What Women Want (2000 Film) [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Mel Gibson may learn What Women Want by listening in on their thoughts, but it doesn't take an eavesdropper to know what moviegoers expect in a romantic-comedy soundtrack. Nancy Meyers, the movie's director and soundtrack album executive producer, has compiled an interesting mix of old and new, borrowed and blue. The emphasis is on the pre-rock age of big-band swing, whether it's performers from that era or others emulating them. Three cuts from Frank Sinatra (arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle) and entries from Sammy Davis Jr., Nancy Wilson, and Tony Bennett sew up the soulful crooning of the velvet age. Lou Rawls and the Temptations replace their modern soul grooves with lush orchestrations that perfectly fit the mood. Only teeny-dance-bopper Christina Aguilera and alternative rocker Meredith Brooks, who chime in with a couple of recent hits, sound woefully out of place. --Rob O'Connor

Tracks:

Overture
Summertime
I Wants To Stay Here
My Man's Gone Now
I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
Buzzard Song
Bess, You Is My Woman Now
It Ain't Necessarily So
What You Want Wild Bess?
A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
Oh, Doctor Jesus
Medley: Here Come De Honey Man/Crab Man/Oh, Deh's So Fresh And Fine (Strawberry Woman)
There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

Getting the two most personable voices in jazz to sing an hour's worth of George Gershwin's opera Porgy & Bess (Ella doing all the female parts, Satchmo all the male) was a good idea, but not quite as great as it sounded. Armstrong savors the down-and-dirty Charlestonisms that inspired the cadences of the music and lyrics, and they fit his happy rasp like an old shoe; Fitzgerald, conversely, sounds almost prissy every time she has to sing the word "ain't," though her melodic genius gets Gershwin's bold, supple tunes over. The arrangements are full-throttle Broadway, with a few leaps into Dixieland (including some fine Armstrong trumpet solos), but the disc works best when the vocalists break character and let their jazz side out. --Douglas Wolk

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely peerless.......2006-11-17

"Porgy and Bess" has just opened (with some controversy) in London's West End, though as a musical and not as an opera as it was originally conceived. Reviews have been promising and I aim to go down and see it soon. I decided to listen to this CD to put myself in the mood. I hadn't listened to it for years and I'd completely forgotten how good it actually is. Ella's voice blends with Louis' perfectly and Russell Garcia's orchestration gives them a dreamy landscape to perform against. I have one or two other CDs by Louis and Ella but this one is by far my favourite. The CD opens with "Overture" and its orchestral performance of classics like "Summertime", "I Wants To Stay Here", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'" and "It Ain't Neccessarily So" set the tone nicely, leaving one ever so keen for the vocal versions. Louis Armstong has a very rough tone to his voice but the emotion he packs with it is moving, most especially on the mournful "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" And we get all this and Louis' wonderful trumpet playing too?

Gershwin and Gershwin must be among the top composers of the last century and this opera showcases their talents more than anything I've heard. Ella and Louis are peerless as a vocal duo and though I doubt the West End performance will capture the magic in the same way they did, I still remain very keen to go see it. Is it opera or is it a jazz performance? I don't really know. I just know that I love it. And strongly recommend it.

once-in-a-lifetime greatness.......2006-10-06

Two thousand five hundred musicians have recorded "Summertime" --- it's a classic. (I bet most Americans can name Janis Joplin and no other singer.) As for "Porgy and Bess," the folk opera from which "Summertime" springs, it's such a classic that it's hard to believe anyone ever had a harsh word to say about it.

But after its premiere in 1935, no less than Duke Ellington said, "It has grand music and a swell play, but the two didn't go together. It does not use the Negro musical idiom --- the times are here to debunk Gershwin's lampblack Negroisms."

A quarter of a century later, the producers of the film version had trouble assembling a cast. Harry Belafonte rejected their offer to play Porgy. Sidney Poitier took the part --- and wished he hadn't. Poitier later wrote that the movie insulted black people; when he chose clips of his best performances for his tribute at the American Film Institute, he picked nothing from "Porgy and Bess."

And in 1985, when Grace Bumbry was a sensation as Bess in a Metropolitan Opera production, she slammed the opera: "I thought it beneath me, I felt I had worked far too hard, that we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935."

All that may be. All I know is that I have, in a long life, rarely been confronted with more genius than in the Fitzgerald/Armstrong recording of "Porgy & Bess." Set aside the achievement of George and Ira Gershwin in transforming DuBose Heyward's novel into a folk opera. Let's just focus on Armstrong and Fitzgerald, who were at the peak of their popularity when this record was made in 1957.

"Summertime" --- the first song --- sets the tone. A baleful horn figure, then violins. And then Armstrong's trumpet: slow, steady, dignified. But wait --- here comes a slurred note. And a cool little improvisation. Just enough of each. Very tasty.

Fitzgerald sings a verse. She is cool and formal. A lady. Not to be taken lightly. Now it's Armstrong's turn. Tender, but let's not kid ourselves --- this is not singing as others define it. This is melodic speech: rough, gutteral. And thus he is ideally cast: His Porgy may have his charms, but he'll have to stretch to keep Bess.

And so it goes throughout the CD. Trumpet mastery --- Armstrong has dazzling control. His tone is bright, but never shrill; there's a warmth in his playing no one else could produce. And Fitzgerald is just a study in inevitability; to hear her is to wonder how anyone could sing these songs any other way.

"I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'." "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York." "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?" "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way."

All brilliantly conceived, orchestrated and recorded.

The greatest trumpet player in this history of jazz.

The father of scat singing.

The queen of the jazz vocal.

There are no-brainers, and then there is this Ella Fitzgerald-Louis Armstrong collaboration --- music that imprints on your soul.

We love this album.......2006-08-22

We hope they will someday bring this beautiful story back to the stage

Simply great.......2006-03-04

The fusion between the great two voices and the orchestra is just brilliant. Very good brass and violins that accompany Fitzeralds and Armstrongs magic voices leaves you with your mouth open.

A must have for everyone!

Porgy and Bess.......2005-10-14

Could not find this anyway locally. It is a great recording

Average customer rating:

Great music
awesome film, and even better soundtrack
Songs on the album fit the movie
Nice overall
Wonderful soundtrack

What Women Want (2000 Film)
Various Artists - Soundtracks
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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What Women Want

ASIN: B000054A5C
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Tracks:

Something's Gotta Give - Sammy Davis Jr.
Too Marvelous For Words - Frank Sinatra
The Best Is Yet To Come - Nancy Wilson
I Won't Dance - Frank Sinatra
Bitch - Meredith Brooks
The Good Life - Tony Bennett
Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin
I've Got You Under My Skin - Frank Sinatra
If I Had You - Nnenna Freelon
What A Girl Wants - Christina Aguilera
Nobody But Me - Lou Rawls
Night And Day - The Temptations
I've Got The World On A String - Peggy Lee
Everything About You - Alan Silvestri

Amazon.com

Mel Gibson may learn What Women Want by listening in on their thoughts, but it doesn't take an eavesdropper to know what moviegoers expect in a romantic-comedy soundtrack. Nancy Meyers, the movie's director and soundtrack album executive producer, has compiled an interesting mix of old and new, borrowed and blue. The emphasis is on the pre-rock age of big-band swing, whether it's performers from that era or others emulating them. Three cuts from Frank Sinatra (arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle) and entries from Sammy Davis Jr., Nancy Wilson, and Tony Bennett sew up the soulful crooning of the velvet age. Lou Rawls and the Temptations replace their modern soul grooves with lush orchestrations that perfectly fit the mood. Only teeny-dance-bopper Christina Aguilera and alternative rocker Meredith Brooks, who chime in with a couple of recent hits, sound woefully out of place. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

Great music.......2007-06-09

Since this seems to be the last movie Mel Gibson made while he was still a sane man, the music was well chosen for this picture as well. Great listening!

awesome film, and even better soundtrack.......2007-05-12

I loved the movie, and the soundtrack was just as good. I am into the old music like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, so if your into them then this is an excellent CD to buy. Also has a range of other music which is good for people who like all kinds of music.

Songs on the album fit the movie.......2007-05-02

Unlike some of the previous reviewers, I didn't find the more modern songs to be out of place. It fits in with the father/daughter struggle that takes place in the movie. If you're offended by the title "Bitch", this may not be the album for you, but if you enjoyed the movie and understand the song's message, I would highly recommend this.

Nice overall.......2005-08-05

However, some of the selections can feel a little jarring; specifically, tracks 5 (Bitch) and 10 (What a Girl Wants). They're great songs on their own, but everything surrounding them is classic 60s pop and it's a little startling to be jolted from the smooth sound of Sinatra to Meredith Brooks' harder modern beat. It breaks the mood.

However, all the songs on this disc are lovely, particularly if you're in a romantic-comedy mood to begin with. And, unlike many soundtracks, all these songs can be enjoyed out of context with the film. For a quality selection of classics, old and new, you can't go wrong with "What Women Want."

Wonderful soundtrack.......2004-01-17

Some of the greatest artist are one this soundtrack. It has a great bluesy, jazzy trend. The only bad points are the two modern artist that disrupt the flow of the albumn. This is a great albumn to have a romantic evening to or just kicking it on a lazy Sunday morning. Just skip the two modern songs.

Average customer rating:

Another winner for Tonio K
The songwriter who made a bundle of Vanessa Williams
Not just for Christians anymore!

Notes from the Lost Civilization
Tonio K.
Manufacturer: Gadfly
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000200X
Release Date: 1996-07-16

Tracks:

Without Love
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City Life
You Were There
The Executioner's Song
I Can't Stand It
What Women Want
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Customer Reviews:

Another winner for Tonio K.......2002-07-08

Quite toned down from Life in the Foodchain, this CD expands on Tonio K's talents. The harmony was beauiful and there were several (Without Love) that had me singing along. I have always admired this performer; he takes chances with the music he writes, and it's not quite mainstream, which is probably why I like it so much. I once owned this LP but my turntable isn't reliable anymore so I'm slowly replacing my Tonio K LPs with CDs. Everything he does is good, a lot of wry humor and definite anti-establishment attitude! This is one of the best in my opinion. A must buy if you're looking for something new!

The songwriter who made a bundle of Vanessa Williams.......2002-02-13

It's a shame that Tonio K. was never recognised for this songwriting skills until he gave up recording. He produced several smart, snappy songs that all died lonely deaths in the back bins. He once said that he made more cash off that Grammy-winning song for Vanessa Williams (in the early 1990s) than he did off his entire recording career.

Sonically interesting (but you can hear T-Bone Burnett all over the place, even when he isn't there) but it's the lyrics that work best. It's dated now, but definitely still worth the money.

Not just for Christians anymore!.......2001-04-09

Despite being pigeonholed as a Christian artist, Tonio uses a bigger palette than most artists of the genre. This is a great album, loaded with smart pop songs (I still don't know why "What Women Want" never got airplay). If this were anybody else, the album would rate five stars -- but since Tonio's earlier 'Life in the Foodchain' and 'Amerika' get that honor...

Average customer rating:

The Sword and the Rose
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What Women Really Want
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Manufacturer: Midwest Artists Dist.
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Music:

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