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This is a most magical, sad, fun, beautiful, touching, wintery experience. A musical journey. This is one of those rare and special times where the score of the movie carries it along and punctuates it in such a way that the movie could be seen as, on one significant level, a story told in pictures and music. This is a score without which the movie would be just inconceivable.

Danny Elfman is the perfect musical counterpart to genius Tim Burton. This music like Tim Burton's movies has the truly unique ability to convey the dark and the cold and the tragic in a way which is tender, melancholic, hopeful, innocent, heartbreaking and magical, rather than evil.

Every track is wonderful. The instrumentation and the use of magical, "wintery" choruses create a fantastic feel. The Introduction is so sweeping and inviting, Storytime beautifully conveys the opening context of the film as a bedtime tale of a grandmother's youth, The Castle On The Hill puts us back in time and into that story made vital in its telling, Beautiful New World is charming, The Cookie Factory is so much fun, the Ice Dance, short, climactic, romantic and (not to overuse this word!) magical. Edwardo The Barber features some delightful, quirky, skillfully mad violining to accompany Edward's charming haircutting exploits. Death! is so tragic, and the ending tracks tell the story of the rest of the exciting action and fated climax of a poignant and beautiful film in a way analagous to the film itself, with subtlety and power rather than sentimentality. And the music comes full circle with the return to the grandmother and the closing credits. And just for fun, there's the perfectly odd and slightly melodramatic Tom Jones "With These Hands" thrown in as an extra treat.

Elfman at his best. Perfect winter music. Gets better with every listen. I don't know how better to describe this experience.


Not for the soft of heart...   May 23, 2000
 32 out of 33 found this review helpful

My first exposure to any form of "Edward Scissorhands" was hearing "The Grand Finale" on one of Danny Elfman's compilation discs. I must admit, I was reduced to tears only a minute into it. The sense of melancholy tragedy and childhood sweetness blended together in the cue is nothing less than heartbreaking, even outside of the context of the film. The score is worth getting for that one track alone, but there is much more here to enjoy as well. Elfman runs the full range on this ablum, from goofy to dramatic to bittersweet, all building up to that spectacularly devastating finale. I've been listening to scores for years now, but I have yet to encounter one which has such profound emotional impact (especially if you've seen the film). I guess I'm just a romantic at heart, and that's right where this music hits you.


Elfman's most Enchanting   December 30, 2001
 18 out of 18 found this review helpful

Self-taught Danny Elfman says to the effect that the one thing he *loves* is sad music. His film music has a haunting, dark quality to it, but it's not so much sad (not as in lamenting) as it is poignant. And unless there's something else more poignant running through Elfman's head that he hasn't written down yet, the score to *Edward Scissorhands* could be the one complete statement of his love. The music here reflects the musicbox innocence, the snowy purity, and the dark mystery, as well as the quirky humor in some of the jazzier, big-band arrangements that helps move Burton's film along. The themes here are melodically simple, and, like Horner's score to *Glory*, which also uses very simplistic themes, the boys choir helps give the music a delicate color of beauty. With strings and celeste unfolding the harmony, Elfman's score is not only a perfect match with the atmosphere of the movie, but stands as enchanting absolute music.


Edward Scissorhands   December 23, 2000
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is a glorious Danny Elfman score featuring a boys choir with the orchestra. It has a German Impressionistic flair at times, with a spice of Gothic at others. Also woven in is a 50's utopic surburban sound, as would be used in old commercials. It's tendresse, and, at times, poignant aspects are evident in the music. It can be thrilling, and also heartwrenching. Elfman's imagery is very good here. Its opening is a dark and spooky choir/celeste mix. Another fine track is the Ice Dance which is the love theme. It shows the hopelessness of attraction, and the happiness of difference. A sharp track is Death where you can almost see the sharp shears. The Tide Turns features fight, tantrum, and warning music all together. The final confrontation renders tears, And the Farewell and Grand Finale are absolutely Marvelous resolvers that break the heart and take your breath away. A soundtrack almost better than the movie itself, this CD is a must.


I Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   December 22, 2003
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

I am only nine years old and I absolutely adore this album. It makes me cry like a baby. I cry because I think Of the movie Edward Scissorhands.I am very sensative(I cry over many movies and books), and that is mainly the reason that I cry so much.
I first became interested in Edward Scissorhands when I saw the movie on FX a few weeks ago. I absolutly love it. I have a good luck charm that I carry in my sock. It is an ad for the movie Edward Scissorhands. I don't go anywhere without it. I have three other good luck charms exactly the same. I keep them for when the other ones wear out.
Well, I g2g (got to go), I hope you enjoyed reading my review!!