Magnolia [Original Soundtrack] by Aimee Mann/Original Soundtrack

Before I start, I am going to admit that I am an Aimee Mann junkie. Since the first moment she stood up and yelled "He said, SHUT UP, he said, SHUT UP" on MTV, I have been an avid, if not rabid, fan. As I sit here looking at my stack of every CD she has ever released, I have no problem saying that Magnolia is THE showcase for her unbelievable songwriting and performing talents.

I bought this album because it's her album, plain and simple. I didn't see the movie. I went in blindly and came out smiling - every song she has written has a hook that is typically Aimee - she just states the facts, nothing fancy, and it's pure genius.

The album kicks off with a cover of the Three Dog Night song, "One". You know it.... "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do".... although Aimee's version is mercifully lacking the annoying bubblegum pop sound the song originally had. She's rearranged the song a bit to add an almost mystical sound to the background vocals and guitar licks, and it sounds terrific.

The next song, "Momentum", has an arrangement that grabs you from the first note. With its cymbal crashes, walking bass line, snare hits, trumpet licks, and random piano and acoustic guitar smatterings, the first 24 instrumental bars are like nothing you've ever heard, and nothing you can ignore. The lyrics, of course, are clever as usual, with a chorus of, "Oh for the sake of Momentum, even though I agree with all that stuff about seizing the day - but I hate to think of effort expended, all those minutes and days and hours I have frittered away." She says this in 16 bars. And yes, it flows.

In "Build that Wall", Aimee goes for a more contemporary sound. There is a haunting overlay in the instrumentals that almost sounds like a bassoon and a trombone, and again she utilizes the snare drum with relish. While I like this song, it isn't one of the best on the album.

Song number four is "Deathly", and if you read the CD jacket, you will know that the opening line of this song is the basis for the whole movie. The line is, "Now that I've met you, would you object to never seeing each other again?"
She sings it in lone vocals with light acoustic chords in the background, and then starts adding instrumentals as she progresses into the chorus of, "So don't work your stuff, because I've got troubles enough. No don't pick on me, when one act of kindness could be... deathly." By the end of the song the background vocals have a life of their own, and this song literally swells.

"Driving Sideways" is song number five, and the tempo of this song makes you want to do the stroll. (I swear! It's almost 50's-ish in the beginning) The light, catchy tune is in three, and I truthfully can't listen to it without bobbing my head back and forth.

"You Do" is a song written from one woman to another - with Aimee offering her insight and advice to a woman who is desperately searching for love in the wrong relationship. "The sex you're trading up for - what you hope is love - is just another thing - that he'll be careless of." Its chorus almost sounds a little "Chris Isaak" like - and this is one of those melodies that stays in your head for a long time.

Number 7 is "Nothing Is Good Enough", which is in instrumental form here. If you pick up Aimee's CD, "Bachelor no. 2...", you can hear the equally accolade deserving lyrics.

"Wise Up", with it's two-note piano opening and Sarah McLaughlin-esque vocals in the beginning, is a poignant and point-blank ballad. The premise and main lyrical theme of this song, is, simply, "It's not going to stop... til you wise up." Classic Aimee... it's in your face, and you can't believe nobody has ever written that line in a song before.

The final Aimee Mann song on this CD is called "Save Me", which I believe is the one that earned her the Grammy nomination. "If you could save me - from the ranks - of the freaks - who suspect - they could never love anyone."
The light accordion/acoustic guitar/and YES, snare drum combination of this arrangement gives it a somber feel, until the electric guitar kicks in and perks it all up in the bridge.

The rest of the CD is wasted on Supertramp tracks we all already have, and some really lousy song by Gabrielle (?) that none of us have and none of us want. (Sounds like a Tracy Chapman/Macy Gray wannabe, with a drum machine and without the soul) Why oh WHY is that song on this CD?

The final track, "Magnolia" is haunting and soothing. It's an orchestrated instrumental and eases us out of the album nicely.

My opinion, for you Aimee Mann fans, is that this album is a must have. For you non-fans (or those who don't know any better)...this album is a must have! GO GET IT, you won't be disappointed.