Bridges Of Madison County Soundtrack CD

Additional soundtrack music from the movie "The Bridges Of Madison County" can be found on REMEMBERING MADISON COUNTY (Malpaso 46259).
"Doe Eyes (Love Theme From The Bridges Of Madison County)" was written by Clint Eastwood.
Romance in 1995? In this age of the ubiquitous shallow action flick, cynical slacker movie and ready-made hit soundtrack, it is refreshing to hear a tasteful collection of mood music accompanying a film. Compiled for Clint Eastwood's screen version of Robert James Waller's mega-selling novel, and reflecting Eastwood's impeccable taste, the soundtrack to THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is one timeless, soothing, romantic jazz classic after another.
One need not have seen the film or read the novel to appreciate the beauty of this collection. The sublime vocals of Dinah Washington and Johnny Hartman can create their own contexts as easily as they can evoke an image of Kincaid and Francesca sharing an intimate dance. Hartman's voice instantly melts all that it touches, particularly on "Easy Living"; and to hear Washington's interpretation of "Blue Gardenia" is to experience the bittersweet enchantment of love itself. In fact, as popular as the book and film are, this collection may just outlive them both, inducing untold somber romances and warming the loneliest of hearts.
Personnel: Junior Mance (piano); Bob Cranshaw (drums).
Credit the film and album The Bridges of Madison County with causing a great deal of excitement about crooner Johnny Hartman, a vocalist with a silky voice that almost defies description. Hartman has seen many of his albums reissued, with rapidly rising sales, since the release of the film. This collection marks the debut of Clint Eastwood's Malpaso Records label, which Eastwood intends to focus on jazz, and it's certainly a good start, featuring songs from Hartman, Dinah Washington, Irene Kral, and Barbara Lewis, as well as two versions of "Doe Eyes," an instrumental piece composed by Eastwood and arranged/conducted by longtime Eastwood collaborator Lennie Niehaus. Overall, the album is charming, low-key, and smooth, very much a record worth getting. ~ Steven McDonald

Live Recording

Entertainment Weekly (7/14/95, pp.52-54) - "...a coherent whole, matching the uniformly sad, wistful tone of the book and film. It's a real drag--but a beautiful one." - Rating: A