Paradise (Bootleg)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Today, David Newman is often associated with wacko comedy, lining up every farce with a musical sound and The Cat in the Hat, Scooby-Doo, Dr. Dolittle and The Nutty Professor have sprinkled more the career of late then the more serious efforts like Anastasia and The Affair of the Necklace, which have given David Newman more breathing time to develop his true voice, that of a crafted composer who has been too easily centered in the comical genre for sure. However, there were examples of David Newman in his early career too where he mixed the comical with the drama and that is where Paradise falls in. Not the comical but one of those efforts that has more drama inside of it, and that has the potential to portray its music without the micky mousing that so distinguishes comedy films of today. Paradise, a drama starring a very young Hobbit Frodo was forgotten on musical scale because of its unreleased nature, though as with many efforts of David Newman, it surfaced on bootleg format with acceptable sound and a half hour of running time. The first part seems to be made of the longer cues and the most important ones of the disc, with 'Main Title / The Bus Trip' portraying the main theme with piano, flute and strings and it basically comes of sounding like a happier Hoffa theme. It doesn't capture the grandeur of that theme and this is where Paradise differs from Hoffa, basically the same musical approach but without that spectacular theme. 'Rosemary Leaves' too has that light Hoffa magic and its basically all so good to listen too, because of the lovely play of David Newman. Actually the highlight is 'Willard Goes Fishing' with some nice trumpet moments, the Hoffa grandeur at times and basically a nice interplay with the interesting things of fishing, it does give you a boost to do it yourself.

Without sounding dark or heavy, a sadder play of piano and strings is witnessed in 'Lilly's Sadness' and follows further the path of the main theme in 'Billy & Willard'. Suspension you can't call it either but some light suspension moves to a small heroic relief in 'Willard is Found' and the 4 minute 'End Credits' sums up the piano, Hoffa sounding parts and the main theme in a dramatic lightweight effort, basically the same musical score of the first 9 tracks. And the rest doesn't change much to that, 'Looking for Willard' bringing the same light suspension music that too has the lighter feelings for the relieving end, and piano and soft play intervals the music from time to time. Basically, this is music for the background and its good at that, because David Newman keeps it all lovely and thematic. Its not too dark, heavy or dramatized and therefore Paradise comes off sounding like a nice listen while doing something else. This of course has in mind that the themes aren't that obvious (say for instance the one of Hoffa) and that the music on itself doesn't differ all too much from what comes and goes. However, it does make a point once again that David Newman has more this side of him on positive display then the happy comedy music that runs too fast for the listener to enjoy it. Again, the more serious side of David Newman is the one where he can deliver a musical voice that is serious, emotional and happy but that in a serious film and not for instance Daddy Day Care that too has this, but mixed in simply comedic display. Take the parts even of the recent Daddy Day Care, the non choral parts of Ice Age, the light grandeur without the theme of Hoffa and the more happier sounding parts of something called Gross Anatomy and Paradise is just that. A not too difficult listen, but also a not too difficult listen to dislike.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title / The Bus Trip (4.15)

2. Going Home (0.41)

3. Rosemary Leaves (1.39)

4. Willard Goes Fishing (2.20)

5. Lilly's Sadness (2.16)

6. Billy & Willard (0.53)

7. Willard Is Found (2.02)

8. To Brimley (1.12)

9. Goodbye (2.16)

10. End Credits (3.59)

11. Willard Helps Lilly (0.39)

12. Quiet Fishing (0.51)

13. Spying (0.31)

14. On The Porch (1.44)

15. You're My Best Friend (0.42)

16. Best Friends (0.35)

17. The Cemetery (2.06)

18. Lilly And Willard (1.16)

19. Looking For Willard (2.21)

Total Length: 32.18

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: David Newman ===