Brassed Off!: Original Soundtrack From The Miramax Motion

Product Review

Brassed Off covers some of the same subject matter as the more popular The Full Monty, released a year later in 1997, but the soundtracks are polar opposites. Brassed Off tells the story of a group of Yorkshire coal miners who face an end to their livelihood when it appears their mine is going to be shut down. To keep some semblance of normalcy in their lives, the miners play in the colliery band, and these performances make up the bulk of the soundtrack, a mix of traditional brass-band music, transcriptions (Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with a solo flügelhorn replacing the guitar), and orchestral selections. Alternately rousing and touching, the soundtrack is all the more poignant because the music is played by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, a real-life ensemble that struggled to survive when its mine was closed. --David Horiuchi

Title Tracks for Brassed Off!: Original Soundtrack From The Miramax Motion Picture

1. Death Or Glory - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
2. A Sad Old Day - Trevor Jones
3. Floral Dance - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
4. Aforementioned Essential Items - Trevor Jones
5. En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor - Paul Hughes
6. Years Of Coal - Trevor Jones
7. March Of The Cobblers - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
8. There's More Important Things In Life - Trevor Jones
9. Cross Of Honor - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
10. Jerusalem - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
11. Florentiner March - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
12. Danny Boy - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
13. We'll Find A Way - Trevor Jones
14. Clog Dance - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
15. Colonel Bogey - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
16. All Things Bright And Beautiful - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
17. William Tell Overture - Shaun Randall
18. Honest Decent Human Beings - Trevor Jones
19. Pomp And Circumstance - Grimethorpe Colliery Band

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(26 customer reviews)

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

"Brassed Off!" launches old songs to new heights ..., September 14, 2000

Paul Hickey (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brassed Off!: Original Soundtrack From The Miramax Motion Picture (Audio CD)

More than just the soundtrack to an excellent movie, "Brassed Off!" stands on its own as a stunning and superb introduction to just how good orchestral music can be. Brace yourself, however. This is not your father's oompah band. The 19 pieces on this record range from the quiet dignified beauty of "Danny Boy" to the bright cheerfulness and warmth of "Colonel Bogey" (better known as the marching song from the motion picture "The Bridge on the River Kwai"). And I guarantee that you've never heard the "William Tell Overture" played like this before. Although perhaps not something that would actually be performed at a real symphonic competition, it is one of several highlights of this album. Others would have to include the elegant and jaunty "Floral Dance" and the dramatically magnificent "En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor." The dynamics on the latter work, in particular, with its stirring sweep from a solo...Read more

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Excellent brass band review, from an equally great movie, March 7, 2001

Scott Johnson (Ames, Iowa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brassed Off!: Original Soundtrack From The Miramax Motion Picture (Audio CD)

The movie BRASSED OFF! holds much to be applauded; characters who struggle with real issues, stars who fit the story rather than the reverse, and so on. The crowning achievement of BRASSED OFF!, however, might just be the soundtrack album.Combining incidental music by Trevor Jones with a number of old 'war horse' numbers from the brass band repertoire, BRASSED OFF! is a soundtrack which actually contributes mightily to the story of the film, rather than being simply a collection of pop songs designed strictly for profit. The movie is, after all, about a brass band!Tracks deserving special recognition are "March of the Cobblers," "Danny Boy," and "William Tell Overture." On an album of excellent music these three are particularly outstanding. "Danny Boy" of course carries the emotional baggage with which it is consistently associated AND the added weight of a particularly touching scene from the movie. "William Tell Overture"...Read more

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

No joke, these Blokes!, September 22, 2000

Robert H. Ruby (Minneapolis, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brassed Off!: Original Soundtrack From The Miramax Motion Picture (Audio CD)

Wonderful musicians who play with modesty belying their deep talent, but with knowing passion granted to the gifted few at any musical level able to grasp the true message of the composer, and pass it flawlessly to the listener on a silver platter.