Driving Miss Daisy

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

A short, sweet dramatic score, Driving Miss Daisy couldn't be more further away from that other big release of '89 Black Rain. Today the theme is set and marked to become one of his finest and most beloved creations of all time. And while the theme itself is so good, the score overall can not satisfy me like it has done to others. The movie was critically acclaimed and Hans Zimmer surely received credit for his work but I find it not that sublime. There is something of the tone that doesn't make me smile like the theme for instance. But Zimmer haters will surely feel the weed growing because again I found a Zimmer score that doesn't sound Zimmerian. In fact it sounds extremely Zimmer like, people are still thinking his knack is action scores. Please, don't make me laugh. The score overall is a relaxing listen, even if its sometimes a bit threatening and darkly sounding. But mostly the optimistic main theme alone does let the mood go up instead of down. To begin with is the running time, 36 minutes and three songs or 2 songs and an opera piece make the material of Zimmer even lighter in weight. In a way I am glad because it doesn't overwhelm me as much as others have said it to be.

The first two songs by classic legends Louis Armstrong and Eartha Kitt are classics alright, classic bores because this is for me perfect 'falling asleep' music. The last opera piece is no favorite either but has a bit more to offer. Zimmer's score however consists of two moods, the more charming and uplifting one where the main theme moves from left to right and the dark mood, which underscores basically some dark moments or dramatically heavy burdens. In the end it is the mood that will decide the most how much you enjoy it or not, this Driving Miss Daisy soundtrack. While the main theme receives excellent attention with 'Driving' and 'End Titles', it is the more uneasy use of the banjo that darkens the other mood. The banjo makes me remember Pacific Heights and it also was a score that didn't to much for me in the end. Especially 'Georgia' offers an ending very similar to Pacific Heights. Hans Zimmer has always been versatile and Driving Miss Daisy doesn't prove him otherwise but it is one of those scores that doesn't entertain me as much as some others of its genre. It is a kind of stimulating aspect that's missing from this release that neglects me to listen to it more often. But others might find some worthwhile stuff in the score, making it perhaps an investment to think about if you are fond of the genre at hand.

Score: ***
Songs: *

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Kiss Of Fire: Louis Armstrong (3.04)

2. Santa Baby: Eartha Kitt (3.23)

3. Driving (6.49)

4. Home (3.25)

5. Georgia (7.55)

6. End Titles (4.50) Excellent Track

7. Song To The Moon: Gabriela Benackvo (6.05)

Total Length: 36.02

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=== Link to Composer Site: Hans Zimmer ===