 |  | Eerie, beautiful, celtic melodies |  |
Truly beautiful electric guitar and flute music. This doesn't sound like a soundtrack at all - more like a very special arrangement of sweet and bittersweet folksongs. Mark Knopfler has a real talent for portraying character with music. You'd never know he's a rocker from listening to this, but I can't imagine anyone with a folksy bent coming up with such a beautiful melding of acoustic and electronic sounds.
November 21, 2008We enjoy this music so much that we used pieces of the CD for our wedding.
April 9, 2008| | | 4.5 Stars... almost as good as the "Local Hero" soundtrack | |
In 1983, Mark Knopfler, singer/songwriter of Dire Straits, released the superb soundtrack to "Local Hero", which remains a favorite of mine still, and one of the best soundtracks ever. The next year, he followed with another movie soundtrack, "Cal", which brings the story of an Northern-Irish family tormented by the struggles with the British "occupancy".
"Cal" (12 tracks, 35 min.) evokes the atmosphere of Irish life, with superb result. Check out the opener "Irish Boy", with gentle guitar and flute. The conflict in the movie is born out in "Fear and Hatred", which is the only "harsh" track on the album, all the other tunes are mood pieces. There are 2 center pieces on the album that are beautiful beyond belief: the 6+ min. "Father and Son" which evoke all the ache that is in the movie, and the closer "The Long Road", which is uplifting in sound (and sight onto the screen). Knopler's excellent guitar work is never overbearing, but enhances the mood throughout.
Mark Knopfler would go on to score many other movies, but he never reached the peaks of the 1-2 punch of "Local Hero" and "Cal". "Cal" may only last 35 min., but it is a superb soundtrack, and highly recommended. I bought it on vinyl and again on CD and it remains a favorite of mine.
March 14, 2006Extraordinary film with Helen Mirren and John Lynch. And extraordinary music that perfectly fits the movie without overpowering the film. I saw the film first and it broke my heart and then I bought the s/t. I can visualize every scene from the s/t to the tragic and heartbreaking ending. Knofler perfectly captures the spirit and hearbreak of Northern Ireland. Just beautiful. If you haven't seen the film, do so. But be prepared to have your heart broken.
September 22, 2005I first heard this soundtrack as a child - my father has just returned from a trip to the UK and this movie had just come out. He loved the movie and bought the soundtrack - our whole family has fallen in love with this music. It is beautiful and haunting - it's only too bad that this CD is less well known. There is something about this music that just stays with you. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.
February 16, 2004More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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