Big Fish (CD - 2003)

Recording information: Air Studios, Lyndhurst Hall, London, England; Studio X, Seattle, WA.

The soundtrack to Tim Burton's unusually subdued, sentimental Big Fish collects pop songs from the '30s through the '70s as well as longtime collaborator Danny Elfman's score and a new song from Pearl Jam, "Man of the Hour." Though Burton's quirky, eerie aesthetic would normally be at odds with Pearl Jam's earnestness, the two work well together here, with the song touching on the film's warmth and adding a bit of earthiness to its daydreamy nature. The rest of the soundtrack's pop songs play a bit like a miniature version of the Forrest Gump soundtrack, moving from Bing Crosby's early-'30s jazz hit "Dinah" to the '50s nostalgia of Buddy Holly's "Everyday" and Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up" to the '60s and '70s recollections of Canned Heat's "Let's Work Together" and the Allman Brothers Band's "Ramblin' Man." Like the film itself, Elfman's score is also on the relatively subdued and sentimental side -- fans of his sprightly, spooky style will only get a chance to hear that aspect of Elfman's music on "Return to Spectre" and the eerily lovely "Jenny's Theme." However, the rest of the score is by no means dull; Elfman takes the film's Southern setting to heart musically as much as Burton does visually, and the fiddles, banjos, guitars, and strings give the score an appropriately, and appealingly, down-home flavor. Surprisingly moving cues like "In the Tub" and "Finale" reaffirm just how integral this score is to the movie. Finally, Bobbi Page and Candice Rumph's "Twice the Love (Siamese Twins' Song)" adds some of the style and whimsy usually associated with Burton and Elfman's collaborations. While Big Fish is a somewhat atypical Burton/Elfman soundtrack, it's still a successful one. ~ Heather Phares

Tim Burton's charming 2003 film relates a series of fantastical tales, as narrated by a bed-ridden father to his estranged son. As with most Burton projects, the string-laden score for BIG FISH is provided by Danny Elfman. Here the renowned composer mixes energetic, upbeat passages with quiet, elegant moments to complement the alternately whimsical and moving events on the screen. The title track juxtaposes gentle orchestral waves with a spry, down-home fiddle melody, while "Leaving Spectre" conjures up an ominous mood. In addition to Elfman's score, the soundtrack presents "Man of the Hour," a reflective tune by Pearl Jam that touches directly on the movie's themes. BIG FISH also features tracks by a refreshingly wide range of artists, from Bing Crosby (a classic Dixieland take on "Dinah") to the Allman Brothers Band (the easy-going "Ramblin' Man"), all of which contribute to the movie's pleasantly episodic vibe. minimize