Ferry is remarkable on his reading of the Martin Page / Bernie Taupin tune "Dance With Life (The Brilliant Light)," portraying a gratitude for life's blessings, however short the time we may enjoy them. Taj Mahal's "Corinna" is about as good a love song gets ("...without Corinna / Sure don't mean a natural thing..."). Marvin Gaye never did it better than on "Piece Of Clay," which serves as a sad reminder of his own short life ("...don't you see that's what's wrong with the world today / Everybody wants somebody to be their own piece of clay..."). Dorothy Moore's endearing "Misty Blue" has strength enough to pull us into the storm and to lull us with its comforts at the same time.

The centerpieces of the album, though, are "Change The World," the Babyface / Eric Clapton opus of amazing clarity and optimism and Robbie and Peter Gabriel's reworking of "I Have The Touch." The latter shows the beauty of accepting life on the simplest of terms. In essence, letting your senses and your heart take over ("...only, only wanting contact / Shake those hands...).

The album would seem an absolute masterwork of the movie's theme if not for the two cover songs(Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" and John Hiatt's "Have A Little Faith In Me"). Aaron Neville and Jewel are definitely out of place on this album dedicated to genuine feeling. Both songs suffer from the singer's inability (or unwillingness) to understand the material. Just how many notes should you get from one syllable? Their inclusion really should be no suprise though. I could hear more cash registers than Pink Floyd's "Money" in these songs.

Those missteps aside, though, I give Robbie appropriate kudos, for his wonderful 'dance with life.' We need more soundtracks like this.


I agree there is music missing   January 14, 2005
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I just saw Phenomenon in TV ( not my first time watching it) and I wanted to get the music which is played whenever it shows the trees swaying and I cant find it anywhere. I thought I could find it on my fileshare program ( which I bought I am not downloading without owning the program) Anyways it doesnt come up. I have beautiful music from A Beautiful Mind and Forrest Gump etc but the title of this instrumental piece is missing and isnt on the soundtrack which is odd because it is featured a few times throughout the movie.


Good to hear Aaron Neville and Taj Mahal on this soundtrack   September 30, 1999
 6 out of 8 found this review helpful

I purchased this CD because of Eric Clapton's, song, "Change the World." But it was a nice surprise to hear Aaron Neville do the Van Morrison song, "Crazy Love". I listen to that song as much as "Change the World". I was also very happy to hear "The Taj" on this CD. I saw him a number of times in concert singing Corinna, and although I remember him singing this song more "bluesy" it is still great to hear him. The rest of the CD is OK, but I find myself jumping to these three songs and overlooking the rest. This CD is worth owning just to hear the songs I mentioned.


....   September 11, 2001
 6 out of 8 found this review helpful

Who makes the decisions on these soundtracks -- what to include, what to discard? Thomas Newman's magic MADE this movie -- no less than his artistry is what made Shawshank Redemption or American Beauty work. So why screw it up by including all these other goofy rock tunes when it's Newman's work that makes the movie work in the first place. For those who just INSIST on having a smorgasborg of incoherent, disconnected rock-and-roll songs in the car's CD player, they should make one version of the Phenomenon Soundtrack. And for those of us who LOVED THE MOVIE, they should make another: a Soundtrack CD that really does contain the orchestrated score that is the heart and soul of the movie itself. (Only one cut on this soundtrack, "The Orchard" is Newman's work to begin with. What a sham!) Is that too much to ask?