Cry Wolf

If you haven't seen the movie Mrs. Soffel, don't bother the music clearly out shines the movie...Lyle Mays on piano is amazing and expect lots of penny whistle, synthesizers and being that the setting takes place in Pittsburgh, the industrial sounds of a steel mill. The "Times Of Harvey Milk" is just under 9 minutes, it never gets a chance to mold into anything other than sounding alright. What ever fault there may be with "Times Of Harvey Milk" it was an important score for him to score because of him growing up in the San Francisco area, the main focally point in the documentary...Times Of Harvey Milk went on to win a Academy Award for best documentary. And lastly "Never Cry Wolf"...wow, thats what made me run out to buy the c.d in the first place. You could not ask for a better score to compliament the wintery terrain of Alaska. Although very somber through out the most part, there is a brief moment that will raise a few hairs on the back of your neck...my favorite part of the score, lots and lots of drumming.

What more can I say, just run out and buy it...highly recommended.

Magnificent, undiscovered Lyle Mays.......2001-06-24

Judging by my own experience and other reviews here, I suspect that in the 1990s Windham Hill were handing out copies of their more tranquil tapes and CDs to the maternity suites of hospitals around the world. My daughter Erika was born to the sounds of 'The Shape of the Land', which was much the most interesting tape hanging around at Kingston Hospital. That tape led me to purchase the Windham Hill double-CD compilation, which contained an extract from 'Mrs Soffel', and that led me to purchase this CD.

The CD was a revelation, for two reasons. First, there was much more 'Mrs Soffel' music than the extract had led me to expect. And second, the compilation never mentioned the fact that the pianist behind the glorious playing was none other than my favourite, Lyle Mays. (Unfortunately the CD notes misspell his name as 'Mayes'.) The piano is beautifully simple, but it is among the best Lyle has done, inside or outside the Pat Metheny Group.

I have subsequently seen the 'Mrs Soffel' movie (starring Diane Keaton), and to be frank, it was a disappointment. My expectations had been raised sky-high by this CD, which is marvellous. The elements of the Isham music are spread across the movie, perhaps too thinly, and Isham does a great job of bringing them altogether into a 14-minute symphony.

'Harvey Milk' does nothing for me, but track #3, 'Never Cry Wolf', just leaves me pining to see the Disney film. It sounds arctic, wintry, sparse, and menacing.

All three tracks show that Isham is not just a top-flight musician but also a fine composer.

as good as it gets.......1999-11-22

along with peter gabriel's "last temptation of christ" and john barry's work, this is the pinnacle of movie music that can also be used for driving, working hard, playing hard, or just listening. most record stores don't carry this gem because they don't know exactly where to file it. this has been in my top ten (with shawn clovin's fat city, sarah mclachlan's fumbling, peter gabriel's so and john hiatt's slow turning) for years. unless you're only into gothic metal or german accordion music, buy this cd immediately.

Emotion, Courage, and Invention will haunt you.......1999-03-17

Mark Isham has continued to be my favorite composer ever since I first discovered this album (back when vinyl was all we had). I have since watched Mr. Isham's music develop with baited anticipation. Although I find it hard to find a "favorite" in his pantheon of music, his work titled "Tibet" is still one of his most haunting pieces yet composed. I find it unique when a composer can leave you with not just a catchy melody, but an fully developed emotion.... these seem to stay longer. This album, along with "Tibert" are special to me because I can distinctly remember "feeling" several passages when I first held my newborn twin girls in my arms. Thank you Mark.

Great CD.......1999-03-02

And "Never Cry Wolf" is a terrifically underrated movie. While Mark Isham is hardly the best American composer alive today (that honor goes to Stephen Sondheim", he's consistantly inventive and his music just about always provides just the right amount of counterpoint to the visiuals ("Trouble in Mind" is another great example). I only wished they'd included the harpsichord music he wrote for the mouse eating scene in "Never Cry Wolf." Isham came dangerously close to being labled a "New Age Musician," but thank GOD (or L.Ron Hubbard, if you know what I mean!!) he's proven he's more than a tape for massages(!!). I don't know if he still performs live, but I saw him in 1987 doing a JAZZ suite from "Never Cry Wolf" that blew me away. I wish THAT was on CD!!!!