The Ultimate Gift

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

A long time Mark McKenzie was that big heart drama composer that could bring all strings and brass together to create an amazing soundscape of emotion, heart and old fashioned themes. In a way it was kinda becoming old, I say in a way! We wanted more and something different from the man now. With Blizzard he could bring his difference in a slightly sprightly nature, using festive choir and big jingle bells fanfares. With The Ultimate Gift he goes back to his genre, but softer than before. If people see this score as another Durango or Garcia Lorca they are wrong for a change. I'm even surprised to find something ala Rachel Portman in here, softer and more subdued but still with passion and heart to mellow the listener easily from the first track. And then even more surprises come your way. In 'The Ultimate Gift Main Title' he brings his main theme after a moody opening. In a way this theme is a warm one but you lack his overflowing sense of over dramatization and I use this in the good sense. Not all music by McKenzie needs to be overdone and over charming. In here it fits at ease with what you're about to hear in the next 40 minutes. With 'City Boy in Texas' McKenzie brings out the Texan jig brought forward through the harmonica and guitar and Thomas Newman has his own piano jig (as in any score that comes out now) in 'Bum's Bench' and 'Park Picnic', but with a light McKenzie flavor through the flutes. However Mark's music is mostly covered in the soft drama sense, through piano in 'Emily's Chemo', 'Those Arms Are for You' and 'One Shouldn't Lose a Son' for instance. Its however in the variations where we receive more than we bargained for. How 'bout some little change in flavor? 'Arrival in Ecuador' for instance has native flutes and a spicy guitar performance and 'Childhood Letter' holds apart from the main theme another nice guitar tingle.

With 'Plane Wreckage' we begin and end briefly moody with the ethnic touch, but in between McKenzie paints his main theme softly on the drama tone. And when he brings small variations to his theme (how small they are), its always charming to notice, like in 'Captivity', 'What's Your Dream?' or in 'Emily's Legacy'. However where McKenzie still surprises in is 'The Firing Squad', when he performs the percussion by himself and where he creates a small tension noise of flutes and strings that works very smoothly on the ears, yet surprise you easily because its not something that McKenzie did often before. What he did more than often was create a beautiful sound of emotion and 'Redemption' is where he creates it the best, the main theme shines here in Portman fashion with glorious gliding strings. 'Two Billion' adds a small change in theme to it as it was co written by Kelly Morrison. 2 Songs end the disc and one fits well with the entire score, one does not. 'Something Changed' kinda reminds me of the song used over the credits of Pleasantville (Across the Universe by Fiona Apple), it simply has that same effect even though its much more dramatic. The other one strangely written by Kelly Morrison is just too strong for the entire score to bear, especially since it ends the CD with it. It brings a difference in pace and mood that just doesn't fit with what we heard before. However what we heard before is a different Mark McKenzie, its not so big or dramatic. It doesn't cover the dramatic oversize of emotion and heart. But it still brings quality in theme and orchestration, and even a little flair of variation. Together The Ultimate Gift is just a nice pleasing listen that definitely works as a background musical score and then you'll notice the moments that stick out the most. It may not be his best, but it sure covers the more surprising (read different) strokes in McKenzie's continuing career.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Ultimate Gift Main Title (3.03)

2. City Boy In Texas (1.22)

3. Bum's Bench (0.47)

4. Emily's Chemo (1.24)

5. I've Seen What Money Can Do (1.03)

6. Those Arms Are For You (1.20)

7. Park Picnic (0.44)

8. Arrival In Ecuador (1.00)

9. Childhood Letter (1.16)

10. Family Thanksgiving * (3.27)

11. Plane Wreckage (3.06)

12. Captivity (2.56)

13. The Firing Squad (3.12)

14. One Shouldn't Lose A Son (0.51)

15. What's Your Dream? (2.37)

16. Emily's Legacy (2.37)

17. Redemption (1.30) Excellent Track

18. Red's Goodbye (1.36)

19. Texas Christmas / A Perfect Day (2.08)

20. Two Billion ** (1.43)

21. Something Changed: Sara Groves (3.46)

22. Legacy: Ed Goggin (3.03)

* Written by G.F.Handel

** Written by Mark McKenzie & Kelly Morrison

Total Length: 44.29

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Mark McKenzie ===