sharp edges of Swordfishtrombones, he felt he had to give the boozy crooner one last shot. And what better way than to cap it off with a parody of a film: One from the Heart. Among the well worn themes are some truly great songs and a hint at whats to come. Crystal Gayle and Tom Waits are pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum from each other. Cyrstal's overly glossy shine and Tom Wait's overly concrete timbre sometimes just plain don't mix. However, when the two personalities complement each other, then the beauty can't be denied. Check out Opening Montage and This One's from the Heart. And Waits. For Tom's existing styles (heart ache, pianos and horns) check out I Beg Your Pardon. This one is one of my all time Waits favorites. For "cool" go for Little Boy Blue, Instrumental Montage, and You Can't Unring a Bell (SUCKA!!). Anyway, all the songs that just feature Crystal can pretty much be trashed as the cheese that they are. The diamonds that are left can really be cherished.