Magnolia [Original Soundtrack] by Aimee Mann/Original Soundtrack

Okay this CD has a really interesting story behind it. There is a song on this CD "Deathly" which contains the line "Now that I've met you would you object to never seeing me again" That single line was the inspiration for the original movie Magnolia. All of the rest of the movie revolves around that line and the female character that says it. Paul Thomas Anderson heard that line years ago in Aimee Mann's song and decides it would make a great line in a movie. So the song created the movie and then the movie created this CD.

Aimee Mann's music and the movie both have a very postmodern feel to them, and I truly love the sound of some of these lyrics. She has such a great sound and her lyrics are so much more original than so many other female singers out there. The only other artist I would compare her to is Natalie Merchant and then only her more recent solo work.

I bought this album because I saw the movie and loved the song, "Wise Up" which is featured prominently in the movie when several of the actors start singing the song together in different parts of the movie. So of course that is one of my favorite songs on this CD.

The rendition of "One" on this album is very different than any other version of that song that I have ever heard. Many people have complained that it doesn't deliver in the same way the original song did, but I think that is because it has such a different sound to it. Where the original is more hard rocking this is much more sentimental and soothing, the emotions are in some ways completely different. But just because its different doesn't make it bad, I actually really like it.

And of course the original inspiration song "Deathly" is very good as well. In fact tracks 1-9 are all Aimee Mann and very good, tracks 10-13 are by Supertramp, Gabielle, and Jon Brion and though they are okay they are nothing to write home about.

Overall I recommend this CD to anyone who loved the movie since in many ways the movie is about the music and not vice versa. Also I recommend this CD to anyone who is interested in hearing what a truly intelligent female vocalist sounds like.