Search - Various Artists :: Crazy Heart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Classic Old Country Blues

prisrob | New EnglandUSA | 01/19/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Crazy Heart is the kind of film that hits you in the gut, it is original and so well acted. The soundtrack hits you in the same manner. It is old fashioned country sung with the blues. This weekend 'In the Best Original Song category - Motion Picture category Crazy Heart's lead song 'The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)', composed by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, won the Golden Globe.



Jeff Bridges plays the role of an original outlaw songwriter - "confident, crooked, and hardened with time" said Stephen Bruton who played with Jeff. His voice is from deep in the chest, and T Bone Burnett figures Bridges character would have wanted to follow in the footsteps of Leonard Cohen, but it wasn't his time. Bruton writes the lyrics and co-producer T Bone Burnett's has written some tunes and supervises the songs. These are true blues old classic country tunes. Many of the songs are from the old timers, Townes Van Zandt, wrote 'If I Needed You', Waylon Jennings wonderful song 'Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way', and Lightnin' Hopkins, one of those old timers a few of us remember and his song 'Once a Gambler'. Jeff bridges opens the CD with 'Hold On You', a hard beat tune that had me tappin' my toes. Stephen Bruton follows with an instrumental, 'Someone Else'. Bridges takes the lead again with 'Somebody Else' and then a snippet of a tune called 'Wesley's Piano'. Ryan Binghamon takes the stage with 'I Don't Know'- his voice from this CD will open his career. 'Fallin' and Flyin' sung by Bridges seems like one of those old time honky tonk tunes we hear drifting from a bar. 'Gone, Gone, Gone' sung by Colin Farrell is a great tune and sung well. Robert Duvall's sings 'Live Forever' in acapella format. Brand New Angel' sung by Jeff Bridges in a slow, waltzy type of tune. The CD finishes with "The Weary Kind" Ryan Bingham, captures the feel of the film to a 'T'.



The actors don't have that distinct old grizzled sound of the old country but they reach the honky tonk sound and it all seems fine and right. This is a CD for the ages, one the old timers would listen to, and one that reminds us of our roots in country. All damn fine tunes for a film that gives us as good as it gets. T Bone Burnett has another hit on his hands.



Highly Recommended. prisrob 01-19-09



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A solid, deep country album.

DanD | 02/07/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In country music, atmosphere is everything. Now, I'm talking real country music: Jennings, Cash, Haggard, Kristofferson. I'm talking about country music that goes straight for your throat and leaves you gasping into your pitcher of beer.



CRAZY HEART isn't quite there...but it's close. Jeff Bridges isn't the world's greatest singer, but he doesn't have to be: he rasps out these songs like he's lived them. Colin Farrell, likewise, isn't much of a singer (though far better than you'd expect), but he sings these songs like he hasn't lived them yet--which of course is fitting with his persona. The space in between these two gentlemen is filled with classic tunes by Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, the Louvin Brothers, etc., and some new tunes by alt-country singer Ryan Bingham, who helped craft the film's soundtrack with producer-extraordinaire T. Bone Burnett. It all leads up to Bingham's haunting "The Weary King," the film's these and rightfully Oscar-nominated tune.



CRAZY HEART is an album of solid country music, the likes of which we haven't seen for a while. If you're a fan of the film, or if you're just despairing over all the Kenny Chesneys and Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swifts, then get a copy of this album, put it in and turn it up. It'll take you back to the days when country music had teeth, and wasn't afraid to use 'em."

I HATE country music....BUT....

Ike Iszany | Western PA | 02/04/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me be clear, I HATE country music. Well the psuedo pop stuff that passes for country music these days anyway. But I loved this soundtrack. This was an OK movie that was carried by a great cast and an incredible lead performance by Jeff Bridges. But the second best thing about it was the music. I nice mix of classic CW and original performances by Bridges. WELL worth five bucks!!!"