Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand by Michel Legrand
If the American pop culture profile of French composer-jazz pianist Michel Legrand doesn’t seem what it once was, don’t be misled: his European indie film scores continue six decades on, now numbering nearly 200. But Legrand’s most beloved work remains the lovely, evocative themes he created in the ’60s and ’70s, including “I Will Wait for You” from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Thomas Crown Affair’s “Windmills of Your Mind,” the theme from Summer of ‘42, and his work on Barbra Streisand’s Yentl. This collection marks Legrand’s first solo piano recordings, presenting those and other film score highlights in spontaneously improvised performances that offer a glimpse of Legrand’s musical soul. If, as in “Windmills,” his enthusiasm gets the best of him and he occasionally lapses into flights of melodramatic pianistic self-parody, there are more than enough sublime moments here to compensate, especially on lesser-known songs like Best Friends‘ “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,” “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” from The Happy Ending, and Brian’s Song’s “Hands of Time.” –Jerry McCulley
Customer Review: Michel Legrand
This is a great CD! Sound is awesome. I highly recommend it.
Customer Review: Sunlight on his fingertips
Sunlight on his fingertips
The very bright talent of Michele Legrand you can feel especially when Maestro is playing piano himself.
I heard some orchestra performance of Legrand before, that was good, but I was still thinking about him just like about pop music composer.
Now I think different - he is Genius!
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Balls to Picasso 
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Customer Review: Picasso - A true work of art
Firstly, this isn’t Iron Maiden. If your looking for anything even remotely close to Englands finest then check out ‘Accident of Birth’ or ‘Chemical Wedding’. If, on the other hand, your willing to take a little risk and experiment a little then check out this little gem, and for my cash, Bruce Dickinsons’ finest solo effort. I didn’t fully appreciate this album on first listen, it wasn’t until i saw the tour that backed this album that my ears and eyes opened up and i have never had any regrets. It’s an interesting exploration of various styles of rock music by a vocalist, who, let’s be honest, at that time wasn’t sure if this whole solo project was even going to work. He took a risk, and i urge you to do the same. From the best song you never heard on your radio in ‘Shoot all the Clowns’, to the social observations of ‘Sacred Cowboys’, into the soft, mellow tones of ‘Change of Heart’ to the anthemic and Bruce’s best solo effort of ‘Tears of the Dragon’ this album is so well constructed - it carries you along on a musical journey. From the opening chords of the examination of modern day media intrusion that is ‘Cyclops’, through a more rock vane of ‘1000 Points of Light’ to the Alex Dickinson (Bruces’ son) inspired ‘Laughing in the Hiding Bush’ this is Bruce at his songwritting best and sounding awesome. Buy it - buy it now - and buy it’s twin brother ‘Alive in Studio A’ - and don’t blame me if you suddenly realise that, with this gem nearly a decade old, you’ve been missing out big time.
Customer Review: Excellent album, but with a few weak tracks.
The opening song, Cyclops, is magnificent in every respect. Over seven minutes of pure unadulterated rock. A masterstroke to open the album with. Change of Heart, is also a fantastic song. But certainly not typical of Maiden’s stuff… definitly something that Bruce has thought he can pull off without them. And did he just. Makes you wonder really why he doesn’t write more like this for the Irons? A song of pure class. Tears of the Dragon, is easily the best song on the album and possibly Bruce’s finest ever, ranking easily alongside ‘Bring your daughter… to the Slaughter’. This is a completely different kind of track and probably more universally appealing. But if you are hard rock only don’t let that put you off. This album isn’t hard rock. Bruce avoided that until his ‘Chemical Wedding’ album. It is very much soft, as Bon Jovi is. The other tracks on the album are definitely listenable to, but they wn’t be the ones you’ll have playing seven times on repeat before moving on.
Rodeo and Picasso 
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Under Fire [1983] 
Under Fire was one of a trio of notable films from the mid-1980s about journalists involved in Third World war zones. While certainly a lesser film than Salvador (1986) or The Killing Fields (1984) Roger Spottiswoode’s movie is still a commendable work from a director who later brought a similarly political edge to Noriega: God’s Favourite (2000).
Nick Nolte plays an American photo-journalist covering the civil war in Nicaragua in 1979, finding himself caught in a dangerous and cynical web of duplicity and self-interest, as well as falling in love with fellow American, Claire (Joanna Cassidy). Nolte gradually uncovers the degree of his own government’s involvement with the corrupt regime, and inevitably ends up crossing the line from neutral observer to helping the rebel cause.
Under Fire is in essence a reworking of Casablanca, especially as Gene Hackman’s network newsman proves to be Cassidy’s ex-lover, yet thanks to an intelligent script, strong support from Ed Harris as a mercenary and some genuinely unnerving and frightening scenes of the random chaos of war, it’s one which packs a powerful punch. Jerry Goldsmith’s evocative score is among his best of the 1980s.
On the DVD: Under Fire is presented in an anamorphic 1.77:1 transfer which is very clean and clear with minimal grain. The well-mixed Dolby Pro-logic soundtrack is highly effective, if not so startling as a 5.1 track. Beyond multi-language and subtitle options, the only extra is the original trailer, which is also anamorphically enhanced. –Gary S Dalkin
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Customer Review: Taking sides
Under Fire is one of the few mainstream American `political’ movies to emerge from the studio system, but along with Missing it’s probably the best. On one level it grafts a traditional romantic triangle onto its story of American war correspondents in Nicaragua gradually finding themselves drawn to taking sides instead of taking pictures, but at least it’s a convincingly grown-up relationship that allows Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman and a never better Joanna Cassidy to really shine. It’s a shame that Cassidy never got more opportunities like this: a last-minute replacement for Julie Christie, she’s extraordinarily good here. The film also boasts an impressive supporting cast, with a star-making turn from Ed Harris as an amiable but deadly mercenary a standout, although Jean-Louis Tritignant’s deceptively unsubtle CIA man gives him a run for his money (not so much for his performance - his English was non-existent and it’s obvious he’s learned his lines phonetically - but because he has most of the film’s best dialog). Extremely well directed by Roger Spottiswoode with a promise he never really fulfilled, it’s an impressive albeit partisan portrait of a country decaying in the last stages of revolution and also boasts what is possibly Jerry Goldsmith’s finest score (which is saying quite something). Impressive stuff. The DVD’s only extra is the superb theatrical trailer, although it does boast a decent widescreen transfer.
Customer Review: A film with new resonance
Set in civil war torn Nicaragua where the US was propping up the regime of a Dictator (Antonio Somoza) against a popular left wing uprising. Stars Nick Nolte Joanna Cassidy and Gene Hackman. The heroes all make poor choices and are flawed, for both good and bad reasons. The journalists become committed to one side in the conflict, and in this action harm those they wish to support, and yet ultimately an honest piece of reporting does produce change. Thus it addresses the eternal dilemma for journalists who must ask whether to remain passive or become active - record or participate? Now probably - “suppress or report”? Its resonance is the hypocrisy and arrogance of US foreign policy - then supporting South American Juntas through the 1980s and 1990s - and now… It is based upon a true story - the the death of journalist Bill Stewart at the hands of a Nicarguan soldier was filmed by a TV crew and really did change the course of a Civil war - but not before countless “less important” deaths. The film is driven along by an excellent soundtrack, which sucks you in as the tension builds. Weaved in this is an inevitable but credible love story. The leads all give strong performances. I think this film has been rather overlooked - perhaps it said too many things the American public did not want to hear. Better than Salvador. A policitical drama and love story about a murder set in a war! Worth a watch.
Londons Times Famous People Places Books Cartoons - PICASSO S CASTRO NEOCUBA-ISM - Coffee Gift Baskets - Coffee Gift Basket PICASSO S CASTRO NEOCUBA-ISM Coffee Gift Basket is measuring 9×9x4. Contains 15oz mug, BONUS free set of 4 coasters, biscotti and 5 blends of gourmet coffee. French Vanilla, Kenya AA, Decaf Colombian Supremo, Chocolate and Italian Roast Espresso elegantly presented in our signature black planet coffee gift box. A very nice and thoughtful gift for any occasion.
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