They don't make them like this anymore!
5
By falman
The whole Randy Newman score is great. The theme runs, hauntingly, throughout. One More Hour as sung by Jennifer Warnes is the most beautiful sad song of my experience. If you ever get to see the movie, this song could make you cry.
Great listening, with or without the movie
5
By PianoGuyFromSC
From the beginning of his career, Randy Newman showed a strong affinity for the styles and harmonies of early American pop music of the ragtime era. Whoever decided to hire him for RAGTIME made a heavenly match. He already understood the style inside out, and with the help of orchestrator Ralph Burns, created a score that adds an extra layer of emotional impact to this odd but effective film. I haven't seen this film all the way through since its original release, yet any track from this recording instantly brings back all the images and emotions. If you enjoy Newman and/or the ragtime era, don't miss this wonderful score.
A Gem
5
By Dioi
This score introduced rock musician to film audiences as a serious composer. Overshadowed at the Academy Awards by Vangelis's synthesized score for "Chariots of Fire" and the stunt song writing of "Arthur's Theme" (4 composers -- including Peter Allen who contributed the line, "When you caught between the moon and New York City."), this music showed the promise that Newman has fulfilled repeatedly in the past 25 years.
Truly amazing
5
By sher5od
This is quite easily one of my favorite musicals of all time.
A classic score
5
By Jon Turner
Arguably one of my favorite motion picture scores of all time, "Ragtime" barely gets the recognition it deserves. Romantic, tearjerking, and beautiful, with a couple of catchy "Scott Joplin" ditties and bouncy dance numbers, this is a remarkable achievement from a young Randy Newman. For years I have listened to this music on a scratchy LP, but now that it's available on CD, or, to be more precise, for download, one can really get into the music without being burdened by the crackle or hiss of a record. Of the songs, some of them didn't make it into the final cut, including "Change Your Way", written initially for the opening titles. There is no reason why "Ragtime" shouldn't be counted as one of Newman's all-time greatest; it's a masterpiece from start to finish.
Easily some of the best work ever done by Randy Newman
5
By mikeymars
Critics to this day debate whether Director Milos Forman's 1981 film adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's epic saga of early 20th century New York was a gem of characterization -- or a hopeless attempt at condensing one of the strangest historical novels ever written.
But those with musical inclinations have never debated the soundtrack that Paramount commissioned from Randy Newman. The era his compositions represent (circa 1906) resonate from every piece, and his numbers are what literally frame almost every scene in the film. "Hauntingly beautiful" doesn't do justice to the main theme and one vocal piece ("One More Hour") that runs over the closing credits, and the Joplin-esque pieces composed for the few upbeat sections (of what overall is a very sad, dour storyline) literally sound like they were written a century ago. This truly is one of the best soundtracks to come out of any movie made in the 1980s, and definitely deserves a listen by those who interested in appreciating the depth of compositive creativity Newman possessed in his early, "hungrier" years.
Bottom line: STRONGLY recommended!!!
