Songs from the Movie is the 13th studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Zoë Records on January 25, 2014. The album is orchestral music re-recordings of her songs, guided by American composer Vince Mendoza. It has received positive reviews from critics.
Recording and release After this album's 2014 release, she performed selections from it with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, Scotland, as well as select performances with domestic orchestras. In 2014, Carpenter's touring schedule included a mix of orchestral performances comprising selections from Songs from the Movie, as well as acoustic sets featuring Jon Carroll, multi-instrumentalist John Doyle, and opening act Tift Merritt. To select the songs, Carpenter collaborated with co-producers Mendoza and Matt Rollings, whittling down a list of songs that were lyrically challenging and told complex stories from throughout her recording career.
Reception The editorial staff of AllMusic named this the "Best of 2014" and scored it 3.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Thom Jurek noting Carpenter's diverse influences outside of country music and noted how she has "remained vital, productive, and has a track record of consistency most artists would—or at least should—envy" and opining that Mendoza was able to complement her voice with the performers to make an album that is "an almost painterly soundtrack" to Carpenter's life and work. Writing for Country Standard Time, Jeffrey B. Remz thought the album needed "a bit more energy" and "veers decidedly towards the precious and pretty side, but sometimes a bit too much so." The Guardians Robin Deneslow scored Songs from the Movie three out of five stars, calling the experiment a "brave reworking" of her songs that sometimes has the instrumentation overwhelm the songwriting. Nick Coleman of The Independent scored this album two out of five stars, opining that the compositions are good songs by Carpenter, but that they are "fluffed up massively in a compressed space like this, also a rather stifling one".
Track listing All songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter "On and On It Goes" – 4:23 "I Am a Town" – 4:59 "Between Here and Gone" – 5:03 "Ideas Are Like Stars" – 4:14 "The Dreaming Road" – 5:44 "Only a Dream" – 5:53 "Come On Come On" – 5:27 "Mrs. Hemingway" – 6:18 "Where Time Stands Still" – 3:43 "Goodnight America" – 6:06
Personnel
Mary Chapin Carpenter – vocals, production Dave Arch – piano Chuck Ainsley – mixing at Sound Stage Studios John Badbury – violin Mark Berrow – violin Richard Berry – horn Rachel Bolt – viola Thomas Bowes – violin Jon Carnac – first clarinet David Chatterton – bassoon Luis Conte – percussion on "Goodnight America" Dave Daniels – cello Yona Dunsford – choir metro voice Philip Eastop – horn Liz Edwards – violin Richard Edwards – tenor trombone Peter Erskine – percussion on "On and On It Goes", "I Am a Town", "Between Here and Gone", "Ideas Are Like Stars", "The Dreaming Road", "Only a Dream", "Come On Come On", and "Goodnight America" Jonathan Evans-Jones – violin Alice Fearn – choir metro voice Joanna Forbes – choir metro voice Soophia Foroughi – choir metro voice Dave Fuest – clarinet Roger Garland – violin Alex Gibson – choir metro voice Caitlyn Gordon – choir metro voice Russ Harrington – interior photography Bill Hawkes – viola Claire Henry – choir metro voice Mike Hext – first tenor trombone Eloise Irving – choir metro voice Garfield Jackson – viola Leah Jackson – choir metro voice Karen Jones – first flute and alto flute Skaila Kanga – harp Helen Keen – flute and alto flute Paul Kegg – cello Nikki Kennedy – choir metro voice Gary Kettel – percussion Mike Kidd – horn Patrick Kiernan – violin Boguslaw Kostecki – violin Peter Lale – first viola Patrick Lannigan – bass Chris Laurence – stand-up rhythm Julian Leaper – violin Anthony Lewis – cello Martin Loveday – cello Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering Richard Macintyre – cover photography Steve Mair – bass Rita Manning – violin Jane Marshall – oboe Oren Marshall – tuba Stephen Maw – contra bassoon Dani May – choir metro voice Polly May – choir metro voice Vince Mendoza – orchestra arrangements, conducting, production Chloe Morgan – choir metro voice Kate Musker – viola Everton Nelson – violin Anna Noakes – flute and alto flute Abbie Osmon – choir metro voice Andy Parker – viola Chris Parkes – first horn Tom Pearce – choir master Tom Pigott-Smith – violin Anthony Pleeth – first cello Maciej Rakowski – violin Jonathan Rees – violin Frank Ricotti – first percussion George Robertson – viola Matt Rollings – additional piano on "Goodnight America", production Frank Schaefer – cello Emlyn Singleton – violin Richard Skinner – first bassoon Dave Stewart – bass trombone David Theodore – oboe Cathy Thompson – violin Chris Tombling – violin Rebecca Trehearn – choir metro voice Michael Valerio – acoustic bass on "On and On It Goes", "I Am a Town", "Between Here and Gone", "Ideas Are Like Stars", "The Dreaming Road", "Only a Dream", "Come On Come On", and "Goodnight America" Vicci Wardman – viola Stacey Watton – first bass Bruce White – viola Debbie Widdup – violin Paul Willey – violin Jonathan Williams – cello Dave Woodcock – violin
See also List of 2014 albums
References
External links
from Rounder Records