Leaving Las Vegas Soundtrack CD

Original score composed by Mike Figgis.
Includes liner notes by Mike Figgis.
Trumpeter and keyboard player Mike Figgis composed a number one jazz album with his score to the film Leaving Las Vegas, most of which consisted of low-key, moody jazz pieces, along with five vocal numbers, three standards ("Angel Eyes," "My One and Only Love," and "It's a Lonesome Old Town") sung by Sting with just a piano and acoustic bass accompaniment, one ("Come Rain or Come Shine") by Don Henley, and a song by the neo-rockabilly band the Palladinos. Oddly, the score was interspersed by excerpts from the film's dialogue. Since Nicholas Cage won an Academy Award for his acting and Elizabeth Shue was nominated, it could be argued that these portions contained at least aural representations of good acting, but the use of spoken word passages was odd for a soundtrack album (though it has become increasingly common on cast albums). ~ William Ruhlmann
This eclectic amalgam of jazz, pop and blues standards not only suits the film's haunting love story perfectly, it also delivers as an ambient and moody song-cycle that stands up on its own.
Delightful surprises abound here. Sting's inspired delivery of three well-worn jazz ballads is evidence of the former Police-man's penchant for re-ineterpreting smokey, bar-room material. Don Henley checks in with a strong live version of the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard, "Come Rain Or Come Shine." Rounded out with some instrumental jazz selections, plus one contribution each from The Palladinos and the film's star, Oscar winner Nicholas Cage, the LEAVING LAS VEGAS soundtrack is a riveting, whiskey-soaked listening experience.