Randy Newman's PLEASANTVILLE (1998) - 2023 Varese Sarabande Deluxe Edition

[Jay 37,467]

 

Randy Newman – Pleasantville (Original Motion Picture Score - Deluxe Edition) CD
UPC: 888072533264
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Regular price$ 20.00

Expected to ship the week of December 15, 2023.

 

Pleasantville (1998) was a high-concept fantasy-comedy about high-school siblings (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) transported into an idyllic, black-and-white 1950s Leave It to Beaver-type TV show. In the hands of writer/director Gary Ross, the film is more than just a fish-out-of-water tale with dazzling VFX—it is a touching character study and potent Civil Rights allegory that received critical acclaim and is fondly remembered today.

 

Scoring Pleasantville was a master of Americana, humor and symphonic scoring, Randy Newman. Newman had cheeky fun with the show-within-the-film’s old-school traditions, but just as the story blossoms into a heartfelt tale of emotional awakening—with a beautiful performance by Joan Allen as a repressed mother—so does the gorgeous score.

 

“Randy is unique in the fact that he can write with a depth of emotion, and he’s also an accomplished satirist,” says Gary Ross in the new liner notes by Tim Greiving. “He could write to the vernacular of what the movie was, but not be limited by it. That’s what the film is trying to do, and it really needs someone who can understand the breadth of those intentions... I’ve never been happier with any score, on any movie.”

 

Varèse Sarabande released Pleasantville’s score album in 1998 as a 17-track, 31-minute edition. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary, this Deluxe Edition features an expanded program of 34 tracks and 66 minutes.

 

Track List:

1. The Pleasantville Theme
2. Get Ready*
3. New TV Remote And The Fight*
4. We’re Stuck (The Breakfast Scene)*
5. School And Basketball*
6. Mr. Johnson And Missed Shots*
7. In The Bath
8. Bud’s A Hero
9. Make-Up
10. The Art Book
11. Real Rain (Extended Version)**
12. Let’s Go Bowling
13. Together
14. Waking Up
15. No Umbrellas (Extended Version)**
16. Nude Painting*
17. Punch
18. Burning The Books
19. The Aftermath (Extended Version)**
20. Mural
21. A New Day
22. Goodbye
23. Pleasantville Bumper*
24. The Sweater

Additional Music:
25. Make-Up (Film Version)*
26. The Art Book (Alternate)*
27. Together (Film Version)*
28. No Umbrellas (Alternate)*
29. The Aftermath (Alternate)*
30. Mural (Film Version)*
31.  A New Day (Alternate)*
32. A New Bus (Film Construct)*
33. Pleasantville Theme Play-Off*
34. Pleasantville End Credits Suite*

* Previously unreleased
** Contains previously unreleased material

 

https://varesesarabande.com/products/randy-newman-pleasantville-original-motion-picture-score-deluxe-edition-cd

[Yavar Moradi 2,629]

Eeeexcellent... my #1 Randy Newman score. So beautiful!

 

Yavar

[Marian Schedenig 8,239]

Nice, I actually don't know this one yet!

[Thor 7,587]

I know it, but I haven't paid enough attention to it over the years. I'm going to give it another go.

[A. A. Ron 1,745]

30 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Eeeexcellent... my #1 Randy Newman score. So beautiful!

 

Yavar

 

23 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Nice, I actually don't know this one yet!

 

I don't either, but if it's at the top of people's Randy Newman lists, I'll check it out.

 

[Holko 9,581]

great cover

 

[enderdrag64 631]

1 hour ago, A. A. Ron said:

 

 

I don't either, but if it's at the top of people's Randy Newman lists, I'll check it out.

 

Same, I'm only really familiar with his Pixar scores but I absolutely love Toy Story 1+2 and A Bug's Life. I'd definitely be interested in listening to more of his work

[Chewy 2,411]

Very sad that Varese doesn't provide samples anymore...

[Cindylover1969 34]

37 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

Same, I'm only really familiar with his Pixar scores but I absolutely love Toy Story 1+2 and A Bug's Life. I'd definitely be interested in listening to more of his work

The Natural and Avalon are musts. Ditto Awakenings.

[Yavar Moradi 2,629]

Guys, I appreciate your open-mindedness -- give these two cues from the original a listen:

 

 

 

There's some typical charming Randy Newman sounding stuff too, but for me the real highlight of the score is his gorgeous theme heard in "Real Rain" (and throughout the score).

 

Yavar

[Jay 37,467]

Mike Matessino says

 

They seem to not want to credit producers and engineers in their information, but I did this one and it was a very satisfying project.

 

https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=152770&forumID=1&archive=0

[JTN 2,165]

I wonder if this had happened in the Robert Townson era.

[crocodile 8,038]

This sounds quite nice but since it won't start shipping until mid-December there is no point of getting it until next year.

 

Karol

[1977 1,743]

Hope we get a digital release.

[GerateWohl 4,444]

17 hours ago, Holko said:

great cover

 

It heavily reminds me of Wham's album "The Final".

[Holko 9,581]

4 minutes ago, GerateWohl said:

It heavily reminds me of Wham's album "The Final".

 

It reminds me of Jim Titus' art!

 

Spoiler

The first rough draft assemblies that he shares sometimes that were only thrown together for brainstorming and then immediately discarded in the first round.

 

[JTN 2,165]

[1977 1,743]

Is Jim Titus ever going to update his Behance page I wonder?

[GerateWohl 4,444]

Anybody else feels by this 

 

reminded of this?

 

 

[Richard Penna 3,742]

On 01/12/2023 at 11:27 PM, JTW said:

I wonder if this had happened in the Robert Townson era.

 

Don't see why it wouldn't have - respected film and composer. We'll probably never know but it would be fascinating to know how many titles were 'shelved' under his reign. I got the impression he was more intested in producing concerts towards the end so maybe a lot of smaller projects got a bit lost.

[JTN 2,165]

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

Anybody else feels by this 

 

reminded of this?

 

 

The clip you found for Much Ado About Nothing is from the Hungarian dub.
Kenneth Branagh (Benedetto) says: “A tánchoz muzsikát!”, which is a very loose translation for “Strike up, pipers!” 

[Thor 7,587]

On 01/12/2023 at 7:22 PM, Thor said:

I know it, but I haven't paid enough attention to it over the years. I'm going to give it another go.

 

A couple of weeks later, and I've given it a go. Lovely stuff all around; definitely a keeper. Don't know why it took me so many years.

[Jurassic Shark 12,174]

It's a nice film.

[Marian Schedenig 8,239]

19 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It's a nice film.

 

Not a pleasant film?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,436]

Thanks I can't imagine how he missed it

[Jurassic Shark 12,174]

18 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Not a pleasant film?

 

Oops, I was thinking of Niceville.

[JTN 2,165]

It should be called Unpleasantville. The place, not the film, that is excellent.

[A. A. Ron 1,745]

Just gave this a spin and it’s really lovely. I was surprised to hear a certain cue I basically already knew though. “Get Ready” is lifted quite recognizably in Monsters, Inc. as “In on Seven.” The album version of the latter piece (released as “The Scare Floor”) at least distinguishes itself from “Get Ready” by adding a sax solo.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,655]

I've neither heard this, nor seen the film, but if it's anything like THE NATURAL, then I'll enjoy it.

[Jay 37,467]

Anybody have any thoughts on this release?

[JTN 2,165]

On 28/12/2023 at 9:52 PM, Slipperman9 said:

I've neither heard this, nor seen the film, but if it's anything like THE NATURAL, then I'll enjoy it.

It’s completely different, and very nice. Highly recommended.

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,239]

56 minutes ago, Jay said:

Anybody have any thoughts on this release?

 

I think mine's still waiting for MacArthur to arrive in Europe.

[Trope 538]

 

[Jay 37,467]

Up on Presto too

 

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9592899--pleasantville