Down With Love Soundtrack CD

Live Recording



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Nick Vidar (programming).
Audio Mixers: Brian Dixon; Tom Hardisty; Tim Boyle.
Recording information: Sony Picture Studios; The Newman Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios.
The early-'60s sex-comedy homage Down With Love features an appropriately cute and ever-so-slightly kitschy soundtrack, which mixes vintage lounge and pop songs with new tracks and Marc Shaiman's bubbly score. From the ring-a-ding-ding title track, a craftily written battle-of-the-sexes duet between Holly Palmer and Michael Buble, to Frank Sinatra and Astrud Gilberto's versions of "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)," the soundtrack cleverly outlines the film's story with its music. Buble also contributes pleasant versions of "Kissing a Fool" and "For Once in My Life," while Esthero's "Every Day Is a Holiday (With You)" is a pleasant anachronism, mixing the brass sections and handclaps that featured so prominently in early-'60s pop with a few hints of the group's electronic sound. Shaiman's score is twinkly and witty, particularly on tracks like "Barbara Arrives" and "Barbara Meets Zip"; it might be a little overdone, but in the small doses in which it's featured here, it manages to be charming instead of cloying. Down With Love's stars, Ewan McGregor and Renée Zellweger, duet on the soundtrack's closing song, "Here's to Love." As displayed by their work on the Moulin Rouge and Chicago soundtracks, both of them -- and McGregor in particular -- have fine singing voices; it would've been nice to hear them sing more of the songs featured on this album (the theme song in particular). However, Down With Love works so well because it's such a short and sweet album, one that fans of the movie should be very pleased to have as a musical keepsake. ~ Heather Phares
The soundtrack for this amiable cinematic salute to Eisenhower-era romantic comedy is, as you'd expect, full of string- and brass-laden Nelson Riddle-type swing arrangements. And of course, no salute to the era of Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, and Hayes Code-mandated separate beds would be complete without an appearance from Frank Sinatra. Accompanied by the eternally hip and swinging Count Basie Orchestra, the Chairman is heard here on a "Fly Me To the Moon" that restates the supremacy of this mighty musical partnership.
The unexpected inclusion of Canadian trip-hop singer Esthero with "Every Day Is a Holiday (With You)," penned with Sean Lennon, is another highlight, as is Astrud Gilberto's version of "Fly Me to the Moon." Meanwhile, Michael Buble's Sinatra/Tony Bennett-inspired vocals are featured heavily in conjunction with Marc Shaiman's on-the-nose period arrangements throughout. DOWN WITH LOVE hits all the right notes in this pastiche musical backdrop to jet-age romance.