While I'm not a big movie-goer, and even less of an Oscar Awards watcher, word has it that Crazy Heart pulled down two awards: one for Jeff Bridges (his first in five nominations) for his lead role in the movie and one for Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett for the film's theme song The Weary Kind (which you can hear/see above). Accompanying the movie is a soundtrack that is a generous heaping of country music, some new, some old.
I've admitted many times over the life of MISB that country music isn't my forte. Other than Johnny Cash that is, but for some ineffable reason I'd argue that his music transcends simple generical boundaries. Other than a few Willie Nelson tunes, one or two Dolly Parton numbers (9 to 5 jumps into mind), and Kenny Rogers' The Gambler of course, I've steered mostly clear of the land of Country and Western. That's changed recently though, thanks to my friend Erica, who's got me listening to a lot of music from south of the Mason-Dixon line.
That being said, the Crazy Heart Soundtrack has been in the mix off and on lately, and it's been a pleasant change of sounds for me. First off, one of the remarkable things about the album is that it has a handful of tracks actually sung by Jeff Bridges. Yeah, Jeff Bridges, the actor. Who would have thunk that he had a singing voice to him? Not me, for sure. But, he pulls it off, convincingly well I might add. If you don't believe me, listen to his song Hold On You, which opens the album up. As I mentioned above, the album mixes new songs (including five songs Bridges sings) with some older classics (including a smokin' blues tune from Lightnin' Hopkins).
What the album thankfully avoids is any contemporary country pop. It's available in two editions, a sixteen track version and a deluxe twenty three track version. And while I probably won't get to the theaters to see the film, after listening to the soundtrack there's an excellent chance that I'll rent it to check it out.
or get the Deluxe Edition
Visit the official movie website.
1 comment:
You are welcome for helping you see the light =]
Jeff Bridges is actually all over the place in country news these days!
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