John Williams - Catch Me If You Can (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Great Score

Peter Kline | Coral Springs, FL United States | 12/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Williams goes back to his roots. In the early 50s he issued a bunch of albums conducting a big band. Yes, he arranged them and played piano. This jazzy and fun score reminds one of the best of Henry Mancini. Add standards by Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland among others and this CD perfectly catches the feeling of the time period that the film takes place in. Williams' best score in a long time."

John Williams and his ever changing music

Pamela K Scott | Columbia, SC United States | 12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This score, like most of John William's music, is strickingly different than the ones before. William's ability to dabble in different musical forms is decidedly one of his greatest strengths, along with his ability to follow the pace of the movie. If you happen to simply be a fan of William's, I think you'll enjoy this bit. It's very light, entertaining, and enjoyable. A very happy bit, indeed. Don't expect it to be like Star Wars, but expect to enjoy it."

A different side of John Williams

E. Banson | San Francisco Bay Area, CA United States | 12/13/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you listen to many of John Williams' memorable themes and scores, it's amazing to know that the guy started out as a jazz musician. With his score for "Catch Me If You Can," he gets a chance to bring out that side of him with this slick, jazzy and infectious score. One drawback is it does lacks the true William's signature: The memorable melody. It's likely due to the fact that Williams and Spielberg have a film set in an era (or begins in an era) that was musically into jazz styles like Cool and Be-Bop; styles that were driven more on dissonance and broken melodies created by improvised riffs. It only seems fitting to incorporate those styles to accompany the film. Nevertheless, the arrangements and orchestrations are top-notch. Even Spielberg points out on the liner notes that we "may swear that the E flat sax solo was improvised, but John wrote every single note of it." With that, this score is riddled with the sound of a saxophone. There might even be credit to what Spielberg wrote: the saxophone solos do sound improvised. It seems Williams uses the saxophone in the score to parallel the main character Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio)who is an amazing imposter. Because like an imposter, his every move may sound and appear improvised, but underneath the veneer, every move (or every note) is calculated. There are three themes in this score. The main theme here is aptly titled Catch Me If You Can, a minimalist piece that consist of vibes, xlyophones and woodwinds written in an offbeat time signature. The second is an upbeat 4/4 progressive motif with staccato strings and alto saxophone riffs that reminds me of William's own "Home Alone" scores and Howard Shore's "Mrs. Doubtfire" score. This theme is present in "The Float" and "Doctor, Lawyer, Lutheran." The third is a five minute concert piece entitled "Recollections (The Father's Theme) which showcases the saxophone and xlyophone again. A slow, haunting piece. It harkens Gabriel Yared's work for "The Talented Mr. Ripley," which is another film about an imposter.The songs are great in this CD and it's amazing how they somehow interweave with the score which is a plus. Overall, the score stands out from previous Williams work because it's his most daring and youthful score in my opinion, sounding like nothing he's written before. Unfortunately though, a few moments in the score sound like other composers which is another reason why I gave it four out of five stars. Thankfully, it's only in a few moments in the score. "Catch Me If You Can" proves that John Williams is a versatile film composer who still delivers the goods."

OSCAR CALIBER? REVOLUTIONARY? Wait and see

S. Cha | Sherman Oaks, CA United States | 12/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Catch Me soundtrack is a mix of original music and oldies songs. The score is jazz like, with the usual elements of John's musical composition. Is it good music with the movie? I would say yes! Can it stand strong by itself? I have mixed feelings about it. If you're patient and just kicking back, it's very cool stuff! But if you're not patient and just want to hear exciting tracks immediately, then this stuff is just OK. It's true, the jazz tunes make up about 45 minutes of the CD. The great songs really hold up the listening enjoyment of the soundtrack. Without the songs, the score can get a little repetitive. I gave this a 4 star, so it's definetely a recommendation. It'll most likely go up for BEST ORIGINAL SCORE at the OSCARS, since jazz tunes of the 50s are favorable to them. The only reason I wouldn't give this a 5 is that the theme song isn't the strongest. It's cool, but not revolutionary. The musical score time, 45 minutes, is a bit short. Some of the tracks repeat in other songs. It's OK if the album is long, but if it's short, I expect a bit more variety. Other than these factors, it's cool, pleasing, romantic, haunting, and reminescence of the 50's. What an experience it would be!!!"

Minimal Jazz Content

d | 04/15/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The way people have been talking about this score, from the reviews to the liner notes, you'd think it was a stylistic counterpart to "Checkmate." In truth, there is minimal jazz or even pseudo-jazz content in this score. It is mostly orchestral with occasional jazzy touches, such as vibes or sax, but it's hardly a return to his days as Johnny Williams (as some have suggested). And the handful of tunes by the likes of Sinatra, Dusty, and Getz/Gilberto are readily available elsewhere in more appropriate settings. On its own terms, the score is certainly pleasant, but it's hardly a "jazz score" as defined by the likes of Mancini, Lalo Schifrin, Johnny Mandel, Kenyon Hopkins, and others."

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